date

1821 Nov. 12 Codification Offer '8. Foreigner
1821 Nov. 12 Codification Offer '8. Foreigner best '.7 III. Active Talent /IV

Tout ensemble/ None but the best eligible Legislative affords better test than

Administrative

Much nearer to the case of the department of legislation taken thus in the whole

of its extent comes the case of the department of finance. Here, how far so ever

from conclusive, indications capable of being furnished by a literary work

having the field of this department for its subject can not be denied to be

capable of composing an instructive test of appropriate aptitude. See at the

same time how far, in this instance the most instructive test which all such

indications taken together are capable of affording in proof of appropriate

aptitude is from being conclusive. Suppose on this part of the field of

legislation a work produced, surpassing all that till then had appeared in that

filed as the work of Adam Smith on political economy surpassed all that down to

that time had appeared. From this work taken by itself could it with any thing

like adequately grounded assurance be affirmed, that with reference to the

situation of Minister of Finance, appropriate aptitude taken in all its parts

put together is in the person of the author of this work greater than in the

person of every other man capable of begin thought of for the office in

comparison with him? Could it with the like assurance be so much as affirmed of

him, that, absolutely considered, he is in any tolerable degree capable of

discharging the functions of the situation? No: that it could not. For, in a

situation such as that in question, besides the faculty of producing a literary

work, howsoever closely relevant, and transcendently excellent, many are the

other endowments requisite, in respect of any or all of which it might happen to

the author of such a work to be deficient: take for example probity, activity,

assiduity, dispatch, fortitude to resist sinister pressures, good temper,

steadiness, consistency, presence of mind, faculty of giving oral and extempore

expression to the contents of his mind.

Instead of the ordinary function of a Military Commander by land or sea or that

of Finance Minister take now the extraordinary function of legislative

Draughtsman in the first instance to be exercised by the penning of a suite of

Codes composing together a compleat body of law. By outlines already given of

the sort of work in question taken in all its parts or though it were in only

some of its parts or though it were be detached works applying to this or that

part of the whole field suppose a man to have made proof of a degree of

appropriate aptitude superior to any that had till then been manifested itself

in that field superior in the same degree as that manifest as above by Adam

Smith, or though it were but in an inferior degree. After the sort and degree of

appropriate aptitude thus manifested, what further evidence could be wanting to

prove on his part the degree of appropriate aptitude, absolute and comparative,

sufficient for the determination of the choice? Unless by any thing that had

transpired it has been proved that since the publication of the work or works in

question whatsoever appropriate aptitude was at that time possessed by him had

been made to cease, the proof already would remain conclusive. Look over all the

several endowments just stated as being in demand for the situation of Finance

Minister, they might all be wanting, unless it were in an extraordinary degree

activity and assiduity, and still with reference to the work in question his

aptitude might remain not only adequate but unrivalled. Lastly
Similar Items
  • Title: [1821. May 12 /Nov. 27/ Codification Offer]
    Description: 1821. May 12 /Nov. 27/ Codification Offer Draughtsman gratuitous /Offer why?

    '.8. Foreigner/ Reward refused - why If any where, enter this under '. Offer

    As to terms of service, by the considerations above brought to view, and by

    those alone - all of them deduced from the observation of the influence of the

    reward in question, on the aptitude of the service for the extraction of which

    it is employed - by the above sober considerations, suggested as they have been

    by the principle of general utility alone, and not by any unreflecting or

    hypothetical sentimentalism, has the veto thus put upon factitious reward been

    produced. To the value of money the author, for his part, is no less sensible,

    than those are, who, for the procurement of it, are so ready to consign men by

    thousands to sudden death by fire and sword, and to lingering death by taxation

    and its offspring famine. With unfeigned gratitude he would accordingly,

    supposing the work compleated, accept, from willing donors, individually and

    separately, from each of them money to any amount, from the lowest denomination

    of coin to the greatest sum which without prejudice to the well-grounded

    expectations of others, the donor would take pleasure in their disposing of:-

    supposing it at the same time sufficiently ascertained that if not thus, it

    would be unemployed in some way or other in purely personal gratification and

    not in any other work of public or private beneficence. Not a ribbon, of the

    number of those which are worn about men's shoulders - not a ribbon of that

    sort, of any colour, from any hand, would he refuse bowing for, it being by

    those presents declared that, in his opinion, the greatest happiness of the

    greatest number would be much the more effectually promoted were all such

    instruments of and false testaments of meritorious service dragged through the

    kennel in the lump, in their way to the hangman's fire, than by being bestowed

    in requital of the most meritorious service for which reward in this shape was

    ever granted. Only in so far as those, at whose expence it would have been

    bestowed, would be averse to the seeing it thus bestowed, does aversion to

    reward in any shape maintain a place in his mind.

