JB/036/162/002

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1821 Decr 6

For the Varieties Literary & Philosophical,
of the Monthly Magazine for December 1st, 1821.

About the middle of August, the Conde de Toreno said to be
the most influential man in the Spanish Cortes, addressed a letter to
Mr Bentham from Paris, through a common friend, requesting his
observations, on the subject of a proposed penal Code for Spain, as
prepared by the Legislation Committee: and in that view towards the
close of the month, caused a copy of that work to be transmitted to him. The subject
Embraced in its whole extent, was found to be an Mr the subject would have drawn upon Mr Bentham for much more of his time than could be spared for it.
Bentham however In deference to an application, coming from so
respectable a quarter, he however took occasion to communicate his thoughts upon
several a few of the most prominent points in a series of 7 letters. A Spanish translation of them, as they have come over,
of has been for some time making at Madrid, under the direction inspection of another leading member
of the Cortes, who had declared and probably has before this time manifested his intention of making use of them and
presenting them to the notice of the Assembly. holding them to the view of the august Assembly to whom those of his works
that are in French
are so well known.
Before the committing consignment
of this article to the
press the debate has discussion
on that proposed code has
commenced, and
before this number
of our Magazine
is come out any
will not improbably
have been included.
The Frequent mention
of Mr Benthams what
regards the subject in
question in such of
Mr Bentham's works as
are in French is
already to be seen in
the account of the discussion
as published
in the Spanish papers
from whence more or
less of the subject those
accounts must have
found their way into the
English ones. Count Toreno's Letter was
in french, Mr Bentham's are in English and with that letter to explain
the occasion of them and now in the press and will probably be out of
it much about in a few days from this time. Mr Bentham, in his first Letter, explained to
the Count the necessity he felt himself under, of giving publicity to the
correspondence. The Count, in a second letter, written in Spanish signified
his acquiescence. Contain

On this occasion it is most gratifying to see so much mind
in the Spanish public, and so much of it applied to a
subject of such prime importance: It is at the same time In between 40 and 50
packets of observations were sent in from different quarters, bodies and individuals,
in consequence of an invitation that had been put made public. It is at the same
not a little not a little so to see so much notice, and such notice,
taken of such of the as, in the opening of the discussion
is seen to have been taken, of the works of this our countryman
of ours: the Reporter of the Committee thinking it necessary
to make an apology for not having followed exactly the
principle plan traced out by him: an apology but without
anything in the shape of a reason in support of it:
also on the part of other side of the question, the like apology,
but still with any attempt at any more of a reason more attempt at reasoning than in before.
the first one. Immeasurable indeed and invincible must have been the host
of sinister interests and interest-begotten prejudices as well
as ignorance-begotten weaknesses which in any such Assembly it any plan having
for its sole object the greatest happiness of the greatest number could not but find opposed to it.

Identifier: | JB/036/162/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 36.
Date_1	1822-07-01	Marginal Summary Numbering	15-17
Box	036	Main Headings	constitutional code
Folio number	162	Info in main headings field	constitut. code
Image	002	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	a7 / d7
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks
Marginals	jeremy bentham	Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	11086
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