And yet, my lords, when I consider what has been offered by all who
have hitherto appeared either in publick assemblies, or in private
conversation, as advocates for this bill, I can scarcely believe, that
they perceive themselves any force in their own arguments; and am
inclined to conclude, that they speak only to avoid the imputation of
being able to say nothing in defence of their own scheme; that their
hope is not to convince by their reasons, but to overpower by their
numbers; that they are themselves influenced, not by reason, but by
necessity; and that they only encourage luxury, because money is to be
raised for the execution of their schemes: and they imagine, that the
people will pay more cheerfully for liberty to indulge their
appetites, than for any other enjoyment.
The arguments which have been offered, my lords, in vindication of
this bill, or at least which I have hitherto heard, are only two, and
those two so unhappily associated, that they destroy each other;
whatever shall be urged to enforce the second, must in the same
proportion invalidate the first; and whoever shall assert, that the
first is true, must admit that the second is false.
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