thoughts on the present discontents-第27节

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spoke　itself。　　Where　a　living　was　to　be　got　for　one；　a　commission　in
the　army　for　another；　a　post　in　the　navy　for　a　third；　and　Custom…
house　offices　scattered　about　without　measure　or　number；　who　doubts
but　money　may　be　saved？　　The　Treasury　may　even　add　money；　but；
indeed；　it　is　superfluous。　　A　gentleman　of　two　thousand　a　year；　who
meets　another　of　the　same　fortune；　fights　with　equal　arms；　but　if　to
one　of　the　candidates　you　add　a　thousand　a　year　in　places　for
himself；　and　a　power　of　giving　away　as　much　among　others；　one　must；
or　there　is　no　truth　in　arithmetical　demonstration；　ruin　his
adversary；　if　he　is　to　meet　him　and　to　fight　with　him　every　third
year。　　It　will　be　said；　I　do　not　allow　for　the　operation　of
character；　but　I　do；　and　I　know　it　will　have　its　weight　in　most
elections；　perhaps　it　may　be　decisive　in　some。　　But　there　are　few　in
which　it　will　prevent　great　expenses。

The　destruction　of　independent　fortunes　will　be　the　consequence　on
the　part　of　the　candidate。　　What　will　be　the　consequence　of
triennial　corruption；　triennial　drunkenness；　triennial　idleness；
triennial　law…suits；　litigations；　prosecutions；　triennial　frenzy；　of
society　dissolved；　industry　interrupted；　ruined；　of　those　personal
hatreds　that　will　never　be　suffered　to　soften；　those　animosities　and
feuds；　which　will　be　rendered　immortal；　those　quarrels；　which　are
never　to　be　appeased；　morals　vitiated　and　gangrened　to　the　vitals？
I　think　no　stable　and　useful　advantages　were　ever　made　by　the　money
got　at　elections　by　the　voter；　but　all　he　gets　is　doubly　lost　to　the
public；　it　is　money　given　to　diminish　the　general　stock　of　the
community；　which　is　the　industry　of　the　subject。　　I　am　sure　that　it
is　a　good　while　before　he　or　his　family　settle　again　to　their
business。　　Their　heads　will　never　cool；　the　temptations　of　elections
will　be　for　ever　glittering　before　their　eyes。　　They　will　all　grow
politicians；　every　one；　quitting　his　business；　will　choose　to　enrich
himself　by　his　vote。　　They　will　take　the　gauging…rod；　new　places
will　be　made　for　them；　they　will　run　to　the　Custom…house　quay；　their
looms　and　ploughs　will　be　deserted。

So　was　Rome　destroyed　by　the　disorders　of　continual　elections；
though　those　of　Rome　were　sober　disorders。　　They　had　nothing　but
faction；　bribery；　bread；　and　stage　plays　to　debauch　them。　　We　have
the　inflammation　of　liquor　superadded；　a　fury　hotter　than　any　of
them。　　There　the　contest　was　only　between　citizen　and　citizen；　here
you　have　the　contests　of　ambitious　citizens　on　one　side；　supported
by　the　Crown；　to　oppose　to　the　efforts　（let　it　be　so）　of　private　and
unsupported　ambition　on　the　other。　　Yet　Rome　was　destroyed　by　the
frequency　and　charge　of　elections；　and　the　monstrous　expense　of　an
unremitted　courtship　to　the　people。　　I　think；　therefore；　the
independent　candidate　and　elector　may　each　be　destroyed　by　it；　the
whole　body　of　the　community　be　an　infinite　sufferer；　and　a　vicious
Ministry　the　only　gainer。　　Gentlemen；　I　know；　feel　the　weight　of
this　argument；　they　agree　that　this　would　be　the　consequence　of　more
frequent　elections；　if　things　were　to　continue　as　they　are。　　But
they　think　the　greatness　and　frequency　of　the　evil　would　itself　be　a
remedy　for　it；　that；　sitting　but　for　a　short　time；　the　member　would
not　find　it　worth　while　to　make　such　vast　expenses；　while　the　fear
of　their　constituents　will　hold　them　the　more　effectually　to　their
duty。

To　this　I　answer；　that　experience　is　full　against　them。　　This　is　no
new　thing；　we　have　had　triennial　parliaments；　at　no　period　of　time
were　seats　more　eagerly　contested。　　The　expenses　of　elections　ran
higher；　taking　the　state　of　all　charges；　than　they　do　now。　　The
expense　of　entertainments　was　such；　that　an　Act；　equally　severe　and
ineffectual；　was　made　against　it；　every　monument　of　the　time　bears
witness　of　the　expense；　and　most　of　the　Acts　against　corruption　in
elections　were　then　made；　all　the　writers　talked　of　it　and　lamented
it。　　Will　any　one　think　that　a　corporation　will　be　contented　with　a
bowl　of　punch；　or　a　piece　of　beef　the　less；　because　elections　are
every　three；　instead　of　every　seven　years？　　Will　they　change　their
wine　for　ale；　because　they　are　to　get　more　ale　three　years　hence？
Do　not　think　it。　　Will　they　make　fewer　demands　for　the　advantages　of
patronage　in　favours　and　offices；　because　their　member　is　brought
more　under　their　power？　　We　have　not　only　our　own　historical
experience　in　England　upon　this　subject；　but　we　have　the　experience
co…existing　with　us　in　Ireland；　where；　since　their　Parliament　has
been　shortened；　the　expense　of　elections　has　been　so　far　from　being
lowered　that　it　has　been　very　near　doubled。　　Formerly　they　sat　for
the　king's　life；　the　ordinary　charge　of　a　seat　in　Parliament　was
then　1；500　pounds。　　They　now　sit　eight　years；　four　sessions：　　it　is
now　2；500　pounds　and　upwards。　　The　spirit　of　emulation　has　also　been
extremely　increased；　and　all　who　are　acquainted　with　the　tone　of
that　country　have　no　doubt　that　the　spirit　is　still　growing；　that
new　candidates　will　take　the　field；　that　the　contests　will　be　more
violent；　and　the　expenses　of　elections　larger　than　ever。

