WemustpossessasetofMediatorsinterestedinmaintainingharmonybetweentheheterogeneousparticlesofourmixedconstitution;aspeciesofDrillSerjeantsisrequiredforthemaintenanceofdisciplineamongtheundulatingandtumultuousmultitude。TheremustbeasetofnoisyOratorsprovidedforthosewhoaremoreeasilycaptivatedbystrengthoflungsthanbystrengthofargument;Declaimersforthosewhoarecontrouledbysentimentalism;
andimaginative,facetious,orsatiricalOrators,forthosewhoseobjectitistobeamused;Reasonersforthesmallnumber,whoyieldonlytoreason;
artfulandenterprisingmentoscourthecountrytoobtainandcalculatethenumberofvotes:theremustalsobeaclassofmeningoodreputeatcourt,whomaymaintainagoodunderstandingbetweentheheadandthemembers。
Andallthis,theysay,mustbepaidfor———whethercorrectlyornot,doesnotbelongtoourpresentdiscussion。
Itmaybefurthersaid,thatthematterofreward,besidesbeingusedforreward,maybeusedasameansofpower,———andthatinamixedconstitutionlikeours,itisnecessarytomaintainabalanceamongitspowers。Certaincreationsofpeerstherefore,forexample,whichcouldnotbejustified,ifconsideredasrewards,maybejustifiedasdistributionsofpower。Thereisatleastsomethinginthiswhichdeservesexamination;
butitsexaminationherewouldbeoutofplace。
Wantofeconomyinthedistributionofrewardsmayalsobeattemptedtobejustified,bycomparingthesumsoexpendedwiththeexpenseincurredinthecarryingonofawar。Iadviseeveryonewhohasprojectsuponthepublicmoney,toemploythisargumentinpreferencetoeveryother:whenonecalculatestheimmensesumexpendedduringasinglecampaign,eitherbylandorsea;whenwereflectonthemillionsthatvanishinsoundandsmoke,allotherprofusionsinksintoinsignificance。Whenwebeholdthetreasuresofanationflowingawayinsuchrapidtorrents,cananygreatindignationbefeltagainstthosewho,byart,orobsequiousness,orcourtfavour,detachfromthemassasingledroporasmallstreamfortheirownbenefit?Ifthepeoplesoreadilylendthemselvestothegratificationofpoliticalpassions———iftheypartsofreelywiththeirgoldandtheirblood,forthemomentarygratificationoftheirvengeanceortheirpassionforglory,———canitbeexpectedthattheywillmurmuratthepomptheycovet,andthefewinsignificantfavourswhichtheirprincebestows?Willtheybesupposedsomeanastobeniggardwithpenceandlavishwithmillions?
Thismodeofcomparisonisnotnewtocourts:itoughttohavebeenfamiliartoLouisXIV。ifitbetrue,asthereisreasonforbelieving,thatthebuildingofVersaillescosttwothousandmillionsoflivres。Inrespectofexpense,thiswasmorethanequaltoawar:butatleastitwasexpendedwithoutbloodshed,therewasnointerruptionoftrade;onthecontrary,itgavevigourtoindustry,andshedlustreoverthearts。Whatafortunatesourceofcomparisontotheadvocatesofabsolutemonarchy!
Thereisyetanothermodeofestimatingthejustnessofanypublicexpenditure———anothersourceofcomparisonsomewhatlessagreeabletotheeyesofcourtiers。Comparetheamountoftheproposedexpenditurewithanequalportionoftheproduceofthemostvexatiousandburthensometax。Inthiscountry,forexample,letthecomparisonbemadewiththeproduceofthetaxonlawproceedings,whoseeffectistheplacingofthegreatmajorityofthepeopleinastateofoutlawry。Theoptionliesbetweentheabolitionofthistaxandtheproposedemploymentofitsproduce。Theythusbecometworivalservices。Itisaseveretestforfrivolousexpenses,butitisstrictlyjust。Howdisgracefuldoeswastefulluxuryappearinthebudget,whenthusputincompetitionwiththegoodwhoseplaceitoccupies,ortheevilofwhichitpreventsthecure!
Fromtheseobservationsthepracticalconclusionis,thatthematterofrewardbeingallofitcostly,noneofitoughttobethrownaway。Thispreciousmatterislikethedew:notadropofitfallsupontheearthwhichhasnotpreviouslybeendrawnupfromit。
Alluprightsovereignthereforegivesnothing。Hebuysorhesells。Hisbenevolenceconsistsineconomy。Wouldyoupraisehimforgenerosity?Praisealsotheguardianwholavishesamonghisservantsthepropertyofhispupils。
ThemostliberalamongtheRomanEmperorswerethemostworthless;forexample,Caligula,Claudius,Nero,Otho,Vitellius,Commodus,Heliogabalus,andCaracalla:thebest,asAugustus,Vespasian,Antoninus,MarcusAurelius,andPertinax,werefrugal。(EspritdesLois,liv。v。ch。xviii。)
Amostimportantlessontosovereigns:itwarnsthemnottovaluethemselvesuponthevirtueofgenerosity———inshort,nottothinkthatintheirstationgenerosityisavirtue。Ifnotastrictlylogicalargument,itis,however,apopularandpersuasiveinduction:———``Esteemnotyourselvestobegoodprincesforaqualityinwhichyouhavebeenoutstrippedbytheworst。’’
RRBook1Chapter6TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterVIREMUNERATIONEX—POST—FACTOIntheprecedingchapteritwasstated,thatinaccordancewiththeprincipleofutility,thecostlymatterofrewardoughtonlytobeemployedintheproductionofservice;andthat,inaccordancewiththatprinciple,arewardcanonlyconsistofaportionofthematterofreward,employedasamotivefortheproductionofservice。Thiswouldseemtoexcludeeverythingwhichcanbecalledliberality———everyactbywhicharewardmaybebestoweduponanyservicetowhichithasnotbeenpromisedbeforehand。
Suchmayappeartheconsequenceatfirstsight。
Areward,itmaybesaid,oughtonlytobebestowedupontheperformanceoftheservicetowhichithasbeenpromised;sinceitisonlywhereithasbeenforeseen,thatitcanhaveoperatedasamotive。Whythenbestowituponaservice,howusefulandimportantsoever,towhichithasnotbeenpromised?Theserviceyouwouldhavebeenwillingtopurchase,attheexpenseofacertainreward,hasbeenhappilyrenderedwithoutanyengagementonyourparttobeartheexpense。Why,therefore,shouldanyrewardbebestowed?whypretendtoemployrewardintheproductionofaneffectwhichhasbeenproducedwithoutit?Isnotthisauselessemploymentofreward?———isnotthisanexpenditureinpurewaste?
