date

1823 Feb 18 Greece Beginning
1823 Feb 18

Greece

Beginning

The government is perfect that is the right and proper end of government is likely to be accomplished, in a degree proportioned to that in which the conduct of the supreme operative is conformable to the will of the supreme constitutive

So again in proportion as the conduct of the supreme Executive is conformable to the will of the supreme Operative, or as it may be /is/ termed when the business of the executive is considered as detached from its functions © the supreme legislative.

The more strictly conformable the conduct of the Executive is to the will of the legislative the more strictly conformable will it be to the will of the supreme Constitutive

Thus it is that the degree of subserviency of each set of functionaries of the government to the [...?] acknowledged end of government will depend upon the strictness of its conformity to the will of its immediate superior in the scale

In other words In every part of the scale of subordination as between one set of functionaries and another the depend of each upon its immediate superior ought to be as absolute as possible: the sway of each superior over its immediate subordinate as absolute as possible: having no other limit than that which is set by the dependence which such superior has on the will of its own immediate superior.
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  • Title: [1823 Feb. 19 Greece Beginning]
    Description: 1823 Feb. 19

    Greece

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    At the first step we had an operative power acting in subordination and in the strictest possible subordination, for such it was necessary it should be or the end in view could not be accomplished © in the strictest possible subordination to the constitutive power. At the second step as above we have now a detached hand or set of hands to which by the operative power a portion of its functions is committed: on the part /conduct/ of which delegate or delegates of the second order the strictest subordination as towards the will of its immediate principal and thereby towards the will of the original principal is for the like reason indispensable. The portion of power thus detached from the operative power call it the Executive. But while by the operative power a certain portion of its functions is thus detached and committed to a delegate or set of delegates of its own appointment, at the same time whatsoever is not thus detached from it is of course reserved by it reserved to be exercised by itself The portion of operative thus detached being termed the Executive power call the portion thus reserved the Legislative power. Here then we have the division of the whole mass of operative power in the community into two portions: in the supreme Operative power, ordinarily in use to be designated by the denomination /appellation/ of legislative power or supreme legislative power; and the Executive power. As the /this/ supreme legislative power though with reference to any other power in the state supreme is with reference to the Constitutive power no other than subordinate, so the power just now termed Executive howsoever supreme with reference to any power which there may be occasion to detach from it is with reference to the power stiled supreme legislative in a state of correspondent subordination: at any rate it ought to be, that is to say /namely/ for the same reasons.
  • Title: [1823 Feb. 19 Greece Beginning]
    Description: 1823 Feb. 19

    Greece

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    Here then /Thus/ we have already a chain of political subordination consisting of three links. Link the first or basis of the whole the universal /all©embracing/ Constitutive power: subordinate to none. 2. link the second the legislative or supreme legislative power: subordinate to the constitutive power and to that alone: 3. Link the third the supreme Executive power: subordinate to the legislative or supreme legislative power, and thence to the supreme Operative power, but not to any other: subordinate to the legislative to the end that it [...?] thus may be so to the all©embracing constitutive power, and not for any other purpose for the sake of any other end.

    Of this chain up to what precise number the total assemblage /succession/ of links may require to be extended can not for any state much less for all /every/ political states for the political state here in question be determined for ever /all times[?]/ by any general rule. But whatsoever be the length of it relation being constantly had to the greatest happiness of the greatest number rules relative to /for the direction of/ the structure of the several links will be found not incapable of being grounded on a sufficiently clear /satisfactory/ foundation

    To form a ground and foundation for these rules one indisputable matter of fact must in the first place be brought to view. This is that be the political state in question what it may, a quantity of things to be applied to the purpose of national defence in its several branches as above will of necessity require to be provided, and the stock of them kept up. 2. also things of other sorts for the subsistence of any functionaries whose whole time is allotted to the purpose at any rate if there be not in sufficient number any set of persons who having in their own property the means of subsistence can all of them together be induced to allot to that same purpose a sufficient quantity of time at the hands of a sufficient number of functionaries /persons/. Of Things at large and means of subsistence in particular in so far as thus employed is composed the necessary ”expence• of government.
  • Title: [1823. Feb. 21 Greece Beginning]
    Description: 1823. Feb. 21

    Greece

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    The greatest happiness etc /principle/ requires that the power of the Executive department be lodged in a single hand. Reasons © 1. Certainty of the conformity of the functionary's conduct to the will of the Supreme Operative /Legislative/ maximized. 2. Promptitude of execution, maximized: 3. Responsibility to legal and popular sanctions maximized: 4. Expence minimized.

    The greatest happiness principle requires that the immediate displacing of this functionary be at all times in the power of the Legislative. Reason. Certainty of conformity as above. By no other means could any such certainty be produced, or any approach to it made. If for a day together it were in the power of this functionary to resist the declared will of the supreme Legislative, he would thereby for and during that time be in possession of an equal share in the legislative power in addition to the whole of the Executive.