date

6 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform I
6 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform

I Necessity

'. Kings dependence necessary

2 Uncorruptive system self-ameliorative

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9

2

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Aye, but they don't understand their interest: and there the great mischief lies. Constantly Blind to their interest, they require to be constantly led by those who can see.

Blind to their interest for the moment, be it so: but if to their interest they are at present blind it is as new-born puppies are blind, blind for want of a little age and exercise in the art of seeing not of those who have lost their eyes.

If it be in the power of information - appropriate information - to open men's eyes and by degrees, and if not to remove to relieve /mitigate/ at least this blindness, the more information they receive the less and less inaccurate will be by degrees their conception of this interest of theirs: and be the rate of progress ever so slow some progress at any rate they will make.

The system of uncorruption would therefore howsoever slowly yet constantly be growing the better: while with equal constancy, with whatsoever degree of rapidity, with equal constancy at least the system of corruption will be growing worse and worse.

Under the system of corruption As the people are making their advances in the track of information and intelligence, their rulers, reciprocally corruptors and corrupted, will be on that same track making theirs. But, for those advances the system what will it be the better? On the contrary it will be but so much the worse. They will /With the information they will/ acquire more skill more dexterity. But this additional dexterity to what end and purpose will they apply it to the advancement of what interest will they apply it? By the very supposition, not of the public interest: that is not the interest to the promotion of which their exertions /endeavours/ are directed: not of that, but if that particular and sinister interest of theirs, in the pursuit of which to the prejudice of the public interest the corruption consists, and to the promotion of which the continually accumulating mass of the matter of corruption /money and power/ is continually applied.
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    '.2 Uncorruption self-meliorative

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    '.2. Under the system of uncorruption every thing tends /things tend[?]/ to grow better and better.

    So much for the principle and system of corruption. Now for the principle and system of incorruption. Where is the harm in it?

    If in corruption there be any thing bad and dangerous, and by those who insisting on the admitting of it admitt the limitation of it this can not very easily be desired[?] of a corruption than to any thing bad and dangerous - it is a property (it has been seen) of the system of corruption of every system which for its continuance or its action depends upon corruption to be growing worse and worse.

    Under this system the great objection is that the people will have their own way: and though it be only about their own business that they will have their own way, yet this is what they ought not to have, seeing that they are not fit for it.

    But why not fit for it?

    Is it that they will pursue a wrong interest? and in so doing act a dishonest part?

    This is exactly what is impossible. If all interests are compared without which the system of representation is neither what it ought to be nor what it is intended to be all that each man has to do is to pursue his own interest, his own particular interest if he has any and if he pleases, then in the second place or in default of particular interest general and public interest, {this[?]} or what to him appears such /he takes to be so/.

    But in so doing in dishonest part does he /do they/ take but in honest one[?]. Take this or that individual his interest and his duty may be but too widely different. Take all individuals in the aggregate their duty and their interest are exactly the same thing. It is their duty to pursue their interest: pursuing their interest they thereby /in so far/ fulfill their duty.

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    To what end admitting representation of the people, if unfit?

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    The principle which is continually growing better and better is the principle of uncorruption: that principle which dictates /prescribes/ /enjoins/ the placing the representation of the people in that state whatsoever it may in which as small a number as possible none at all, if it be possible may find themselves in that state.

    Under the principle of corruption, the King and his dependents have at their disposal for their own use and for others use more money and power /of the peoples money, and more power at the peoples expence/ than they need or ought to have: of this they employ a certain part in corrupting the representatives of the people: the representatives of the people that there may be more and more money and power to be disposed of /distributed/ in this same manner among themselves and their corruptors (most of them too being at the same time corruptors and corrupted) put more and more of the people's money with more and more of the power exercised at the expence of the people at the joint disposal of themselves and their corruptors: having thus got more of the matter of good and object of desire in both these intimately connected shapes, they thus have at command a still greater /an additional/ quantity of this pretious matter to imploy in the same manner and apply to the same purposes.
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    2. The times at which these assemblies have had place have been times of particular irritation: had it not been for such irritation they never would have taken place. In importance the subject of deliberation exceeds /is greater/ than any other, for it embraces every other /for every other is comprehended in it/. The question is between corruption and incorruption and corruption but between despotism government and popular: it is whether the object pursued shall be the good of the whole /general interest/, or the good of a few /particular interests/: whether the mode of conducting it shall be free or forcible; sincere or insincere /open or fraudulent/: whether the mode of government which while in one part it has been gradually improving in spite of the rulers has in an other part been gradually deteriorating growing worse and worse under their hands shall in that part in which it has thus been growing worse restored with the benefit of such little improvements on the changes that to have taken place in the state of society at the same time call for /indicate/ and facilitate, is whether without restitution or amendment it shall be left to grow worse and worse.