Certainlysuchanexpensecannotbejustifiedasameansofproducinganeffect,whichhasbythesuppositionalreadybeenproduced;butitmaybejustifiedasservingtogivebirthtoothereffectsofalikenature,aslikelytocausefutureservicestoberendered,whichwillagreewiththosethatarepast———atleastinthis,thattheyareservices。
Arewardwhichthusfollowstheservicemaybestyledanexpostfacto,orunpromisedreward。TheSocietyofArtshasrecognisedandemployedthisdistinction。Arewardbestowedinfulfilmentofapromise,upontheperformanceofaspecifiedservice,iscalledapremium。Arewardbestowedwithoutpreviouspromise,iscalledabounty。
Tomakeitarulenevertograntarewardwhichhasnotbeenpromised,istotieupthehandsoftrueliberality,andtorenounceallchanceofreceivinganynewkindofservice。Thereisonlyonesuppositionwhichcanjustifythisparsimony:itis,thateveryservicehasbeenforeseenandendowedbeforehand。Whetherlegislationwilleverattainthisperfection,Ipretendnottoknow。Ithasnotattaineditasyet;andtillitbeattained,sovereignsmayreckonliberalityamongstthenumberoftheirvirtues。
Rewardswhichinthismannerarethefruitsofliberality,possessagreatadvantageoverthosewhichareawardedinvirtueofapromise。These,confinedtooneobject,operateonlyupontheindividualservicespecified。Thegenialinfluenceoftheothersextendsoverthewholetheatreofmeritoriousactions。Theseareusefulindeterminingresearchestoaparticularpoint;theotherspresentanirritationtoextendthemtoeverythingwhichthehumanmindcangrasp。Thesearelikethewaterwhichthehandofagardenerdirectstoaparticularflower;theothersarelikethedewwhichisdistilledoverthewholesurfaceoftheearth。
Apromisedreward,bestowedupononewhohasnotdeservedit,isentirelylost。Anunpromisedretard,thusimproperlybestowed,isnotnecessarilylost。Thehandofliberalityhasbeendeceived,buttheutilityoftherewardisnotaltogetherthrownaway,whilstopportunityisleftforabetterapplicationofitinfuture。HadAlexanderlavisheduponthemanwho,toobtainhisbounty,exhibitedhisskillindartinggrainsofmilletthroughtheeyeofaneedletherewardshebestoweduponAristotle,itwouldhavebeenaproofofprodigalityandfolly,whoseeffectwouldhavebeentomultiplytheraceofmountebanksandjugglers。InrewardingAristotle,he,withoutdoubt,rewardedmuchjargon,ofnogreatervaluethanthisman’ssleightofhandindartingmillet;butsince,inthemidstofthisjargon,acertainquantityofuseful,andatthattimenew,truthwasfound,therewardswhichthiscelebratedphilosopherreceivedmayjustlybeplacedtotheaccountofusefulliberality:theirtendencywastomultiplythepreciousraceofinstructorsofmankind———theraceofphilosophers。
Infact,certainactsofliberality,whichcouldnotbejustified,ifconsideredaspromisedrewards,maydeservemoreorlessindulgence,maypossessasortofutilityofthesamekindasthatwhichbelongstorewardsnotpromised。Eventheactregardedasservicemaynotstrictlydeservetobeconnectedwithreward;butthedispositiondisplayedbythedistributinghandinawardingarecompense,maygivebirthtotheexpectationofsimilarrewardsforreallymeritoriousservice。
Rewardsbestowedinpursuanceofapromise,maybeconsideredasconferredaccordingtoalawbelongingtotheclassofwrittenlaws;whilstunpromisedrewards,thoughnotproductiveofsimilarevilsmaybeconsideredasestablishingakindoflaw,orrathertacitrule,analogoustothatestablishedbymeansofpunishment,inwhatiscalledunwrittenlaw。Itwouldbefortunate,indeed,ifthepenallawmightremainunwrittenwithaslittleinconvenienceasremuneratorylaw。Inthepenal,andeventhecommonlycalledcivilbranches,theseunwrittenlawsdevelopethemselvesbyatrainofhardships,nottosayofinjuries;
whilsttheworstwhichcanhappenintheremuneratorybranchofunwrittenlawisthis,that,byreasonofitsbeingunknown,itmaybecomeatissueofuselessbounty。
CatherineII。didnotallowtheremuneratorybranchofherlawstobeexposedeventothisdanger,fromwhichthereissolittletobefeared。Hadthehandofliberalitybeenexpanded———wasthedewofrewardpouredoutupontheheadofmerit———immediatelyinsertedintheGazette,thenotificationoftherewardconnectedwiththenameoftheindividual,andtheservicewhichhaddeservedit,wasresoundedthroughoutthemostdistantandunfrequentedpartsofhervastempire。Itwouldhavebeenaltogetherglorious,hadshehastenedtogivethesamecharacterofpublicityandcertaintytothoseotherbranchesofunwrittenlaw,inwhichitisrequiredwithsomuchgreaterurgency,andhadsheneverconferredfavourswhichshewouldhaveblushedtoseegazetted。
InEngland,anobleexampleofreward,expostfacto,wasexhibitedinconnexionwiththefirstestablishmentofmail—coaches。Themanagerofaprovincialtheatrehaving,proposedtotheministerthisplanforthebetterconveyanceofletters,theplanwasreceived,andhavingbeentriedinonepartofthekingdom,itwasafterwardsextendedtothewhole:andthisservicebeinginconsequenceperformedwithacelerityandeconomyofwhichformerlytherewasnoidea,———asareward,theinventorwasappointedComptroller—Generalofthepost—office,withasalaryof£;1500perannum,besidesaproportionofthesavings。Arewardthusjudiciousandequitable。transportsustotheyear2440。Itisequivalenttoaproclamationtothiseffect:``Menofgeniusandindustry,employyourtalentsfortheserviceofyourcountry;
exertyourselvestotheutmost;produceyourplans;theirreceptionshalldependaloneupontheopinionformedoftheirutility;yourcountrywillnotgrudgethelabournecessaryfortheirexamination。Goodintentionsshallnotbetreatedwithcontempt;youshallnotbenicknamedprojectorsbytheidleandtheincapable。Yourplansshallnotbedisregardedbecauseoftheirauthors;theyshallnotbethrownasidebecausetheyareextraordinary,providedtheybeuseful。Impartialityshallpresideattheirexamination,andtheirutilityshallbethemeasureofyourreward。’’
Theremayappearatfirstsightadiscrepancybetweenthisandtheimmediatelyprecedingchapter,butitisonlyinappearance。
Isayhere,nolessthanheretofore,thattheuprightdispenserofpublictreasuresgivesnothing。Hebuysorbesells。Withpromisedrewardshepurchasesbespoken,clearlydefined,andlimitedservices;withunpromisedrewardshepurchasesservicesunbespoken,indeterminate,andinfinite。
Thedifficultyinbothcasesconsistsinmakingaproperchoiceoftheactiontoberewarded。Thischoicewillformthesubjectofsubsequentconsideration。
RRBook1Chapter7TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterVIIPUNITIONANDREMUNERATION———THEIRRELATIONWherefore,throughoutthewholefieldoflegislation,cannotrewardbesubstitutedforpunishment?Ishopealesspowerfulincentivetoactionthanfear?Whenapoliticalpharmacopoeiahasthecommandofbothingredients,whereforeemploythebitterinsteadofthesweet?
