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Subject Area: Law

Bentham to Nicholas Vansittart. - 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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Bentham to Nicholas Vansittart.

“Sir,—

I plume myself not a little at the thought of the two reviewers I have been fortunate enough to obtain for my plan: and the finding in one of them a concurrent,—and such a concurrent,—is a source of the purest satisfaction to me; as, from what I see of the turn of his mind, I am sure the correspondent discovery is to him: for approbation has no evidence comparable to such coincidence.

“At the sight of the observations you had favoured me with, I had ventured to say already, that I saw in them no indications of any ultimate difference between us: at the sight of his, I can venture so much further as to say,—as to everything material, I see very satisfactory indications to the contrary. Whether there would be any difference at all, remains to be ascertained, when the considerations that have respectively operated on our minds come to be displayed on both sides. In the meantime the utmost possible difference is not so great in my eyes, but that I would compound most gladly for the seeing the plan carried into execution, simply and absolutely according to the ideas already manifested by Dr Beeke.

“As to publication, and the mode of it,—close or open,—(as you say of committees,) the first point seems to be to ascertain what the leaning of Mr Addington’s mind is, as to such parts of the plan in respect of which the Doctor’s ideas and mine are found already to coincide: in which description is already included all that presents itself as worth contending about in my eyes: and so far, at least, as the Doctor’s ideas went, at the period he alludes to, Mr Addington is already (I conclude) no stranger to it.

“On the assurance, even in that shape, that his opinion was sufficiently in favour of it to induce a wish on his part to see us set to work upon it in concert: what I should then be disposed to submit in that view would be this:—

“1. That I should go on with the impression of my plan, (for the whole of it is, or at least was, ready for the press,) printing fifty or a hundred copies or so, for the use of any such persons as you might have the goodness to point out as proper to be consulted in relation to it.

“2. That Dr Beeke’s original plans, as alluded to in his letter, should be printed, in the same view,—either in the state in which they were originally communicated, or with such amendments, if any, as he might now see reason to make in them: or if, in the meantime, before the copies were thus multiplied, he were disposed to favour me with the communication of them, I could take the liberty of submitting my observations on them without reserve. The probability appears to me to be much in favour of an exact agreement, as between him and me: but it by no means follows, that that agreement would be adopted by those to whom it belongs to judge. To him, (such is his liberality and strength of mind,) the plan,—that part of it, for instance, that relates to ‘conversion,’—is regarded as an improvement,—and that a considerable one,—upon those parts that belong to us in common: but it does not absolutely follow that it should be regarded in the same light by others.

“3. If, then, the opinion of those to whom it belonged to judge, were found to lean to the adoption of the plan,—either according to the Doctor’s modification of it, or according to mine,—or according to a tertium quid, which should have been pitched upon in preference to both,—then would be the time to decide, whether anything on the subject should be laid before the public at large, and, if anything, what, and by whom: if by me, then again would be the time for the Doctor to use the pruning-knife, which, with respectful gratitude, I would put into his hand,—then, when the prunable matter would be completed, and swelled from the three sheets to, perhaps, eight or ten.

“With such a prospect, as above supposed, of seeing his labours productive of fruit, he, I presume, would have no difficulty in finding any quantity of time requisite for the purpose.

“On the other hand, without some such prospect,—that is, if in the estimation of the competent official judges, the plan were either positively ineligible, or not of sufficient importance to be worth their attention, I, for my part, know of no point of view in which the publication of my papers, contracted or uncontracted, would present any prospect of being of use.

“In the meantime, as little would it be worth attempting to take up either your time, Sir, or the Doctor’s, with the discussion of particular points: and it is on that consideration that I spare both you and him the reading of some pages I had written of that cast.

“It this instant strikes me, that by a ‘first publication’ he, perhaps, means not the open but the close mode of publication above spoken of. If so, it would be necessary that the pruning-knife should be set to work for the purpose of such close publication, and, therefore, previously to it.

“According to his opinion, there is still a description of persons with reference to whom even the parts that would require, as above, to be cut away, would be of use: viz. ‘those who might wish to carry the plan into execution.’ But to supply the demand created by this narrowest class, nothing more would be requisite than to throw off a few copies of the sheets as they stand at present, before the press is broken up.

“I am somewhat alarmed by a hint I have just seen in the debates, about an intention of bringing in a bill for the restraining of country paper; for, though some sort of a restriction on cash paper in general, is a measure I myself have been inclined to look upon as necessary, yet I cannot but consider it as very tender ground to tread upon, and I do not well see how a sufficient stock of data can be obtained for such a purpose, circumstanced as matters are at present, without preparatory inquiries by a select committee.

“And supposing the plan of Government ‘interest paper,’ to obtain a sort of provincial approbation, should not some view be taken of its bearings and relations in reference to any such measure for the regulation of private paper?

“As to £1 notes, the Doctor’s unfavourable opinion of private paper of that size, (if meant to apply to that size in contradistinction to larger sizes to an equal aggregate value,) the reasons that gave it birth are such as I have not been able to anticipate: by which, however, I do not mean that I expect to find them otherwise than satisfactory, were they to be made known to me. Supposing large paper of all sorts, (say £5 and upwards,) to have swelled in its amount so as to bear a certain ratio to cash, the existence of small notes to a proportionable amount (say £2 and £1 notes) presents itself to my view as necessary, on pain of a very formidable danger, at least universal bankruptcy: viz. by such a demand for cash, on the score of change, as would indistinguishably be mistaken for, and at length be productive of, a general distrust of paper: though whether the proportions are as yet, or soon likely to be, at that mark, is among the problems for the solution of which I have all along been looking in my own mind to Dr Beeke.

“The opening given me in the conclusion of his letter, is by much too valuable to remain unimproved by me; and to this you owe the liberty I take in enclosing the note addressed to him.

“I return his letter in obedience to your commands,—and have the honour to be,” &c.

The following correspondence took place between Bentham and Arthur Young on the returns of agricultural capital:—