1821 Nov. 18

Codification Proposal

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'. Testimonials why

At the head of these testimonials stand of course all opinions expressed in any /the several/ political states by the constituted authorities executing the powers of government in those several states: and, of testimonials of this class /description/ it has been the fortune of the author to be provided with a store more ample than has ever fallen to the lot of any other individual titled or untitled, placed or unplaced in official situation.

In regard to those same testimonials whatsoever they may be, a question which by persons in a number more or less considerable can not fail to present itself is - how and whence came they into existence. Not that in any part of Europe any such question could to any public man present itself. In no part of Europe, unless the Turkish Empire be an exception can the source in which they have had their origin be altogether unknown Nor yet can there be in civilized America many parts in which it is not by this time known. Still however [----?----?----?----?------?] for the information of those concerned it may be necessary to state that it was by /the first of/ those works of the authors works that have been published in French by Mr Dumont of Geneva namely by the first of them intituled Traites de Legislation Penale et Civile published at Paris for the first time in the Year 1802, that, as belonging to a man, whose labours had been devoted to the study of whatever promised to be in the highest degree contributory to the greatest happiness of the greatest number the name of the author having become generally known in Europe to men in public situation, had in the instance of some of them paved the way for acceptance more or less favorable to a Proposal to the same effect as the one hereby made: an acceptance by every intimation[?] of which an article was of course added to the list of those testimonials.