[152b-414]

Poor Bill Preface

/About 19 years ago/ In the year 1778 a draught of a Bill, which after receiving some alterations /undergoing some modifications/, was introduced into Parliament in the course of the /[...?]/ next year, and having passed into an Act has since been known by some such names as the Penitentiary Act, or General Parliamentary Act, falling into any hands, I was led to give it a pretty attentive examination, the result of which was the publication /printing/ of a tract under the title, of A View of the Hard Labour, /bearing date &/ published by Payne in that same year 1778.

The communication of a copy of it to Sir William Blackstone who was regarded as one of the principal promoters of the Bill in question produced from that worthy Judge and distinguished writer, to whom I had never the honour of being personally known, a note of the following tenor which as a relick of an eminent man /character/ and a document /rendered carrying an extract along with it/ interesting on more accounts than one, I still preserve.

Mr Justice Blackstone presents his Compliments to Mr Bentham, with many thanks for his ingenious View of the Hard Labour Bill:- Some of the Observations in which had already occurred (he believes) to the Patrons of the intended Bill, and many more will deserve their attention.