16 May 1807

Scotch Reform

Letter VI

Letter VI

V. Authoritative Plans

Setting down the learned Memorialists in the catalogue of enemies - and in truth the state and temper of their address has entitled them to that appellation by too good a title, the title of their plan to acceptance might not to be, and therefore in Your Lordship's judgement will not be affected by it /their hostility/.

Was it ever so much better than it is, it is to Your Lordship in the first place, and in by much the largest proportion, that the gratitude of Scotland /the country/ for it will be due. While the House of Lords, amidst their still more important avocations, and at their wide distance from the source of grievance were silent /mute/ so were the learned Memorialists, whose daily exertions and non-exertions were the official causes of it. Your Lordship (The House at Your Lordship's instance) speaks, and at the sound of Your Lordship's voice /and as it were at the voice of an Angel/, the dead rise up and for the first time find (the) use (of their) lips as well as (of their) eyes.

The spirit of opposition it was that gave birth to the plan of the eleven: be it so: but the plan of the four had it any purer source?

Each plan is what it is: will it be made either better or worse, by the purity or impurity of the motive?

In support of the plan of the Non-Memorialists, among whom the learned gentleman /person/ who has hitherto been /on this occasion has been/ officiatiing in quality of Your Lordships learned Adviser may /might/ I suppose be found, there is an authority of /equal to/ four. Good: but on the other side, there is an authority of eleven: over and above whatever ballance of reason, if it /reason/ weigh any thing, may be seen lying in that scale.

To the authority of the 11 add the extra-authority attached to the station of L d President. His Lordship [...?]; and putting [...?] = π[?] the value of π[?], howsoever it might puzzle a mathematician to extract it will always be positive.