1822 March 10

Codification Offer

J.B. to People

Jeremy Bentham to all people professing liberal opinions - to the people and those who are in authority under them.

Men and Brethren

By this title ye are all embraced: and the embarrassment of looking out for other title saved.

My desire is to receive from each your acceptance for that which if accepted will be to each the basis of a legislative rule, to all by whom it is accepted a bond of union.

To any by whom liberal opinions are not so much as professed any thing that could be said from the author of a proposal such as this would be plainly useless: to the deaf adder in any of his shapes the voice were that of a charmer /every thing that could be said in this [-------?]/ would be useless.

By the /Of the/ phrases a people /government/ professing liberal opinions the import meant to be conveyed is not dubious /exposed to doubt/: a people a government professing to take the greatest happiness of the greatest number for the object and end in view of every thing it does /all its arrangements/

Let not either self-regard or self-esteem be in the mind of any of you so cruel an enemy to self love /self-regard/ as to prevent any of you from receiving his share in that which would be a benefit to all. If in any shape the proffered service afford a hope of use, punish /let/ not any of you punish himself to punish him /for the pleasure of punishing the man/ who proffers it.

Resist as many of you as are able /have strength enough/ a propensity so natural to human weakness.

Superiority none that can be excluded from the case is claimed: none in addition to that without which the service could not be rendered: none but that which he who by practice has learnt /enabled himself/ to make a shoe possesses over /in comparison of/ him who for want of practice remains unable.