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regarded in the light of an invention, and rewarded accordingly;
just as other success in other inventions is rewarded, by the profit
a monopoly, secured by parent, enables a man to make, and that in
proportion to the success which constitutes
their merit. He should
it during good behavior: which, you know, is as much as to say, unless
specific instances of misbehavior, flagrant enough to render his removal
expedient, be proved on him in a legal way, he shall have it for his
life. Besides that when thus secured he can afford to give the better
for his bargain, you will presently see more material reasons, to counter
-balance the seeming unthriftiness of granting him a term which may
so long an one. In other respects, the terms of the contract must, of course, depend
upon upon the proportion of Capital, of which the contract gave him the use.
Supposing the advance to amount to the whole manufacturing stock, together with
a periodical allowance, sufficient for the maintenance, however scanty, of the
intended workmen, and the wear and tear of the stock, he must, of course,
either pay something for his contract, or be contented with a share of the
gross profits, instead of the whole: unless that, from such profits, an interest
upon the capital so advanced to him should be deducted, In in which case
nobody, I suppose, would grudge him the whole neat profit, after such
deduction, even though the rate of interest were much below the ordinary one
the difference, between such reduced rate of interest and the ordinary one,
would constitute the whole of the expence which the public would be at.
Suppose, to speak at random, this expence were to amount to 6. 8 or
10.000 £ a year for the 3000 Convicts which it was would be
the standing number of convicts in England (a) I should not imagine that were
such a sum as this latter sum would be much grudged. I fancy the intended expedition
to Botany Bay, of which I am just apprised, will be rather more expensive,
that it appears to me that the nation would remain saddled with this expence
at the long run, or indeed with any part of it. But of this hereafter.
But the greater latitude he has to take such measures,
the less will he grudge the letting it be known what the measures are
which he does take: knowing, at the same time, that no advantage can be
taken of such knowledge, by turning him out in case of his success, and putting
in another to reap the fruits of his contrivance. I will then require him
to disclose, and even print and publish, his accounts: the whole process and detail of
his management: the whole history of the prison. I will require him
I say, on pain of forfeiture, or other adequate punishment, to publish
these accounts, and that upon oath. I have no fear of his not publishing
some accounts, because, if the time is elapsed, and some accounts
not published, a fact not liable to dispute, the punishment takes place of
Note.
(a) According to the Hard Labour Bill 2865. See the Table to my
view of that Bill. I fear the number has since rather increased than
diminished.
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Identifier: | JB/550/214/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 550.
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