[034-165v]

1821. June 12.

Codification Offer

'.5. Draughtsman single

1. Separate aptitude

the other hand all manifestations and degrees of extraordinary good desert, will be not only placed full in view, but be placed to the account of that individual, and him alone, to whose account they respectively belong: in the case of divers draughtsmen, no item, either on the side of ill-desert, or on the side of extraordinary good desert, will, in any distinct manner be placed to the account of any body.

To all instruments of despotism - to all corruptionists - to all whose endeavour or desire it is to sacrifice or see sacrificed to this or that particular interest or cluster of interests, the greatest happiness of the greatest number - in a word to evil-doers and evil-wishers of all classes, this system of concealment, and thence of equalization, by which evil desert and good desert are by one and the same implement kept out of sight, is in the highest degree, and in a double account, convenient: for, while the authors of evil are themselves concealed from the eye of public opinion, they are at the same time secured against all apprehension of any such unfavourable contrast, as would be presented to public view, by the spectacle of any such merits, as might otherwise be manifested, by the well-disposed, or less badly disposed among their colleagues: by the well-disposed, supposing always the system such as to afford admittance to any individuals, to whom an epithet of so favourable a character could with propriety be applied.

In this case, from plurality as opposed to unity, two distinguishable sorts of bad effects, (it may have been observed,) have been brought to view. The one is produced by the want of restraint as applied to ill-desert, combined with the want of encouragement to extra good desert: The other consists in the multiplication given to the number of the persons in question: in the number of the persons who are at once able and disposed to join their forces for the completion of any sinister sacrifice, the temptation and opportunity for which may be found offered by a power so compleatly all-comprehensive.