18 Dec r 1806

Scotch Reform /Evidence/

To L d Grenville

'. People or Lawyer

Lawyer. I see no great use in it. I have told you already: it is because the portion of delay, vexation and expence is so little.

Non-Lawyer. On the contrary it is because that portion is so great. it is because you are so much overpaid. Nay: do not look so severe /look not this severe/: there is nothing of paradox but in the word /term of expression/: do not much [?] as if you did not see to the bottom of it. It is because so many of the prizes[?] in the lottery are so high, that the number of adventurers and thence of losing adventurers, and thence again the sum total of the loss of the losing adventurers, is so great. Increase therefore the extra quantity of delay vexation and expence, with its concomitant proportion of profit, the more you thus [...?] the mass of temptation, the more and more disadvantageous your lottery would be, the more and more, taking you all together you could want of being adequately paid, the further from the being under-paid, if there be any such great harm in it.