RRBook2Chapter1TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterISALARY———HOWAREWARDTherearemanyspeciesofservice,andevenservicesofapositivenature,ofwhichgovernmentsstandinconstantanduninterruptedneed:suchforthemostpartarethedutiesofthosewhoareemployedinthedifferentdepartmentsofeverygovernment。Thepoliticalstateorcondition,onaccountofwhichindividualspossessingitareconsideredliabletorendertheseservices,iscalledaplace,anoffice,oranemployment。
Totheseplacesitisbothnaturalandcustomarytoattach,underthetitleofemolument,certainportionsofthematterofwealth。Ifsuchemolumentbedeterminateinamount,andpaidatregularlyrecurringperiods,itiscalledasalary。
Itisthenatureofarewardtooperateasamotive,andinthatcapacitytogivebirthtoactswhich,bythepersonbywhomtherewardishelduptoview,areesteemedservices:thegreaterthereward,thegreateristhemotiveitconstftutes;thegreaterthemotive,themorestrenuoustheexertionithasatendencytoproduce:andifthevalueoftheservicebesusceptibleofanindefinitedegreeofperfection,themorestrenuoustheexertiontoperformit,thegreater,asfarasdependsuponthewilloftheparty,willbethevalueoftheservice。Henceitfollows,thatifsalarybereward,asfarasfundscanbefound,salariescannotbetoolarge。Howdifferentthestateofthingspresentedtouswhenweconsultexperience。Weseesmallsalaries,andtheserviceadmirablywellperformed:largesalaries,andnothingdoneforthem。Incertainlines,weseetheserviceregularlyworseandworseperformed,inproportiontothelargenessofthesalary。Wherethenliestheerror?Inexperiencetherecanbenone:intheargumentthereisnone。Theerrorliesinitsnotbeingproperlyunderstood:andthatingeneralithasnotbeenproperlyunderstood,thebadmanagementandweakmeasuressofrequentinthislinearebuttoopregnantproofs。Tounderstandtheargumentaright,twopointsmustbeobserved;Theoneis,toconsider,forillustration’ssake,thatjustinthesamemanneraspunishment,———andinnoothermanner,thoughwithlesscertaintyofeffect,———isrewardcapableofactingasamotive:theotherpointis,toconsiderwhatisreallytheserviceforwhichasalaryisareward。
What,then,istheservice,withrespecttowhichasalaryoperatesasamotive?Theanswerwhichwouldbegenerallygiventothisquestionis,thecontinuedservicebelongingtotheofficetowhichthesalaryisannexed。Obviousasthisanswermayseem,itisnotthetrueone。Theservice,andtheonlyservice,withrespecttowhichasalarycanoperateasamotive,iseitherthesimpleinstantaneousserviceoftakingupononetheoffice,orthepermanentserviceofcontinuingtostandinvestedwithit。Ifthedutiesoftheoffice———theservicesintheexpectationofwhichthesalaryannexedtotheofficeisbestowed,happentobeperformed,itcannotbeowingmerelyandimmediatelytothesalary:
itMustbeowingtosomeothermotive。Iftherewerenoothermotive,theservicewouldnotberendered。Nothingisdonewithoutamotive———what,then,isthisothermotive?Itmustbeeitherofthenatureofrewardorpunishment。Itmaybypossibilitybeofthenatureofreward;butifitbeso,Oneorotheroftheserewardswouldseemsuperfluous:incommon,itisprincipallyofthenatureOfpunishment。Inasfarasthisisthecase,theserviceforwhichthesalary,consideredasareward,isgiven,istheserviceoftakingupononetheobligationconstitutedbythepunishment———theobligationofperformingtheservicesexpectedfromhimwhopossessestheoffice。
Thatthezealdisplayedindischargingthedutiesofanofficeshouldnotbeinproportiontothesalary,willnownolongerappearstrange。Experienceisreconciledtotheory。Thissubjectwillreceiveelucidation,ifwesubstitutepunishmentforreward,andconiderwhattendencysuchamotivewouldhavetogivebirthtoanyservice,ifconnectedwithitinthesamemannerasasalaryisanexedtoanoffice。
Supposeascbool—master,intendingtoconnetthebusinessofhisschoolwithregularity,weretomakeitarule,onacertainday,atbebeginningofeveryquarter,tocallallhisscholarsbeforehim,andtogiveeachtenlashes,committingtheirbehaviourduringtherestofthequarteraltogethertotheirdiscretion:———thepolicyofthismasterwouldbetheexactcounterpartofthefounderoftheschooltowardsthemaster,ifbehassoughttoattachhimtothedutiesofhisofticebybestowinguponhimasalary。SupposetheMaster,findingthatunderthisdisciplinetheprogressofhisscholarsdidnotequalhisexpectations,shouldresolvetoincreasehisexertions,andaccordinglyshoulddoublethedoseofstripes:———hispolicyinthiscasewouldbetheexactcounterpartofthefounder,whobythesingleoperationofincreasingthemaster’ssalary,shouldthinktoincreasehisdiligence。
Asalaryisnotarewardforanyindividualserviceofthenumberofthosewhichareradderedinconsequenceofaman’sacceptanceoftheofficetowhichthesalaryisannexed。Fortherenderingofanyoneoftbeseservices,thesalarypresentshimnotwithanymotivewbichcancomeunderthebeadofreward:themotiveswbirhitgiveshimbelongentirelytotheheadofpunishment。Itisbyfearonly,andnotbyhope,thatbeisimpelledtothedischargeofhisduty———bythefearofreceivinglessthanhewouldotherwisereceive,notbythehopeofreceivingmore。
Thoughbeworkeversomuchmoreorbetterthanamanwhoholdshisofficeisexpectedtowork,bewillreceivenothingmorethanhissalary,ifthesalarybeallthatbehastohopefor,Byworkingtoacertaindegreelessorworse,hemayindeedstandachanceofhavingthesalary,orapartofit,takenfromhim,orbemaybemadepunishableinsomeotherway:
