[036-157v]

1822 Feb. 21

Codification Offer

'.5. Admission Universal

III Reasons

Legislation School

Inserendum

By the votaries of that spurious and barbarous substitute to law which ought never to be mentioned without reproach, nor can ever be mentioned with reproach adequate to its mischievousness - institutions have been set on foot for everlasting augmentation of it, on pretence of everlasting elucidation, institution rendering darkness thicker and thicker, under the notion of augmenting light. To institutions of this sort, the appellation of a School of Jurisprudence may without improbability be, and probably has been, applied. But how opposite in their nature are any such Schools of Jurisprudence, and the here proposed School of Legislation! In that case, money expended, and the result a nuisance: a finite added to an already infinite nuisance in this case, no money expended, and the result pure good. In that case, explanations are heaped upon explanations - explanations of that which, though not being in existence - not having any determinate words belonging to it - is essentially and for ever incapable of being explained. In that case, the object of each founder and of each lecturer, is - that with a view to judicial decision, his new matter thus poured in, should, by as many more as possible, be read and studied in addition to the old: as if the greater the mass, the easier it would be for the Citizen to take it into his memory, and hold it there for use. How different is the case with the expected produce of the proposed Legislation School! Having no pretence to be taken for law - having no pretence to be taken for a guide to judicial decision - no memory is endeavoured to be loaded with it: to him who feels disposed to apply his mind to the consideration of new matter destined for the field of law - to him and him alone is it addressed.