[Damaged MS] 1809

[Damaged MS] Reform

+ '.1

Ch.6. Parl Corrupt Members

II. Corrupt interest - Corrupt individ

'. Mischief to public

16

1

'.6. II. Corruption continued - Corruptor an individual, patron of the seat - 6. Mischief to the public

When from a hand which (no matter how) has a seat in the house of Commons at command, that hand not being in a state of dependence under the Crown a man is placed /finds himself seated/ in that seat, in this case is there any thing of corrupt dependence or corruption? and if so /either/ (mischief being supposed a necessary consequence /concomitant/ of parliamentary corruption) is the quantity of mischief then[?] produced to the public greater or less than the quantity of mischief attached to the corrupt dependence of a Member on the King or a Minister /through a Ministry/ in possession or expectancy, as above?

To these questions before any answer can be returned some further distinctions will be requisite.

The Member thus seated, does he pay a price for the appointment /this benefit/, or does he receive it without price?

If without price, is the connection between this incumbent and his patron such as to place him /his conduct in this his office/ in a state of strict dependence on the patron, or in only that loose kind of dependence which as above may happen to be considered as constituted by the sense or obligation of Gratitude? (a)

Note ( )

( ) If paying a price that price be such as is understood to be to a certain amount inferior to the market price, this is a compound case, and in so far as gratitude operates /is considered/ as a bond of dependence, he continues in a sort of dependence under the patron in a sort of dependence, the degree of which is determined by the amount of the abatement on the correct price.

This sort of arrangement is a very common one. The parties between whom it takes place are usually parties who understand one another to stand /be stationed/ in the war of politics on the same side.