butifbecontinuetokeepclearofthatextremedegree,insuchcaselethimworkeversolittleoreversobadly,hewillnot,asfarasartificialpunishmentisconcerned,beevertheworse。Hehasthereforenomotive,sofarasthesalaryisconcerned,forendeavouritigtopassthelineofmediocrity;andhehasamotive,themotiveofindolenceorloveofease,forstoppinEasfarshortofitasbecanwithsafety。
Suppose,forinstance,asalaryof£;4000
a—yearannexedtotheofficeofajudge:ofalltheservicesbemaycometoperforminthedischargeofhisfunction,ofwhichoneisthissalarythereward?Ofnoonewhatever。Takeanyoneofthecauseswhichwouldregularlycomebeforehimforhearing:thougheweretoattend,andtodisplayeversomuchdiligenceandeversomuchabilityinthehearingofit,hewouldreceivenomorethatyearthanhis£;4000;thoughheweretoabsenthimselfaltogether,andleavethebusinesstohiscolleagues,hewouldreceivenoless:inshort,providedhedoesnotsofarswervefromhisdutyastosubjecthimselftofineordeprivation,whetherheperformhisdutyeversowell,oreversoill———whetherhedecidemanycausesorfew—whetherhisattendancebeconstantorremiss———whetherbedisplayeversomuchoreversolittleability,———hissalaryisthe,same。
Notthatamaninthisexaltedstationisinanywantofmotivestoprompthimtoexerthimselfinthedischargeofitsduties:hehasthepleasuresofpower,tobalancethepainsofstudy———thefearofshame,tokeephimfromsinkingbelowmediocrity———thehopeofcelebrity,toelevatehimaboveit,tospurhimontothehighestpitchofexcellence。Thesemotivesarepresentedtohimbyhisstation,buttheyarenotpresentedtohimbyhissalary。
Theservices,andtheonlyservices,whichthesalarypresentsamotiveforhisperforming,are,inthefirstplace,theinstantaneousactoftakinguponhimthestation———thatis,ofsubjectinghimselftotheobligationsannexedtoit;andintheeventofhisviolatinganyofthoseobligations,tothepunishmentsannexedtosuchviolations:
inthenextplace,thedischargingofthesmallestportionofthoseobligationswhichitisnecessarybeshoulddischarge,inordertohisreceivingsuchorsuchpartofthesalary。Letit,forinstance,bepaidhimquarterly:
ifthefirstquarterbepaidhiminadvance,itwillaffordhimnomotiveofthenatureofrewardfordoinganyofthebusinessofthatquarter。
Hehasthatquarter’ssalary;norcanliefailofenjoyingit,unless,inthewayofpunishment,itbeafterwardstakenfroinhim。Ifitbenotpaidhimtilltheendofthequarter,thecasewillbestillthesame,unlessproofofhishavingrenderedcertainservices———thehavingattended,forexample,atcertaintimes———benecessarytohisreceivingit。Withthisexception,itmayequallybesaid,thatinbothcases,foranyotherthantheinstantaneousactoftakinguponhimtheburtbenofthestationforthatquarter,behasnoreward,noranymotivebutwhatoperatesinthewayofpunishment。
Thisdistinctionisofimportance;forifthesalarygivenweretheinducementofperformingtheservices,thechanceofhavingthemperformed,andwellperformed,wouldbeexactlyasthemagnitudeofthesalary。If,forexample,fiftypoundssterlinga—yearsufficedtoinsurefiftygrainsofpiety,assiduity,eloquence,andothersacerdotalvirtuesinacurate,———fivethousandofthesesamepoundsoughttoinsurefivethousandgrainsofthesesamevirtuesinabishoporarchbishop。Butwhateverybodyknowsis,thatthisproportiondoesnothold;onthecontrary,itmostfrequentlyhappensthattheproportionisin。verse:thecuratelaboursmuch,thebishoplittle,andthearchbishopless。
Thechanceofserviceisasthemagnitudeofthepunishment;andifthesalarycanbewithdrawn,itissofarindeedasthemagnitudeofthesalary:butitmaybeequallygreatwithoutanysalary———bythesubstitutionofanyotherpunishmentinsteadoflossofsalary。
Wesee,then,bowitisthatasalary,beitgreatorsmall,independentlyoftheobligationwhichitpaysamanforcontracting,hasnotinitselfthesmallestdirecttendenevtoproduceservices;whilstexperienceshows,thatinmanycases,inproportiontoitsmagnitude,ithasatendencytopreventthem。
RRBook2Chapter2TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterIIRULESASTOEMOLUMENTSBeforeweenteruponthissubjectindetail,itmaybenecessarytoremark,thattheproperapplicationofthefollowingruleswilldependuponthenatureoftheservicerequired,anditsvariouslocalcircumstances。Itisonlybyobservingthepeculiarcharacterassumedbyabuseineachoffice,thatappropriateremediesforeachparticularevilcanbeprovided。Sinceitisimpossibletomakeacompletecatalogueofallerrors,andtoanticipateeveryspeciesofabuse,theruleslaiddownmaynotconstituteaperfectsystem。Theymay,however,serveasawarningagainsterrorsandabuseswhichhavebyexperiencebeenfoundtoexist,andalsoagainstsomewhichmaybeimaginedlikelytoexist。Itisusefultoerectbeaconsuponrockswhoseexistencehasbeenmadeknownbytheshipwreckstheyhavecaused。Amongtherulesabouttobegiven,somemayappearsoself—evidentasalmosttoseemsuperfluous:butifitcanbeshownthaterrorshavearisenfromtheneglectoftheminpractice,suchrules,thoughnotentitledtobeconsideredasdiscoveries,mustatleastberegardedasnecessarywarning;theymayteachnothingnew,buttheymayservetorecallprincipleswhichitisdesirableshouldbeconstantlyandclearlyremembered。
RuleI。Emolumentsoughtinsuchmannertobeattachedtooffices,astoproducethemostintimateconnexionbetweenthedutyandtheinterestofthepersonemployed。
