Essays 133 
them an affection for the country; that they come 
only to make money as fast as they can; are some- 
times men of vicious characters and broken fortunes, 
sent by a minister merely to get them out of the way; 
that as they intend staying in the country no longer 
than their government continues, and purpose to 
leave no family behind them, they are apt to be re- 
gardless of the good-will of the people, and care not 
what is said or thought of them after they are gone. 
Their situation, at the same time, gives them many 
opportunities of being vexatious, and they are often 
so, notwithstanding their dependence on the assem- 
blies for all that part of their support that does not 
arise from fees established by law; but would prob- 
ably be much more so, if they were to be supported 
by money drawn from the people without their con- 
sent or good-will, which is the professed design of the 
new act. That, if by means of these forced duties 
government is to be supported in America, without 
the intervention of the assemblies, their assemblies 
will soon be looked upon as useless; and a governor 
will not call them, as having nothing to hope from 
their meeting, and perhaps something to fear from 
their inquiries into, and remonstrances against, his 
maladministration. That thus the people will be de- 
prived of their most essential rights. That it being, 
as at present, a governor’s interest to cultivate the 
good-will, by promoting the welfare, of the people he 
governs, can be attended with no prejudice to the 
mother country; since all the laws he may be pre- 
vailed on to give his assent to are subject to revision 
here, and, if reported against by the Board of Trade, 
768]