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3
1830 Nov. 29
J.B. to BelgiansLetter II
Jeremy Bentham
to the
Belgian Nation and its Congress
The Kingship and its Equipment
9. In the which continuation Meantime while thus inquiring considering has to be made
least bad that which is bad it is impossible to will not be possible for me
to proceed, without making all along a sort of reference, how so
ever tacit an one, to what is good. This being the
case, it appears to me that what I have to say will
be made more clearly understood if, as to so much
of the subject as comes under consideration, I state
in the first instance, that which in my view of the matter
is good: and not merely good but to the highest
degree good.
Supposing For this purpose, a few – a very few words – will
serve suffice. Here then they are –
1. King, none.
2. For the supreme authority in the State, commonly
stiled the legislative, Chamber of representatives, all the one; deputies –
by all of them – by the great body of the people – deputed by the body of the
people in a direct way elected in the immediate way; that is to without the intervention
of any class of middlemen in the capacity
of Electors, deputed in a word as, in this particular
your Members of the Congress, have been.
3. As to the question point who the Electors shall be – this who? – a point
is a part to which for the present purpose if I have not it is not necessary
found it necessary to turn my attention. For argument to advert. Provisionally let us
sake and in default of any adequate objective review
to the contrary, I suppose them to be the same as those
by whom your Members of the Congress have been made what you are.
4. Second Chamber, none.
5. If however, Second Chamber there must be, members of it
not hereditary.
6. If not hereditary, so neither for life.
5. If for life, not appointed not by the King, but by
the same Electors as those of by whom those of the First Chamber
were are appointed.
6. For any If not for life – by whomsoever appointed, the shorter the term by
which they set, those of the Chamber, as well as the better. So as to those of the first Chamber: so also as to those of the Second.
than of the other Chamber the better