date

1819 Jan. 2 Parl Reform Bill
1819 Jan. 2

Parl Reform Bill

Dialogue III

{Preliminary View}

Evils & Remedies

II Remedies

1. Miselection

2. Electors

{13}

{8}

Anti Reformist. Well – now I understand how, according to you, the possibility of

obtaining the fittest representatives that are to be had is raised to the greatest

height by leaving to all persons, almost without exception the capacity of being

elected into that office. It remains for you to explain to me on what ground it is

that you expect that same result to be promoted, by leaving to all persons with

almost as little exception, the capacity of acting with reference to that same

offence in the character of Electors: - to shew in a word how the probability of

obtaining the worthiest man possible for representative is encreased is raised to its

maximum by imparting the faculty of choi to /placing the choice in the hands of/ the

most worthless of mankind.

Reformist Your language is strong and pointed: if it were equally clear, I know not

what I should have to say for myself.

In the first place, here as before let me observe to you, so far as regards voting,

the most worthless of mankind will be harmless so long as they are outvoted by others

to whom no incompetence[?] can be objected. In every district, out of 4000 voters

give /allow/ me 2001 unexceptionable men, I allow you 1999 most worthless men, or if

you please /it be any advantage to you/ the same number of devils.

Anti-Reformist. Your liberality is most exemplary. But the devils – what assurance

can you have /produce/, that instead of the 1999, they may not, and even in the

greatest number of districts amount to the 2001?

Reformist. None at all /Very little/. But, have the goodness to observe that it was

only for your accommodation, that I made you so liberal an allowance in the article

of devils. For my part, upon earth at least, I know of no such beings, any more than

of angels.
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    Description: 1819 Jan. 2

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     Per Morn Chron. 2 Jan y 1819. Frenchmen who paying £12 in direct

    taxes have[?] a vote has £100 a year to spend.

    If that allowance will not satisfy you, I must take it back, and insist upon it that

    devils are out of the case /question/ and that the only beings in question are men:

    that is, beings who prefer each of them his own interest to all other interests

    besides /taken together/. It is you who have /You are the party that has/ brought

    devils upon the carpet, whom of course you, if you had a plan /scheme/ of government

    to form /frame/ would be for excluding.

    Anti Reformist. Aye, surely. But to what purpose this question ask me. /thus force

    me to answer?/

    Reformist. Ithuriel, as every body knows, had a spear by /with/ which he could

    distinguish a devil in human shape from a human being, by /at/ a touch. This spear of

    his – you have not borrowed it of him, have you?

    Anti-Reformist. No: nor have I any need of one. I want none of your devils nor your

    exaggerations. My test of aptitude is as simple as it is practical: it is property

    where I see property I see worth: where I see no property I

    see worthlessness.

    Reformist. Always understood that the task of framing a plan of reform were forced

    upon you. For under the new reform, which you are so little disposed to part with

    cases /a case/ may be started /mentioned/ in which worthlessness, though it were ever

    so exquisite would /in your eyes/ be no objection in your eyes

    Anti-reformist. You mean, where the worthless are under good management the

    management /under the direction/ of the worthy: tenants for example, under

    burgage-tenure, to a Noble or Right Honourable Landlord who might be depended upon

    for giving to the votes of in Blackstone’s phrase these ignorant and uninformed

    voters the worthiest direction possible. No assuredly. For in that /every such/ case

    by the very supposition, every thing is as it should be – nothing better could be

    looked for from at the hands of the most worthy nothing better could be looked for

    than might be depended upon looked for with the utmost confidence be looked

    /expected/ at the hands of the most worthless.
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    Dialogue

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    Anti-Reformist. By me it shall not. Well now, if you have found logic, have not I

    found patience?

    Reformist. Indeed have you, and beyond all expectation.

    Anti-Reformist. Good: but now is the time for the virtue to have its reward. If I

    endured your evils, it was in hope of coming to the remedies.

    Reformist. These you shall have I shall not grudge them to you. But this same logic:

    /which/ you have swallowed it indeed most /so/ heroically: let us see whether you

    have digested it.

    Anti Reformist. Pah! pah! You are too hard upon me. This is more than you bargained

    for: patience, yes: hard labour, not.

    Reformist. Nay but it will not be labour in vain. You are impatient for my remedies.

    These remedies – in what other order can they be presented to you, so proper as that

    of the evils? the correspondent evils?
  • Title: [1818 Dec. 24 Parl. Reform Bill.]
    Description: 1818 Dec. 24

    Parl. Reform Bill.

    Dialogue

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    Evils & Remedies

    1 Evils

    33

    14

    Reformist continued. You will see how simple my Vote making Certificate is. No work

    {whatever} left for the lawyers. /long-robed enemies of mankind./ Call it visionary,

    you may be accordingly quite sure of their joining you in full chorus.

    Anti-Reformist. After all this it appears that your characteristic your appropriate,

    your principal evils – are but evils purely in tendency.

    Reformist. Nothing more.

    Anti-Reformist. But what a subversion of logical order and consistency is this into

    which you have betrayed yourself

    Reformist. I beg your pardon. When in the account of felicity and simplicity, the

    elements of values are considered, that of extent must not be neglected. By a certain

    degree of extent, the utmost[?] […?]lness in the article of magnitude seems to be

    more than compensated. This is the case with the whole class of those offences

    /misdeeds/ by which the public at large in its public /aggregate/ capacity is

    affected, and not any assignable individuals.