Thisrulemaybeappliedininsuringassiduousattendanceonthepartofthepersonsemployed。Indifferentoffices,differentservicesarerequired;butthegreaternumberofofficeshavethisonecircumstanceincommon:thattheirdutiesmaybeperformed,itisnecessarythattheindividualholdingtheofficeshouldbeatacertaintimeinacertainplace。Hence,ofallduties,assiduousattendanceisthefirst,themostsimple,andthemostuniversal。Inmanycases,toinsuretheperformanceofthisduty,istoinsuretheperformanceofeveryotherduty。Whentheclerkisathisdesk,thejudgeuponthebench,theprofessorinhisschool,———iftherebenothingparticularlyirksomeintheirduty,andtheycandonothingelse,ratherthanremainidle,itisprobabletheywillperformtheirduty。
Inthesecases,theservicerequiredbeingofthecontinualkind,andinpointofqualitynotsusceptibleofanindefinitedegreeofperfection———thepaybeingrequirednotforcertainservices,butforsuchservicesasmaycometobeperformedwithinacertainspaceoftime,———itmaywithoutimproprietybegivenintheformofasalary。Butevenhere,thepolicyofmakingrewardkeeppacewithserviceshouldbepursuedascloselyaspossible;andforthispurpose,thelongcontinuedmassofserviceshouldbebrokendownintoasmanyseparateservicesaspossible———theserviceofayearintotheserviceofdays。Inthehighestoffices,anindividual,ifpaidbyhistime,should,liketheday—labourer,andforthesamereason,bepaidratherbythedaythanbytheyear。Inthiswayheiskepttohisdutywithmorethantheeffect,andatthesametimewithoutanyoftheodium,ofpunishment。
Inthestationofajudge,itisnotcommontoexactattendancebytheforceofpunishment———atleastnotbytheforceofpunishmenttobeappliedineachinstanceoffailure。Butifitwere,theinflictionofthatpunishmentfortrivialtransgressions———thatis,foroneorafewinstancesofnon—performance———wouldbethoughtharshandrigorous,norwouldanybodycarefortheodiumofstandingforthtoenforceit。Excuseswouldbelightlymade,andreadilyaccepted。Punishmentinsuchcasesbeingtothelastdegreeuncertain,wouldbeinagreatmeasureineffectual。Itmightpreventcontinual,butitwouldneverpreventoccasional,orevenfrequent,delinquency。Butwhatcannotbeeffectedbypunishmentalone,maybeeffectedbypunishmentandrewardtogether。Whentheofficerispaidseparatelyforeachday’sattendance,eachparticleofservicehasitsreward:thereisforeachparticleofserviceaninducementtoperformit。Therewillbenowantonexcuses,wheninconvenienceadheresinseparablytodelinquencywithouttheparadeofpunishment。
ThemembersoftheFrenchAcademy,andtheAcademyofScience,notwithstandingalltheirdignity,arepaidtheirsalariesbytheday,andnotbytheyear。Andwhoaretheindividuals,howloworhowhighsoever,whocannot,andwhooughtnot,tobepaidinthismanner?
Ifpridehavealegitimatescruple,itisthatwhichrefusestoreceivetherewardforlabourwhichithasnotperformed;whilst,astotheobjectionwhichmightarisefromtheminuteapportionmentofthesalary,itiseasilyremovedbycountersgivenfromdaytoday,andconvertedintomoneyatfixedperiods。
Intheactofparliamentforestablishingpenitentiaryhouses,amongothergoodregulations,thismethodofinsuringassiduityofattendancehasbeenadopted。Thethreesuperintendentsreceive,asthewholeoftheiremoluments,eachashareofthesumoffiveguineas,whichisdirectedtobedistributedeachdayoftheirattendanceequallyamongthosewhoarepresent。
AmoreancientexampleofthispolicymaybefoundintheincorporatedsocietyinLondonfortheassuranceoflives。Thedirectorsofthisestablishmentreceivetheirtriflingemolumentsinthismanner;
andthusapplied,theseemolumentssuffice。Thisplanhasalsobeenadoptedinthecaseofcommissionersofbankrupts,andbydifferentassociations。
Theseexamplesoughtnottobelost;andyet,fromnothavingbeenreferredtogeneralprinciples,theyhavenotpossessedtheinfluencetheyoughttohave。Howoftenhaveregulationsbeenheapeduponregulationswithoutsuccess!HowmanyuselessdecreesweremadeinFrancetoinsuretheresidenceofthebishopsandbeneficedclergy!
InEngland,wehavenotinthisrespectbeenmoresuccessful;thatistosay,moreskillful。Lawshavebeenenactedagainstthenon—residenceoftheclergy———lawsbadlycontrived,andconsequentlyuseless。Punishmentbasbeendenounced,andafineimposed,whichbeinginvariableinamount,hassometimesbeengreaterandsometimeslessthantheadvantagetobederivedfromtheoffence。Forwantofapublicprosecutorinthis,asinsomanyothercases,ithasbeennecessarytorelyuponsuchcasualinformersasmaybealluredbyaportionofthefine。Theloveofgainhasseldomprovedamotivesufficientlystrongtoinduceanendeavourtoobtainthisreward;whosevalue,nottomentiontheexpensesofpursuit,isdestroyedbyinfamy。Tillthismotivebereinforcedbypersonalanimosity,whichburststhebondsofinfamy,theselawsarepowerless。
Suchcases,whichmayoccuronceortwiceinthecourseoftenyearsthroughoutthewholekingdom,areneithersufficientlyfrequent,norwellknown,tooperateasexamples。Theoffenceremainsundiminished:
theuselesspunishmentconstitutesonlyanadditionalevil;whilstsuchlawsandsuchmethods,powerlessamongfriends,serveonlytobringenemiesintocontact。Wheneveritisdesirablethataclergymanshouldliveinthemidstofhisparishioners———thatistosay,whentheyareamicable———thelawisadeadletter:itspowerisexertedonlywhentheyareirreconcilableenemies;thatis,intheonlycaseswhereinitsutilityisproblematical,anditweretobewishedthatitsexecutionwouldadmitofanexception。
Hisreturnintohisparishisatriumphforhisenemies,andahumiliationforhimself。
