28 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform

B.I. Necessity

Tests

13

1. In respect to /of/ the main purpose the efficiency of the customary[?] list is altogether precarious and inconsiderable.

It is without influence on every man /person who for the sake of the advantage /benefit/ to the obtainment /enjoyment/ of which the taking of /submitting to take/ the test is necessary, or rather for the sake of avoiding /exempting himself/ the disadvantage /burthen/, to the avoidance of which the taking of the test is necessary, submitts to either a declaration, of the falsity of which, if /it being false/, it is out of the power of any human being ever to fasten[?] the imputation, or so much as the suspicion, for the purpose of either punishment, {or so much as blame} /or of blame/ for the purpose of blame, or so much even as the suspicion in any the slightest degree /shade/. unless in so far as by any subsequent intimation given by himself it should ever happen to himself to be imprudent enough to furnish evidence against himself.

Under these circumstances as often as the decision which he /a man/ is thus called upon to declare his assent to it or any part of it contains any thing which is not true[?] which result is the most probable? - that to save himself from the burthen he will committ the falshood? or that to save himself from committing the falshood he will 'submitt to the burthen?

The inconvenience, whatsoever it be, apprehended from the commission of the falshood being the same in all cases, what /whatever/ variation there is in the proportion between the mendacity-prompting /-exciting/ and the mendacity-restraining forces will have the variation as the magnitude of the burthen for its cause.

But taking mankind in general, thus much may be asserted and with confidence, viz not only in general terms that the mendacity-exciting power of the burthen must be very slight indeed if it does not overballance the mendacity-restraining force opposed to it, but also in particular, taking the amount of the burthen at the smallest quantity that is any where to be found exemplified, the instances in which it does not overpower the mendacity-restraining force will be /can not but be/ extremely rare.