1820. Aug. 18

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

'.5. Corruptive influence

Townsend

As its efficiency can at no time cease, while at all times it is

susceptible of encrease, and by every encrease of dominion, and by every war,

successful or unsuccessful, can not but encrease - sooner or later, unless stopt by

violent howsoever salutary change, it will to a certainty convert the mixt Monarchy

into a government, in which more or less of the forms of the mixture will probably be

preserved, but which will in effect be a pure despotism. Of course, the exact time is

not capable of being determined. Thus much however is certain, namely, that by every

encrease given to the matter of corruptive influence, and in particular by every

encrease given to public expenditure, necessary or unnecessary, and in particular by

every encrease given to the splendour of the crown, and to the tangible or visible

supports afforded to royal dignity, or to the dignity of any situation subordinate to

royalty,- by every encrease given to dominion, and by every war, and by every

encrease given to either the extent or the duration of the war, be the quantum of the

several articles at the outset what it may, it cannot but be accelerated /component

elements of the corruptive mass at the outset what it may, the disastrous conversion

can not but be accelerated./

To say that in the hands of an irremovable chief functionary money in

the view of a set of subordinate or coordinate functionaries will not corrupt men -

is to say, that when applied to them, water will not moisten them, nor fire warm

them, or arsenic poison them.