29 Dec r. 1809

Parl y. Reform

Necessity

Ch. 17.

5

 Go on to shew the struggle between King & Minister

Ministers occasional[?] obligation to [...?] 1 Human[?] & [...?] 2. Catholic emancipation

The number of acts of misconduct which an administration finds itself able to committ with impunity - without dismission, censure of the persons, reversal or so much as modification of the acts will of course be liable to variation.

It will be jointly dependent on two circumstances, the degree of reputation they possess in the opinion of the people, and the degree of favour they possess in the affection of the King.

At first favour will of course be altogether out of the case: by the supposition, if the King could without too much disturbance to his case have avoided taking them in, he would not have taken them in.

But if, being in possession of popularity they preserve it, or not being in possession of that advantage they acquire it, then in proportion to the share in which at any given time they {are} in possession of it, it will appear difficult and ineligible to him to dismiss them their dismission will in his eyes be matter of difficulty: and at the same time if so it be that by their obsequiousness to his will they came to acquire a degree of favour, the consequence is, that in proportion to the degree of favour thus acquired will be his unwillingness to part with them.