Tht RIGHT CONSTITUTION of a COMMON- W EALTH 'EXAMINED. {Continued from our / .' 1 l?. own u^"e > a,; d finding, upon cohfulting , ""iends, that he had no chance of acquittal, lie went into voluntary banishment at Ardea : but he prayed to the gods to make his ungrate ful country regret his absence. He was tried in his absence, and condemned in a fine.—Had Nedham s constitution existed at Rome, would Camillus have iakenVeii, or been made dictator, or employed at all ? Certainly not. Characters much more plausible would have run him down,or have obliged him to imitate all their indulgencies. In all rhefe examples of Cincinnatus, Curius, r abius, and Camillus, &c. our author quotes exam ples of virtues which grew up onlyin a few arifto cratical families, were cultivated by the emula tion between the two orders in the State, and by tneir struggles to check and balance each other, to prove the excellence of a Hate where there is but one order, no emulation and no balance. This is like the condudl of a poet, who should enume rate the cheerful rays and refulgent glories of the iun in a description of the beauties of midnight. Whether succession is, or is not, the grand pre servative again!): corruption, the United SLates of America have adopted this author's idea in this Reason, so far as to make the governor and ienate, as well as the house of representatives, annually elective. They have therefore a clear aim bis congratulations. They are that liap py nation : 1 hey ought to rejoice in the wisdom and justice of their trustees ; far certain limits and bounds are fixed to the powers in beinjx, by adeclaredfucceJhon of thefupreme authority an nually in the hands of the people. It is still, however, problematical, whether this Aiccelnon will be the grand preservative a gainlt corruption, or the grand inlet to it. The elections of governors andfenators are so guarded that there is room to hope ; but, if we recolletfL t, e experience of past ages and other nations, there are grounds to fear. The experiment is made, ar.d will have fair play. If corruption breaks in, a remedy must be provided; and what that remedy must be is well enough known to every man who thinks. Our authors examples are taken from the Ro mans, after the abolition of monarchy, while the government was an aristocracy, in the hands of a senate, balanced only by the tribunes. It is most certainly true, that a (landing authority in the hands of one, the few, or the many, has an im petuous propensity to corruption ; ' and it is to controul this tendency that three orders equal and inuependent of each other, are contended for in the legislature. While power was in the hands of a senate, according to our author, the people were even in danger of losing their liberty. It would be nearer the truth to fay, that the peo * Exccllentibus ingeniis citing defuerit ars qus civem recant <{uani qua hoftem fuperent. Liv. ii. 43. ' » pie had ho liberty,or a very imperfed: and uncer tain liberty ; none at all before the inttitution of the tribunes, and but an imperfect lhare after wards ; becaufethe tribunes were an unequal bal ance to the fenate,and lb on the other fide were the consuls. " Sometimes in danger from kingly afpirers." But whose fault was that ? The senate had a futlicient abhorrence of fach conspiracies : It was the people who encouraged the ambition of particular peifons to aspire, and who became their partizans. Melius would have been made a King by the people, if they had not been check ed by the senate ; and so would Manlins : To be convinced of tliis, it isneceflary only to recollect the ttory.—Spurius Melius, a rich citizen of the Equettrian order, in the year before Clirilt 437, and of Rome the 31 jth, a time offcarcity and fa mine, aspired to the consulship. He bought a large quantity of corn in Etruria, and distribu ted It among the people. Becoming by his libe rality the darling of the populace, they attend ed his train, wherever he went, and promiled him the cons ulfhip. Sensible, however, that the lenators, with the wliole yuintian family at their head, would oppose him, he mult use force ; and as ambition is insatiable, and cannot be con tented with what is attainable, he conceived that to obtain the sovereignty would cost him no more trouble than the consulship. The election came on, and as he had not concerted all his measures, 1 • Quintius Capitolinus and Agrippa Menonius Lanatus were cholen by the influence of the se nate. L. Minutious was continued prasfetftus an nona?, or superintendent of provisions : His of fice obliged him to do in public the fame that Melius affey the richer class of people, &c. all which may be judiciously taxed at ten, twenty, fifty, or one hundred per cent, on their firft importation ; and to these might be added, afmall duty of perhaps live per cent.on all other importedgoods whatever. 1 wo things are here to be confidefed and pro vt ' * * . at this mode of taxation would be more beneficial to the community,than any other! ,2 . i hat this mode is practicable, if these two things are fairly and clearly proved, I think t leie can be no room left for doubt, whether tnis kind of taxation ought to be immediately adopted, and put in practice. I will offermy reafdnsin favor of tl r '";'opo* litions as fully, clearly, andtrul- hope they may be judged wort> , £ ecl yorw. attention. I will endeavor in tt. n ° r ' n point out the benefits arising fro* 8 arifi »g fro: taxatlon - (To be continue 7° be p ub]^ e r b 77oTr f n^N^ = °> No 'lrear thc Ufr'go-Marktt, Nsw-Yor" York '"