JB/037/326/001

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1823. June 14
Constitut. Code

Hereupon, in regard to contracts this much will upon a little
consideration appear be plain enough – namely namely that it is only
in respect of and in proportion to their influence on the greatest
happiness of the greatest number that contracts to any effect of any description
have any title to regard: contracts in the observance or breach
of them. Take any contract for example, and and any article in that same contract With reference to the greatest happiness of the greatest number
suppose the breach of that same article would be in a greater
degree contributory to that same greatest happiness than the
observance of it would be? on this supposed this supposition will anyone
say that the violation and not observance ought not to be the courses taken
is not in the higher degree conducive to the greatest number? The
negative would here be a self-contradiction in terms.

Not that a contract, is or ought to be considered as being,
a dead letter: not that, in the consideration of what on the occasion
in question will be the course most conducive to the greatest
happiness, it ought to be laid out of the case, and the decision
come to pronounced be the same as if no such contract had place.
No surely: for thus to deal by it would be on every occasion
be a course eminently detrimental to the greatest happiness
of the greatest number.

1. How then is it that by the violation of contracts up
that violation being committed by the legislative authority of the
State the greatest happiness of the greatest number of the
members of that State will receive diminution?

2. What are the contracts from the violation of which
such diminution will naturally ensue?

That it is not from the violation of every contract that
such characteristics will ensue is altogether comprehensible: For
suppose a contract entered into for the destruction of all the inhabitants members
of the community in question, that such destruction would
not be detrimental to the greatest happiness of that same community will
hardly be supposed.

Identifier: | JB/037/326/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 37.
Date_1	1823-06-14	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	037	Main Headings	constitutional code
Folio number	326	Info in main headings field	constitut. code
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	e8
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	11541
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