[129b-408]

19 March 1817

Plan Cat

2 o

Introd

§.10. Seat Traffic

II. Absorption certain

5

{Unhappily the means of making addition to the number of seats filled by persons listed /men engaged/ in the service of misrule /C| |r General/ are not confined to the hands of the /his/ official are not confined to the class /gang/ /fellowship/ of corruption-eaters. Equally numerous – or still more so may be expected to be the class of corruption hunters. Taken both together, the aggregate body of those two classes will naturally be much more numerous than that of the Whigs and Peoplesmen taken together. Here then on the side of those whose force is employed in swelling the mingled tide of waste and corruption the number of bidders for the seats as they come upon sale is likely to be greater than on the side of those whose force is with more or less sincerity and energy, employed in the endeavour to stem that overwhelming tide.}

{Moreover having in imagination /before their eyes/ a prospect more or less near and inviting of a share of /in/ the spoil – of being admitted into the class of corruption-eaters, the value of a seat will in the eyes of the corruption-hunters the value of a seat will naturally by the difference between the estimated value of the whole of their prospects compared with the estimated value of the whole of the Whig prospects be greater in the eyes of the corruption hunters who have the game already in view than in those of the Whigs who have it not as yet in view: for as to the People’smen, countered[?] as such, no value, pecuniary or quasi-pecuniary can it have in their eyes. A People’sman belongs not to the hunt.}