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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: Law

Pole Carew to Bentham. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 10 (Memoirs Part I and Correspondence) [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

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Pole Carew to Bentham.

“Antony House,
3d September, 1798.

“Ranks by threes! to the right about, wheel! Not one wet day in four weeks! The hours which have not been dedicated to my Troop, have been bestowed in giving shape and form to my garden—to increasing the grass of my fields, that we may be able to go on in paying the one per cents., over and above all the five, six, and seven per cents., that are, and must be required of us. It is not ingratitude, nor a want of a full sense of the value of your correspondence; but real fatigue of body, and incapacity of mind, which has been at grass with the body, that has prevented me from thanking you for two sheets and half of well-covered, I wished I could say well-written, paper. Do not mistake me, however; I have been digging in this mine from time to time ever since, and find nothing in it but gold;—but the labour of digging even for such metal is so great, that I have no difficulty in saying imprimatur to this, though I shudder at the very sound of the word when applied to any scrawl of mine. But to the point. When I took the liberty of requesting you to peruse my ill-digested labours, I relied upon your friendship, as well as upon your ability, to point out all their errors and imperfections, as well in point of matter as in style and management, being fully conscious, that in the present state of the work, it was wholly unfit to see the light; and being really unwilling to bestow any more labour of my own upon it, unless I could find a friend upon whose judgment I could rely, who would fairly tell me whether there was anything in it worthy of the light, and who, in the next place, would assist me in giving it that shape and form, which would best introduce it into the world. Many parts, I know full well, are extremely imperfect, and were merely thrown on paper to discharge my mind of them. Other parts are probably too obscurely treated, and require further elucidation. Some are, I believe, reflections of what has preceded. There is a want of arrangement throughout, and no pretension to style in any part. But the subject has appeared to me to be of that importance, that I could not, with the opinions I entertained, help endeavouring to express them; but I am so tired of the work, that I should find great difficulty in any attempt to express them better, and I was in hopes, therefore, that your acuteness and taste would, if you thought the paper worthy of any attention, point out the defects and apply the remedy, that, if it was its fate to appear at all, it might appear in the best dress which I and my friend could give it. But having never yet exposed myself to public criticism, I should not for the first time wish to show myself like a bear, with a leader to point out the awkwardness of my gambols.

“I am persuaded that your object is to investigate the truth, and to render it triumphant, and not to expose your friend by the sallies of your wit; but I should very much fear, that as I have treated a very dry subject very drily, that the commentary alone would be read, and truth and the text be entirely hidden by your more attractive mantle.

“If the party were more equal, I agree with you that there would be piquancy in the exhibition of single combat. But you must first give me a better spear and shield, and a complete suit of armour, before I can descend into the arena with you. First render me invulnerable like yourself, and, for the amusement of bystanders, I should have no objection to breaking a lance with you; but even then I should never lift the beaver, but wish the inexperienced to remain the unknown knight.

“The first question with me, is, whether it is possible for any friendly aid to render my labours worthy of the public eye; and whether, when put into a better shape, they could be of any public use.

“Sure I am, that they are not fitting to appear without much of this aid; and I should despair of their making any useful impression, unless time were given for its being made previous to what the playfulness of your wit might successfully urge against the dryness of my argument.

“Louis the Fifteenth was so fond of play, that he would often give his courtiers money, to have the pleasure of winning it back again. Many a sturdy coal-heaver has given a man a guinea to fight him, for the satisfaction he took in threshing; but you must bribe higher, and give me a better opinion of my own dexterity, before I consent to be baited.

“Make me worthy of you—let it be Bentham versus Bentham, and we will then see what is to be done. I wish to be corrected before I am exposed;—you wish me to be exposed before I am corrected. But as I have never yet been accustomed to being fleayed, (is that English?) I should wince under the knife. Let me hear from you again; and believe me, yours very truly.

“P.S. I heard from Abbot some days ago. Nothing new in our way. My idleness has not yet thanked him.”

“Mount Edgecumbe,

“23d September, 1798.

“Rose is a perfect Daniel!

“How pleasant to see the darkness of error flying before the light of truth! It appears to me that you will be pressed and invited by the United Parishes, and United Chapter, to proceed with your plans: for the execution of which, the misery of the moment seems peculiarly favourable. Go on and prosper!—Yours most truly.”

A letter from Patrick Colquhoun, (20th Oct., 1798,) mentions a circumstance strikingly exhibiting the growing value of land in the United States, even at that period.

“I found yours of the 18th on my table last night, on my return from Wapping, at a late hour, enclosing the papers relative to the American lands; but it escaped you to send the large map, delineating the spot where the lands are situated. Be so good as send me it as soon as you can. I am already deeply interested in American lands; I therefore want no more for myself. Those I have were acquired at an easy rate, although likely to be of value in time; and indeed, where a man has money to spare, where the interest is not wanted, I do not know a more safe or profitable speculation. I gave £63,000 for a million of acres, more or less, near the same spot in New York, in 1791; and in 1797, the property sold and remaining was estimated at nearly a million, and producing an interest of £50,000 a-year, to those for whom I transacted the business. I do not mean to say this interest is regularly paid; but it is recoverable with the instalments of the purchase-money, and secured by mortgage on the land and improvements, and will be all good in process of time.”

In the year 1798, and following years, an active correspondence was kept up between Bentham and Colquhoun, on various subjects of legislation. Colquhoun was the author of the well-known works on the Police of the Metropolis, and the Thames Police, and of other valuable statistical investigations. He was for some time in trade in Glasgow, and afterwards became one of the police judges of the metropolis. Of his integrity, skill, and general efficiency, Bentham formed a high opinion, frequently expressed in his works on Law Reform.* He had been engaged by government to report on the means of giving more efficiency to the police establishment of the metropolis; and, with Bentham’s assistance, drew up various bills for the House of Commons. Of Colquhoun’s merits, Bentham speaks highly in a letter to Charles Abbot (June 8, 1799.)

[* ] See particularly—observations on Sir Robert Peel’s speech on the measure for raising the salaries of the police judges, vol. v. p. 335.