JB/106/190/001

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16 May 1807

Thus stands the matter of individual responsibility,
in that comparatively narrow department of the field of law
and legislature which is characterized brought to view by the word finance.
But to upon no other quarter does any such responsibility extend attach:
not to the criminal department for instance example, not to the
civil.

Both these portions of the demesne domain of legislature are
understood to appertain in common to the community
of lawyers: to appertain to them, and to be possessed by
them upon the most convenient of all terms – power without
responsibility – power without obligation.

To be no one of them is any sort of duty political or
so much as moral, supposed to be incumbent, on the
ground of these as any other branches of the law. To no one
of them all any more than to any other individual upon
earth, is any member of the legislature, much less any earth in the of any deficiency or other imperfection howsoever fro palpable, on the occasion of any abuse or corruption, howsoever flagrant
individual at large, concerned as having a right to address
himself for the purpose of saying, why, you being where you
are, are these things so? These imperfections these abuses
these corruptions these mischiefs injury, why is it that
nothing on your part has been done or proposed to remedy
them?

If in either assembly of the legislature there were any
Member to whom with propriety and assurance of right any
such question could be put address could be made, it would be I suppose the Lords High Chancellor,
the person in whom custody the Great Seal is, on the
supposition of his being a Member, as for apt part he almost
always has been, of the House of Lords. But in bringing
to view the idea of a responsibility of this sort as attached to the
functions of that high office, I bring to view at the same time the
negative which every reader I suppose will
be ready to put upon it at the first word.

Identifier: | JB/106/190/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 106.
Date_1	1807-05-16	Marginal Summary Numbering	17-20
Box	106	Main Headings	scotch reform
Folio number	190	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	c10
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks	iping 1804
Marginals	jeremy bentham	Paper Producer	bernardino rivadavia
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1804
Notes public		ID Number	34778
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