1818 Sept. 10.

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Instructive and impressive as it was – the Reformists /cause of reform/ by this expense what did they /it/ gain? perhaps nothing. In the sale of seats said the anti reformists of all parties /classes/ of both parties – in the sale of seats, according to your own averments /so yourselves maintain/ consists the mischief: well this sale, and with it the mischief, we will prevent. The offence that has been committed we will not punish: for it would be /were/ too much to expect that where all are guilty all should join in the punishment of one who has been no more guilty than they, and in whose case to distinguish it from theirs there is nothing but the misfortune of having by a rare accid /and untoward/ accident been brought to light. But though we will not concurr in producing the evil of punishment what we will concurr in is the producing of all the good that can ever be produced by punishment. This good is the prevention of the offence. In the production of this good (when the time came continued they when the time came) we have actually concurred. The offence is prevented: and this is the Act /law/ by which it has been prevented.

Not only by the real Reformists at large, but by the sham /pretended/ Reformist by whom in its original state the Bill was brought in protestation was made, that by the Bill in the state in which it had been converted into a law nothing effectual was done. But though nothing useful or effectual was done still however there was a something done: the dispute turned upon the quantum: and the least that /which by any body/ could be allowed to the Tory Ministry was that in the declaration that a traffic of this sort ought not to be carried on or permitted, they themselves had joined.