[xxxvi. 26]

1821. April 25.

First Lines.

Constitutional Finance

In so far as, with reference to that better and happily larger portion of the whole community, they are regarded as being, in this scale of public virtue and good behaviour, superior or equal, delusion has place. Screwing /Raising/ up to its maximum the degree and effect of this delusion is a third purpose in which, under this form of Government, public waste employs itself.

In an absolute Monarchy

In proportion to the quantity in which the waste employs itself in the affording of gratification to the appetites of the individuals in question, and by the whole of that quantity the purpose of delusion is completely /in a complete degree/ accomplished, and the purpose of corruption in a principal degree: To screw up the effect of corruptive influence to its maximum may probably require endeavours to an amount more or less considerable specially directed to that particular purpose: and Such endeavours are /being/ acordingly no where and never wanting, means are wanting for forming /pronouncing by/ any sufficiently grounded judgment whether, without such endeavours, the mere possession of that same or any other quantity of the subject matter of waste operating of itself in the character of matter of corruptive influence would, in the hands in question, be adequate to the production of the actual effect. Be this as it may, it will be, if it is not already, sufficiently manifest that, by the same quantity of the matter of wealth thus expended in waste by the hands in question, in addition to the gratification of the several appetites, those two other purposes, corruption and delusion - all three, though so inseparably connected, so perfectly distinguishable from each other, are produced.

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