Tothesenaturalbutunreflectinginquiries,I
replybyamaximthatatfirstviewmayappearparadoxical:———``Rewardoughtnevertobeemployed,whenthesameeffectcanbeproducedbypunishment。’’
And,insupportofthisparadox,Iemployanother:———``Letthemeansbepenal,andthedesiredeffectmaybeattainedwithoutgivingbirthtosuffering:
letthemeansberemuneratory,andsufferingisinevitable。’’
Theoracularstyle,however,beingnolongerinfashion,Ishallinplainlanguagegivethesolutionofthisenigma。
Whenapunishmentisdenouncedagainstthebreachofalaw,ifthe1awbenotbroken,nooneneedbepunished。Whenarewardispromisedtoobedience,ifeverybodyobeythelaw,everybodyoughttoberewarded。Ademandforrewardsisthuscreated:andtheserewardscanonlybederivedfromthelabourofthepeople,andcontributionsleviedupontheirproperty。
Incomparingintheirrespectivepropertiesofpunishmentandreward,weshallfindthatthefirstisinfiniteinquantity,powerfulinitsoperation,andcertaininitseffect,sothatitcannotberesisted:thatthesecondisextremelylimitedinquantity,oftentimesweakinitsoperation,andatalltimesuncertaininitseffect:thedesireafteritvaryingexceedingly,accordingtothecharacterandcircumstancesofindividuals。Wemayremarkagain,thattheprospectofpunishmentsaddens,whilstthatofrewardanimatesthemind;thatpunishmentblunts,whilerewardsharpenstheactivity;thatpunishmentdiminishesenergy,whilerewardaugmentsit。
Itisrewardalone,andnotpunishment,whichamanoughttoemploy,whenhisobjectistoprocureservices,theperformanceofwhichmayormaynotbeinthepowerofthosewithwhomhehastodo。
Thisconsidered,wereitnecessarytodrawaroughlinebetweentheprovincesofrewardandpunishmentinafewwords,wemightsay,thatpunishmentwaspeculiarlysuitedtotheproductionofactsofthenegativestamp———rewardtotheproductionofactsofthepositivestamp。Tositstillanddonothing,isinthepowerofeverymanatalltimes:toperformagivenserviceisinmanyinstancesinthepowerofoneindividualalone,andthatonlyupononeindividualoccasion。Thisarrangementofnaturesuitsverywellwiththeunlimitedplenitudeofthefundofpunishmentontheonehand,andthelimitedamplitudeofthefundofrewardontheother。Thenegativeacts,ofwhichthepeaceandwelfareofmankindrequiretheperformance,areincessantandinnumerable,andmustbeexactedatthehandsofeveryman:thepositiveacts,ofwhichtheperformanceisrequired,arecomparativelyfew,performableonlybycertainpersons,andbythemoncertainoccasionsonly。Nottosteal,nottomurder,nottorob,mustberequiredatalltimesatthehandsofeveryman:totakethefieldforthepurposeofnationaldefence———tooccupyaplaceinthesuperiordepartmentsofexecutiveorlegislativegovernment———areactswhichitisneithernecessarynorpropertoexactatthehandsofmorethanafew,orofthemexceptonparticularoccasions。Todiscoveraspecificremedyfordisease,toanalyzeamineral,toinventamethodofascertainingaship’slongitudewithinagivendistance,todeterminethequadratureofsuchorsuchacurve,———areworkswhich,ifdonebyoneman,needneverbedoneagain。
Itisthusalsowithregardtosuchextraordinaryservicesasdependuponaccident;suchasthegivingofinformationwhenrequired,eitherinthejudicialoranyotherbranchofadministration。
Areyouignorantwhetheranindividualisinpossessionoftheinformationinquestion,orifinpossessionofit,whetherhebedisposedtocommunicateit?Punishmentwouldmostprobablybebothinefficaciousandunjustasameansofacquiringthisknowledge:resort,then,toreward。
Inregardtoextraordinaryservicesdependinguponpersonalqualification,theimproprietyofpunishmentandtheproprietyofrewardarethegreater,whentheutilityoftheserviceissusceptibleofanindeterminatedegreeofexcellenceasisthecasewithworksofliterature,ofscience,andthefinearts。Inthesecases,rewardnotonlycallsforthintoexercisetalentsalreadyexisting,butevencreatesthemwheretheydidnotexist。Itisthepropertyofhope,oneofthemodificationsofjoy,toputaman,asthephraseis,intospirits;thatis,toincreasetherapiditywithwhichtheideasbeisconversantaboutsucceedeachother,andthustostrengthenhispowersofcombinationandinvention,bypresentingtohimagreatervarietyofobjects。Thestrongerthehope,sothatithavenottheeffectofdrawingthethoughtsoutoftheproperchannel,themorerapidthesuccessionofideas;themoreextensiveandvariedthetrainsformedbytheprincipleofassociation,thehetterfed,asitwere,andmorevigorous,willbethepowersofinvention。Inthisstate,theattentionismoresteady,theimaginationmorealert,andtheindividual,elevatedbyhissuccess,beholdsthecareerofinventiondisplayedbeforehim,anddiscoverswithinhimselfresourcesofwhichhehadhithertobeenignorant。
Ontheonehand,letfearbetheonlymotivethatpromptsamantoexerthimself,hewillexerthimselfjustsomuchashethinksnecessarytoexempthimfromthatfear,andnomorebutlethopebethemotive,hewillexerthimselftotheutmost,especiallyifhehavereasontothinkthatthemagnitudeofthereward(orwhatcomestothesamething,theprobabilityofattainingit)willriseinproportiontothesuccessofhisexertions。
Suchisthenatureofextraordinaryservices,thatitisneitherpracticablenordesirableforthemtobeperformedbyalargemultitudeofpersons。Ifpunishment,then,werethemeansemployedtoinducementoperformthem,itwouldbenecessarytopitchuponsomeselectpersonsasthoseonwhomtoimposetheobligation。Butofthepersonalqualificationsofindividuals,thelegislator,assuch,canhavenoknowledge。Thecasewillalsobenearlythesame,evenwiththeexecutivemagistrate,ifthenumberofthepersonsunderhisdepartmentbeconsiderable:forantecedentlytospecificexperienceintheverylineinquestion,aman’spersonalqualificationsforanysuchextraordinarytaskarenottobeconjecturedapriori,butfromanintimateacquaintance———suchanacquaintanceasitisimpossibleamanshouldhavewithsolargenumber。Theconsequenceis,thatamonganymultitudeofpersonsthustakenatrandom,thegreaternumberwouldnotperformthetask,becausetheywouldnotbeabletoperformit。Butinthiscase,bythesupposition,theymustallbepunished:heretherewouldbeavastmassofpunishmentlaidoninwaste,andperhapstheendnotcompassedafterall———amassofpunishmentimpartingbeyondcomparisonmorepainthanitwouldcosttoprovideasufficientquantityofreward。
Ontheotherhand,letrewardbeemployedandnotanatomneedbespentinwaste;foritmaybeeasilysoapplied,anditiscommonsotoapplyit,asthatitshallbebestowedinthoseinstancesonlyinwhichtheendiscompassed———inthoseinstancesinwhichnotonlyabenefitisattained,butabenefitmorethanequivalenttotheexpense。
