date

June 1810 1 §.5. Influence
June 1810 1 §.5.

Influence

Ch. Mischief

§.5. 1 Partners in abuse

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§. Independent companies naturally attached to the King’s own regiment[?]

Kings of influenced Member

Anti-reform interest - allies naturally adhering to it, without need of special influence.

I mean even to the purpose of carrying, by a vis matrix[?] as it may be called, any positive measure. But when considered as acting by its own vis inertia[?], viz in such sort as to obstruct and prevent the adoption of any new measure, in to the prevention of which the King possesses or conceives himself to possess /stand engaged by/ an interest, it will be easy to see that the habitual sinister efficiency of the regal will in this case be to a prodigious degree greater than in the other case.

But so long as in the texture of the government so much as a single abuse exists in /from/ which the King derives or appears likely to derive a profit in any shape a profit, so long there will be a beneficial measure which it will be the King’s interest to prevent, and which unless he be of a species different from the human, it must on pain of turning a deaf ear to the suggestions /departure from the principles/ of common sense be for every practical purpose concluded, that it will be his endeavour to prevent.

So many members therefore as there are who by themselves or any of their connections have /possess/ an interest in the preservation of abuse in any shape, so many are there as even without the application of any such instrument /expence[?]/ of distortion as above ought to be considered as labouring to this purpose under an habitual twist of the will /volitional faculty/, disposing and engaging them to resist any and every measure by which if carried abuse would in every shape be abolished or diminished. For no maxim in politics is more thoroughly understood or rather felt or /and in practice/ more steadily applied conformed to /put to use/ than that all those by whom profit in any shape is derived from abuse in any shape are linked /stand engaged/ into partnership by one common interest.
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    Of this community of sinister interest such is the strength, as to be capable of bursting the bounds even of party attachment.

    Thus if {there be any sinister interest possessed in common by the profession of the law, /if abuse in any shape be supposed to have place any where in the texture of the profession of the law/ by those who […?] in the character of fee-fed Advocates or fee-fed Judges behold and feel their comforts issuing out of and rising and falling with the torments which through the instrumentality of factitious uncertainty, delay, vexation and expence are inflicted on all the other classes in the character of clients suitors, or of those who if they had /possess/ wherewithal to purchase their chance for justice would have become suitors, in a band /trust/ of ministers linked together may be seen a set of men of whom /in whose instance/ it ought to be expected /a constant expected/ that they hold themselves in constant readiness to flock together for the defence of abuse, not only in that particular shape in which a special profit results /accrues/ /flows/ from it immediately to themselves, but on account of the mischief done in the way of precedent to their interest by /in/ every instance in which abuse in any shape receives correction, and in consideration of the assistance they may look /expect/ to receive in return for the constant protection of abuse in that particular /special/ shape in which they possess their special interest.
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    §. 4. Effect of numbers - how modified by these bands.

    2. The other circumstance necessary to be taken into the account is - that on almost any question that is likely to be brought upon such a carpet, {which ever be the wrong - the sinister side} which ever be the side that accords with the sinister interest or humour of the King - or to speak still more generally - which ever on that question be the wrong, the sinister side, it is but natural that independently of all sinister bias in the way of interest, there should in each an assembly be a number of Members more or less considerable, disposed to range themselves on that sinister side.

    This being admitted, the number of wills which for the purpose of giving effect to the sinister will of the King require /it is necessary on this or that /on the occasion of this or that particular question// to put under regal influence receives a proportionable diminution. In a minimum House, to the purpose of carrying a new measure, six and twenty wills in a state of subjection to sinister influence was the number above stated as being necessary, abstraction made of /buying out of the account/ this circumstance. Take now into account this circumstance, and immediately it will be seen that so it may happen that a number much /considerably/ less than this six and twenty may suffice. Let the number /Out of the necessary six and twenty/ thus attached to the sinister side by a twist in the understanding be six, the number for the securing of whose votes it is necessary that the twist should be applied to the will is thus reduced to twenty: augment to sixteen the number of distorted understandings, the number of wills to which it is necessary that the distortion should be applied is thus reduced to ten: and so on through every variation in the number.
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    He who points out an imperfection is shamed as a disturber of the peace.

    Among those whose good or ill fortune it is to labour under a natural twist of the understanding there is one set in whom the phalanx on the defender of abuse beholds and finds a set of natural allies and confederates.

    This is a compound of those whom, unaccompanied /unprovided/ with any adequate acquaintance with the texture of that business into the management of which they intrude themselves of that government in which they undertake /presume/ to bear a part, the love of power, to be exercised, of the interest /at the suggestion/ or the humour of the moment, has introduced into the House. Understanding nothing, they are alarmed at every thing. The frame of the government they have read in Blackstone is all perfect and past all power of amendment to improve it. + To what causes /In what circumstances/ in particular this excellence has its cause they are alike unable and unwilling to enquire. Causes, uninfluencing circumstances, and obstructions /obstacles/ all are set down alike /on the same line/ in their catalogues of causes.

    Nothing can be more commodious than this disposition /frame/ /theory/ of mind to assuming and overbearing ignorance. Without {any} self denial they are virtuous: without the /any/ expence of thinking they are wise. He who should presume to point out any distinction as above would be regarded as an enemy, he who thus endeavours to inform their understanding is treated as a disturber of the peace. He draws upon them for the exercise of faculties which they do not possess, if he puts them into the condition of bankrupts, if he humbles /lowers/ them if in public /the House/, in the eyes of others: if in the /even if in the secrecy of the closet/, in their own eyes.

    It is all perfect, or all blindness I,

    It has no faults, or I can none descry

    + No distinction will they allow themselves to observe between any of the most beneficient and any the most inconvenient points in it /features of it/.