Hadthesalariespaidtotheprofessorsintheuniversitiesbeeninterwovenwiththeirservices,itmighthavebeenthecustomforsomeofthesepretendedlabourerstohavelabouredfortheirhire;andtobeaprofessor,mighthavemeantsomethingmorethanhavingatitle,asalary,andnothingtoteach。
Asalarypaiddaybydayhasanadvantagebeyondthatofinsuringassiduityofattendance;———itevenrendersaserviceagreeable,whichwithanannualsalarywillberegardedaspurelyburthensome。Whenreward,insteadofbeingbestowedinalump,followseachsuccessiveportionoflabour,theideaoflabourbecomesassociatedwithpleasureinsteadofpain。InEngland,husbandmen,likeotherlabourers,arepaidinhardmoneybytheweek,andtheirlabourischeerfullyandwellperformed。insomepartsofthecontinent,husbandmenarestillpaidastheywereformerlyinEngland,byhousesandpiecesoflandgivenonceforall;andthelabourissaidtobeperformedwithalltheslovenlinessandreluctanceofslavery。
RuleII。Emolumentsoughtinsuchmannertobeattachedtooffice,astoproducethegreatestpossibledegreeofexcellenceintheservicerendered。
Thusfarthesubjecthasonlybeenconsideredasapplicabletoinsuringattendanceincaseswhereassiduityofattendanceappearstosufficeforinsuringtheperformanceofallotherduties。Therefollowsomecases,inwhichitappearspossibletoapplythesameprincipleeitherinthepreventionofabuse,orininsuringanextraordinarydegreeofperfectionintheemploymentofthepowerswhichbelongtocertainstations。
Insteadofappointingafixedsalary,invariablyofthesameamountastheemolumentofthesuperintendentorsuperintendentsofaprison,apoor—house,anasylumfororphans,oranykindofhospitalwhoseinhabitantsdependuponthecareofoneorasmallnumberofindividuals,whatevermaybethedifferenceinthedegreeofattentiondisplayed,orthedegreeofperfectionwithwhichtheserviceisperformed,———itwouldbewelltomaketheemolumentofsuchpersonsinsomemeasuredependuponthecarewithwhichtheirdutieshavebeenperformed,asevidencedbytheirsuccess。Inapenitentiary,orotherprison,thattheprisonersmightbeinsuredfromallnegligenceorill—treatment,tendingdirectlyorindirectlytoshortentheirlives,makeacalculationoftheaveragenumberofdeathsamongtheprisonersintheparticularprison,comparedwiththenumberofpersonsconfinedthere。Allowthesuperintendenteachyearacertainsumforeachper。sonofthisnumber,uponcondition,thatforeveryprisonerwhodies,anequalsumistobewithheldfromtheamountofhisemoluments。Itisclear,thathavinganetprofituponthelivesofallwhombepreserves,thereisscarcelyanynecessityforanyotherprecautionagainstill—treatment,ornegligencetendingtoshortenlife。
Inthenavalservice,thelawsofEnglandallowacertainsumforeachvesseltakenordestroyed,andsomuchforeveryindividualcaptured。Whyisnotthismethodofencouragementextendedtothemilitaryservice?
Isthecommanderofanarmyemployedindefendingaprovince,———allowhimapensionwhichshallbediminishedinproportiontotheterritoryheloses。Isthegovernorofanimportantplacebesieged,———allowhimsomuchforeverydaythathecontinuesthedefence。Istheconquestofaprovincedesirable,———promisetothegeneralemployed,besidesthehonoursheshallreceive,asumofmoneywhichshallincreaseinproportiontotheterritoryheacquires,besidesgivinghimapension,asabove,forpreservingitwhenacquired。
Totheprincipaldutyoftakinganddestroyingthosewhoareopposedtohim,mightbeaddedthesubordinatedutyofpreservingthelivingmachineswhoseexertionsarenecessaryforitsaccomplishment。
Themethodproposedforthepreservationofprisoners,———whyshoulditnotbeemployedforthepreservationofsoldiers?Itmustbeacknowledged,thatnorewardexclusivelyattachedtothissubordinatedutycould,inthemindofaprudentcommander,addanythingtotheweightofthoseargumentswhichariseoutoftheprincipalobject。Asoldierwhenheisill,isworthlessthannothing:arecruitmaynotarriveatthemoment———maynotarriveatall,andwhenhehasarrived,heisnotlikeaveteran。Iftherefore,itbepropertostrengthenmotivesthuspalpable,byaseparateandparticularreward,itoughtatleasttobekeptinasubordinationsufficientlymarkedwithrespecttotheprincipalobject。
Thusmuchastoatimeofwar。Intimeofpeace,theproprietyofthismethodismuchlessdoubtful。
Itisthenthattheattentionofageneralshouldbemoreparticularlydirectedtothepreservationofhissoldiers。Makehimtheinsureroftheirlives,andhewillbecometherivalofEsculapiusinmedicalscience,andofHowardinphilanthropy。Hewillnolongerbeindifferent,whethertheyencampuponahillorinamorass。Hisvigilancewillbeexerciseduponthequalityofhissuppliesandthearrangementofhishospitals;hisdisciplinewillberenderedperfectagainstthosevicesofarmies,whicharesometimesnolessdestructivethantheswordoftheenemy。[2]
Thesamesystemmightbeextendedtoshipsofwar,inwhichnegligenceissofatal,andinwhichgeneralrulesaresoeasilyenforced。Theadmiral,orcaptain,wouldthushaveanimmediateinterestinthepreservationofeachsailor。TheadmirableexampleofCaptainCook,Whocircumnavigatedtheworld,andtraversedsomanydifferentclimatesandunknownseas,withoutthelossofasinglesailor,wouldnolongerbeunfruitful。Hisinstructionsrespectingdiet,changeofair,andcleanliness,wouldnotbeneglected。TheBritishnavy,itistrue,ismuchImprovedintheserespects:butwhocantellhowmuchgreaterperfectionmightbeattained,iftothealreadyexistingmotiveswereaddedtheinfluenceofaconstantlyactinginterest,which,withoutinjuringanyvirtue,mightsupplytheplaceofall,iftheywerewanting?