Bypunishment,agreatexpensewouldheincurred,andthatforthesakeofafaintchanceofsuccess;byreward,asmallexpenseisincurred,andthatnotwithoutacertaintyofsuccess。
Again,punishmentinthesecaseswouldnotonlybelesslikelytoproducetherequisiteeffect,butwouldhaveatendencytopreventit。Howlittlesoeverthemagistratemightbequalifiedtocollectandtojudgeofappearancesofrapacity,forsuchappearanceshewould,however,naturallykeepsomesortoflook—out。Toexhibitthoseappearanceswouldthereforebetorunachanceofincurringtheobligationandthepunishmentannexedtoit。Theconsequenceisobvious:tomakesureofnotappearingqualified,menwouldtakecarenottobeso。Wearetold,thatinSiam,whenamanhasatreeofextraordinarygoodfruit,itisseizedfortheking’suse。Ifthisbetrue,wemaywellimaginethatgardeningdoesnotmakeanyveryextraordinaryprogressintheneighbourhoodofthecourtofSiam。Naturemustdomuch,forart,wemaybecertain,willdonothing。Wearetolduponbetterauthority,ofatimewhenitwasthecustomtogivecommissionstoofficerstolookoutforthebestsingers,andpressthemintotheking’sservice:unlesstheywerewellpaidatthesametime,whichwouldhaverenderedthealarmoccasionedbypressingneedless,onewouldnotgivemuchtohearthemusicofthatday。
Thatselection,whichincasesliketheseistoimpracticableinpublic,isnotequallysoindomesticlife。Toparentsandotherpreceptors,itisbynomeansimpracticabletomakeuseofpunishmentasamotive。Theyareenabledtouseit,becausetheintimacyoftheiracquaintancewiththeirpupilsingeneralenablesthemtogiveaprettygoodguessatwhattheyareabletoperform。Itmay,perhaps,evenbenecessarytohaverecoursetothisincentive———beforethenaturalloveofeasehasbeengotunderbyhabit,andespeciallybeforetheauxiliarymotiveoftheloveofreputationhastakenroot,andwhilethetenderintellecthasnotasyetacquiredsufficientexpansionandfirmnesstoreceiveandretaintheimpressionsofdistantpleasures。
Isayperhaps———foritcertainlymightbepracticabletodowithmuchlessofthisbitterrecipe,thaninthepresentstateofeducationiscommonlyapplied。Allapparatuscontrivedonpurposemightatleastbespared。Towardsprovidingasufficientstockofincentivesforallpurposes,agreatdealmoremightbedonethaniscommonlydone,inthewayofrewardalone:byalittleingenuityintheinvention,andalittlefrugalityintheapplication;byestablishingaconstantconnexionbetweenenjoymentanddesert;grantinglittleornothingbutwhatispurchased;andthustransformingintorewardsthewholestockofgratification,oratleastsomuchofitasisrequisite。Ifpunishmentshouldstillbenecessary,mereprivationsseemtoaffordinallcasesasufficientstore。Acompletestockofincentivesmightthusbeformedoutofenjoymentsalone:punishment,bythesuspensionofsuchasarehabitual:
reward,bytheapplicationofsuchaoccasionallyarise。[1]
Butevenwhenappliedbyparentsandpreceptors,punishment,howwellsoeveritmaysucceedinraisingskilltoitsordinarylevel,willneverraiseithigher:oneoftheimperfectionsofpunishmentremainsstillinsuperable。Accordingly,inthetrainingofyoungmindstoqualifythemfortheachievementofextraordinaryworksofgenius,thebusinessisbestmanaged,andindeedinacertaindegreeiscommonlymanaged,bypunishmentandrewardstogether;insuchsort,thatintheearlierpartofman’scareer,andintheearlierstagesoftheprogressoftalent,amixtureofpunishmentsandrewardsbothshallbeemployed:andthat,bydegrees,punishmentshallbedroptaltogether,andtheforceemployedconsistofrewardalone。
Thereremainsthecaseinwhichrewardisproper,becausepunishment———atleastpunishmentalone———wouldbeunprofitable。
Byunprofitable,Imeannotinefficacious,butuneconomical,unfrugal———theinterestofthewholecommunitytogetherbeingtakenintotheaccount,notforgettingthatoftheparticularmemberonwhomtheburthenwouldbetobeimposed,andconsequentlythepunishment,incaseofnon—performance,tobeinflicted。
Thisseemstobethecasewithallthoseofficeswhich,standingalone,areofficesofmereburthen,whetherthepartyfavouredbethepublicatlargeoranyindividualorclassofindividuals:
inallcasesthelabourerisworthyofhishire;andunlessitbewheneverymanmustlabour,nomanoughttobemadetolabourwithouthishire———thecommonsoldiernomorethanthegeneral,thecommonseamannomorethantheadmiral,theconstablenomorethanthejudge。
Trueitis,thattakeanymanforexample,itmaywithproprietybesaid,thatthepublichasarighttohisservices,hasarighttocommandhisservices,forthattheinterestofanyonemanoughttogivewaytotheinterestofall。Butifthisbetrueastoanyonemanwhohappenstobefirsttaken,equallytrueisitofanyother,andsoinsuccessionofeveryman。Ontheonehand,then,eachmanisunderanobligationtosubmittoanyburthenthatshallbeproposed;ontheotherhand,eachmanhasanequalrighttoseetheburthenimposed,notuponhimself,butuponsomeother。Ifeitherofthesepropositionsbetakenintheirfullextent,asmuchmaybesaidinfavouroftheoneofthemasoftheother。Inthiscase,iftherewerenomiddlecoursetotake,thingsmustrestinstatuquo,thescaleofutilitymustremaininequilibrium,oneman’sinterestweighingneithermorenorlessthananother’s;theburthenwouldbebornebynobody,andtheimmunityofeachwouldbethedestructionofall。Butthereisamiddlecoursetotake,whichis,todividetheburthen,andlayitinequalproportionuponeveryman。
Theprincipleisindisputable:
theapplicationofitisnotfreefromdifficulties。Therearemanycasesinwhichtheindividualburthencannotbedivided:anoffice,thedutiesofwhichitrequiresbutonemantoperform,cannotbedividedamongstathousand。Butamassofprofitmaybeformedsufficienttocounterbalancetheinconveniencewhichamanwouldsustainbybearingtheoffice。Lettherequisitemassofprofitbetakenfromthegeneralfund,andtheburthenisdistributedproportionablyamongstthedifferentmembersofthecommunity。
Anexpedientsometimespractisedinthesecases,is,insteadofdistributingtheburthenoftheoffice,tolayitonentireuponsomeoneperson,accordingtolot。Thispreventstheinjusticetherewouldbeinlayingituponanyonebydesign:butitdoesnotcorrecttheinequality。Themischiefofpartialityandinjusticeareobviated;butnotsothesufferingsofhimuponwhomtheunfortunatelotfalls。Theprincipleofutilityisinthiscaseonlypartiallyfollowed。
