date

1823 Feb. 12 Greek Constitution J
1823 Feb. 12

Greek Constitution J.B.s Observations as to 3. Executive Council useless

To this diseased state of /part of the disease born with/ the Constitution the

remedy is alike simple, obvious, simple, and approved by theory and experience.

Dissolve the Executive Council. To one of the five Members promise the official

name and give the situation of President. Under his command place the four

others with the title of Ministers of State or Secretaries of State as in the

United States

For the eight functionaries at present bearing the name of Ministers, an

[...?...?] may suffice. Here then is [...?] © here is [...?].

Nothing being as yet settled, in no breast it is to be hoped of all the thirteen

is expectation to such a degree fixt, as that disappointment should be

intolerable /insupportable./

Needless Offices constitute the original sin under the burthen of which all

forms of Government have been predestinated to labour: needless, and where

power, or money is concerned objects neither of which can be obtained but at the

expence of the whole community whatsoever is needless is moreover mischievous:

it is mischievous by the exaction which precedes or accompanies it: it is

mischievous again by the corruption which is sure to follow it.
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    ?.3. III Grecian points unapt

    Be these rules what they may, I proceed to shew why in the first place this body is in my view of the matter useless.

    1. It is itself composed of five Members. By these five (per Article 20) are to be appointed eight other functionaries, under the name of Ministers. Number of functionaries thus belonging to the Executive Department, adding the two grades together, 13. To these same five belongs moreover (per Article 21) the power of placing functionaries in all the other employments of government, to which by Article 67 is added the power of displacing them.

    Now of these thirteen, eight at least are I say altogether useless. For proof I appeal as above to particular experience: the experience afforded by the only Constitution that ever really had for its object or end in view the greatest happiness of the greatest number: I mean the Constitution of the Anglo-American United States. Here at the head of the Executive Department you have a single person the President of the United States. To him alone belongs the direction of the whole business of that Department. To him belongs the direction to be given to, the command over, the whole Military force of the Country by Sea and Land. + To him belongs the placing and at his pleasure the displacing of the four Ministers stiled Secretaries by whom in subordination to the President and the Legislative Assembly stiled the Congress the whole civil power of the confederacy is exercised: namely 1 Secretary of State, 2. Secretary of War, 3. Secretary of Navy, 4. Secretary of Finance. If the business of the Greek Nation is but carried on with a degree of aptitude and success not very much below that with which it is carried on in that Confederated Commonwealth, the Grecian will be a happy people. Nothing approaching to it has yet been seen any where else; nor /no: nor/ ever will be, on any other condition than that of imitating it: Now then, supposing my advice on the subject asked for, it would be this. Take some one individual, for example the President of that same Executive Council give him the power possessed in the Anglo-American Commonwealth by the functionary whose title is President of the United States.

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  • Title: [1823 Feb. 12 Greek Constitution J]
    Description: 1823 Feb. 12

    Greek Constitution J.B.'s Observations as to ?3. Executive Council useless

    As to the number of these Ministers, it is as above mentioned no less than 8. In

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  • Title: [1823 Feb. Greek Constitution J.B.]
    Description: 1823 Feb.

    Greek Constitution J.B.'s Observations as to 3. Executive Council useless

    To the purposes of the Executive Department it is no less compleatly useless.

    For the sub©departments into which it divides this department © for these

    departments, eight in number Art. 20 appoints so many Ministers

    This Executive Council is therefore a mere excrescence interposed between the

    Legislative department /branch/ and the Executive and either doing nothing at

    all, or worse than nothing by throwing obstruction in the way of the business of

    both.

    In this particular it matches with the Council of State with its 40 Members in

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    Portugueze Constitution. These were both of them /In both of these I saw at the

    first glance/ so many [...?] filled with the matter of corruption, and infusing

    weakness into the whole system mischievous by the amount of the whole of the

    power confided to them In regard to /the instance of/ the Spanish Constitution

    this prediction has been already fulfilled in a most striking manner: After

    having during the whole of their /its/ existence laboured for the restoration of

    the former despotism the Council of State is now seen in its true light and a

    majority of the Members are in the condition of persons under a state of

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    As to the Portugueze Council of the same name if it has escaped the first

    imputation of doing so much pure mischief, it is by having done nothing.