JB/109/073/001

Click Here To Edit

Rotation or temporary exclusion, after a certain period,
are contrivances easily evaded; and they undistinguishingly excude
the wise and the foolish, the honest and the corrupt. Talent and
virtue are too rare for such plans. To reject the benefit of experience,
must always be unwise. It is vain to answer, that if by annual
Elections, the same Members were to have seats for life, it would
be a proof that the people approved their public conduct. There
would be much oftener an acquiescence from the evil of frequent
contest, than a continued preference of political merit. We
may add, that in Parliamentary Elections, some change of Members,
more risk of change, and considerable contest, are in themselves
advantageous to public liberty.

We must reserve for a future occasion such thoughts
as have occurred to us on those plans of Constitutional Reform
which might gradually unite the most reasonable Friends of
Freedom, and of which we should not be without hope, that
some part might one day be adopted under the conduct of a
firm as well as liberal Government, and when almost all reformers
shall have openly renounced those extravagant opinions
which supply the Champions of abuse with the most effective
weapons.

Identifier: | JB/109/073/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 109.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering	29, 30 or 1 - 31 or 2, 32 or 1
Box	109	Main Headings	Parliamentary Reform
Folio number	073	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	Copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	E8
Penner		Watermarks
Marginals	Jeremy Bentham	Paper Producer
Corrections	Jeremy Bentham	Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	35728
Box Contents