Itisoneofthoseinstancesinwhichtheprincipleofutilitywouldseemtohavegivenoccasiontoawrongconclusion。Accordingtothisprinciple,itissaidthattheinterestoftheminorityoughttobesacrificedtothatofthemajority。Theconclusionisjust,ifitwereimpossibletoavoidasacrifice;palpablyfalse,ifitis。Buttochargethisasadefectupontheprincipleitself,isasreasonableasitwouldbetomaintainthattheartofbookkeepingisamischievousart,becauseentriesmaybeomitted。
Wearenowpreparedforestablishingacomparisonbetweenpunishmentandreward。
1。Punishmentisbestadaptedforrestraintorprevention———rewardforexcitementandproduction:theoneisabridle,theother,aspur。
2。Ineverycasewhereeveryextensivemischiefmaybeproducedbyasingleact,andparticularlyinthecaseofsuchactsasmaybeperformedatanytime,punishmentistheonlyrestrainttobedependedon:suchisthecaseofcrimesingeneral。Whentheactendeavouredtobeproducedisinaneminentdegreebeneficial,itispropertoemployrewardalone,ortocombinepunishmentwithreward,thatthepowerofthegoverningmotivemaybedoubled。
3。Consideringtheabundanceoftheone,andscarcityoftheother,punishmentistheonlyeligiblemeansofregulatingtheconductofpeopleingeneral:rewardoughttobereservedfordirectingtheactionsofparticularindividuals。Bypunishment,mischievouspropensitiesaresubdued;byreward,valuablequalificationsareimproved。Punishmentisaninstrumentfortheextirpationofnoxiousweeds:rewardisahotbedforraisingfruit,whichwouldnototherwisebeproduced。
4。Necessitycompelstheemploymentofpunishment:
rewardisaluxury。Discardthefirst,andsocietyisdissolved:discardtheother,anditstillcontinuestosubsist,thoughdeprivedofaportionofitsamenityandelegance。
5。Ineverycasewheretheserviceisofsuchanatureasthatnoindividualpossessedofthequalificationsrequisiteforitsperformancecanwithcertaintybeselected,thedenunciationofpunishmentwouldonlyproduceapprehensionandmisery,anditsapplicationbebutsomuchinjuryinflictedinwantonwaste。
Ineverysuchcase,offerareward,andittravelsforthinquestofhiddenorunknowntalents:evenifitfailinitssearch,itproducesnoevil———notanatomofitislost:itisgivenonlywhentheserviceisperformed,whentheadvantageobtainedeitherequalsorsurpassestheexpense。
Bythehelpoftheseobservations,weshallbeenabledtoappreciatetheopinionofthosepoliticianswho,afterasuperficialexaminationofthissubject,condemnlegislatorsingeneralforthesparingusemadeofthematterofreward。
TheauthorofTheWealthofNations,whohasdisplayedsuchextraordinarysagacityinallhisresearches,hasuponthispointbeenledawaybymistakennotionsofhumanity。``Fear’’,sayshe,``isinalmostallcasesamiserableinstrumentofgovernment。’’
(WealthofNations,B。V。ch。16。)Itisaninstrumentwhichhasoftentimesbeenmuchpervertedfromitsproperuse;butitisanecessaryinstrument,andtheonlyoneapplicabletotheordinarypurposesofsociety。
Ayoungking,inthefirstardourforimprovement,havingresolvedtopurgehiskingdomfromallcrimes,wasnotsatisfiedwiththisalone。Hisnaturalgentlenesswasshockedattheideaofemployingpunishment。Hedeterminedtoabolishitaltogether,andtoeffecteverythingbyreward。Hebeganwiththecrimeoftheft:butinashorttime,allhissubjectswereentitledtoreward;allofthemwerehonest。Everydaytheywereentitledtonewrewards;theirhonestyremainedinviolate。Aschemeforpreventingsmugglingwasproposedtohim。``Wiseking’’,itwassaid,``foreverypennythatoughttobepaidintoyourtreasury,givetwo,andthehydraisvanquished。’’Thevictorywascertain;butheperceivedthat,likethatofPyrrhus,itwouldbesomewhatcostly。
Adistinctionwhichexistsbetweendomesticandpoliticalgovernmentmaybebereworthnoticing。Nosovereignissorichastobeabletoeffecteverythingbyreward。Thereisnoparentwhomaynot。AtSparta,abitofblackbreadwastherewardofskill。Thestockofpleasuresandofwantsisaninexhaustiblefundofrewardinthehandsofthoseparentswhoknowhowtoemployit。
RRBook1Chapter8TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterVIIIREMUNERATION———WHEREHURTFUL。Arewardismischievouswhenitstendencyistoproduceoffences,ortogivebirthtonoxiousdispositions。
Toofferarewardtoanindividualasaninducementtohimtocommitanactprohibitedbylaw,istoattempttosubornhim:
theoffencemaybecalledsubornation。Uponthepresentoccasion,thisillegalsubornationisnotthesubjectofconsideration。therewardsofwhichweareabouttospeak,haveacorruptivetendency,butdonotpossessthecharacterofcrimes;theyareauthorizedbycustom,sanctionedbythelaw,andgivenandreceivedwithoutdisguise,withoutcriminalintention:
theevilisdonewithapureconscience,andoftenwiththepublicapprobation。
Theyaretheresultoferroneousconceptions,theeffectsofuniversalprejudice,orlong—establishedhabit,which,asMontaignesays,bluntstheacutenessofthejudgment。
Thepresentisoneofthoseextremelydelicatetopics,inrespectofwhichitmaybemoreprudenttoputthereaderinthepathoftruth,andleavehimtotravelbyhimselfinquestofdiscoveries,thangoingthroughthesubjectindetail,towoundestablishedopinions,orinterferewithindividualinterests。Withoutrestrictingmyselftoanypreciseorder,Ishallthereforeexhibitsomefewexamplesinwhichthemischievoustendencyistoopalpabletoadmitofdenial,andIshallbeingwithanincontrovertiblemaxim,whichwillfurnishthecriterionofwhichweareuponthepresentoccasioninsearchfordistinguishinggoodfromevil:———
``Uponalloccasionsavoidbestowinganythingintheshapeofreward,whichmaytendtointerferewiththeperformanceofduty。’’
Accordingtothisrule,ajudgeoughtnottofindhimselfinterestedintheprolongationoflawproceedings———theministerofstateinthepromotionofwars———thesuperintendentinpromotingexpense———themoralpreceptorinsettinganexampleofinsincerity———themanoflettersinmaintainingmischievousprejudicesattheexpenseoftruth。Themorenarrowlywescrutinizeintothesourcesofpublicevils,themorethoroughlyshallwebeconvincedthattheyoughttobeattributedtotheneglectofthisfundamentalrule。
Insupportofthismaxim,itisnotnecessarytoascribetomeningeneralallextraordinaryproclivitytowardscorruption:
ordinaryprudenceandprobityaresufficienttoenableamuntoresisttemptationstocrimes,ortolendhimtoabstainfromwhateverisreputeddishonourable;butitrequiressomewhatmorethanordinaryhonestyandprudencetobeproofagainsttheseductionsofaninterestthatactswithcontinualenergy,andwhosetemptationsarenotopposedeitherbythefearoflegalpunishment,orthecondemnationofpublicopinion:toyieldtosuchtemptations,itisonlynecessaryforhimtofollowinthebeatentrack,inwhichbewillbecheeredbythepresenceofamultitudeoffellow—travellers,andencouragedbytheexampleofhissuperiors。Toresisttheseseductions,hemustexposehimselftotheimputationofsingularity———hemustproclaimthatheisbetterthanothers———hemustcondemnhiscolleaguesandpredecessors,andbeboldenoughtomakeanexhibitionofhisprobity。Suchmagnanimityisnotaltogetherunexampled,butwemustnotreckonuponprodigies。Thereareevensomecasesinwhich,byitssecresy,thisseductiveinterestissomuchthemoremischievous:itoperateslikeaconcealedmagnet,andproduceserrorsinthemoralconductagainstwhichtherehasbeennopreviouswarning。Wehavesaidthatthelegislatoroughttoendeavourtocombineinterestwithduty;forastillstrongerreasonoughthetoavoidasmuchaspossibleeverythingthatyieldstothepublicfunctionaryacertainoracasual,aknownoranunknownprofit,resultingfromtheomissionorviolationofhisduties:wenowproceedtogiveafewexamples。
InEngland,thesuperiorjudges,besidetheiramplesalaries,whichitwouldbeimpropertogrudgethem,receivecertainfeeswhichitisimpossiblenottogrudgethem;sinceitisfromthissourcealonethattheycangenerallybeconsideredliabletocorruption,andthatsomuchthemoreeasily,sincetheymaybesubjecttoitsinfluencewithoutthemselvesperceivingit。Thesefeesaremultipliedinproportiontotheincidentsofprocedure,themultiplicationofwhichincidentsproportionablyincreasestheexpenseanddelayofobtainingjustice。Inonecase,ajudgereceivesnearly£;4fortying,forsixmonthsorayear,thehandsofjustice;andthisinoneofthosecasesinwhichindolenceaddsherseductionstothoseofavarice,andthewholeiseffectedinthepresenceofnootherwitnessesthansuchasareurgedonwardbyastillstrongerinteresttoaggravatetheabuse。
Anotherexamplefromamongathousand。UndertheLordChancellor,therearetwelvesubordinatejudgescalledMastersinChancery。Whenanaccountistobetakenbeforethem,thefollowingisthemodeofprocedure:Theattorneysontheonesideandtheotheroughttoappearbeforethemaster,eitheralone,orincompanywithcounsel,asmaybeconvenient。Firstsummons;nobodyappears:secondsummons;nobodyappears:atlength,thirdsummons;thepartiesappear,andthematterisputintotrain。Care,however,hasbeentakentoallowonlyhalfanhouroranhourtoeachsetofsuitors。Thepartiesarenotalwayspunctual:
thematterisbegun,theclockstrikes,andthenthematterisdismissed。
Atthefollowinghearingitisnecessarytobeginagain。Allthisismatterofetiquette。Ateachsummons,thefeestothejudgesandthecounselarerenewed。Alltheworldmustlive。Extortion,itissaid,istobebanishedfromthedwellingsoffinance。Atsomefutureday,perhaps,itwillnotbefoundafittingguestfortheTempleofJustice———itwillbedeemedadvisabletochaseitthence。
InEnglandaselsewhere,itisasked,whylawsuitsareeternal?Thelawyerssayitisowingtothenatureofthings。Otherpeoplesayitisthefaultofthelawyers。Theabovetwolittletraits,whichareastwograinsofsandpickedupinthedesertsofArabia,mayassistthejudgmentastothecausesofdelayinsuchprocedures。
3。Previouslytotheyear1782,theemolumentsofthepaymasterofthearmy,whosedutyassuchconsistedinsigning,orknowinghowtosign,hisname,wereconsiderablyhigherintimeofwarthanintimeofpeace,beingprincipallyconstitutedofapercentageonthemoneyexpendedinhisdepartment。Thisgreatofficer,however,alwaysfoundhimselfamemberofparliament;anditisbelievedhewasthuspaid,notforsigning,orknowinghowtosign,hisname,butfortalking,andknowinghowtotalk。Uponaquestionofpeaceorwar,theprobityofthisoratormusthavefounditselfinsomewhatanawkwardpredicament,continuallybesiegedasitmusthavebeenbyBellonawiththeofferofanenormousrevenue,whichwastoceaseimmediatelyhesufferedhimselftobecorruptedbyPeace。Whenthequestionofeconomicalreformwasuponthecarpet,thisplacewasnotforgotten。Itwasgenerallyfeltatthattime,thatsodecidedanoppositionbetweeninterestanddutywascalculatedtoproducethemostperniciousconsequences。Theemolumentsofpeaceandwarwere,therefore,equalizedbyattachingafixedsalarytotheoffice,andthesameplanwasadoptedwithrespecttovariousotheroffices。
Inrunningoverthelistoffunctionaries,fromthehighesttothelowest,onecannotbutbealarmedatthevastproportionofthemwhowatchforwarasforaprey。Itisimpossibletosaytowhatadegree,bythispersonalinterest,themostimportantmeasuresofgovernmentaredetermined。Itcannotbesupposedthatministersofstate,generals,admirals,ormembersofparliament,areinfluencedintheslightestdegreebyavilepecuniaryinterest。Allthesehonourablepersonspossessprobityaswellaswisdom,sothatatrifleofmoneynevercanproducetheslightestinfluenceupontheirconduct,noteventheeffectofanatomupontheimmovablemassoftheirprobity。Themischiefis,thatevil—mindedpersonsarenotconvincedbytheirassertion,butcontinuetorepeat,that———``Thehonestywhichresiststemptationismostnoble,butthatwhichfliesfromitismostsecure。’’[1]
4。Inpublicandprivateworksofalldescriptions,itiscustomarytopaythearchitectapercentageupontheaggregateamountexpended。Thisarrangementisagoodone,whenthesumtobeexpendedisfixed:thereisdangerinthecontrarycase,sincethegreatertheexpense,thegreateristhearchitect’specuniaryprofit。
5。Veracityisoneofthemostimportantbasesofhumansociety。Thedueadministrationofjusticeabsolutelydependsuponit;whatevertendstoweakenit,sapsthefoundationsofmorality,security,andhappiness。Themorewereflectonitsimportance,themoreweshallbeastonishedthatlegislatorshavesoindiscreetlymultipliedtheoperationswhichtendtoweakenitsinfluence。
Whenthepossessionoftherevenues,orotherprivilegesattachedtoacertainconditionoflife,dependsuponthepreviousperformanceofcertainactswhicharerequiredatenteringuponthatcondition,theseprivilegescannotfailtooperateuponindividualsasincentivestotheperformanceofthoseacts:theeffectproducedisthesameasiftheywereattachedtosuchperformanceunderthetitleofreward。
If,amongthenumberoftheseacts,promiseswhichareneverperformedarerequiredunderthesanctionofanoath,theseprivilegesorotheradvantagescanonlyberegardedasrewardsofferedforthecommissionofperjury。Ifamongthenumberoftheseacts,itberequiredthatcertainopinionswhicharenotbelievedshouldbepretendedtobebelieved,theseadvantagesareneithermorenorlessthanrewardsofferedforinsincerity。
