date

30 Dec r 1809 Parl y. Reform
30 Dec r 1809

Parl y. Reform

Ch.6 Parl. Corruption I. Members

'. Corruptor Course[?]

Corruption continued

3. Corruptor's[?] mind[?]

22

3

If to keep the so corrupted mind /dependent member in question/ in such his[?] state of habitual corruption and corrupt dependence no act whatsoever, on the part of him by whom the situation of special corruptor where there is one is occupied, has been performed, the most delicate /nervous/ casuistry can not surely find any imputation to cast upon the probity of the Minister in this case.

But suppose some special intimation of the course which on this or that occasion it is the desire of the Minister to see taken by the supposed obsequious Member, communicated: as for example one of the common circular letters, by which a particular occasion /subject/ is pointed out, accompanied by an intimation that in the eyes of the Minister the importance of it is such as to have produced the wish of seeing a full attendance.

In a course of this sort is there any thing susceptible of any such appellation /appellative/ as wicked or immoral or wicked or unconscientious or improper or dishonest /wicked/? If so, then is it a dishonest act to become a Minister: which being admitted, a consequence is that there ought to be no such person as a Minister, and so no such state of things as government.

For doing what it is impossible he should think wrong you can never with truth be a man dishonest: nor if you could would /could/ it answer any good purpose.

But /Yet/ were the state of things produced by so extensive a state of habitual dependence has been shewn to be in a high degree innoxious to the interest of the community at large, in a high degree mischievous " a great political evil" and "a great public grievance".
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  • Title: [30 Dec r 1809 Parl y. Reform]
    Description: 30 Dec r 1809

    Parl y. Reform

    Ch.6 Parl. Corruption I. Members

    '. Corruptor Course[?]

    Corruption continued

    '.5. 2. Corruptor's mind[?]

    21

    2

    The purposes /occasions/ on which the influence of a Minister is exerted /exercised/ on a Member are reductive to two: that on which his possession of his seat , and that in which his conduct when in his seat is in question.

    In so far as his possession of his seat is in question the influence /effect/ of the transaction on the mind of the Minister /in question/ belongs not to the present purpose: it will come under consideration, further on, viz. when the effect of corruption and corrupt dependence on the situation of a parliamentary Elector comes to be considered.

    On the present occasion the person considered as exposed to corruption, and liable thereby to be brought into a situation of habitual and corrupt dependence is considered as already in possession of his seat.

    The person by whose influence he is placed and kept in this dependent state is the Minister or a Minister: and the considerations by which he is placed or kept in this state are the hope of some benefit to his receipt of which the concurrence /an act/ of the Minister is regarded as necessary, or the fear of the loss /losing/ of some benefit which the Minister is considered as having it in his power to deprive him of /revoke/: for instance a lucrative office held by him under the crown /an administration already in his hands/.
  • Title: [23 Dec r 1809 + '.5 Parl y. Reform]
    Description: 23 Dec r 1809 + '.5

    Parl y. Reform

    Ch.6 Parl. Corruption Members

    '. II Corruptor Course[?] - continued

    Corruption continued

    '.5. [...?] [...?] mind[?]

    20

    1

    1

    '.5 2. Mischief to subordinate corruptors mind.

    3. The above being the mind only of the person by to whom /to which/ the matter of corruption the efficient cause of corrupt dependence and habitually undue obsequiousness is administered, there remains another mind bearing part of the business, viz the mind of him, if any, by which the matter of corruption is administered.

    But, as hath already been remarked to produce the effect of corruption, and in its greatest quantity /to the greatest extent/, and highest degree of perfection, there needs no special corruptor no special act of corruption: by a preestablished harmony[?] corruption takes place of itself.

    If haply there be any such special corruptor, and in so far as he is active in the business, this special corruptor being the Minister, or at least a Minister is always himself a Member: and under the existing system of corruption, in /to/ his case the same curious and subtle psychological and casuistical questions apply as we have seen applying to a person in the same situation but instead of the /an/ active as here acting a passive part.

    If he by whom what is done is always done, does not on this occasion in his own eyes do wrong, the probability does not seem great that in the eyes of him say the Minister by whom, to the production of this really but not supposed /wrong, but not improbable/ wrong, it is not necessary unless by accident that any thing /not[?]/ should be done, the probability does not seem great, that in his eyes what wrong may come /fall/ by himself in /on/ this behalf /occasion/ to be committed, should paint itself in any very glowing /flagrant/ colours.
  • Title: [20 Aug 1809 + Parl y Reform]
    Description: 20 Aug 1809 +

    Parl y Reform

    Influence V.

    Corruption

    '. Office corrupts more than Bribe.

    1

    1

    A contrivance (flimsy) for defending and [...?] or the cases in which it is most efficient and impressive.

    '. Office is more corruptive than any /a/ bribe.

    But a distinction is /has been/ taken, & owed[?] there are certain shapes forsooth[?], in which the application of a matter of good, though applied under the same conditions, and to produce the same line of conduct as it is applied to produce in the case where the application of it would be corruptive and bribery beyond dispute, is neither the one nor the other. And which are these cases? precisely those in which its influence is most feasible and irresistible.

    For a Member to receive of a Member a bribe - say in the shape of a Banknote of ,10 or ,500 or ,1000, is dishonest wicked scandalous, shameful, in a word whatsoever in your indignation you may be pleased to call it. And why dishonest? - because by the conditions in which it is given the member by whom it is received engages himself to the Minister by whom it is administered, to give his vote and support to some one[?] measure which perhaps he thinks a bad one and to which perhaps he would not have given his vote or his support otherwise {- Now in this case where is the dependence of the Member? where is the dependence of the person corrupted on his corruptor? - None.}

    For a /the same or any other/ Member to receive of the same or any other Minister not merely the ,500 or the ,1000 once paid, the ,5000 or the ,1,000 by which no dependence is created, but a place with or without duty, with or without dignity and power attached to it bringing in to him each and every year while he continues in possession of it a repetition of this same ,500 or ,1,000 - in all this there is nothing but what is fair and honourable. But why honourable the acceptance this so much greater portion of the matter of good while in the other case the acceptance of a so much lesser portion is so base and scandalous. By the base compact, the Trustee was barred /stood engaged[?]/ to nothing more than the committing a breach of trust on some one occasion at some one single instance. By the honourable compact he stands engaged to committ during his continuance in the receipt of this permanent bribe