1821. June 19.

Codification Offer

S.7. Foreigner, why.

themselves to the workman could not fail to stick close to him, and attach themselves to the work: on the part of such members of the influential class on whom, but for the intrusion, the choice might, according to their view of the matter, have fallen; on the part of the members of the community at large, a general apprehension, a vague though perhaps not the less energetic apprehension — of inaptitude on his part, either in a moral, or in an intellectual shape, or in both.

Under these circumstances, nothing short of a strong and extensive persuasion that, in case of trial, his appropriate aptitude would, in all shapes, be found to stand the test of experience, could, it seems manifest, suffice to produce, in the case of a foreigner, either an invitation to undertake the works, or the acceptance of an offer on his part for the undertaking of it.

But, in this persuasion, would be include the persuasion of his appropriate aptitude — not only in all intellectual shapes, but in a moral shape: in a word, the persuasion that, by no reward that could be received by him, could he, if solicited, be induced to insert in his draught any proposed arrangement by which, if adopted, a sacrifice would be made of the universal interest to any particular and sinister interest.

2. Another circumstance that ought never to be let slip out of mind, is — the power, or rather the want of power, on the part of the draughtsman, more especially on the supposition of his being a foreigner, with relation to the ultimate effect of such his work. Be they in number, in extent, or in mischievousness ever so transcendent, only in the event of their receiving the force of law, can any improper arrangements proposed by him be productive of any mischief, with which it may happen to them to be pregnant. The more manifest it can not fail to be to himself, that every arrangement he proposes will be more narrowly watched than if proposed by a native, so much the less likely will he be to put his reputation to hazard by including in his draught any arrangements, for the support of which no such reasons as, in his eyes, are adequate have been attached.

A good arrangement is an arrangement in support of which adequate reasons can be given. If to this or that arrangement proposed by him, either no reasons at all, or none that appear adequate, have been attached, nothing can be more obvious, nor more likely to be adopted than the conclusion that

no