Political disquisitions; or, An enquiry into public errors, defects, and abuses. Illustrated by, and established upon facts and remarks, extracted from a variety of authors, ancient and modern. : Calculated to draw the timely attention of government and people, to a due consideration of the necessity, and the means, of reforming those errors, defects, and abuses; of restoring the constitution, and saving the state. / By J. Burgh, gentleman; author of the Dignity of human nature, and other works. ; Volume the first [-third and last].

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Author:	Burgh, James, 1714-1775.
Title:	Political disquisitions; or, An enquiry into public errors, defects, and abuses. Illustrated by, and established upon facts and remarks, extracted from a variety of authors, ancient and modern. : Calculated to draw the timely attention of government and people, to a due consideration of the necessity, and the means, of reforming those errors, defects, and abuses; of restoring the constitution, and saving the state. / By J. Burgh, gentleman; author of the Dignity of human nature, and other works. ; Volume the first [-third and last].
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Print source:	Political disquisitions; or, An enquiry into public errors, defects, and abuses. Illustrated by, and established upon facts and remarks, extracted from a variety of authors, ancient and modern. : Calculated to draw the timely attention of government and people, to a due consideration of the necessity, and the means, of reforming those errors, defects, and abuses; of restoring the constitution, and saving the state. / By J. Burgh, gentleman; author of the Dignity of human nature, and other works. ; Volume the first [-third and last]. Burgh, James, 1714-1775. Philadelphia:: Printed and sold by Robert Bell, in Third-Street; and William Woodhouse, in Front-Street., M,DCC,LXXV. [1775]
Subject terms:	Political science. Political ethics. Great Britain -- Politics and government. Booksellers' advertisements -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. Prospectuses. Subscribers' lists.
URL:	https://name.umdl.umich.edu/N10941.0001.001
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Table of Contents

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POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS, &c.

The following PROPOSALS, are laid before those Gentlemen, who choose to promote SCIENCE in America, for sPRINTING by SUBSCRIPTION, SKETCHES OF THE HISTORY OF MAN. IN FOUR VOLUMES.

title page

GENERAL PREFACE.

BOOKS quoted or referred to, in this First Volume.

part

CONTENTS.

contents of book

POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS, &c.

BOOK I. Of Government, briefly.

CHAP. I. Government by Laws and Sanctions, why necessary.

CHAP. II. The People the Fountain of Authority, the Object of Government, and last Resource.

CHAP. III. Of Government by Representation.

CHAP. IV. Advantages of parliamentary Government, which have recommended it to many nations.

BOOK II. Of Parliaments.

CHAP. I. Parliaments irregular and deficient, 1, By Establish|ment. 2, By Abuse. By Establishment they are an inadequate Representation of the People, and their Period is too long. By Abuse they are corrupt.

CHAP. II. Inadequate Representation, its Disadvantages.

CHAP. III. What would be adequate Parliamentary Representation.

CHAP. IV. View of the present State of Parliamentary Represen|tation.

CHAP. V. How parliamentary representation came to be thus inadequate.

CHAP. VI. Evil of the Boroughs having so disproportionate a Share in Parliamentary Representation.

CHAP. VII. Inadequate Representation universally complained of. Proposals by various Persons for redressing this Irregularity.

BOOK III. Of the second Constitutional Irre|gularity in our Parliaments, viz. The excessive Length▪ of their Period.

CHAP. I. Parliaments were originally annual.

CHAP. II. Brief History of the lengthening and shortening of Parliament.

CHAP. III. Example of several Nations, who have shewn a fear of inveterate Power.

CHAP. IV. Example of the English in some Instances, shews an Apprehension of danger from inveterate Power.

CHAP. V. Sense of Mankind on inveterate Power; or Arguments for short Parliaments.

CHAP. VI. Of Exclusion by Rotation.

CHAP. VII. Of electing by Ballot.

BOOK IV. Effects of the above Irregularities.

CHAP. I. Members of Parliament no longer hold themselves res|ponsible to the People.

CHAP. II. The Denial of Responsibility is a novel Doctrine.

CHAP. III. Arguments for Responsibility of Members to the People.

CHAP. IV. Unwarrantable Privileges assumed by the House of Commons, in consequence of inadequate Representa|tion, and too long Parliaments.

