10 Oct r 1807

Lords Delegates

after Ch. │ │ advantages

Ch. │ │ L d Hale's Plan

Observe that to compass the oppression which he is bent on inflicting, all that the King has to do, is to do nothing: no paper does he sign; all that he does is to forbear signing one to remember that presented or not a paper presented to him to sign /for his signature/ shall be forgotten.

Oh but this is but a mere formality: the observance of it is matter of course.

No indeed is it not: the reader has already seen it is not in the nature of things that it should be. But suppose it were: what would follow? - that if the ends of justice /morality/ were regarded it could not be employed. Here is a pretence that it rests with the King's choice[?] whether justice be done or no /to deny or not to deny justice/, and by the supposition this pretence is false. Then why employ it? - that learned and other gentleman may have /receive/ fees. First comes a sham petition fees thereupon to one knows not how many learned gentlemen, professional and official: then comes a sham allowance, with trouble given to the King to scrawl his name where there is no use for it: fees thereupon to official gentlemen and perhaps some of those Lords, learned or unlearned.

Form or substance is it asked /did I ask/? It would have been both. Form, in 19 instances out of 20, for the purpose of general pillage: substance, in the 20 th, for the purpose of regal or ministerial corruption or injustice, for the purpose of giving the estate to A. or B whichsoever of the two dispositions were most convenient.