It has been long matter of Surprise to me that the States of America when investigating the various forms of republicks should never have thought of the mode of government practised in the city of London.

it is an Epitome of the constitution of England, that constitution which is so beautifull in theory & of which you are so fond tho the balance no longer exists, and perhaps in some respects superior, as it is well guarded against the Usurpation of power by frequent 68 rotation & preserves the balance by gradual election to offices even the highest, from the people.

uncorrupted independent conduct only intitle to honors as the elections depend on the suffrages of their fellow citizens who have the power of rejection. The supreme magistrate, called in the time of the saxons Portgerafo,1 that is custos or guardian now mayor, is elected annually by 26 Aldermen. His state is magnificent & great priviledges and he bears the title of Lord.

The 26 Aldermen who are for life preside over as many wards of the city. when any of these die the wardmate returns two and the Lord mayor & aldermen choose one out of the most substantial men of the city. if any one refuse he is fined 500£. “Here then is the different orders of men with various & opposite powers perogatives & priviledges to watch over one another & to balance each other & to compel each other at all times to be real guardians of the laws”

all the Aldermen who have been Lord mayors & the three eldest aldermen are justices of the peace of the city. The traders of London are divided into twelve companies & are so many bodies politick and He that is choosen Lord mayor must be free of one of these companies.2

thus you observe a gradual rise to distinction and power & only obtained by the free suffrages of fellow citizens.

The election of members of parliament is also conducted with great decency & propriety. a week being the time fixed for taking the poll & then finished, a scrutiny may be demanded & often is. The police is also admirable. an Alderman always setting to render justice & punish criminals. that most of the outrages are committed out of the city villains dreading expeditious justice. was this pursued in westminster & elsewhere there would be no occasion for military power or pensioned trading justices depending on the crown!

That the frame of government of the city of London should have escaped your diligent & able researches astonishes me, as it certainly has many preventives of the abuse of power—office being temporary and in the hands of the members of the community to bestow or refuse for these

will you permit me to suspect that the Republick of London is too democratical? yet surely when the Balance is secured the nearer to 69 a well regulated democracy the father from Tyranny? I have often wished some new state in America had taken up this Idea of the commonwealth of London and put it in execution on a larger plan, that is to a larger object of which it is capable to any extent; having no doubt of it success and had my powers been equal to my inclination I had long since sent an Idea of this sort for their consideration; but from an anonymous no attention would have been paid and I could not have appeared in publick, tho with the best intentions, in so arduous a task.

Having reminded you of the state of London possibly by means of your writing & representation some New rising Republick may act upon this plan “and form to this the system of their state” which would be another experiment for publick good & probably an addition to the happiness of mankind beyond which in this world I have not a wish.

excuse Dear Sir the liberty I take in writing thus freely on a Subject which you have so much attended too & your labors have been crowned with that success which astonishes the old world. it is incumbent on the rising generations to answer fully to the expectations of their fathers who have showed them the way to honor truth & Liberty. Vanity does not prompts me to imagine I can suggest any thing new to you on these matters but to gain information & to correct my own Ideas where wrong I should esteem of consequence.

I am, Dear Sir, / with the greatest regard / Your sincere & faithful friend.

I recd. Yours by Capt. Cushing with 50 Vol. of the Defence &c Thirty of which, I put into the Hands of Mr Guild Bookseller, which were sold in the Course of 5 or 6 Days—1 Twenty I reserved—and took the Liberty to add to Your List of Distribution, One to Hon. Sam. Adams at the Instance of Bror Cranch & myself, One to the 70 Hon James Lovell at the Desire & advice of Unc Smith and one by yr Children’s & my Request, to the Hon. Judge Dana, which I hope will meet with your Approbation— This Publication will I trust be of eminent Service to our Countrymen— An Extract from the English Paper of the Vote of the constitutl. Society, has been inserted in our Newspapers.2

I recd by Capt. Barnard who arrived the 26th. Ulto. Yours of Feby 21.3 and find that you have determined on a Return to Pens Hill— I shall endeavour to get yr. Farm in some better order than it is at present—but You will not find it in a State to your Wishes— If it has been kept from Wreck & Ruin it is as much as we have been able to do with our Farms & Buildings in general— Before the Receipt of Yrs. I had purchased Belchers Place @ £70— Lawful Mony and had also bargaind for Verchilds on advantageous Terms, but doubting of the Attorney’s Power & Documents being complete—the matter rests at present—4

