What did the British mean by virtual representation?

Virtual
representation was a concept that was debated most heatedly around the time of the American
Revolution. Part of the reason why the American colonies rebelled and why the Revolutionary War
started was over the issue of representation in British Parliament. American colonists believed
that they did not have representation in this parliament and therefore objected to being
unfairly taxed (hence, no taxation without representation). The concept they were invoking is
known as direct representation, meaning an actual representative of the colonies would speak and
advocate for them in Parliament.

However, some British legalists at the time
argued that despite the fact that the colonies had no actual and physical representative in
Parliament or have the opportunity to elect any of its members, they still enjoyed certain
guaranteed rights. Because the representatives in Parliament protected these rights whether they
were elected by the American colonists or not, and because they...