125_050.xml

Title: [8 May 1811 Influence P.I]

Description: 8 May 1811

Influence

P.I

Ch. 2. J.B.s Propositions

9

Insert in this page the efficiency[?] of corruption including bribery will be found next to nothing: d o of coercive influence every thing. Under the name of influence of property, even eulogized.

To this disapprobation /blame/ all such persons as are considered as operated upon with effect or considered as operating upon others with effect in any of these two modes, in which will is exercisable on will are accordingly habitually and generally /at the hands of persons in general/ subjected.

By that mode of influence which is exercised by the production of eventual force this obnoxious effect is produced with much greater force and certainty, in so far then as exercised in either of those two ways it is pernicious, exercised in this third way it is in a proportionable degree more pernicious. But when exercised in this most efficient way be not being so readily or universally understood to be characterized by /designated by/ and comprehended under the term corruption and its /or any of the/ conjugation of that word, the degree of blame and disapprobation if any which it has the effect of printing and fixing on the person or persons in any way engaged in the obnoxious practice in question /exercise of the influence in question/ is not, by a great deal so considerable.

There it is that that mode of influence which in efficiency and practice is by far the most pernicious is either not at all disreputable or if so in any degree in by far the least degree disreputable - say rather not at all disreputable, but eulogized openly eulogized and defended. The consequence is that while for the suppression of that mode of influence which /in that mode in which/ is productive of little or no /in by far the least degree of/ practical mischief legal measures have been adopted, the defence /protection/ and extension of that mode in which it is in by far the greatest degree effective and perman t have from the highest authority been recommended and enforced[?].

JB_038_095_001.xml

Title: [1822 Aug. 29 Constitut. Code]

Description: 1822 Aug. 29

Constitut. Code

1.

In largest sense, corruption, name of an operation denoted change for worse in the condition of the subject it applies to: or result of d o. operations: viz. the deteriorated condition in which the subject is placed: as having been corrupted, and being corrupt the subject is thereupon spoken of.

2.

Corruption, to break up texture, rendering the article less fit for use.

3.

Corruptive influence is the influence of any person of thing operating towards the production of such effect.

4.

Instrument of misrule corruption is a fictitious entity, subordinate agent of that same fictitious entity. So corruptive influence.

5.

Misrule being exercised over community by ruler or rulers, the subject is either person or thing. If person, it may be one over whom, or on by whom the rule is exercised.

6.

Without impropriety, it might on this occasion be applied to ..., those over whom.

7.

More useful the considering it as applied to those by whom. Subject, if a thing the frame or system of Government a fictitious entity employed to denote the wish of those by whom rule is, or those by whom rule has been, exercised.

8.

Effect on which the mischief of every change for the worse consists — of every change by which the Government is rendered less fit for its right and proper use, is the sinister sacrifice above mentioned.

9.

Means, operating or effecting the sacrifice, must in so far as operating on the will be good or evil-operating as temptation or inducement

10.

Without impropriety evil might be supposed and spoken of as thus operating. Say, subordinate a judge, threatened by Chief or Monarch, with death if he will not deliver... from an enemy, and as such belonging to the King, good taken by force at sea from unoffending foreigners.

11.

Without impropriety may in this case corruption be said to have place. 1. By retributive... of the injured foreigner, universal interest sacrificed.

11. contin d.

2. viz. to particular & sinister interest of King thus self... by ... depredation: the fruit adjudged to him by the judge for fear of being killed. Corrupting & corruptive the King corrupted the judge.

12.

But by any such words as the judge has been corrupted by the King in such sort as to enable him to receive and enjoy the pursuit of privacy without incurring all the odium, no such idea would naturally be suggested as that the instrument of the corruption had been the fear of being killed. The hope of being or benefit of having been rewarded for example with a share of the booty is the only sort of inducement which, the word corrupted could naturally be brought to view: viz 1. because... fear of death would not be so clearly disreputable to... 2. because by such... more discontent would be excited than by such remuneration.

12 (a)

1. Not so improbable as some may affect to think, such caucion. In England as in Turkey. Monarch is Master of subjects lives: intimidation of homicide well given, well executed: pardons signed. 2. Widow or orphan might have stood in the way. Act 1821 , removed the obstacle: horror of innovation c d. for such a purpose be surmounted.

12 (a) contin d.

King asked and then received power of killing all his subjects. Sole limit to omnipotence inability of doing wrong when doing it makes it right 3. Men whose lives were thus devoted remained motionless, instead of preventing countless homicides by a few useful ones: motionless like the booty binds. 4. Not so good as passion represented, the bargain made by Lords and Gentlemen when to take security from those they had made enemies they gave up their own the General a King who wants a third wife may have her by making him a... : this is less trouble than setting a man to assassinate or challenge him: but exceptions may arise. A judge may be a coward: a juryman, though packed, perverse ... can never be depended on as or

131-582.xml

Title: [1819 Oct. 3 Parl. Reform Bill]

Description: 1819 Oct. 3

Parl. Reform Bill

Reasons

§.5 Election Apparatus

§.8. Election how

Secrecy

5

evil, at the hands of persons to whose wishes the voter in question were adverse: good at the hands of persons to whose wishes those same votes were unconformable.

2. Under the secret mode no such undesirable effect could have taken place. Why? Because of the persons /whole number of the voters/ {by whom appre}hensions as above could not but be entertained votes were given in favour of the successful Candidate lest in the event of their voting and thence of /in whose instance the votes given by them in favour of the successful Candidate had no other cause than either their expectation of some good in the event of their giving that direction to their votes, or some evil in the event of their not giving that direction to their votes, there could not have been one by whom under the secret system his vote would have been given on that side. For Why? because in that case, it not being known in any instance which way a man had given his vote, neither qualificatory[?] vote, neither the cause of the good in the one case, nor that of the evil in the other could /would/ have had existence./

In so far as it was by fear of eventual evil that the success of M r Lamb, as above was produced, it is by what is called intimidation or terrorism that it was produced: in so far as it was by hope of eventual good, it is by what is called bribery or by corruption in some other shape that it was produced.

It stands asserted in print, that on M r Lambs side towards the production of the effect, sinister influence in both those ways was and but too effectually employed: that by his friends, expectation of good in various shapes from their hands was held out to Electors in the event of their voting on his side: evil in various shapes in the event of their not voting on his side. Not that in the situation on question to the production of expectation to the effect in question to a greater or less extent, any express intimation, of eventual intention is ever necessary. To a greater or less extent the bare contemplation of the situation is quite sufficient to produce the inference: no mind so ill informed or so much as not to be continually in the habit of deducing it.

In the secret mode, in neither of those shapes could sinister influence have been employed. Why? because neither the intimidation nor the corruption could have found an object to apply itself to a mark to fix itself upon. Reward will not be offered /given/ where it is not possible to know that service has been rendered: punishment will not be threatened where it is not possible to know that transgression has had place.

If there be any such thing as a proposition incapable of being controverted with any colour of truth, this then must be of the number: namely that of every person by whom the open mode is advocated, it is the wish, that terrorism and corruption, one or both of those engines, should be employed: and that accordingly, Miselection, to whatever extent it is capable of being carried by those causes – Miselection, and thence Misgovernment – should have place.