25 May 1807

Scotch Reform

Letter VI

Letter VI

7. But ideas suggested

IV │ │ Conclusion

Memorialists plan best

Here are two plans - one of them making the state of things a great deal better than at present, the other a great deal worse: the better plan making the least change, and having the whole weight of authority on its side │ │ agreeing with the other in nothing but that in which all plans and all voices agree, as a benefit unspeakable - the division /breaking down/ of the Court into sections.

Both /Each/ of them are alike indebted for their appearance /coming forward/ to Your Lordships generous existence: but so it happened, the bad /baseness-making/, the uselessly innovating, the comparatively unauthoritative plan came first. What ground does it present for preference? /Can Your Lordship hesitate?/

As a motive intentions dispositions, and all such personalities, to the present purpose the inquiry is not worth a straw. Which would be better to take? /presents the better [...?] to acceptance/ a bad plan presented with purest intention, or a good plan presented with the worst imaginable?

As to motives, it was in this case as in most others among individuals, and in all others among public bodies. motives, intentions declared opinions, arguments were determined altogether by the particular interest Corporation, or that of the /a/ few leading members. In the instance of the judicial class, so it happened, the particular interest was more friendly, or if that be too much to say, less friendly, or at any rate least hostile, to the general interest of the friendly community than in the instance of the professional class. And so /thus/ it happened, that from the Judges the plan you had /the Judges plan/ was so much better than that you had from /of/ the Advocates. Had the state of the interests been reversed the character of the plans would have been reversed /so would/ /Had the interests been reversed, so would the plans/. Reverse causes you reverse effects.