Intheapplicationofthesesuggestions,theremaybedifficulties:aretheyinsurmountable?Itisforthosewhohavehadexperiencetoreply。
InthetreatymadebytheLandgraveofHesseCassel,relativetothetroopswhichtheBritishgovernmenthiredofhimtoserveinAmerica,onestipulationwas,thatforeverymannotreturnedtohiscountry,heshouldreceivethirtypounds。Iknownotwhethersuchastipulationwerecustomaryornot:butwhetheritwereornot,nothingcouldbemorehappilyimagined,eitherforthefiscalinterestofthesovereignlender,ortheinterestoftheindividualslent。Thespiritofpartyfoundinthisstipulationathemefordeclamation,asifitsonlyeffectweretogivetotheprinceaninterestintheslaughterofhissubjects;whilst,ifanythingcouldcounterbalancethemischievouseffectsofthetreaty,itwasthispecuniarycondition。Itgavetothesestrangersasecurityagainstthenegligenceorindifferenceoftheborrowers,onaccountofwhichtheymightmorewillinglyhavebeenexposedtodangerthannativesubjects。
Thepriceattachedtotheirlosswouldactasaninsurancethatcareshouldbetakentopreservethem。
Ithasbeensaid,thatinsomecountriestheemolumentsofthecommandersofregimentsincreaseinproportiontothenumberofnon—effectives;thatistosay,thattheyreceivealwaysthesameamountforthepayoftheircorps,thoughtheyhavenotalwaysthesamenumberofmentopay。Suchanarrangementispreciselytheoppositeofwhatisrecommendedabove。Thenumberofnoneffectivesincreasingbydeathordesertion,thecommandergainsinmoneywhathelosesinmen。Everypennywhichheisthuspermittedtoacquireisarewardoffered,ifnotformurder,atleastfornegligence。{Note}
RRBook2Chapter3TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterIIIFEESANDPERQUISITES—NONE。Anotherexpedientisoftenemployedinthepaymentofpublicofficers:Irefertothefeeswhichtheyaresometimesauthorizedtoreceiveontheirownaccount,fromthosewhorequiretheirservices。
Thisarrangementisattendedwithaspeciousadvantage,andarealdanger。Theadvantageis,thattherewardseemstobeexactlyanddirectlyinproportiontothelabourperformed:thedangerliesinthetemptationgiventosuchofficerstoincreasetheiremoluments,byincreasingthedifficultiesofthosewhoneedtheirservices。Theabuseiseasilyintroduced。Itisverynatural,forexample,thatanindividualwhohasbeenservedwithanextraordinaryexpedition,shouldaddsomethingtotheaccustomedfee。Butthisreward,bestowedonaccountofsuperiorexpeditioninthefirstinstance,infalliblybecomesacauseofdelayinallwhichfollow。Theregulatedhoursofbusinessareemployedindoingnothing,orindoingtheleastpossible,thatextraordinarypaymaybereceivedforwhatisdoneoutofoffice—hours。Theindustryofallthepersonsemployedwillbedirectedtoincreasingtheprofitoftheirplaces,byoneanothermutualassistance;andtheheadsofdepartmentswillconniveatthedisorder,eitherfortheirshareofthebenefit,oroutofkindnesstotheirinferiors,orforfearofrenderingthemdiscontented。
Theinconvenienceswillbeyetgreater,iftheyrelatetoaservicecoveredwithamysteriousveil,whichthepubliccannotraise。Suchistheveilofthelaw。Theuselessandoppressivedelaysinlegalprocedurearisefromverycomplicatedcauses;butitcannotbedoubted,thatoneofthemostconsiderableofthesecausesisthesinisterinterestwhichlawyershaveinmultiplyingprocessesandquestions,thattheymaymultiplytheoccasionsforreceivingfees。
Integrityismoreeasilypreservedinpublicofficesinwhichtherearenofees,thaninthosewheretheyareallowed。Alawfulrightoftenservesasapretextforextortion。Thedistinctionbetweenwhatispermittedandwhatisprohibited,inmanycases,isexceedinglyminute;andbowmanytemptationsmayoccurofprofitingbytheignoranceofstrangers,whencircumstanceswillinsureimpunity!Aneasymethodofdetectingoffencesisagreatrestraint。Wheneverthereforefeesareallowed,alistofthemshouldbepubliclyfixedupintheofficeitself:thiswilloperateasaprotectiontothepersonsemployedagainstsuspicion,andtothepublicagainstvexation。
Thismodeofrewardingservices,supposesthattheindividualswhostandinneedofthemshouldbeartheexpensesoftheestablishment。Thisistrueonlyincasethebenefitissolelyforthoseindividuals:inallothercases,feesconstituteanunequalandveryunjustlyassessedtax。Weshallhaveoccasiontorecurtothissubjectshortly。
RRBook2Chapter4TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterIMINIMIZEEMOLUMENT。RuleIII。Theamountofthesalary,orotheremoluments,attachedtoeveryoffice,oughttobetheleastthattheindividualsqualifiedtoexecuteitsdutiesarewillingtoacceptfortheirperformance。
Thefairandproperpriceofanyvendiblecommodityistheleastthatanybodywilltakeforit:sothattheexpectationoflikepaymentshallbeasufficientinducementtothelabourrequisitetoproduceotherlikearticlesinfuture。Thefairandproperpriceofanyserviceistheleastthatanybodywilldoitfor:sothatifmoreweregiven,itwouldbedoneeithernotatallthebetter,ornotsomuchthebetterasthatthedifferenceofqualityshouldbeequivalenttothedifferenceofexpense。Inthisproperandnecessarypriceisincluded,ofcourse,everythingnecessarytoenabletheindividualtoperform,andtocontinuetoperform,theservice;andalsowhateverisnecessaryonaccountofthedisadvantagesattendingtheservice,andonaccountofthechancewhichmaybegivenupoftheadvantagesthatmightbeexpectedfromotherservices。
Atthefirstestablishmentofanoffice,itmaybedifficultaccuratelytodeterminewhatoughttobetheamountofitsemoluments:inthis,asisthecasewitheverycommoditywhencarriedtomarketforthefirsttime,wecanonlybeguidedbychance。Thenumberandcharacterofthecandidateswill,however,soondeterminewhethertheamountofferedbetoolargeortoosmall。
Accordingtothisrule,thesalariespaidtothejudgesinEngland,whichappearsoconsiderable,arescarcelyenough;since,aswehavealreadyseen,theyarenotsufficienttoinducethosewhoarebestqualifiedtodischargetheduty,toundertaketheoffice。
InFrance,beforetheRevolution,scarcelyanysalarieswerepaidto。thejudges:theywerenotdraftedfromtheclassofadvocates,andnosacrificewasrequiredofthemwhentheyenteredupontheirduties;itwasnotnecessarythattheyshouldbepossessedofmuchexperience,andtheirrewardconsistedprincipallyinthehonourandrespectattachedtotheirstation。InEngland,thenumberofjudgesissosmall,thatthereisnoplaceforcyphers:itisnecessarythateachjudgeshouldpossess,fromthefirstdaybeentersuponhisoffice,thatskillwhich,inthepresentstateofimmensityandobscurityinwhichthelawisfound,canonlybethefruitoflongstudy。InFrance,amongtheenormousmultitudeofherjudges,therewasalwaysasufficientnumberendowedwiththerequisiteskill;andthenovicemight,solongashechose,preserveaPythagoreansilence。
