1827 Jan y. 6.

Constitutional Code.

Ch.IX. Ministers Collectively

S.3. Number in an Office

For this purpose, the appropriate means are already sufficiently known and approved by experience: a lion's mouth, so the phrase has been, into which, whatsoever note of information is dropped, shall be sure of finding its way into his hands. But, will he have at all times leisure and inclinations to look at the whole of it? This will depend upon accidents. But if the case is, and is at the same time known to be — that the letters thus addressed will be drawn out by lot — the effect, in the way of prevention, by intimidation, will be little if at all less than if it were known that no one of them would escape his eye. A device, in this case to be guarded against, is by, or by procurement of, one individual, letters draft in, as if without conceit, by several individuals: nor to the multitude of these counterfeits can any determinate limits be assigned. As to calumny, one condition there is, by which danger from that source would effectually be excluded: this is that, on pain of neglect or even punishment, the name and address of the informant he attached to the information: for, in that case, no mischief could be produced without being effectually responsible for it. Whether from a person unknown, any such information should be admitted to a chance of being attended to — is a question that seems scarcely capable of being answered with propriety by any general rule. The difficulty will be for the rule in question, exposed as he is to delusion by an abovementioned device, so to master himself, as to make sure that information so circumstanced, shall be employed by him asa ground, for examination merely, and never for decisions. nor, in this case, will it be easy to prevent the giving to an information derived from a high source the appearance of being derived, as above, from various sources;

sources; and that in a multitude to which no determinate limits can be assigned.