1820 Feb. 16 §.{5} §.1?

Radicalism not dangerous

III. Experience

II. Ireland

Radicalism its origin[?]

4

1

In point of fact as well as in affection the superior power of the elector considered as composed of three fractional parts is lodged in the hands of three bodies, reckoning the body of an individual as one of them namely the Monarch, the /Lords/ House of Lords and the Commons House. The Monarch is determined by birth without choice: the Members of the Lords House are determined in the same manner: the Members of the Commons House, with the exception of a portion too small ever to carry any the smallest measure, are determined by Members of the Lords House or by individuals whose interest is more likely than in any other case to be conformable to the interests of the great majority of the people, when their seats have been obtained by purchase. +

The interest of all these men is in a state of constant and […?] and constant opposition to that of the vast majority of the people: for of men in these situations as in every situation it is the self-supposed interest to obtain and retain in his own hands as much as possible of the external /reputed/ instruments of felicity in all their shapes, money, power, factitious respect vengeance ease and so forth as much as possible, leaving as little as possible in the hands of other people of these same name[?], or they are /if they are not/ at the same time beings different from one[?] the conduct is at every moment conformable to what at that same moment is conformable to their interest: and consequently if in so far as the opposition has place, which it has on all occasions but a few occasions if it be not in a state of correspondent opposition to the interest of the great body of the people. To that which is said to be the duty of these same rulers in whose conduct the felicity of the people depends for such felicity as they possess.

(a) The interest of the moment which is always the cause by which the conduct of the moment is determined may be in any degree opposite to what would be the real interest of the whole of life. If Peregrinus Proteus who, for notoriety sake, when in the presence of thousands of spectators, and amongst others the Greek philosopher Lucian whose report we have threw himself into a flaming funeral pile in which he was consumed, the conduct on that occasion was not less the result of interest than was ever that of the most expert gamester or prudent money lender.

+ See this proved in Parl. Ref. Catechism Introd. §.