7 June 1810 1 §.2

Influence

Ch. Mischief of Influence

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§.2 Undue influence in the House - its efficiency and thence its mischievousness depends upon numbers.

For the present purpose then, the question is reduced to this - viz. what, where the influencing will is that of the King is the mischief produced by the subjection of the will of a Member of Parliament to that /such/ influence.

Here the answer is - take the case of any one such individual Member, and suppose the effect of the supposed sinister influence confined to that one, the mischief amounts to nothing. Why? - because by a single Member, no measure can either in that or in the other House of Parliament be with any effect carried or opposed.

To be productive then of that /a mischievous/ or any such effect it is necessary that the supposed sinister influence should be operative upon a number of persons in the situation in question, and that a number sufficient to carry with it the power of the House.

In the House of Commons, forty is the least number capable of exercising for the purpose of carrying any measure the power of the House: twenty-six /the majority of that number/ is then the least number by which in the way of carrying a mischievous measure /a measure productive of sinister mischief/ any mischief could be produced by the supposed sinister regal influence.

But if the number present be as just supposed no more /greater/ than forty, then for the purpose of defeating by sinister influence a beneficial measure, a single will subject to such sinister influence is capable /may by possibility/ of being sufficient. In this case the will and act of this one individual /will/ will have the /is capable of acting with the/ same efficiency as the six and twenty wills in the other case.