date

17 June 1811 C 3 Abdication
17 June 1811 C 3

Abdication

Idleness - Absentation

1

12

Of the whole 658, unless those may be excepted, whose presence is by corrupt dependence rendered worse than useless, not a man who might not, not a man who would not, and ever after a warning such as this, be convicted, {can} out of his own mouth {be} convicted, of unfitness for this his trust.

It is in no other character than that of an Agent for the people that he has so much as a pretence for sitting there. Yet in that character is there any one that considers himself bound to act that would so much as endure[?] the thoughts of being made to act? - No; the Speaker excepted No, not one.

Excepting the Speaker, but not expecting even those who by money received from the hand of the King in whose other servants as well as in themselves it is their provision[?] to sit in judgment, is there a single man among them who will so much as profess to consider it his duty, bodily indisposition alone excepted, to sit every day that the House meets, and during the whole of every such day?

Is there a single one, who on the mention of any such constancy of attendance, would not pronounce the hardship of it to be intolerable?
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    Of any such constancy of attendance as that in question let it well be said that it is impossible. It is not only capable of being bestowed, but where to an adequate amount motives for attendance are seen to take place is actually bestowed.

    Their Speaker - the first in dignity of them all does actually attend /is actually in attendance/ every day and during every part of every such day unless by accident when the whole House is in a Committee. And that which in the instance of the first in dignity among them has place actually and constantly, shall /can/ it in the instance of any one of those who is inferior in dignity /one of inferior dignity/ be pronounced impracticable?

    For this his constancy of attendance the Speaker receives it is true, a separate retribution, and that a rich one. True: but what is no less so is that by such retribution what is actually purchased and obtained is this constancy of attendance. No such constancy of attendance there is not therefore in the nature of the case any thing impracticable. Let the motives be but adequate no matter what they are this like any other moral effect is not only obtainable but obtained.
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    That to the Member who has been appointed Speaker to the House /M r[?] Speaker/ bodily indisposition so […?] – bodily disposition in any such shape and degree as to render attendance for the purpose of the business absolutely impossible – Even to Honourable House – is there a time at which this could ever have been a secret even to Honourable House? That when there is no Speaker /without a Speaker in the | |/ when the House as a House, the case of a Committee apart the House can not sit? Can this too[?] have ever been a secret to Honourable House, and that those, be the exigency ever so urgent, the business of the house must continue at a stand Well now rather than be guilty of any such departure /violation/ from principle as to shut the stable door before a steed has been stolen, no matter what may be the urgency of the pending or impending business no matter what the country no matter what the whole earth may suffer from the non-completion of it /the business/ never yet has the prevention of such incalculable a mischief, been numbered by Honourable House among its cares.

    Now if neglect – if indifference to human suffering – if neglect carried to such a pitch what can have been the moral – the psychological cause? Stupidity? honest stupidity? In no other place at any rate is stupidity so deplorable to be found. Stupidity: no: but in that state of interests, of which, in the character of the cause of general non-attendance viz by means of the profit made by the nursing of that disorder intimation has been already given.
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    2. In the next place though of the existing assemblage /set/ not a single individual should be able to prevail upon himself to sit as upon the supposed new terms, still would not any reason /no reason/ be afforded for apprehending any want of fresh /other/ persons ready to sit upon these supposed new terms ready to undertake the exercise of share in /portion of/ the supreme power, even though a duty so severe and irksome, so volumicient[?] and unreasonable, so unexampled and romantic, as that of binding themselves to content themselves with power and reputation and respect without pecuniary profit, and for the sake of that power and reputation and respect, to give up as much of their own time and of their own ease as by the most illustrious and highest of them all is constantly given up at present, were formed the substance of the supposed terms.

    At any rate if in the character of an end in view the result were desirable /fit to be desired/ the experiment might be worth trying, always on the supposition that it is the interest of the constituents that is of all the members of the community with the exception of these[?] there[?] its agents, that it is the interest of the many millions /so many million/ that in comparison of the interest of these few hundreds has the best claim to be pursued.

    By the bare acceptance of such terms a man is rendered in some respects at least so much the more fit: and if so it be that by the same cause he is rendered in any respects the less fit, surely it is for them to whom it appears that in certain respects he would be the less fit, to tell us /point out/ what they are.