1821. Novr. 10th.

Codification Offer

Abridgmt.

'.9. Draughtsman gratuitous.

As, by the supposition, the sort of work in question is no other than an original

draught, subject to rejection and to unlimited alteration at the hands of the

Legislature, nor yet is there anything either incongruous or improbable in the

supposition that instead of a Committee of the Legislative body, the appointment

may be in the hands of a Member or certain Members of the Executive department.

Another course, is - to attach to this service remuneration in a pecuniary shape

to a determinate amount, receivable by one or some other determinate and thence

limited number of individuals, to be chosen in the way of election by the whole

of the legislative body: namely, either before the service rendered, and thence

in expectation of the receipt of it, or not till after the service rendered, and

thence in recompense for it.

Still, lodge it where you will, lodge it in one of these quarters or in another

- lodge it in any other - patronage is the instrument the work is done by and

patronage is in the unalterable nature of things a source and instrument of

corruptive influence. No correction is it susceptible of other than that which

has place in so far as the functionaries, in whose hands it is lodged, are

removable by the secretly /suffrages - the secretly and thence freely/ given

suffrages of the people. But in its application to this case in particular, the

remedy would have less virtue - less efficiency - than in any other. In this

case The degree /amount/ of their relative and comparative incapacity, would be

/on the part of the people will naturally be/ as the magnitude of this

all-comprehensive whole, compared with the magnitude of this or that particular

part, of the aptitude of which they are best qualified to judge.

III. The work suppressed, retarded, or by over haste deteriorated. Now comes in

the circumstance of time. Where factitious reward is the moving power, in the

chart /ocean/ of time, two opposite rocks - precipitation and delay - may be

seen opposing themselves: opposing themselves in such sort, that to prevent the

work from making shipwreck on the one or the other, no inconsiderable portion of

care and skill will be necessary: more than any which has been usually

exemplified or appears probable. In one case, the work will be produced, but in

such sort as not to be fit for use: in the other case, it may happen to it not

to be produced at all. Take, in