date

19 June 1811 Abdication Blackstone
19 June 1811

Abdication

Blackstone applied

2

38

12

Of any such individual offence as that of taking on an individual occasion any thing that could with propriety come /grammatical propriety be brought/ under the denomination of a bribe, is what I must confess, in what I should not expect to see /capable of being/ established /substantiated/ in /on/ any individual instance that ever took place /had place/, on the part of any such portion as that above described, of the population of the Honourable House - i.e. of the ‘number of voters’ of which on the day hour and minute in question its population was composed.

But of corruption bribery is but one mode, and that beyond all comparison the least mischievous mode.

In this shape, whether it be considered on the part of the giver or the receiver, on the part of the corrupter or the corrupted, corruption is the act but of the moment; corruption in another shape is a habit, and if it be termed an act - the act of a whole life.

In that office as in every other, the mischief of a state of habitual dependence which in other words if not exactly is the same thing with a state of habitual corruption /bribery/, or still worse the mischief of a state of habitual dependence and through habitual dependence of habitual corruption is to that of any such single act of corruption as infinity to one, as the number of acts exercised by a man /during a man’s continuance in the office/ in subjection to the influence of will over will by which the dependence is connected[?] to the mischief of one such act.
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  • Title: [19 June 1811 Abdication Blackstone]
    Description: 19 June 1811

    Abdication

    Blackstone applied

    3

    39

    13

     Shew here or above, or further on how much stronger the force of corrupt dependence is than that of bribery. Difference in degree, the same as between a faux pas and habitual prostitution.

    Now in this very state of habitual dependence, and consequently of equally habitual corruption, if it be in the power of dependence to produce corruption, are not indeed an absolute majority of the whole number of 648 but however a very considerable proportion of that number: and this by /according to/ Reports made by a Committee of its own, to the Honourable House itself. Go on
  • Title: [20 June 1811 Abdication Corruption]
    Description: 20 June 1811

    Abdication

    Corruption & Idleness

    6

    Misuses by and through corruption - non-uses or to speak at the same time more popularly /more intelligibly/ and /at the same time/ more extensively and properly idleness, these proceeding on the ground /prescription/ of Blackstone’s law the law of England as lay /laid/ down by Blackstone I venture to state as the grounds of a forfeiture which to the purpose of the necessary remedy ought in the present case to be considered as having been incurred /taken place/.

    Children of corruption, children of idleness - children of idleness and corruption - under /to/ /among/ one or other of these heads may to this purpose the population of the House or at the least such a majority as /as decided/ while it carries with it the power gives the law character and complection of the whole be distributed.

    By the corruption of the corrupt, the trust (speaking {still} with Blackstone) the trust (I say) the power being a trust has I say been forfeited. By the idleness of the idle (speaking still with Blackstone) this same trust has I say been - that is the exercise of it at least has I say been abdicated: by corruption and idleness taken together by the act of those who being habitual corrupt have been occasionally idle and by the act of those who being habitually idle have been occasionally corrupt, the trust itself that is the power attached to /which forms the base of/ it has been both forfeited and abdicated.
  • Title: [19 June 1811  Abdication Blackstone]
    Description: 19 June 1811 

    Abdication

    Blackstone answered[?]

    2

    30

    {4}

    For aught I know, a quibble might even be made out of /raised upon/ the question whether the situation occupied by /the trust undertaken for/ a Member of Parliament or such as are properly and technically be comprized under the general /[…?]/ denomination of an Office.

    But that which with any appearance of reason /propriety/ it will not be easy to controvert, is, that the ground on which a point of reason he builds /rests/ in the application he makes /made by him/ of the words forfeiture and abdication, apply with no less force and propriety to the case of this situation than in the case of any of those which with least possibility /apprehension/ of dispute, are universally termed offices.