{Nov r 3 1817.}

Government at 70

Government

Factitious dignity

1

1

When a factitious dignity is conferred a draft is drawn upon the public for a certain portion of respect to be paid to the person or persons on whom it is conferred.

Under monarchies in general and the english monarchy in particular the person by whom drafts of this kind to the greatest amount are drawn is the monarch.

Like all other practises that have place in the business of government this is kept up because it has been kept up: as to the question of public utility the uselessness of the practise is either never thought of, or taken for granted.

Upon examination /scrutiny/ made of this practise on the ground of public utility the result is - that it is on no account useful and on several accounts pernicious.

If on being questioned any endeavour is used to justify and defend it on the ground of public utility it will be under the notion of its being conducive to the production of meritorious public service: service from which the quantity of happiness in the whole community taken together receives increase. The result of the scrutiny is that in several ways this quantity that experiences diminution and in none increase.

To be bestowed with a view to the production of meritorious public service is to be bestowed in the way of reward. The aggregate mass of factitious dignities forms accordingly one component part of that mass of the matter of reward which in this country is in the hands and actual disposal of y e Monarch

One non hereditary two hereditary: both naturally mis-applied: hereditary would be wasteful if well-applied.