Amethodofascertainingtheproperamountofemolumentsforanyoffice,simpleasitisefficacious,isaffordedbyallowingthepersonsemployedtodischargetheirdutybydeputy。Ifnooneemployadeputy,theemolumentscannotbemuchtoogreat:ifmanyindividualsemploydeputies,itwillbeonlynecessarytoobservewhatispaidtothedeputies:
thesalaryofthedeputyisthepropersalaryfortheplace。
Ifthisrulebeappliedtotheemolumentsoftheclergy,anditbeaskedwhatistheproperpricefortheirservices,theanswerisnotdifficult。Itis,primafacie,thepricegivenbyoneclassoftheclergy,andreceivedbytheother;itisthecurrentpriceofcuracies。
Isayalwaysprimafacie;for,inreality,thecurrentpriceissomewhatgreater;partofthepricebeingmadeupinhope。Forinsuringthedueperformanceofallthedutiesoftheiroffice,thispriceisfoundtobesufficient。Thepossessionofanygreateremolumentisnotonlyuselessbutpernicious,inasmuchasitenablesthemtoengageinoccupationsincompatiblewiththedueperformanceoftheirfunction,andasittendstogivethemadistasteforthedutiesofthatfunction。
Theinequalityobservableintheemolumentsoftheestablishedclergyisalsodisadvantageousinrespecttothegreaternumberofecclesiastics。Thecomparisonwhichtheymakebetweentheircondition,andthatoftherichincumbents,diminishesstillfurther,intheireyes,thevalueofwhattheyreceive。Arewardsounequal,forequalservices,degradesthosewhoreceiveonlytheirproperportion。Thewholepresentstheappearanceofalottery———offavourandinjustice,illaccordingwiththemoralcharacteroftheirvocation。
Itisagoodruleofeconomytoemployonlyreallabourers,whodonotthinkthemselvessuperiortotheworktheyhavetoperform。Dutchfloristsoughtnottobeemployedinthecultivationofpotatoes。
Itiswellalsofullytooccupythetimeoftheindividualsemployed。Thedutiesofmanypublicofficesrequireonlythreeorfourhoursattendancedaily。Aftertheoffice—hoursarepassed,suchindividualsseldomareableprofitablytoemploytheirtime。Theleisuretheypossessincreasestheirwants。Ennui,thescourgeoflife,isnolesstheenemyofeconomy。Itisamongthisclass,thatthosewhoaremostdiscontentedwiththeirsalaries,aregenerallyfound。
RRBook2Chapter5TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterVNOMORENOMINALTHANREAL。RuleIV。Thenominalandrealamountofsalariesoughttocorrespond。
Inotherwords,nodeductionoughttobemadefromtherealvalueofasalary,withoutreducingitsnominalamount。ThepracticewhichhasfrequentlybeenadoptedinEngland,ofreducingtherealvalueofsalariesandpensionsbytaxesandotherdeductions,whilethenominalamountofthesalarieshasremainedunaltered,hasgivenrisetothisrule。
Insomeinstances,thedeductionsthusmadehaveamountedtoone—thirdofthenominalsalary。
Noadvantagearisesfromthisarrangement,butitsinconveniencesarenumerous。Inthefirstplace,itisanevil。Insofarasitspreadsanexaggeratedideaofthesacrificesmadebythepublic,andtheexpenseincurredundertheheadofsalaries。
Withrespecttothepublicfunctionaries,itisaneviltopossessanincomegreaterinappearancethanreality。Theerroneousconceptionshenceentertainedoftheirwealth,imposesuponthem,indeferencetopublicopinion,thenecessityofkeepingupacorrespondentestablishment:underthepenaltyofbeingconsideredniggardly,theyarecompelledtobeextravagant。Itistrue,thepublicareawareingeneral,thatsalariesandpensionsaresubjecttodeductions;buttheyareoftentimesonlyacquaintedwithapartofthedeductions,andtheyseldominsuchcasesenterintominutecalculations。[1]
Inthismanner,thedifferencebetweenthenominalandrealvalueofasalarytendstoproduceanincreaseinthewantsoftheindividualemployed。Calltheamountofhissalarywhatitreallyis,andbewillbeatease,buteverynominaladditionwillproveacostlyornament。Iftheopportunityofillicitprofitbepresentedtohim,suchnominaladditionwillbeanincentivetocorruption;andshouldhenotbedishonest,itwillproveacauseofdistress。
Theremedyissimpleasefficacious:thechangeneedonlybeinwords。
RRBook2Chapter6TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterVICOUPLEBURTHENWITHBENEFIT。RuleV。Theexpensesofanofficeoughttobedefrayedbythosewhoenjoythebenefitoftheservicesrenderedbytheoffice。
TheauthoroftheWealthofNations,ininvestigatingthemannerinwhichtheexpenseofservicesoughttobedivided,hasshownthatinsomecasesitoughttobedefrayedbythepublic———inothers,exclusivelybythosewhoimmediatelyreapthebenefitoftheservice。Hehasalsoshownthatthere———isaclassofmixedcases,inwhichtheexpenseoughttobedefrayedpartlybythepublic,andpartlybytheindividualswhoderivetheimmediatebenefit。Tothisclassbelongspubliceducation。
Therulejustlaiddownseemsscarcelytostandinneedofproof。Itmay,however,beusefultomentionthemodesinwhichitmaybeviolated;as———1。When,foraservicerenderedtoonepersonorsetofpersons,theobligationofpaymentisimposeduponanother。Thisispartlythecaseofdissenterswhosupporttheirownclergy,insofarastheyareobligedtopayforthesupportoftheclergyofthatestablishedsectfromwhichtheydissent。2。When,foraservicerenderedtoacertainnumberofindividuals,theobligationofpaymentisimposeduponthepublic:
forexample,theexpensesofatheatre,whollyorinpartpaidoutofthepublicpurse。3。When,forservicerenderedtothepublic,theobligationofpaymentisimposeduponanindividual。
Withrespecttothisthirdcase,theexamplesarebuttooabundant。
I。Themostremarkableexamplewillbefoundintheadministrationofjustice。Atfirstsight,itmaybethoughtthathewhoobtainsaverdictinhisfavourreapstheprincipal,oreventheonlyadvantagetobeobtained;andthereforethatitisreasonableheshouldbeartheexpenseincurred———thatheshouldpaytheofficersofjusticeforthetimetheyhavebeenemployed。ItisinthismannerthatthesubjectappearedeventoAdamSmith。(B。v。sec。2。)Uponacloserexamination,weshalldiscoveranimportanterror。Theindividualinwhosefavouraverdictisgiven,ispreciselytheindividualwhohasreceivedleastbenefit:settingasidetherewardspaidtotheofficersofjustice,bowmanyotherexpenses,whichthenatureOfthingsrenderinevitable,remain!Itisbewho,atthepriceofhistime,hiscare,andhismoney,haspurchasedthatprotectionwhichothersreceivefornothing。
Supposethatamongamillionpersonstherehavebeen,forexample,athousandlawsuitsinayear:withouttheselawsuits———withoutthejudgmentswhichterminatethem,injusticewouldhavehadnothingtoholditincheckbutthedefensiveenergyofindividuals。Amillionactsofinjusticewouldhavebeenperpetratedinthesametime。Butsince,bymeansofthesethousandjudgments,amillionactsofinjusticehavebeenprevented,itisthesamethingasifeachcomplainanthadhimselfpreventedathousand。Becausehehasrenderedsoimportantaservice———becausehehasexposedhimselftosomanymishaps,tosomuchtroubleandexpense,doeshedeservetobetaxed?Itisasthoughthemilitiawhodefendthefrontiersshouldbeselectedtobeartheexpensesofthecampaign。
``Whogoethawarfareanytimeathisowncharges?’’
