I have always said, that the war carrying on against the Americans is unjust, that it is not practicable; but admitting it to be a just war, that it is practicable, I say, that the means made use of, are by no means such as will obtain the end. I shall confine myself singly to this ground, and shew that this Bill, like every other measure, proves the want of policy, the folly and madness, of the present set of ministers. I was in great hopes, that they had seen their error, and had given over coercion, and carrying on war against America by means of acts of parliament. In order to induce the Americans to submit to your legislature, you pass laws against them, cruel and tyrannical in the extreme. If they complain of one law, your answer to their complaint, is to pass another more rigorous than the former: but they are in rebellion, you say; if they are, treat them as rebels are wont to be treated. Send out your fleets and armies against them, and subdue them; but let them have no reason to complain of your laws. Shew them, that your laws are mild, just, and equitable, that they therefore are in the wrong, and deserve the punishment they meet with. The very contrary of this has been your wretched policy. I have ever understood it as a first principle, that in rebellion you punish the individuals, but spare the country; in a war against the enemy, you spare individuals, and lay waste the country. This last has been invariably your conduct against America. I suggested this to you, when the Boston Port Bill passed. I advised you to find out the offending persons, and to punish them; but what did you do instead of this? You laid the whole town of Boston under terrible contribution, punishing the innocent with the guilty. You answer, that you could not come at the guilty. This very answer, shews how unfit, how unable you are, to govern America. If you are forced to punish the innocent to come at the guilty, your government there, is, and ought to be at an end. But, by the Bill now before us, you not only punish those innocent persons who are unfortunately mixed with the guilty in North America, but punish and starve whole islands of unoffending people, unconnected with, and separated from them. ² Hitherto the Americans have separated the right of taxation from your legislative authority; although they have denied the former, they have acknowledged the latter. This Bill will make them deny the one as well as the other. What signifies, say they, your giving up the right of taxation, if you are to inforce your legislative authority in the manner you do. This legislative authority so inforced, will at any time coerce taxation, and take from us whatever you think fit to demand. It is a Bill which should be entitled, a Bill for carrying more effectually into execution the resolves of the Congress.