It may be, perhaps, urged, (for indeed I know not what else can be
decently alleged,) that there is a necessity of raising money, that no
other method can be invented, and that, therefore, this ought not to
be opposed.
I know, my lords, that ministers generally consider, as the test of
each man's loyalty, the readiness with which he concurs with them in
their schemes for raising money; and that they think all opposition to
these schemes, which are calculated for the support of the government,
the effect of a criminal disaffection; that they always think it a
sufficient vindication of any law, that it will bring in very large
sums; and that they think no measures pernicious, nor laws dangerous,
by which the revenue is not impaired.
If government was instituted only to raise money, these ministerial
schemes of policy would be without exception; nor could it be denied,
that the present ministers show themselves, by this expedient,
uncommon masters of their profession. But the end of government is
only to promote virtue, of which happiness is the consequence; and,
therefore, to support government by propagating vice, is to support it
by means which destroy the end for which it was originally
established, and for which its continuance is to be desired.
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