saithSt。Paul。Itisthepoorlitigantwhomakeswaruponinjustice,whopursuesitbeforethetribunalsathisownrisk,andwhoismadetopayfortheservicewhichisrenderedbyhim。
Whensuchexpensesarethrownuponadefendant,unjustlydraggedintothelitigiouscontention,thecaseisyetworse:
insteadofanythinghavingbeendoneforhisadvantage,hehasbeentormented,andheismadetopayforhavingbeentormented。
Iftheexpensesarealtogetherthrownuponthepartywhoisfoundtohavedonewrong(althoughitoftenhappens,owingtotheuncertaintyeitherofthefactsorofthelaw,thattherehasbeennowilfulwrongoneitherside,)thiscannotbedoneatfirst:thispartycanonlybeknownattheterminationofthesuit。Butthensuchajudgmentwouldbeapunishment;andthereisachancethatsuchapunishmentmaynotbedeserved;anotherchance,thattheindividualmaynotbeina。conditiontosupportit;anotherchance,thatitwillbeeithertoogreatortoolittle。[1]
II。Asanotherviolationofthisrule,maybecitedthepracticeoftakingfees,ascarriedoninmostcustom—houses,andwhichconstitutedagreatabuseinthoseofEngland,previouslytothereformintroducedbyMr。Pitt。Manyoftheofficers,notreceivingsalariessufficientfortheirmaintenance,wereallowedtomakeupthedeficiencybyfeesreceivedfortheirownadvantage。Thiscustomhadanappearanceofreason。``Wepassyourmerchandisethroughthecustom—house’’,theymighthavesaid;
``andyououghttopayforthisservice。’’Butthisreasonisdeceptive。
``Withoutthiscustom—house’’,themerchantsmighthavereplied,``ourmerchandisewouldhavegonestraightforward。Itisnotforouradvantagethatthiscostlydepotisestablished———itisforthegeneralwantsoftheState;theState,therefore,whichyouserve,oughttopayyou,andnotus,whomyoutormentwithyourservices,whichweshouldbeveryhappytodowithout。’’Butitmaybesaid,thisexpensemustbebornebysomebody:
whyshoulditnotbebornebythesemerchantsaswellasanybodyelse?
Becauseitisapartialandunequaltax。Taxesuponmerchandisearegenerallyinproportiontothevalueofthegoods;thisabusivetaxseldomisso。
Arichmerchantdoesnotfeelit;heisreimbursedbythesaleofhisgoods:
apoorindividualisoppressedbythissecondcontribution,whichhefindsisnecessarytopaytotheclerkafterhehaspaidwhatisduetotheExchequer;
anditwithreasonappearstohimthemoreodious,becauseitisoftentimesarbitrary。
III。Inconclusion,asalastexampleoftheviolationofthisrule,wementiontheemolumentsoftheclergy,insofarastheyconsistoftithes。Iftheservicesoftheclergycontributetothemaintenanceofpublicmorality,andobediencetothelaws,eventhosetowhomtheseservicesarenotpersonallydirectedarebenefitedbythem———theyareusefultothewholestate:theirexpense,whateveroughttobeitsamount,oughttobebornebythewholecommunity。
Distributedasthisexpenseisatpresent,underthesystemoftithes,insuchmannerthateveryoneknowsbowmuchandtowhombepaysit,noadvantageisderivedfromthisknowledge;whilsttheinconveniencesarebuttoomanifest,inthathatredwhichsofrequentlysubsistsbetweentheparishionersandtheirminister,theshepherdandhisflock;bymeansofwhichhislabours,solongasthisenmitysubsists,arerenderedworsethanuseless。Werethisexpensetobedefrayedfromthegeneralsourceofthepublictreasure,thesescandalousdissensionswouldbeavoided;
andwhethertherevenuesweremoreorlessample,itwouldbepossibletopreserveamorejustproportionbetweenthemandthedifferentdegreesoflabour,insteadoffloatingasatpresentbetween£;20and£;20,000
perannum,underthedirectionofchance。[2]
RRBook2Chapter7TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterVIIBYEMOLUMENTSEXCLUDECORRUPTION。RuleV。Inemploymentswhichexposethepublicfunctionarytopeculiartemptations,theemolumentsoughttobesufficienttopreservehimfromcorruption。
Settingasideallconsiderationsofthehappinessoftheindividual,theinterestofthepublicrequires,thatinallemploymentswhichaffordthemeansofillicitgain,theindividualsemployedshouldbeplacedabovewant。Ifthisimportantconsiderationbeneglected,weoughtnottobesurprisedthatmenurgedonbyperpetuallyrecurringwantsshouldabusethepowerstheypossess。Undersuchcircumstances,iftheyarefoundguiltyofextortionandpeculation,theyarelessdeservingofblamethanthatgovernmentwhichhasspreadthesnareintowhichitwasscarcelypossiblethattheirprobityshouldnotfall。Placedbetweenthenecessityofprovidingthemeansofsubsistence,andtheimpossibilityofprovidingthemhonestly,theywillnaturallybeledtoregardpeculationandextortionasalawfulsupplement,tacitlyauthorizedbythegovernment。
Theexamplesofthismischievouseconomy,andoftheinconveniencesresultingfromit,aremorefrequentinRussiathanunderanyotherEuropeangovernment。
``M。deLaunay(Farmer—generalunderFrederickII。)representedtothekingthatthesalariesofthecustom—houseofficersweretoosmallfortheirsubsistence,andthatitwouldbebutjusticetoaugmentthem;beadded,thathecouldinsuretohisMajestythateveryonewouldthendischargehisdutybetter,andthattheaggregatereceiptsinalltheofficeswouldbelargerattheendoftheyear。’’———``Youdonotknowmysubjects’’,saidFrederick;``theyareallrogueswheremyinterestsareinquestion。Ihavethoroughlystudiedthem,andIamsuretheywouldrobmeatthealtar。Bypayingthembetter,youwoulddiminishmyrevenues,andtheywouldnotrobmeless’’。———``Sire’’,repliedM。deLaunay,``howcantheydootherwisethansteal?Theirsalariesarenotenoughtobuythemshoesandstockings!apairofbootscoststhemamonth’spayatthesametime,manyofthemaremarried。Andwherecantheyobtainfoodfortheirwivesandfamilies,ifitisnotbyconnivingatthesmugglers?