By Capt. Scott the 28th. Ulto. 50 Vols. more of yr. Publication were recd. these I sold at once by wholesale—to Mr Guild, thinking it better, than to run the Risque of putting them into Hands to be retaild out on Commissions and after a while sinking in Price, which is generally the Case with the best of Books after they have had some run—

Your Draught on the Lt. Governor has been presented, but I do not expect a very speedy Payment—5 You will have the Satisfaction of doing good by advancing Your Money—but I sincerely wish that Applicants for aid, would feel their Obligations & punctually discharge them—but this must not always be expected— I have forwarded by Stephen Gorham Esq. Your Draught on the Hon. Thos Mc. Kean Esq. for Payment—6

I have read Yr Defence with [. . . .]asure. Your Description of the Miseries of an unballanced De[mocr]acy, is well calculated to serve as a Beacon to warn the People here of the Ruin that awaits them— But how is the turbulent Spirit to be allayed? Will not our annual Elections (although indispensibly necessary for the Preservation of Liberty, when duly made) furnish the Democratic Gentry with the Means of accomplishing their Designs, in spite of the aristocratic Party and all the Guards fixed in our Constitution.

Fortunate for us, those who rose up against Government had not with them Men of distinguished Talents Abilities or Property, nor have I ever heard (tho they have boasted of having the greater Part of the Country in their Favour) of their having named a single Character of that Sort, except Our Friend on the Hill,7 whether He 71 has countenanced them or not, I shall not undertake to say. He is however by the Strength Voice of those in this County, who have imbibed the Spirit of the Day, brought into View as a Candidate for a Senator— E. Dunbar Esq. of Stoughton is another—from Boston Col. Dawes & Benjn Austen Junr (alias Honestus) are among the Candidates—from these Four Two are to be elected by the Genl Court. Four of the last years senators are elected by the People. Bror Cranch & Benjn. Austen Senr. are drop’d— Bror Cranch solely from the popular Prejudice against the Court of Common Pleas it being an Object with the People to abolish it & prevent any of its members from setting in the Genl Court.—8

Mr Hancock is elected Governor by a far greater Majority than at any Time before— most of the Senators will be new members and probably Creatures of the People— The Representatives—will they be immaculate? I fear not— Tho’ the Promoters of Rebellion had not talents sufficient to carry their Point by Force of Arms, Yet they have Address enough by their Elections to take a leading Measure to effect that in this Way which they could not by Force—

What is there to ballance a man, desperate in Fortune capricious in his Humour—artful in Corruption and, that will sacrifice every Thing at the Shrine of Popularity!— What to Ballance a Senate made up of democratic Members— What to prevent a Reprensative Body chosen to serve a particular Turn, from running into every Excess— Some Ballance the wiser part of the Community & Men of the best Property may form, as these pretty generally are supporters of solid Government, their Address may be equal to keeping Matters at a Bay, till by some Means or other, the Minds of People are enlightened or some wild Stroke of our new Regulators shall produce a turn of the Tide—otherwise Broils, Discontent & Faction must continue and if not destroy the Constitution, yet prevent Peace, stagnate Business impoverish the People and for a long while stint the Growth of the Country— Had the late Insurgents been guided by a Cromwell, before this Time they would have given Law to the Massachusetts and in process of Time, perhaps to the greater Part of America; the Seeds of Mischief are lurking in all the States and Some effectual Method must be found to root them out or they will eer long spring up and bear down all before them

The Officers of the late continental Army a meritorious Band of Veterans, cheated, abused & disgraced by their Countrymen although patient, will when an Opportunity presents, resent the Injury, they will ever be disposed to join the few and in a Contest will form 72 a powerful opposition to the many, who wish to keep them on a Level with themselves, but if in the Struggle they Should gain an Ascendancy over the Multitude—their Power will probably center in One—from their order of Cincinnati, which admits of an hereditary Nobility—a Jealousy both among the few & the many arises— Must there then, not be the utmost Necessity of ballancing well— But after all, what is to secure the Confederation? Where is the common Centre of Union, where is the primum Mobile9 of the 13, 14 or 20 States of America? to which they shall all look and by which they shall be held together and act in Concert in all Matters that concern their National Interest?— Can the Peace, Safety & Happiness of the whole be any better secured without Three orders, than that of any one of the States—

A Convention is now setting at Philadelphia for the Revision of the Confederation—10 I wish them Success— they may strike out something that may take with the People, I have however my Doubts—

I am with great Respect / Your sincere Friend & Very He Servt