Butthesanctionofanoathoncecontemned,iscontemnedatalltimes。
Oathsmayafterwardsbeobserved,buttheywillnotbeobservedbecausetheyareoaths。
IntheuniversityofOxford,amongwhosemembersthegreaternumberofecclesiasticalbeneficesarebestowed,andwhichevenforlaymenisthemostfashionableplaceofeducation,———whenayoungmanpresentshimselfforadmission,histutor,whoisgenerallyaclergyman,andthevice—chancellor,whoisalsoaclergyman,putintohishandsabookofstatutes,ofwhichtheycausehimtosweartoobserveeveryone。Atthesametime,itisperfectlywellknowntothisvice—chancellorandtothistutor,thatthereneverhasbeenanypersonwhowasabletoobserveallthesestatutes。Itisthusthatthefirstlessonthisyoungmanlearns,andtheonlylessonheissuretolearn,isalessonofperjury。[3]
Noristhisall:hisnextstepistosubscribe,intestimonyofhisbelief,toadogmaticalformularycomposedabouttwocenturiesago,assertedbytheChurchofEnglandtobeinfalliblytrue,andbymostotherchurchesbelievedtobeasinfalliblyfalse。Bythisexpedient,oneclassofmenisexcluded,whilethreeclassesareadmitted。
Theclassexcludediscomposedofmenwho,eitherfromasenseofhonour,orfromconscientiousmotives,cannotprevailuponthemselvespubliclyanddeliberatelytoutteralie。Theclassesadmittedconsist———1。Ofthosewholiterallybelievethesedogmas;2。Ofthosewhodisbelievethem;3。
OfthosewhosignthemastheywouldsigntheAlcoran,withoutknowingwhattheysign,orwhattheythinkaboutit。AnearlysimilarpracticeispursuedatCambridge;andfromthesetwosourcestheclergyoftheChurchofEnglandaresupplied。
Socrateswasaccusedasacorruptorofyouth。Whatwasmeantbythisaccusation,Iknownot。ButthisIknow,thattoinstructtheyounginfalsehoodandperjury,istocorruptthem;andthatthebenefitofalltheotherlessonstheycanlearncanneverequalthemischiefofthisinstruction。{SeeAppendix(A。)}
6。Itmaybeinquired,whetherrewardsorotheradvantagesoughttobeofferedforthedefenceofanyopinioninmattersoftheoryorscience,oranyothersubjectuponwhichopinionsaredivided?
{SeeAppendix(B。)}Ifthequestionbeoneofpurecuriosity,theworstthatcanhappenwillbethattherewardwillbeexpendedinwaste。Butiftheopinionthusfavouredhappentobeafalseone,andatthesametimemischievous,therewardwillbeproductiveofunmixedevil。Butwhetheritbeaquestionofcuriosityoruse,iftruthbetheobjectdesired,thechanceofobtainingitisnotsogreataswhenthecandidatesforrewardareallowedtoseekitwheresoeveritmaybetobefound。Iferrorbetobedefended,toofferarewardforitsdefencewouldbeone,ifnottheonly,methodtobeadopted。Whoistherethatdoesnotperceive,thattoobtaintruetestimony,itisinexpedienttoofferarewardtothewitnesswhoshalldeposeuponagivenside?———whodoesnotknowthattheconstanteffectofsuchanofferistodiscreditthecauseofhimwhomakesit?
Ifthen,anythingbetobegainedbysuchpartiality,itcanonlybebyerror:truthcanonlybealoserbysuchpartialreward。
Thispracticeisattendedwithanotherandmoremanifestinconvenience:itisthatofcausingopinionstobeprofessedwhicharenotbelieved———ofinducingatruculentexchange,notonlyoftruth,butofsincerity,formoney。Idonotknowifgovernmentsoughteventopermitindividualstoofferrewardsupontheseconditions。Toestablisherror,torepudiatetruth,tosubornfalsehood;———these,inafewwords,aretheeffectsofallrewardsestablishedinfavourofonesystemtotheexclusionofallothers。
7。Charityiseveranamiablevirtue;butifinjudiciouslyemployed,itisliabletoproducemoreevilthangood。Hospitalsinconsideratelymultiplied,regulardistributionsofprovisions,suchaswereformerlymadeatthedoorsofmanyconventsinSpainandItaly,tendtohabituatealargeproportionofthepeopletoidlenessandbeggary。Arewardthusofferedtoindolence,impoverishesthestateandcorruptsthepeople。Luxury(andIannextothiswordwhatevermeaning,exceptthatofprodigality,peoplechoosetogivetoit)luxury,thatpretendedvicesomuchreprobatedbytheenviousandmelancholic,isthesteadyandnaturalbenefactorofthehumanspecies;itisamasterwhoisalwaysdoinggood,evenwhenheaimsnotatit;herewardsonlytheindustrious。Charityisalsoabenefactor,butgreatcircumspectionisrequiredthatitmayproveso。
8。Thereisanothermannerinwhichrewardmaybemischievous:byactinginoppositiontotheservicerequired———when,forexample,theemolumentsattachedtoanofficearesuchastoaffordthemeansandtemptationnottofulfilthedutiesofit。Insuchacase,whatmayappearaparadoxisnotthelessagreattruth:thewholedoeslessthanapart;bypayingtoomuch,thesovereignislesseffectuallyserved。Butthissubjectbelongsnaturallytotheheadofsalaries。
9。Whateverweakenstheconnexionbetweenpunishmentsandoffences,operatesinproportionasanencouragementtothecommissionofoffences。Ithastheeffectofarewardofferedfortheirperpetration,forwhethertheinducementtocommitoffencesbeaugmented,ortherestrainingmotivesdebilitated,theresultinbothcasesisthesame。
Thus,ataxonjusticeisanindirectrewardofferedforinjustice。Thesameisthecasewithrespecttoalltechnicalrulesbywhich,independentlyofthemerits,nullitiesareintroducedintocontractsandintoprocedure———ofeveryrulethatexcludestheevidenceofawitness,theonlydepositoryofthefactuponwhichdependsthedueadministrationofjustice。Inaword,itisthesamewitheverythingthattendstoloosentheconnexionbetweeninjuryandcompensation,betweentheviolationofthelawandpunishment。
Ifweopenoureyes,weshallbeholdthesamelegislatorsestablishingrewardsforinformers,andtaxesandfeesuponlawproceedings:
theydesirethatthefirstshouldinducementorenderthemservicesofwhichtheystandinneed,whilstthelattertendtoweakenthenaturaldispositionwhichisfelttorenderthesesameservices。Atthethresholdofthetribunalofjusticeareplacedabaitandabugbear:thebaitoperatesuponthefew———thebugbearuponthemultitude。
10。Therearecasesinwhich,toavoidgreaterinconvenience,ithasbeenfoundnecessarytodisposeofthematterofrewardinsuchmannerasthatitshalloperateasarewardforthemostatrociouscrime;yet,inspiteoftheforceofthetemptation,thiscrimeisalmostunexampled。Ialludetotheruleestablishedwithrespecttosuccessions。Happily,whatevermaybetheforceoftheseductivemotivesinthiscase,thetutelarymotivesactinfullconcertwithalltheirenergy。
