JB/072/067/001

Click Here To Edit

C
Luxury

With regard to the w way in which a man shall
spend his money, every man knows best what pleases
him: without some particular reason it is idle
for the Legislators to interfere.

If there be any use in the Legislator's interfering
in this way in any case on any occasion it is in the case where an
article of luxury is given into not so much for
any enjoyment it affords, in itself, as in the way for the
sake out of ostentation for the sake of announcing a
man's preemnence in riches. This is the case for
instance in regard to jewels. Jewels afford pleasure
to the eye; and in that point of view they are to a
certain degree naturally productive of enjoyment.
That many This enjoyment however is so slight, that
were it only for that merely on this account nobody would pay such a price
as is now given for jewels: if a man wears them
it is principally for the sake of shewing that he is
rich enough to wear.

This ostentatious display of riches naturally
leads to emulation: and such an emulation leads to
prodigality and that is one source of mischief

A custom of this sort when it has once got
footing lays people under a hand of necessity obligation of informing
to it, not for [the sake of] any satisfaction
it affords them, but to avoid contempt. If they were
relieved from this obligation they might spend their
money more to their satisfaction in another way.
On this account it may sometimes be of use in some certain countries
to inhibit the use of such articles of luxury as are become

[more to transcribe]

Identifier: | JB/072/067/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 72.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	072	Main Headings	penal code
Folio number	067	Info in main headings field	luxury
Image	001	Titles	idleness / luxury of funerals
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	4
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f1 / f2 / f3 / f4
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks	[[watermarks::gr [with crown] [britannia with shield emblem]]]
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	23684
Box Contents