Burke Author:Edmund Burke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THOUGHTS ON THE CAUSE OF THE PRESENT DISCONTENTS. [1770. Sixth Edition, Dodsley, 1784.] [ARGUMENT. Introduction, Discontents in general, p. I. The Pr... more »esent Discontents, p. 3. Attributed to the old spirit of tyranny in a new guise, p. 7- Part I, pp. 10-40. The New System Of The Double Cabinet The Cause 0f The Present Discontents, p. 10. Circumstances which facilitated its introduction, p. 14. Court representations against the Old System, p. 18. Details of the New System, p. 23. The New System proved to be at variance with the spirit of the Constitution, p. 32. Part II, pp. 40-78. Effects Of The Double Cabinet System. 1. On the Executive Government, p. 40. 2. On the Temper of the People, p. 44. 3. On the Interests of the Sovereign, p. 46. 4. On Parliament, p. 51, by inducing it to exercise unlawful powers (Middlesex Election, p. 56, Chsll List Debt, p. 67). Inefficiency (t) of a Triennial Bill, p. 74, (2) of a Place-Bill, p. 76, for remedying the distempers of Parliament. Conclusion, pp. 78-92. Defence Of Party, p. 82.] Hoc vero occultum, intestinum ac domesticum malum, non modo non existit, verum etiam opprimit, antequam prospicere atque explorare potueris.Cicebxj. It is an undertaking of some degree of delicacy to examine into the cause of public disorders. If a man happens not to succeed in such an enquiry, he will be thought weak and visionary; if he touches the true grievance, there is a OL. I. B danger that he may come near to persons of weight and consequence, who will rather be exasperated at the discovery of their errors, than thankful for the occasion of correcting them. If he should be obliged to blame the favourites of the people, he will be considered as the tool of power ; if he censures those in power, he will be looked on as an instru...« less