4 Oct 1803

Evidence

Judicature

Anonymous

2. Pecuniary interest - the lot of it brought into action in the primal[?] instance, so far as the application /action/ of it intends is a principle of considerable power, and capable in many instances of encountering with advantage the united force of the opposing motives. But in point of extent, it extends to but a very small part of the whole number of the individuals from whom so far as depends upon knowledge and power, information of the sort in question might be to be expected, were they prompted /if prompted/ to /by/ it by motives of sufficient efficacy. In the case of the professional smuggler his rivals among the fair traders are but here and there: his customers are every where. In the case of all assessed[?] or say direct taxes, the smuggler is cash deficient should contributer, the contributors in this case are still more numerous than customers in the other, and /but/ the deficient contributor has no natural adversary, correspondent to what the fair trader is to the professional smuggler to what /that which/ the professional smuggler has in the fair trader.

3. Sympathy for fair trader. This principle is scarcely distinguishable from the first mentioned principle public spirit: the case being such that the interests of the community at large and those of the fair trader coincide and run in the same direction, though that of the fair trader is in greater force. Setting aside the domestic connections of the fair trader (an interest which to this purposes is not distinct from his) if any particular sum[?] of sympathy is felt by him[?] for the fair trader in respect of the damage flowing upon him from the source, it is rather in his quality as member of the community that he gives rise to this emotion, and the emotion itself coincides with that of public spirit, enlivened[?] in more degree by the contemplation of the more particular object which it holds /that presents itself/ in view. The interest would be much stronger if in each individual instance it was known what was the precise amount of the damage sustained on a given occasion or within a given portion of time by each fair trader in consequence of the operations of each smuggler ore each knot /gang/ of smugglers. But this is scarce ever possible.