1818 April 10

Parl Reform Bill

Reasons Inserendum

III. Electors Who

Vote conferring Qualification

II. Intellectuality

People's sufficiency

Features of misrule intelligible

Senses[?] to aristocracy

17

10

But if to the existing system this consideration affords no objection, how much stronger it may be asked is the objection which it affords against the proposed system?

Oh no: no objection does it afford whatever. The more vast and unattainable the knowledge necessary to the governing these distant dependencies well, the less is th knowledge necessary to satisfy a man that at this distance they ought not to be governed at all. To depredation, oppression, tyranny, distance affords no bar whatever, nothing but facility: but to anything like a tolerable government but to any habit of government approaching to a tolerable one it presents a bar, and that in the very nature of things an insuperable one.

Read Mill's British India, there the demonstration of this truth will meet you on every page.

All Power, without /no/ obligation: such it has already been demonstrated is the universal principle of action under the existing system: no misery howsoever grievous no misery is there which the ruling few are not at all times content to produce or to suffer on the part of the subject many rather than submitt to the trouble necessary to the endeavour to put an end to it. No portion of the universal interest which they are not content to sacrifice at all times to sacrifice to any the most minute portion of personal interest: to the interest of the public - to the interest of their own case. For note well, that without any the smallest sacrifice in the shape of care, there is /exists/ not any power how enormous so ever that may not be exercised.
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  • Title: [22 July 1804 Procedure 3 (1]
    Description: 22 July 1804

    Procedure

    3 (1)

    Enquiry Mode

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    '.2. 1. Justice unattainable

    1. Cases in which, under /in/ the existing state of things /system of procedure/, Justice never is or can be done /administered/ in the way of Trial by Jury.

    Observe that the state of things in which the want of Trial by Jury is held up to view as a peremptory /decisive/ objection against the summary mode of procedure - as a greater evil than the evils to which that and that alone is capable of applying an effectual care - is the existing state of things - the existing course of procedure.

    Under the existing state of things there are two causes, sufficient either of them, as far as it has place, to render the obtainment Justice, in a cause to be tried by a Jury, absolutely impossible.

    1. One[?] is the sum of money necessary to be advanced by a plaintiff before he can in this way take his chance for Justice: to which ought to /will/ be added in many cases the additional sum, to the payment and loss of which he must eventually pledge himself, under the name of costs, viz. the amount of the defendants costs in case of failure. By this circumstance, so far as concerns those cases of a non-penal or mixt nature in which relief /justice/, can not be applied for but by a cause of a non-penal nature into /of/ which the trial by Jury makes a part no man who has is not in his power either to advance or to give to an Attorney sufficient security for advancing this indispensable sum, is effectually cut off from taking the possibility in this way his chance for justice. (a)

    (a) Give here the calculation - Number of relative paupers from [...?] [9/10 ths] of the people here in a state of perpetual Outlawry. The relief afforded by the Courts of Conscience is good so far - but very scanty, both as to places and sums.
  • Title: [1818 Apr. 8 Parl. Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Apr. 8

    Parl. Reform Bill

    + '.2

    Reasons

    '.II Electors Who

    Vote-conferring Qualification

    2. Intellectuality

    Peoples sufficiency

    Features of Misrule intelligible

    8

    1

     Go on to speak of the encrease.

    [...?] by high-terms[?] of misrule [...?] Coke &c

    Thus much for the possession of the power under the existing system.

    As to those who would be so under the here proposed system, whatsoever portion of intellectual aptitude they at /were at/ any time possessed /in their possession, the whole of it would as above, in virtue of the appropriate probity, which is among the inherent attributes of this class, be applied the whole of it to the advancement of that which is in their eyes the universal interest.

    To apply to /infuse into/ their minds such a portion of intellectual aptitude as would be sufficient to engage them to vote in conformity to the universal interest would not be difficult: while to infuse into the minds of the existing voters any such portions of intellectual aptitude as should be productive of that effect would be plainly impossible.

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  • Title: [1818 Sept. 19 Parl Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Sept. 19

    Parl Reform Bill

    Reasons Note ult o

    '.2. Electors Who

    Universality

    II. Intellectuality

    Things as they are

    5

    Part III. Remedilessness of Misrule under the existing System - its causes -

    Ch.1. To delinquents in judicial and all other high Offices with their protegés, security afforded against condign punishment, by the original insufficiency, and virtual abolition, of Impeachment. See Mill's British India, Vol III, Ch

    Ch.2. To the same, by libel-law, security afforded against condign disrepute.

    Ch.3. To the same, by various Parliamentary regulations, and Administrative arrangements.

    Ch.4. Means of communication for the purpose of concerting remedies, denied to /cut off from/ the subject many by the ruling few.

    '.1. Public meetings interdicted

    '.2. Lectures interdicted, unless licenced.

    '.3. Circulation of political papers obstructed, by ruinous imprisonment of the circulators by single Magistrates without trial.

    '.4. Complaint stifled, by the interdiction of the use of the press in Petitions to the Commons House. See, by the Author, Plan of Parliamentary Reform, Introduction, '. .

    Ch. 5. Terminations of which the as yet uncompleated system of English Misrule is susceptible.

    '.1. Natural termination, Continental Despotism.

    '.2. This natural termination the most probable {termination}.

    '.3. Sole possible means of remediation, awakening of the potentially independent few.

    Ch.6. The only good form of government, why the last established - why unless by miracle unattainable in England.

     Note See D r Bonour's[?] Desponding[?] Pamphlet A o 1756.