date

1818 Dec. 22 Parl. Reform Bill
1818 Dec. 22

Parl. Reform Bill

Dialogue II

Election Evils

25

6

Anti-Reformist. Come then, set to work your exhaustion-pump: give us /produce/ your

divisions: if they suit my taste /I like them/ they please me/ I will call them

logical ones: if they do not suit my taste /I dont like them/ /they displease me/ I

will call them metaphysical. Let us both be at liberty you produce what you please: I

give what name to it I please.

Reformist. Agreed: First then, these Election evils I divide them into

characteristic and uncharacteristic or not characteristic.

Anti-Reformist. What do you here mean by characteristic?

Reformist. I mean such evils as have are not only liable to have place on the

occasion of the sort /mode/ of Election in question, but could not have place without

it.

Anti-Reformist. Then by your uncharacteristic evils you mean such evils as are

liable to have place on the occasion in question, but are moreover liable to have

place on other occasions. {Well, your characteristic Election evils what are they.}

{Reformist. Before I tell you what they are I must divide them in the first place

into hurtful | | the mischief of which falls upon men in their public capacity alone,

such the /injurious to the public alone, evils hurtful to individuals only and evils

hurtful to the public and to individuals, both at the same time/. }

Reformist. Exactly so. It is a real satisfaction /comfort/ to me, to see you thus

beforehand /going before/ with me.
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    Description: 1818 Dece r 23

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    Dialogue

    Preliminary View

    II Election Evils

    1 Evils

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    Anti-Reformist. So much for your uncharacteristic Election evils: Now for your

    characteristic ones.

    Reformist. A little patience, and you shall have names as familiar to you as {any

    of} those others. But first you must allow me a division or two, or if you please a

    distinction or two.

    Anti-Reformist. To be sure I must /Oh yes, any thing you please/. But then you on

    your part you must allow me to yawn if I cant help it, or to take my hat up and walk

    off.

    Reformist. {Both are always in your power.} /I see you have a mind /an inclin/ to be

    in the fashion. You have been lately I suspect/ There is a great red house, in which

    if you attempt to distinguish any one thing from any other, or to make any use of the

    numeration table, every body leaves /runs out of/ the room that instant But to

    proceed. You admitt /There is nothing very alarming to you/ the distinction between

    the public and individuals.

    Anti-Reformist. Not much: although individuals, if I am not mistaken are the matter

    /stuff/ of which the public was made.

    Reformist. Well then, if it should turn out that by such and such individual, would

    be made to suffer, be it more or less, such sufferance you will admitt would be

    sufficient to constitute an evil – an Election evil – although it should not appear

    that by the cause in question evil in any other shape would attach upon the public at

    large

    Anti-Reformist. To be sure I will /No objection do I see/.

    {Reformist. Evils hurtful to the public only, evils hurtful to individuals only,

    evils hurtful to the public and to individuals together – /in/ this division you see

    is /I have/ an exhaustive one.}

    {Anti-Reformist. Oh yes: much good may it do you with it:}
  • Title: [1818 Dec. 23 Parl. Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Dec. 23

    Parl. Reform Bill

    Dialogue

    II. Election Evils

    26

    7

    Anti-Reformist. Though as was natural enough you have given to your /these same[?]/

    uncharacteristic evils of yours the last place, do in the first place have the

    goodness to tell me what they are /name them/. I wish to know what they are, that I

    may see at once what it is you thus propose to put aside.

    Reformist. They are neither more nor less than Offences offences /evils/ of all

    sorts by which individuals as such are liable to be made sufferers: evils by injuries

    to person, d o by d o to property, d o by d o to reputation. I might add perhaps

    /possibly have added/ evils by injuries to condition in life: but these will so

    rarely come in question, that we may /to save perplexity it may be better to/ lay

    this out of the question, which may be done with very little inconvenience /little if

    any loss/.

    Anti Reformist. A most formidable truce this! Why, have we already all the contents

    of Pandoras box. Pray in mercy, release me /my conception/ by the mention of a few

    particulars.

    Reformist – that I can do in a trice. You know what Election riots are: you know

    what Election lies are. As to riots, if you wish to vary the phrase, call them

    tumults, disturbances, disorders, annoyances fightings […?] breaches of the peace

    nuisances – what you

    Anti Reformist. Alack a day, we all know them but too well.

    Reformist. Well then, there is not a mischief imaginable either to person or

    property that is not liable to be produced by an Election riot: by a riot in any

    case, and therefore in that case. Then /So/ again as to reputation there is not that

    mischief to reputation that is not liable to be produced by an Election lie. You know

    M r Hunt[?] /the two Soccas[?]/. You remember the arm he fights

    with /they fight with/ in addition to the arm of flesh. For person and property

    gentlemen have /he has/ the arm of flesh; for reputation, the tongue and the hand

    that holds the pen
  • Title: [1818 Dec. 24. Parl. Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Dec. 24.

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    Dialogue II

    Election Evils.

    37

    18

    Anti-Reformist. The old story, { good[?] M r

    Lack-learning}, always snarling at your too learned brethren. Sadly sower in your

    eyes the grapes that adorn /shroud/ /shroud their clusters/ over the Courts of

    Chancery and King’s Bench. Come, now for such of your characteristic or appropriate

    Election evils as you call collateral ones.

    Well but now for those appropriate Election Evils which apply to the situation of

    Representative no otherwise than by apply /in as far/ as they apply to the situation

    of Elector

    Reformist. These I divide in the first place into such as are principal, and such as

    are not principal, but /being/ only collateral.

    Anti-Reformist. What? In the clouds again?

    Reformist. Patience; one stop /dip/ more and you will feel ground. The principal

    evils in question – those which I denominate principal,

    consist in or if you please are caused by either non-admission or admission or

    non-admission: admission given to voters and votes that ought not to have been

    admitted, non admission or in one word exclusion applied to voters and votes that

    ought to have been admitted.

    In both cases a distinction that requires to be taken is that between the evil that

    affects the public alone, and the evil which affects individuals