date

1819 May 13 Disfranchising
1819 May 13

Disfranchising

§.5 Evil 4. Multiplying Country Members

3

2

2. In respect of appropriate intellectual aptitude.

It is something much beyond what can reasonably be expected, when in any considerable degree any quality that comes under this head is found in possession of your Country Gentleman.

His talk indeed is not indeed in the case of the greater number of them “of bullocks”: but it would be so much the better if it were. If it were of bullocks it would be not for any race that they run, but for the money which they can fetch: he would have the difference between pounds and shillings if not the /any such despicable/ difference as that between shillings and pence: he would have this, and thus far he would have progressed in the science and department of finance

No not only his talk but his thoughts and his heart will be /is/ sin[?] to me else – where dogs and horses are: in kennels /the kennel/ and in stables. By a singular /sort of paradoxical/ and unhappy contrast. By an unhappy and paradoxical coincidence – dogs and horses, animals more virtuous than ourselves – even if the truth may be spoken, than the two-legged species of us the swinish multitude, innocent in /of all/ intention[?] as they are – sincere as Whigs are insincere (and what can I say more?) – have a sad tendency to corrupt the understanding /minds/ of the /all such/ two-legged animals who live with them who run upon them and after them, and whom while themselves are tame, they continue in the savage state in the state of savagehood. Being themselves slaves they give continual exercise to the corresponding tyranny: producing habitually renewed fatigue they afford a demand and a pretext and a demand for habitually renewed indolence: and for those occupations such as gaming and poetry-reading which except by the seductions which they add, differ not from motionless indolence producing in addition to pretence[?] habitually renewed thirst, they produce an habitually renewed demand for liquors, and pretence for and perhaps the supposition of a demand for the use of intoxicating

ones.
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  • Title: [31 May 1819 Disfranchising]
    Description: 31 May 1819

    Disfranchising

    Disfranchising

    §.5. Evil 4. Multiplying Country Members

    §.5. Evil 4. Multiplying Country Members

    1.

    Evil 4. Encreasing County Members.

    Tendency

    of this terrorism to substitute to all casts the | | of Country Gentlemen: of all

    casts the most unapt.

    2.

    1. As to appropriate probity.

    To universal interest, interest of this class most uniformly opposite. They are

    constantly on the look out for favours for themselves on families on dependents.

    3.

    Of them is composed the | | Legion Aristocracy: always on its knee to the arch enemy

    of the people Monarchy: prepared to sacrifice to it the blood and treasure of the

    people whom they hate and despise as much as their fear will let them.

    4.

    Secure in their | | so in their seats: those seats in which by terrific influence

    derived from | | they force the people to place them.

    §.5. Evil 4. Multiplying Country Members.

    5.

    2. As to Intellectual aptitude

    Extraordinary if any such is found in a Country Gentleman.

    6.

    Not of “ bullocks” is his talk: but better if it were: then

    would it be not for the race they could run, but the money they could fetch: economy

    on a small scale is transferable to d o. on the largest in finance

    7.

    Where his heart, there his thoughts: in kennel and stables, where dogs and horses

    are.

    By a | | result, by animals more virtuous than ourselves sincere as Whigs and Lawyers

    are insincere, we are corrupted: running upon them and after them, continuing savage

    while making them tame.

    Slaves they produce corresponding Tyranny: producing renewed fatigue and thirst they

    produce renewed demand for liquor, and pretence for intoxicating d o. and indolence, and if reading such reading as does not disturb indolence.

    §.5. Evil 4. Multiplying Country Members.

    8.

    Mind unexercised is as body would be under ligatures. Without motives for exertion,

    save that of which Stable and kennel are the source, and savaged grounds of tenantry

    the field, experiment they | | and whatever information experience and observation

    force upon them is lost.

    9.

    1. Gunpowder they use not knowing there is such an art or science as chemistry.

    2. The ungathered crop they trample on, ignorant of husbandry.

    3. Plains and Mountains they scamper over, ignorant of Botany.

    4. Horses they lame by spurring them over bad roads, ignorant of geology which | | a

    degree has supplied the best road-making material within reach.
  • Title: [1819 May 13 Disfranchising]
    Description: 1819 May 13

    Disfranchising

    Disfranchising

    §.7. Transference to Towns the benefit

    1

    Great Manufacturers would force themselves into seats by intimidation of Working d o

    Now as to transference of the votes to populous at parts of the kingdom at large, without having regard to neighbourhood, say Manchester and Birmingham for example {This as far as it goes carries much benefit /constitution[?]/ upon the face of it: and among the sincerest advocates for reform – even radical reform it would naturally enough obtain at first sight a favourable reception. But upon a closer consideration its claims to usefulness to the cause of reform will I think be seen to vanish.} Plausible /Promising/, but not examination-proof: the more mischievous because the more plausible.

    The description of the persons by whom the seats would be mostly filled would stand some chance /afford some prospect/ of being in some degree meliorated: manufacturers men of business – men who by personal interest stand engaged to make some use of their minds /mind/, and therefore /thence/ not to keep it altogether unfurnished would not improbably to /in/ a considerable of the extent, perhaps the whole of it be substituted, to men without any thing in their minds except ideas of dogs and horses. But considering the means by which they will have acquired their seats of which presently, no political probity will /would/ they bring with them into the House: they would be aggregated to the general mass of corruption and assume the character of it: seated by a mixture of terrorism and bribery they would remain or become aristocrats
  • Title: [1819 June 1 Disfranchising]
    Description: 1819 June 1

    Disfranchising

    Disfranchising

    §.5. Evil 4. Multiplying Country Gentlemen

    11

    7

    3

    Minds

    cased

    in bodies

    Yes: Natural it is that among the higher orders – that is among those orders, in which {by the joint powers of overflowing opulence indolence, mental vanity[?], and overflowing opulence,} by the {by the overfulness of the purse operating on the emptiness of the head, and the rapacity of the appetite for money and the absence of social sympathy of sympathy for the sufferings of others} /keeness of the appetite for money operating in the midst of repletion on unfurnished heads and heads void of sensibility to the sufferings of others/ - men are in a particular /preeminent/ degree exposed to the assaults /temptations/ of vice in this shape, natural indeed it then that a law to this effect, established by a sort of inert compact, should have place. Natural as it is, by what circumstance /cause/ is it rendered so? In this there is no mystery. In this case the debtor can not continue his habits – can not preserve a place in the society which he has formed for himself, without encountering the reproaching visage of his creditor. in all other cases, a closed door has place between them: a door which of course the creditor finds always closed, and which by the force of factitious delay, vexation and expence, the man of law, in league with the high stationed swindler in whose sinister interest he has given himself a share has most elaborately and efficiently fortified against the hand of justice: and here we see one of the roots of the system of law-taxes and law-fees

    Gaming it is true is a vice not in an exclusive degree peculiar to opulence in the shape of landed property: it is to a certain degree common to opulence in that particular shape, and opulence in any other shape in so far as it is conjoined with idleness. But of the whole mass of that opulence which is conjoined with idleness, the greatest portion by far is in the shape of landed property: the whole of that portion which occupies the summit of the scale: and it is only in so far as the opulence has place /wears/ in that permanent and domineering shape that the propensity to gaming finds itself in alliance with the propensity to those other vices which have their root, as above, in the abuse made of the faculties, which nature has bestowed upon dogs and horses.