CHAP. V. Parliamentary Privileges and Prosecutions have been too generally frivolous and unjust.

CHAP. VI. Of excluding the People from the house of Commons, and punishing those who publish the Speeches made there.

CHAP. VII. Of Absentees from the House, and Members neglecting Parliamentary Business.

BOOK V. Of Parliamentary Corruption.

CHAP. I. Of the Origin, Funds, and Materials of Corruption.

CHAP. II. Of Corruption in Elections.

CHAP. III. Statutes, Resolutions, &c. against corrupt proceedings at Elections.

CHAP. IV. Of Ministerial Influence in the House.

AMERICAN EDITIONS, lately published and sold by ROBERT BELL, next Door to ST. PAUL'S Church, in Third-Street, PHILADELPHIA.

publisher's advertisement

POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS, &c.

TO THE ENCOURAGERS OF THIS WORK.

title page

PREFACE TO VOLUME THE SECOND.

BOOKS quoted or referred to, in this Second Volume.

part

CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

BOOK I. Of Places and Pensions.

BOOK II. Of taxing the Colonies.

BOOK. III. Of the Army.

POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS, &c.

BOOK I. Of Places and Pensions.

CHAP. I. Idea of a Parliament uninfluenced by Places and Pen|sions; taken from the best historical and political Writers, &c.

CHAP. II. Placemen and Pensioners unfit for Members of Par|liament, because not likely to be uninfluenced.

CHAP. III. That Placemen often hold a plurality of Employments, incompatible with one another.

CHAP. IV. Places and Pensions not given according to Merit.

CHAP. V. Profusion in Places and Pensions.

CHAP. VI. That Places, Pensions, Bribes, and all the Arts of Corruption, are but false Policy, being endless and insufficient.

CHAP. VII. The common Apologies for Corruption, as a suppos|ed necessary Engine of Government, shewn to be false.

CHAP. VIII. Bills, Statutes, Resolutions, &c. shewing the Sense of Mankind on the Evil of Placemen and Pensioners in Parliament.

CHAP. IX. Speeches on the Danger of Placemen and Pensioners in Parliament.

CHAP. X. Of Qualifications for Members of Parliament.

BOOK II. Of taxing the Colonies.

CHAP. I. That the Object, our Ministers have had in View in taxing the Colonies, was, enlarging the Power of the Court, by increasing the Number of Places and Pensions for their Dependants.

CHAP. II. Our Colonies of great Advantage, and therefore deserv|ed better Treatment.

CHAP. III. The Colonies, though so valuable to Britain, have been greatly oppressed by the Mother Country.

CHAP. IV. Precedents respecting Colonies.

CHAP. V. Of Taxation without Representation.

PROTEST against the bill,

Copy of a Petition from the American gentlemen, who happened to be resident in London, to the two houses.

BOOK III. Of the Army.

CHAP. I. General Reflections on standing Armies in free Countries in Times of Peace.

CHAP. II. Facts relating to the Army.

CHAP. IV. A Militia with the Navy, the only proper Security of a free People in an insular Situation, both against foreign Invasion and domestic Tyranny.

CHAP. V. Parliamentary Transactions, Speeches, &c. relating to the Army.

publisher's advertisement

A SPECIMEN CIVIL SOCIETY. Different FORMS OF GOVERNMENT compared.

CONDITIONS.

POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS, &c.

publisher's advertisement

title page

NAMES OF THE ENCOURAGERS.

part

ADVERTISEMENT.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME III.

BOOK I. Of Manners.

POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS, &c.

BOOK I. Of Manners.

CHAP. I. Importance of Manners in a State.

CHAP. II. Luxury hurtful to Manners, and dangerous to States.

CHAP. III. Of the public Diversions, and of Gaming, and their Influence on Manners.

CHAP. IV. Of Duels.

CHAP. V. Of Lewdness.

CHAP. VI. Influence of Education upon Manners.

CHAP. VII. Of Punishments.

CHAP. VIII. Able Statesmen apply themselves to forming the Man|ners of the People.

CHAP. IX. Of the Liberty of Speech and Writing on Political Subjects.

CONCLUSION.

INDEX.

part

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