JB/149/166/001

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History it is true furnishes a case in
which information and in particular anonymous
information if it was received and
acted upon, as probably it was, was frequently
productive (there appears reason to think) of any
great public mischief injustice and oppression. This is the case of the
Roman Government under the some of the Emperors,
especially some of the first Emperors. But what
was the real cause of the mischief in that case?
Not that anonymous information was noticed received and acted upon,
but that the mode of acting upon it was arbitrary,
witness, not known to the accused – witness, not
examined in person vivâ voce not examined perhaps at
all after this his anonymous original information – not examined
upon oath – not confronted with the accused
– trial, not public: –⊞ ⊞ in some instances perhaps, not so much as any pre-existing law declaring the act to be an offence. In a word there
can be no doubt of the mischief of mischievous effects tendency proceeding
upon anonymous information, wherever the mode of
proceeding is arbitrary. Hence the mischief mischievousness, if
any, of the Lion's mouths Venetian Lions: hence
the mischief the if may whatever mischief may
happen to result from the same source under
any of the governments upon the Continent: as
mischief of course the greater in proportion as the
government is more arbitrary – that is, freer
from the restraints upon injustice which have
just been specified. Under the actual government
of France the mischief is probably at its height:
higher by far probably than at the worst period of
the Monarchy.

Identifier: | JB/149/166/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 149.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	149	Main Headings	police bill
Folio number	166	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	d9
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	50020
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