[xxxviii. 27]

1822 July 15.

Constitut. Code Rationale

Securities

5 Moral Counterforce

Public Opinion Tribunal

Evidence and Comments

48. If at Statute Law, the subject of the prohibition has been described: thence, the case in which punishment will be applied.

49. By taxation may be produced in some sort the effect of corruption as well as of obstruction. By taxation, works that can not pay the tax stand prohibited: those that can and do permitted. Hence, the information is corruptly partial to the detriment of the comparatively poor: information that seeks to deceive them is poured in upon them: information that seeks to afford them useful instruction, is kept out of their sight.

50. Not quite so mischievous is this mode of corruption, as the two others: by a line thus drawn, mischievous and useful information can not be so compleatly separated to the purpose of pouring in the mischievous and keeping back the useful.

51. Only by rulers or with their aid, can these means of destroying the effect of this counterforce to their power be employed. In so far as they employ them, they make it evident that to maximize and perpetuate misrule, thence human misery in all shapes, are their endeavours directed.

52. Information to one nation being so to all, thus to maximize misrule and misery in one, is so to do in all the others.

53. More extensively hostile the Ruler who does thus │   │ is to the whole species, than a Pirate is: the mischief extends to all nations and all times.

54. Dangerous would it be to the indicater to indicate those enemies of mankind by their individual names: not so by their official do.

( Here give them)