JB/023/155/002

Click Here To Edit

tioning him) whose mission continued so many
years (mentioning them), and to the end of it he
was not able to speak a single syllable of that
same language.

Not a great many years ago, on a mission
to the Court of London came a Minister Plenipotentiary
with his Secretary of Legation. I was well acquainted with
them both. On their arrival not any of the smallest least
acquaintance with the French language had either of them. In
these their respective situations they both continued for
several years. At his departure the Secretary of legation
had made some small acquaintance with the French
language, his principal not more than on his arrival.

True it is that the language of the country in which
they were sent to do their business was also their own
language, and that for any acquaintance with that
language, so far as no reference came to be made to negotiation
with other powers, there would not naturally be any
particular demand. Not the less true is it that for such reference
the occasion could not but now and then have place.
And with the members of the diplomatic circle into which on
arrival they had to be introduced, was it altogether matter of
indifference to the interest of their country whether they were able
to or unable to old converse? Could there be any such assurance
as that by the service of that same country no demand would
ever be made for information of some sort or other such as
from any other sources than that same circle would not
be obtained? Respectable in personal character, distinguished
in parentage, and highly influential in connections, were all
these functionaries; and in this latter circumstance may be
seen a probable cause of an appointment of a sort so singular
and with such frequency reiterated.

Identifier: | JB/023/155/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 23.
Date_1	1830-12-04	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	023	Main Headings	lord brougham displayed
Folio number	155	Info in main headings field	jb to belgians
Image	002	Titles	jeremy bentham to the belgic nation and its congress / letter iv / on the proposed second chamber - peers or senate
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	2
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	e1 f17 / e4 f20
Penner		Watermarks	street & co 1830
Marginals		Paper Producer	antonio alcala galiano
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1830
Notes public		ID Number	8026
Box Contents