It　never　can　be　otherwise。　　A　seat　in　this　House；　for　good　purposes；
for　bad　purposes；　for　no　purpose　at　all　（except　the　mere
consideration　derived　from　being　concerned　in　the　public　councils）
will　ever　be　a　first…rate　object　of　ambition　in　England。　　Ambition
is　no　exact　calculator。　　Avarice　itself　does　not　calculate　strictly
when　it　games。　　One　thing　is　certain；　that　in　this　political　game
the　great　lottery　of　power　is　that　into　which　men　will　purchase　with
millions　of　chances　against　them。　　In　Turkey；　where　the　place；　where
the　fortune；　where　the　head　itself；　are　so　insecure；　that　scarcely
any　have　died　in　their　beds　for　ages；　so　that　the　bowstring　is　the
natural　death　of　Bashaws；　yet　in　no　country　is　power　and　distinction
（precarious　enough；　God　knows；　in　all）　sought　for　with　such
boundless　avidity；　as　if　the　value　of　place　was　enhanced　by　the
danger　and　insecurity　of　its　tenure。　　Nothing　will　ever　make　a　seat
in　this　House　not　an　object　of　desire　to　numbers　by　any　means　or　at
any　charge；　but　the　depriving　it　of　all　power　and　all　dignity。　　This
would　do　it。　　This　is　the　true　and　only　nostrum　for　that　purpose。
But　a　House　of　Commons　without　power　and　without　dignity；　either　in
itself　or　its　members；　is　no　House　of　Commons　for　the　purposes　of
this　Constitution。

But　they　will　be　afraid　to　act　ill；　if　they　know　that　the　day　of
their　account　is　always　near。　　I　wish　it　were　true；　but　it　is　not；
here　again　we　have　experience；　and　experience　is　against　us。　　The
distemper　of　this　age　is　a　poverty　of　spirit　and　of　genius；　it　is
trifling；　it　is　futile；　worse　than　ignorant；　superficially　taught；
with　the　politics　and　morals　of　girls　at　a　boarding…school；　rather
than　of　men　and　statesmen；　but　it　is　not　yet　desperately　wicked；　or
so　scandalously　venal　as　in　former　times。　　Did　not　a　triennial
parliament　give　up　the　national　dignity；　approve　the　Peace　of
Utrecht；　and　almost　give　up　everything　else　in　taking　every　step　to
defeat　the　Protestant　succession？　　Was　not　the　Constitution　saved　by
those　who　had　no　election　at　all　to　go　to；　the　Lords；　because　the
Court　applied　to　electors；　and　by　various　means　carried　them　from
their　true　interests；　so　that　the　Tory　Ministry　had　a　majority
without　an　application　to　a　single　member？　　Now；　as　to　the　conduct
of　the　members；　it　was　then　far　from　pure　and　independent。　　Bribery
was　infinitely　more　flagrant。　　A　predecessor　of　yours；　Mr。　Speaker；
put　the　question　of　his　own　expulsion　for　bribery。　　Sir　William
Musgrave　was　a　wise　man；　a　grave　man；　an　independent　man；　a　man　of
good　fortune　and　good　family；　however；　he　carried　on　while　in
opposition　a　traffic；　a　shameful　traffic　with　the　Ministry。　　Bishop
Burnet　knew　of　6；000　pounds　which　he　had　received　at　one　payment。　　I
believe　the　payment　of　sums　in　hard　moneyplain；　naked　briberyis
rare　amongst　us。　　It　was　then　far　from　uncommon。

A　triennial　was　near　ruining；　a　septennial　parliament　saved；　your
Constitution；　nor　perhaps　have　you　ever　known　a　more　flourishing
period　for　the　union　of　national　prosperity；　dignity；　and　liberty；
than　the　sixty　years　you　have　passed　under　that　Constitution　of
parliament。

The　shortness　of　time；　in　which　they　are　to　reap　the　profits　of
iniquity；　is　far　from　checking　the　avidity　of　corrupt　men；　it
renders　them　infinitely　more　ravenous。　　They　rush　violently　and
precipitately　on　their　object；　they　lose　all　regard　to　decorum。　　The
moments　of　profit　are　precious；　never　are　men　so　wicked　as　during　a
general　mortality。　　It　was　so　in　the　great　plague　at　Athens；　every
symptom　of　which　（and　this　its　worst　amongst　the　rest）　is　so　finely
related　by　a　great　historian　of　antiquity。　　It　was　so　in　the　plague
of　London　in　1665。　　It　appears　in　soldiers；　sailors；　&c。　　Whoever
would　contrive　to　render　the　life　of　man　much　shorter　than　it　is；
would；　I　am　satisfied；　find　the　surest　recipe　for　increasing　the
wickedness　of　our　nature。

Thus；　in　my　opinion；　the　shortness　of　a　triennial　sitting　would　have
the　following　ill　effects：…　It　would　make　the　member　more
shamelessly　and　shockingly　corrupt