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47.
SECT. Interpretation.
has to fix give any other bounds to it than the
Law itself Legislator himself has given. Change of circumstances
may happen: but change of circumstances may
be gradual: and may have happen'd in the
eyes of some before it has in the eyes of others.
The expectation of some men⊞ ⊞ concerning the enforcement of the Law will not have follow'd
the opinion of that concerning such a change in others. It
is for them only to alter the course of expectation
who first gave it it's direction.
The question is concerning the intention (viz of those
who made the Law) at the time of making
it: not what at a subsequent time, ought
to be or may probably be their intentions. For
that their these supposed subsequent intentions are not different from
the first is plain certain since they have not
alter'd them: and what ought to be their to chanage their
intentions is not for the to determine to what it is concerned they ought to be, belongs only to them
and not for any one else: for be that should only, and not to no other person: for that other person
who should do so would be himself the Legislator.
An change alteration, slight in words, but weighty in
effect, would in our author's aphorism, would
fit it to the truth. What He has said, is: When
the reason ceases⊞ ⊞ When, that is in every instance after a certain time, the Law itself ought to cease
with it. What he ought to have said, is,
"Where (that one is in the those particular instances where to which,) the
"reason does not extend. The Law itself ought
"not to be interpreted to extend". Always understood,
that the end the Law has in view & thereby its intentions concerning⊞ ⊞ the means presented is so clear and
manifest, as not to be liable to dispute.
Identifier: | JB/028/090/003 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 28.
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028 |
comment on the commentaries |
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090 |
[[info_in_main_headings_field::sect. [ ] interpretation]] |
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003 |
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text sheet |
4 |
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recto |
f45 / b46 / f47 / b48 |
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jeremy bentham |
[[watermarks::[gr with crown motif] propatria [britannia motif]]] |
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9355 |
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