date

1819 May 15 I Disfranchising II. Boroughmongers
1819 May 15

I Disfranchising II. Boroughmongers Apology

§.2[?] […?]disfranchised

{3}

1

It will never do for the people to practise insincerity themselves while they are blaming it on their opponents: they have every thing to lose, nothing to gain by insincerity: sincerity should be their characteristic attribute

Under these circumstances, it is not without regret /concern/ that I observe so much use of the word Borough-mongers – Borough-mongering {and so forth}, and so little use of the words Terrorists and Terrorism and so forth /with their respective conjugates/.

1. My reason is – in the first place in the case of /as to what regards/ the evil itself, viz the substitution of unfree and spurious votes, to free and genuine votes of the two modes by which this effect is produced it confines the attention with the just indignation and wish and endeavour towards prevention that belongs to it to that which is least mischievous: leaving that which is most mischievous unnoticed and thence unopposed.

2. In the next place as to what regards the original cause of the evil it leads /points/ to a wrong object.

The original cause of the evil is in my view of it, the excessive and irresistible power of the Crown /Monarch/: and in particular that branch of it which consists /is composed/ of the sinister and corruptive influence that corruptive influence of will on will which without so much as the trouble of a separate wish he exercises in every case over the Members of that House which sit in it on pretence of having been sent into it and employed as Agents by the great body of the people.

Now in this case seeing distinctly the causes of the evil, I see with equal distinctness the two modes and only modes of cure /remedy/: the one, the diminishing the quantity of the matter of /amount of that portion of/ that influence which is applicable to that purpose: the other consists in the establishing /lodging/ a counterforce in the only hands in which any power can be made to operate to this purpose: namely the causing those persons who are said in formal language to be chosen and removable by the great body of the people in such sort that their wis[?] /opinions/ and wishes are a general expression of the opinions and wishes of the great body of the people to be really so: to be really so, as, by the bye, though it is not necessary to the purpose of the argument once they were
Similar Items
  • Title: [1819 May 15 I Disfranchising II Boroughmongers]
    Description: 1819 May 15

    I Disfranchising II Boroughmongers Apology.

    Disfranchisement

    §.2[?] […?]disfranchised

    3

    1. As to the mode /that one to which it confines itself of the two modes/ in which the sinister influence may be and is applied. Such I say is the effect of this inadequate application, that the evil thus complained of is[?] the only one might be thus compleatly eradicated removed and the state of the representation and the condition of the county in consequence instead of being bettered rendered so much the worse

    Suppose all Borough-rights /Elections/ extinguished: and for example the faculty of filling the seats transferred to the Hundreds or other Territorial districts in any degree larger, in which those Boroughs are respectively situated. In this case either terrorism would be compleatly substituted to bribery, or in addition to terrorism, bribery to an unlimited amount perhaps to a greater one than Crassus[?] could continue the persons[?] of the individuals by whom the bribes were received being to an extent more or less considerable changed – together with the amount of the money given to each in the way of bribe. As to the power therefore no change would be produced other than a change for the worst.

    2 Even admitting that terrorism is not more mischievous than bribery or even that of the two modes of producing unfree and spurious votes, namely terrorism and bribery, bribery is the only one that is pernicious, – even admitting that for the purpose of the argument, still the effect of the term[?] Borough-mongering would be /is/ to produce deception, since it does not place the alledged evil on its true ground.

    For the seats in question suppose none of them ever sold: whether possible or no, suppose for the purpose of the argument the matter so arranged, that it were become visible /manifest/ to all men that no seat could ever be sold. Where would be the benefit? Not any. The seats would pass from possessor to possessor like entailed Estates. They would continue in the same families with a degree of permanence equal to that with which landed property at large does so: for I suppose it would not be proposed by any body to give to the /this/ continuance any greater degree of permanence.
  • Title: [1818 Sept. 9. Things as they are]
    Description: 1818 Sept. 9.

    Things as they are

    Appendix

    Borough mongers

    3

    3

    5 That in this state of things the interest of the Monarch is in opposition /opposite/ to the interest of those so called Borough mongers: and their aggregate interest opposite to his.

    6. That moreover as to what regards the people at large, the interest of the Monarch if not identical with /agreeing /in agreement/ with/ that of the people in all its points, is so at any rate in this point viz in being adverse to that of the so-called Borough-mongers: for that so it is that by the Boroughmongers dominion is exercised not only over the people, but over him, and through /th/ him over the people and that it is by the /a/ dominion that /which/ they exercise over him that they exercise the dominion which they exercise over the people

    7. That accordingly in the actual state of things it is the interest of the Monarch that to the dominion of the so called Borough mongers there should be an end: in so much that /for that/ if this same dominion were at an end, power possessed and exercised by the Monarch would be greater than the power possessed and exercised by him at present.

    8. That whereas by the proposed system of radical reform the power /dominion/ of these so-called Borough minders would be put to an end, so it is that under the proposed system of radical reform the effective power possessed and exercised by the Monarch would be greater than the power possessed and exercised by him at present.
  • Title: [1819 May 13. + A Esp. 9 Disfranchising]
    Description: 1819 May 13. + A Esp. 9

    Disfranchising

    Disfranchising

    §.5 Evil 4. Multiplying Country Members

    2

    1

    1

    ☞. Employ the modes of aptitude, as being at first, or not till after the deduction?

    Their aptitude is in their acres and their ancestors

    §.5. Evil 4. Encreasing the members of a class preeminently destitute of appropriate aptitude: namely Country Gentlemen /Members/.

    1. As far as it goes it makes bad worse: {or rather that which so long as the present system continues is relatively good it suppresses /extinguishes/ and puts what is worst and worst in its place.}

    In respect of the cast of persons it tends to introduce its tendency is to substitute to men of all occupations taken promiscuously the class of Country Gentlemen.

    Now in respect of every one of the three elements of appropriate aptitude, this class is with reference to the interest of the people the most inapt

    1. In respect of appropriate probity. Their characteristic /distinguishing/ interest is a permanent aristocratical interest, opposite to the interest of the people. They are constantly on the look out for money if not for themselves for their dependent relations and other dependents of all classes for offices cloathed with emoluement and especially for those sinecures for the obtainment of which the name of Holy Ghost is profaned by richly rewarded blasphemy, the matter of factitious dignity, Knighthoods, Baronetcies and Peerages for themselves and families. Members of that legion of which the name is Aristocracy – they are continually on their knees before that prince of evil spirits whose name is Monarchy: ready to sacrifice upon its altars on each occasion the blood and treasure of the people of that people whom they hate and despise as much as their fears will let them.

    Secure in possession of their acres, they will /can/ never cease to regard themselves as secure in the possession of those /their/ seats: of those seats, in which the terrific and corruptive influence conferred by their acres, will never cease to force those who are subject to it to place them.

    Apology for Borough Mongers

    {With such of my friends whose favourite watch-word is Borough-mongers I agree in regarding as […?] and receptacles of corruption those who deal in /whose traffic is in these/ Borough Seats. But I can not /it is not in my power to/ agree with them if it be their opinion that, when the vote a man gives is not that which he would give, if neither good nor evil to himself in his individual capacity were a looked for consequence of his vote, it is better the vote should be the result of the fear of evil, than of the receipt or hope of good. Hawkins[?] &[?] Lopez[?] friend.}