# Manx Primary Source Archive — Transcription

**Source image:** `20260219_122012.jpg`  
**Transcribed:** 2026-02-25 19:26  
**Method:** Automated (Claude Batch API — claude-opus-4-6)

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of the D. Aſsembly that upon the agitation of some late questions therein injurious
to the people where they knew a Majority had been before chosen & pre-engaged ag^st
them. They left the House & have since resigned their Seats therein thinking it
incompatible with the dictates of humanity to be the Little Tyrants of a Little
Aſsembly w^ch is composed of twenty four Members where by a forced Majority they
aſsume the power to trample on & invade the natural & just rights of your
Memorialists claiming them as the inherent privilege of English Subjects & who
with all due Submiſsion humbly presumes to think themselves full as well qualified
in respect to their knowl^ge their property & situation in life (as any Member or
Members of the House of Keys) to Judge of the wants & neceſsities of this Island &
of what (under the direction of Divine providence) wo^d conduce most to its happineſs
& prosperity tho the contrary with many other illiberal Aſsertions have been
advanced with all the virulence of a party in the House of Keys —

Your Memorialists can produce many Instances to shew the pernicious
effects of this Party a recent one however will be suff^t to point out the danger on all
occasions to be apprehended from its arbitrary proceedings — When a Copy of the Bill
now before Parliament to ascertain the Manorial Rights of your Grace in this Island
& also your Graces proposal of having this Bill settled by the Council on each side
were transmitted to the House of Keys for its consideration in order to obtain the
opinion of the people how far the same might be agreeable to them & for the general
good of the Island previous to its paſsing into a law. The S^d Party without observing
even the Common Forms of Aſsembling the whole House to take the sense thereof on
the occasion or with the least intimation to the people what Ans^r they intended to
return to the D. Bill & proposal have in the most hidden & private manner by the
authority of one or two Members only with^t the knowledge leave or permiſsion of the
House of Keys in its aggregate or collective capacity or of the people of this Island
presumed to decide upon & determine all questions relative to the D. Bill & have
accordingly sent their own report thereof to their Law agent in London the Contents
of w^ch are so secretly kept as never yet to have transpired These Men however
will have no scruple to charge as a Tax on the people (tho' not consulted) any expences
incurred thereby

Your Memorialists hav^g therefore stated to your Grace the many & peculiar hardships
resulting from the present unconstitutional representation of the people in the House
of Keys or Legislative Aſsembly of this Island beg leave to propose the following regulations
as indispensibly neceſsary to exterpate corruption & every undue influence therein & to
provide for the freedom of Election & the legal representation of the people.

That the present House of Keys be diſsolved & a Law paſsed to Elect by the free voices &
Suffrage of the people a new Aſsembly w^ch shall continue for 3 years only & then be
the end of every three years.

The number of Members w^ch at present compose this Body being 24 as before ment^d
& there being 17 Parishes & 4 principal Towns in this Island the Method proposed to make
up this number is that every parish shall return one Member & Castletown being the
Metropolis three Members Douglas being the next most considerable Town Two Members