The year,
my lords, is not so far advanced, as that supplies may not be raised
by some other method, if this should be rejected; nor do I think that
we ought to consent to this, even though our refusal should hinder the
supplies, since we have no right, for the sake of any advantage,
however certain or great, to violate all the laws of heaven and earth,
to doom thousands to destruction, and to fill the exchequer with the
price of the lives of our fellow-subjects.
Let us, therefore, my lords, not suffer ourselves to be driven forward
with such haste as may hinder us from observing whither we are going;
let us not be persuaded to precipitate our counsels by those who know
that all delays will be detrimental to their designs, because delays
may produce new information, and they are conscious that the bill will
be less approved the more it is understood.
But every reason which they can offer against the motion, is, in my
opinion, a reason for it; and, therefore, I shall readily agree to
postpone the clause, and no less readily to reject the bill.
If, at last, reason and evidence are vain, if neither justice nor
compassion can prevail, but the nation must be destroyed for the
support of the government, let us at least, my lords, confine our
assertions, in the preamble, to truth; let us not affirm that
drunkenness is established by the advice or consent of the lords
spiritual, since I am confident not one of them will so far contradict
his own doctrine, as to vote for a bill which gives a sanction to one
vice, and ministers opportunities and temptations to all others; and
which, if it be not speedily repealed, will overflow the whole nation
with a deluge of wickedness.
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