1818 Sept. 7.

Parl. Reform Bill

+ '2 G.

Reasons ult o

'.2 Electors Who

Universality

Universities

29

4

As it is, the measures that are at command are comparatively feeble an inefficient of comparatively precarious efficacy, and the more precarious their efficacy, the more anxious the case and the more strenuous and unremitted the industry with which they require to be, and naturally are employed and made the most of. These are /Of these the principal seem to be as follow/.

1. To cause it to be understood that the excellence of the scheme of government in Church and State as at present pursued - its excellence in every point whatever without exception is a matter of fact which on every occasion ought to be taken for granted: and that each man's prospect of advancement and success in whatever line of life he betakes /engages/ himself, of /among/ those to which this system of education leads, depends upon the punctuality of his observance of this rule.

2. To embrace every occasion foe covering the whole system with a mantle /cover/ of the most gorgeous and undiscriminating praise.

3. To embrace every occasion for overwhelming with a correspondent covering[?] of reproach /opprobrium/ and obloquy and reproach not only every man by whom imperfection in any shape if objected /imputed/ to it, but every man by whom the necessity propriety or even lawfulness of impartial enquiry into the subject is asserted.
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    Greece. J.B. to Greek Legislators

    Trials 1. Cupidity. 2. Revenge

    Appetite for 1. money. 2. power 3 Revenge

    1. Cupidity for Office

    Cupidity [...?] out to your grasp needless offices, useless offices overpay of needful and useful ones and to ones called sinecures: revenge the ruin of all who by appeals to the people your constituents shall presume to call in question your faultless excellence © that faultless and matchless excellence, which men in your situation have no where failed to arrogate to themselves. If, under these temptations, if you sink, you will fall with others; if you stand firm, you will stand alone. To prove their fitness for command men have been seen in various countries subjecting themselves to the bodily torture none who could revenge themselves have as yet endured patiently that torture which by obloquy, always the severer the more merited, especially if merited is inflicted on the mind.

    Legislators! the occupier of every office /place/ which is over and above those which are /is not/ absolutely needful as well as are useful, is a public robber: so is the receiver of whatever emolument /pay / is over and above that which is needful, in every needful and useful place. Every occupant of a sinecure Office is moreover a swindler: receiver of money extorted from the people on a pretence altogether false.

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  • Title: [nd [wm 1818] + To Erskine ult]
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    To Erskine

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    {Had I a petition to draw /for refer/ for the people of Britain and Ireland I would drench Honourable House the beverage it insists on till its gorge rose at it /it cried mercy/: till every /each/ Honourable cheek turned pale at the real reproach seen through the extorted covering { Satis te eo quod satiste satiate yourself /surfeit yourselves/ with that poison for which alone you have any relish.} Nor would /could/ these after this declaration plain as it is, in any such perfect excess so much as “colourable could any pretence be found for that rejection pretences for which are looked out for so persevering an eagerness: since /for/ nothing hinders an address[?] pursued with one sort of affection /in one view/ /of one sort/ may be adopted and joined /signed/ in a quite different one}

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  • Title: [1818 Sept. 20 Things as they are]
    Description: 1818 Sept. 20

    Things as they are

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    §. Splendor

    1

    3. - subornation of universality No need of rewarding men for getting rich, no more than for eating or sexuality.

    Pouring butter upon fat for fear it should not be rich enough

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    1. Suppose it ever so innoxious, it is compleatly useless and /as well as/ needless. When the object is to impress men with the persuasion of its being needful or at any useful insinuation conveyed is - that it is useful at any rate if not needful to the securing of obedience and obsequiousness, to /on the part of the people at large, as towards/ the power which is seen lodged in the same hands: needful to the securing of obsequiousness as towards that individual will, obsequiousness as towards which is and on this occasion must be assumed to be necessary to the carrying on of the business of the government in a manner conducive to the universal interest.

    A slight glance /consideration/ so it be an impartial one will suffice to shew how compleatly groundless this conception is. That of itself power should not suffice to support itself /for its own support/: that for its support it should require a quantity of the matter of wealth in enormous profusion, and in such shapes as to be productive /give birth/ to the most exaggerated conception of the same[?] magnitude, that whether for want of its ability to command respect or for whatever other cause power itself is of itself a feeble thing: so feeble that it requires glitter to support it.