date

18 Jan y. 1810 Parl y. Reform
18 Jan y. 1810

Parl y. Reform

Ch.18 Sp. ?

'.2

27

4

But while regard for self is the most necessary of all propensities, so is it and that universally beyond all comparison the strongest. Such is its strength, so much excuding [ sic] /suppressing[?]/ that of any other to which it can happen to come in competition with it, and for the good of the species in general to be requisite to operate as /constitute/ a check to it, that i any such view as that of contributing to the welfare of the whole species or of any part of it, the idea of employing in any such way as that of exhortation, or indeed in any other way the influence of authority, in the view /for the purpose/ of engaging men /a man/ to endeavour to give additional force to it would be no /little/ less ridiculous than the conceit of him whose wish it should be to see it on all occasions overcome /overruled/ and reduced to inefficiency by some propensity of a more refined and sentimental nature.

It would be a folly equal to that which seems not as yet to have ever found its exemplification, viz that of seeking by legislative encouragements to engage every human being by eating and drinking to do his utmost towards the preservation of the individual, or to that other which to but too great an extent has found its exemplification, viz. to engage every human being by a suitable course of conduct in like manner to do his utmost towards the preservation and extension /multiplication/ of the species.
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  • Title: [19 Jan y. 1810 Parl y. Reform]
    Description: 19 Jan y. 1810

    Parl y. Reform

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    A /The/ disposition to pay debts - that vulgar /coarse/ and ordinary spaces of justice a disposition to pay debts this disposition though not so charming and refund sentimental a disposition /virtue or virtue's [...?]/ as friendship, is at least as necessary an one. Being a plain man according to my notion about it is that when a man pays his debts it is out of his own purse that he ought to pay them /is the proper purse for them to be paid out of/, not the nation's. according to the Right Honorable Orator's if his notions about justice correspond with this notion of his about friendship is that, if it suit a man better to take the /nation's/ purse of the nation to pay them out of his own, so he may {and welcome}: and if he can manage /contrive/ matters so as not to be punished for it, /so doing,/ besides saving the money, he may gain the praise of virtue.
  • Title: [18 Jan y 1810 Parl y. Reform]
    Description: 18 Jan y 1810

    Parl y. Reform

    Ch.18 Sp.

    '.2.

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    This no more than the principle of general utility - greatest happiness of d o number

    In this maxim may be seen a paraphrase - and neither more nor less than the paraphrase of that principle, which for shortness is designated by the name of the principle of utility, and which when employed to designate the standard of reference by which the merit or demerit of a human action /act/ is referred and by which it is to be judged of - assigns the influence /indicates as the [...?] and measure of such merit or demerit/ of such act on the welfare of as many human beings on whose welfare it is capable of exerting /exercising/ any influence: and surely if this be not the same standard it will not be easy to say what is.
  • Title: [18 Jan y. 1810 Parl y. Reform]
    Description: 18 Jan y. 1810

    Parl y. Reform

    Ch.18 Sp. ?

    '.3. Friendship continued

    31

    8

    To the /a/ Speaker of the British and Irish House of Commons in the year of the vulgar aera[?] 1809 it seems to have been reserved - if not /though not indeed/ to give monition and exhortation exactly of that tenor - at any rate /yet/ to lay down maxims for /bring to view /express/ in the character of/ rules of conduct rules by the observance of which /opinions by conformity to which/ he /the man who/ should conform to them would find himself, and what is of more importance the nation which should conform to them, would find itself acting in conformity to those same pernicious, and but too plainly needless, monitions and exhortations.

    {In the exercise of a public trust having for its object the welfare of a great nation, take the welfare of that nation for your guide. Such is not only the proper and constitutional - but the vulgar prospect[?] /share[?]/.}