date

8 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform I
8 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform

I Necessity

B.II. Influence

' King's dependence necessary

2 Uncorruptive system self-ameliorative

6

15

For assisting us /the mind/ in our conjectures, one course that on this occasion would present itself as a natural one would be to look out for the open seats whether those for the counties or those for the open boroughs and compare in this point of view that part of the Legislation[?] of the House with that which is composed of the representatives of close and pocket boroughs.

Take Westminster for example - the most populous of all the open boroughs the most populous. Within the compass of the last half century how far are the instances in which the seat at the disposal of this borough /election district/ was not bestowed on the ground of merit of talent of some sort, often real always at least supposed.
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    To delimit in all its varieties the instruments into which the matter of corruption is for the purpose here /now/ in question capable of being moulded, viz. the instruments by the suitable application of which the requisite species of undue[?] obsequiousness on the part of parliamentary Electors is under different circumstances the different circumstances of boroughs, counties, combinations of boroughs and combinations of counties in the three parts of the united kingdom produced, is a task the performance of which being beyond /not within/ my competence, is fortunately neither so necessary nor would be so much as conducive /[...?]/ to the present purpose. /purpose of the present work./

    On this /the present/ occasion the current nomenclature will be sufficient to answer every material purpose . . .

    The case of Counties [...?] has been it should seem not required to be comprehended in it. County Elections which certainly are[?] comparatively speaking seem to be /have been generally/ regarded as absolutely speaking exempt from /unexposed to/ all undue influence.

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  • Title: [8 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform I]
    Description: 8 Sep. 1809

    Parl y Reform

    I Necessity

    ' King's dependence necessary

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    The curious thing is that all objections drawn from the supposed incapacity of the people to form right conceptions of their own interest are objections against the constitution itself - what even by the objectors of themselves is not /can not be/ deemed to be the constitution, and the very vital part of it.

    Another thing is that if there ever was a time in which it had any force, it must have be en a time that for these many ages has been past. Two points of time may be assigned - very distant from each other as well as very distant the nearest of them from the present /these our times/ - two points of time at either of which this objection might have been urged with a degree of force which by the intervening experience has been compleatly done away.

    The first is that of the civil wars under Henry the 3 d about the year 1< >, when at /by/ the invitation of /from/ Simon de Montfort Earl of Leicester, deputies from the Counties and a few Boroughs first made their appearance, in very humble wise[?], at the House of Lords.

    The other is the time, not exactly ascertained as to the day or month or year but at any rate in some part of the reign of Henry the 6 th, when for the first time these deputies already characterized /designated/ by the collective name of the House of Commons, were permitted to exercise /possess/ a real share in the power of legislation by introducing proposed laws in the very words by which it was proposed they should be /stand/ expressed. +

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  • Title: [8 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform I]
    Description: 8 Sep. 1809

    Parl y Reform

    I Necessity

    ' King's dependence necessary

    2. Uncorruptive system self-ameliorative

    4

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    At neither of these points of time - no, nor at any intervening point of time was any of that oil applied the application of which is now discovered to be so necessary to the working of the wheels of the political machine /of government/. Offices scarce any to give: and of the very few in existence none could be spared for any such hands. Pensions none: no fund on which they could be charged: the taxes when granted when granted not granted for more than two or three years.

    Ignorant men, chosen by men still more ignorant than themselves: ignorant men left to their own ignorance destitute of that information and that wisdom which, it is always taken for granted /according to the maxim the truth of which is assumed/ can not be derived from any other source than a bribe, nor maintained /preserved when acquired/ in any other situation than a situation of dependence.

    Yet some how or other amidst all this ignorance, and for centuries together without the help of the supposed necessary corruption, they contrived to rub on, and thus it is that here we are.

    The objection therefore is come a few odd centuries too late: being antecedently to its appearance compleatly refuted by the experience of all that time.