Therearemanymenwhoforatriflingpersonalbenefit,foranadvanceinrank,oreventogratifytheirspleen,wouldwithoutscrupleusetheirutmostexertionstoproduceawarthatwouldcostthelivesoftwoorthreehundredthousandoftheirfellowcreatures;whileamongthesementherewouldnotbefoundperhapsone,who,thoughheweresetfreefromthedreadoflegalpunishment,couldbeinduced,foramuchgreateradvantage,toattemptthelifeofasingleindividual,andstilllessthelifeofparentwhosedeathwouldputhiminpossessionofafortuneoratitle。
Butthoughlawscannotbeframedforitscompleteremoval,nothingwhichcanbedonewithoutinconvenienceoughttobeleftundone,towardsthediminutionofthisdanger。Thepersonsmostexposedtobecomeitsvictims,arethosewhoarenecessarilyplacedunderthecontroulofothers,suchasinfantsandwomen。Itisundertheguidanceofthisprinciple,thatourlawsinsomecaseshaveselectedasguardiansthosepersonsuponwhomnointerestcandevolveinthewayofsuccession。UnderthelawsofSweden,precautionsofthesamedescriptionareobserved;andithasbeenelsewhereshownthatthisconsiderationfurnishesoneoftheargumentsinfavourofthelibertyofdivorce。
Contractsrelatingtoinsurancefurnishanotherinstanceofthesamedanger。Thesecontracts,inotherrespectssobeneficial,havegivenbirthtoanewspeciesofcrime。Amaninsuresashiporahouseatapricegreatlybeyonditsvalue,withtheintentionofsettingfiretothehouseorcausingtheshiptobelost,andthen,underpretenceofcompensationforthelossofwhichheistheauthor,claimsthemoneyforwhichtheinsuranceismade。Thusoneofthemostbeneficialinventionsofcivilizedsocietyisconvertedintoapremiumfordishonesty,andapunishmenttovirtuousindustry。Hadthecommissionofthiscrimebeenattendedwithlessrisk,orbeenlessdifficulttoconceal,thismostadmirablecontrivanceforsofteninginevitablecalamitiesmusthavebeenabandoned。
RRBook1Chapter9TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterIXREMUNERATION———WHERENEEDLESS。Factitiousrewardissuperfluous,whenevernaturalrewardisadequatetoproducethedesiredeffect。
Underthisheadmaybeclassedallinventionsinthearts,whichareusefultoindividuals,andwhoseproductsmaybecomearticlesofcommerce。Intheordinarycourseofcommerce,theinventorwillmeetwithanaturalrewardexactlyproportionatetotheutilityofhisdiscovery,andwhichwillunitewithinitselfallthequalitieswhichcanbedesiredinafactitiousreward。Afterthemostmatureconsideration,nosovereigncanfindanothermeasuresoexactasisthusaffordedbythefreeoperationsoftrade。Allthatthegovernmenthastodoistosecureforatime,totheinventor,whateverbenefithisdiscoverymayyield。
Thisisgenerallydonebythegrantofanexclusiveprivilegeorpatent。
Ofthisweshallelsewherespeakmoreindetail。
Notmanyyearsagoagrantof£;3000wasmadebyparliamenttoaphysicianforthediscoveryofayellowdye。Thatmoneymight,withoutdoubt,havebeenworseemployed。
Buttherewardwasunnecessary:forthisdiscovery,asforallothersinthearts,thepropertestofitsutilitywouldhavebeenitsuseinmanufacturesandcommerce。Thegrantofadeterminatesumwasalosseithertotheinventorortothepublic:totheinventor,ifitwerelessthanhewouldhavegainedunderapatent:tothepublic,ifitweremore。Inaword,whereverpatentsforinventionsareinuse,factitiousrewardiseithergroundlessorsuperfluous。
Ishallelsewheretreatoftheencouragementstobegiventotheartsandsciences。Uponthepresentoccasion,allthatIshallobserveis,thatthegreatertheprogresstheyhavemade,thelessnecessaryisittotaxthepublicfortheirsupport。Inthiscountry,forexample,iftheexclusivepropertyinhisworkbesecuredtoanauthor,arewardisatthesametimesecuredtohimproportionatetotheservicehehasperformed———atleastineverybranchofamusementorinstructionthatyieldsasufficientclassofreaders。Thereisnopatrontobecomparedwiththepublic;andbythehonourwithwhichitaccompaniestheotherrewardsitbestows,thispatronagehasadecidedadvantageoveranythatcanbereceivedfromsnyothersource。
WithrespecttotherewardsthatinsomeEuropeanstateshavebeenbestoweduponpoets,theamountofthemissoinsignificantastosavethemfromtheseverescrutinytowhichtheymight,underothercircumstances,havefoundthemselvesexposed。Therearesomecountriesinwhichtherelishforliteratureisconfinedtosuchsmallnumbers,thatitmay,uponthewhole,bebeneficialtoencourageitbyfactitiousrewards。
Butifweconsiderhowintensearetheenjoymentsofthemanbornwithpoetictalents,thesuddenreputationwhichtheyproduce,andtheampleprofittheyoftenyield,especiallyinthedramaticline,itwillbefoundthatthenaturalrewardsattachedtothemarefarfrombeinginconsiderable;
andthat,atleast,ourattentionought,inthefirstplace,tobedirectedtothedepartmentofthesciences,theapproachestowhicharerepulsive,andtheutilityofwhichisindisputable。Happinessdependsuponthecorrectnessofthefactswithwhichourmindisfurnished,andtherectitudeofourjudgment;butpoetryhasnoverydirecttendencytoproduceeithercorrectnessofknowledgeorrectitudeofjudgment。Foroneinstanceinwhichithasbeenemployedtocombatmischievousprejudices,athousandmightbecitedinwhichtheyhavebeenfosteredandpropagatedbyit。Homeristhegreatestofpoets:whereshallweplacehimamongmoralists?Cananygreatadvantagebederivedfromtheimitationofhisgodsandheroes?Idonotcondemnprizesforpoetrywheretheobjectistoexciteyouthfulemulation:Ionlydesirethatseriousandtrulyusefulpursuitsmayreceiveaproportionateencouragement。
RRBook1Chapter10TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterXPROPORTIONASTOREWARDS。Conferringreward,theobservanceofexactrulesofproportionisnotnearlyofthesameimportance,asintheinflictionofpunishment。Theserulescannot,however,beneglectedwithimpunity。Iftoogreatarewardbeheldoutforagivenservice,competitorswillbeattractedfrommoreusefulpursuits。Iftoolittle,thedesiredservicewilleithernotberendered,orwillnotberenderedinperfection。
RuleI。Theaggregatevalueofthenaturalandfactitiousrewardoughtnottobelessthansufficienttooutweightheburthenoftheservice。
RuleII。Factitiousrewardsmaybediminished,inproportionasnaturalrewardsareincreased。
Thesetworulespresentthreesubjectstoourobservation:———1。
Thenaturalburthensattachedtotheservice;———2。Thenaturalrewardswhicheitherdoordonotrequirefactitiousrewardtosupplytheirdeficiency;———3。
Thedrawback,moreorlesshidden,whichinavarietyofcasesalterstheapparentvalueofthereward。