    In[?] this department the function in the particular case in question is

    confined to the production of a certain literary work. To constitute appropriate

    aptitude with reference to this function appropriate aptitude on the part of the

    workman in the highest possible degree no other endowments are necessary than

    what are sufficient for the giving the utmost possible degree of aptitude to the

    work. the work itself is the test of its own aptitude Remains the Executive

    department. Apply the enquiry to the several branches of it. In each branch

    whether for the perfect execution of the function belonging to it the

    composition of a literary work be or be not applicable as a test of aptitude on

    the part of the functionary[?], other endowments are necessary. Of the

    possession of

    Even in the legislative department, on the part of those to whom the function of

    final sanctionment belongs endowments are indeed necessary of the possession of

    which the composition of a literal work can not afford a test namely /in

    particular/ knowledge of the circumstances peculiar to the country and knowledge

    of the state of opinions and affections at the time in question, on the part of

    the people. But these are endowments which the possession of which is as above,

    not necessary on the part of the author of the original Draught. of which it is

    not in the nature of any literary work to afford any sort of test. In everyone

    of those cases other endowments are necessary other endowments, of the

    possession of which no test can be afforded approaching in probative force to

    that with which proof may be made in the case of legislation by the composition

    of a literary work.
  • Title: [1821. Aug. 18. Codification Offer]
    Description: 1821. Aug. 18.

    Codification Offer

    '.10/11/. Rationale - test of Draughtsman's aptitude

    '.10./'.11./ On the part of any proposed Draughtsman, willingness or

    unwillingness to interweave, as above, a Rationale, is the most conclusive test,

    and that an indispensable one, of appropriate aptitude.

    Of appropriate aptitude, with reference to the sort of work in question, this

    sort of accompaniment (a rationale as above described) is not only a perfect

    test, but the only one which the nature of the case admitts of. Without this

    test, to frame and give force to a body of law to any extent - even to a body of

    law intended to be taken for all-comprehensive - requires not appropriate

    aptitude in any shape: it requires not appropriate intellectual aptitude,

    appropriate active talent, or appropriate moral aptitude. Form excepted, all

    that it requires, is - will, and the faculty of giving expression to that will,

    any how.

    When the nature of an accompaniment of this sort has once been brought to view,

    the usefulness and need of it demonstrated, and the nature, the practicability,

    and only proper situation, of it been shown by samples, - when all this has been

    done, the production of a proposed Code, come whence it will, if it be

    unprovided with this sole security for appropriate aptitude, will involve in it,

    on the part of the proposer and his Code, a confession of inaptitude. This

    inaptitude will, according to circumstances, be in that shape which is opposite

    to intellectual, or in that which is opposite to moral aptitude: in the former,

    if the omission being, as it can scarce fail to be, accompanied with the

    consciousness of the usefulness of such a security for good workmanship, has,

    for its cause, consciousness of inability to produce such an one as shall be

    capable of bearing the scrutiny of the public eye: it will be that inaptitude

    which is the opposite to moral aptitude, in so far as, instead of consciousness

    of such inability, self-persuasion of the possession of the correspondent

    ability has place in the defaulter's mind.

    "If, while there is any one who is willing, ready, and, for aught you can shew,

    able, to furnish this security, you shrink from furnishing it, it is either

    because you can not, or because you will not: if you will not, it is,

    according
  • Title: [1819 May 18 Disfranchising]
    Description: 1819 May 18

    Disfranchising

    Disfranchising

    §.5. Evil 4. Encrease Country Members

    16

    12

    8

    There stands the master as between the Country Gentleman on the one hand and a Candidate belong to any other class, and in particular to the commercial class on the other, there stands the matter the question of aptitude, on the ground of appropriate intellectual aptitude, on the ground of appropriate probity. Observe now how it stands on the ground of appropriate intellectual aptitude, and appropriate active talent.

    On the part of the Country Gentleman you can have no assurance /probable cause/ of either of these desirable qualities /endowments/ in any degree. Nothing but fear of exposure without profit could /need/ prevent a Lord who has a seat at his disposal from putting in a son of his though he were in a state of idiocy or next door to it.

    But never /at no time/ can the mind of the mercantile /commercial/ man have been /be/ in any such state. So long as he has been what by the supposition he is, his mind has been in a constant state of activity: of activity kept up by the spur of personal interest, much stronger than that of any public interest. It is therefore in the possession of a habit of activity, as well as of practical knowledge, obtained /acquired/ by experience and observation, in virtue of that habit. But, with more or less facility, according to circumstances, a fund composed of knowledge, judgment and activity stored up /once acquired/ by application to any one branch of business is a species of capital, transferable to any other branch of business.