4 Sept 1811

Jug Util

Note (a) continued

B.II. Under Revelation

Ch.5.

16

The place in which the proper sense of religion was imbibed by this Honourable Gentleman was 'Oriel College Oxford', of which he had been 'a Gentleman Commoner'.* Bentham footnote: ‘*As p.327.’ It was in that seat of religious harmony that he had learnt, as above, the virtue of faith and repentance as a specific against /damnation/ future punishment, and that of the sacrament bread and wince eat in a mystical manner, in the character of a corroboration 'giving still greater fortitude' to habitual and convicted murderers.

Against the pious gentleman 'there were on that same occasion /on similar charges/ no other indictments the trial of which, /was/ according to legal custom superseded by conviction on the first. By /From/ accounts transmitted in that same occasion there is ground for believing that at the expense of the value of above 100 of his slaves, he had purchased the satisfaction of putting them to death with or without /previous/ torture in various shapes, one of which was the pouring boiling water down their throats.

The best instruction may fail of producing good effects. True: but the question is whether of /instructions such as/ these the tendency, the predominant tendency is /be/ not to produce not good effects but bad ones.

He pardoneth /will pardon/ all those that truly repent and unfeignedly believe him to be the lawful sovereign, and thence subscribe his laws. What /influence/ effect would a penal law a capitally penal law have with such a /proclamation/ declaration tacked to it? About the same effect as those capitally penal laws have in England /in/ which in such abundance is made to give the touch of his [...?][...?] among courtiers and judges the promise of wisdom and mercy may be shared for combining with the advice and applause of the Reverend D r Paley, to turn them into a dead letter.

On the part of no [...?] sovereign on the part of a King of Great Britain and Ireland.

26(a) continued

4. Hodge a gentleman Commoner of Oriel: there he learnt the virtue of the sacraments as a corroborative to murderers.

5. From conviction for 6 other slave murders he was saved by conviction for this one. Per accounts, which number above 100.

6. Objection. The best instructions may fail of producing good effects. Answer. Conceditur: but if such as this the predominant tendency is to produce bad ones.

7. Apply to capitally penal laws such assurance of pardon: consequence inefficiency, as in those which Paley defends: enacted that the [...?] of mercy may be shared among courtiers and judges.