crown is impoveriſhed and ſtripped of all it's antient revenues, ſo that it greatly depends on the liberality of parliament for it's neceſſary ſupport and maintenance, we may perhaps be led to think, that the ballance is inclined pretty ſtrongly to the popular ſcale, and that the executive magiſtrate has neither independence nor power enough left, to form that check upon the lords and commons, which the founders of our conſtitution intended.
But, on the other hand, it is to be conſidered, that every prince, in the firſt parliament after his acceſſion, has by long uſage a truly royal addition to his hereditary revenue ſettled upon him for his life; and has never any occaſion to apply to parliament for ſupplies, but upon ſome public neceſſity of the whole realm. This reſtores to him that conſtitutional independence, which at his firſt acceſſion ſeems, it muſt be owned, to be wanting. And then, with regard to power, we may find perhaps that the hands of government are at leaſt ſufficiently ſtrengthened; and that an Engliſh monarch is now in no danger of being overborne by either the nobility or the people. The inſtruments of power are not perhaps ſo open and avowed as they formerly were, and therefore are the leſs liable to jealous and invidious reflections; but they are not the weaker upon that account. In ſhort, our national debt and taxes (beſides the inconveniences before-mentioned) have alſo in their natural conſequences thrown ſuch a weight of power into the executive ſcale of government, as we cannot think was intended by our patriot anceſtors; who gloriouſly ſtruggled for the abolition of the then formidable parts of the prerogative, and by an unaccountable want of foreſight eſtabliſhed this ſyſtem in their ſtead. The entire collection and management of ſo vaſt a revenue, being placed in the hands of the crown, have given riſe to ſuch a multitude of new officers, created by and removeable at the royal pleaſure, that they have extended the influence of government to every corner of the nation. Witneſs the commiſſioners, and the multitude of dependents on the cuſtoms, in every