Thereis,Sire,amostimportantmaxim,whichinmattersofgovernmentistoofrequentlyneglected。Itis,thatmeningeneraldesiretobehonest;
butitisalwaysnecessarytoleavethemtheabilityofbeingso。IfyourMajestywillconsenttomakethetrialIpropose,Iwillengagethatyourrevenueswillbeaugmentedmorethanafourth,’’Themaximinmorals,thusbroughtforwardbyM。deLaunay,appearedtotheking,———beautifulandjustasitreallyisinitself,———somuchthemoreexcellentfrombeinginthemouthofafinancier;sincemenofthisclassarenotingeneralreputedtoknowmanysuch。Heauthorizedtheexperiment;heincreasedthesalariesoftheofficersbyahalf,andhisrevenueswereincreasedathirdwithoutanynewtaxes。[1]
Asalaryproportionatetothewantsofthefunctionaryoperatesasakindofmoralantiseptic,orpreservative。Itfortifiesaman’sprobityagainsttheinfluenceofsinisterandseductivemotives。
Thefearoflosingitwillingeneralbemorethanequivalenttotheordinarytemptationsheldoutbyillicitgains。
Butintheestimationofaman’swants,itisnotmerelytowhatisabsolutelynecessarythatourcalculationoughttobeconfined;———FabriciusandCincinnatusarenottheproperstandardstobeselected;theactualstateofsocietyoughttobeconsidered;theaveragemeasureofprobitymustbeourrule。Publicopinionassignstoeverypublicfunctionaryacertainrelativerank;and,whetherreasonablyornot,expectsfromhimanexpenditurenearlyequaltothatofpersonsinasimilarrank,Ifhebecompelledtoactindefianceofpublicopinion,hedegradesandexposeshimselftocontempt———apunishmentsomuchthemoreafflictive,inproportionashisrankiselevated。Wantskeeppacewithdignity。Destituteofthelawfulmeansofsupportinghisrank,hisdignitypresentsamotiveformalversation,andhispowerfurnishesthemeans。Historyaboundswithcrimes,theresultofthisill—judgedpolicy。
Ifajustificationberequiredfortheextraordinarilyhighsalaries,whichitiscustomarytopaytothesuprememagistrateswhoarecalledKings,itwillbefoundintheprinciplesabovelaiddown。TheAmericans,bydenominatingtheirchiefmagistrateaPresident,havetherebymadeasmallsalary,comparedwithwhatispaidinEnglandtothesovereign,answereverypurposeofalargeone。Why?BecausethedignityOfthepresidentiscomparedwiththatoftheotherofficersoftherepublic,whilstinEuropethedignityofthesovereignismeasuredbyasortofcomparisonwiththatofotherkings。Ifhewereunabletomaintainacertainpompamidsttheopulenceofhiscourtiers,hewouldfeelhimselfdegraded。CharlesIl。,torelievehimselffromtherestrictionsimposeduponhimbytheeconomyofparliament,soldhimselftoaforeignpotentate,whoofferedtosupplyhisprofusion。Thehopeofescaping,fromtheembarrassmentsintowhichhehadplungedhimself,drovehim,likeaninsolventindividual,tocriminalresources。Thismistakeneconomyoccasionedtheexpenseoftwosuccessivewars,terminatinginapeacemore。disastrous,perhaps,thaneitherofthewars。Ourstrengthwaswastedinoppressinganecessaryally,insteadofbeingemployedincheckingtheambitionofarival,withwhomwehadafterwardstocontendwithdiminishedresources。
ThustheestablishmentoftheCivilList,thoughitsamountmayappearlarge,maybeconsideredasameasureofgeneralsecurity,Itistrue,thatthesumnecessarytopreventCharlesII。fromsellinghimself,or,inotherwords,theamountwhichinthisinstancewouldhaveoperatedasamoralantiseptic,orpreservative,couldnothavebeenveryaccuratelycalculated。Agreaterorlessportionofthisantisepticmustbeemployed,inproportionasthereexistsagreaterorlessproclivitytowardscorruption,Experienceisthetouchstoneofallcalculationsinthisrespect。Providedtheseabusesareguardedagainst,alowscaleofsalariescanneverbeanevil;itmustbeagood。Ifthesalarybenotasufficientrewardfortheservicetobeperformed,theofficewillnotbeaccepted:ifitbesufficient,everythingwhichisaddedtoitsamount,issomuchlavishedinpurewaste。
RRBook2Chapter8TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterVIIIGIVEPENSIONSOFRETREAT。RuleVII。Pensionsofretreatoughttobeprovided,especiallywhentheemolumentsallowedarenotmorethansufficienttomeettheabsolutewantsofthefunctionary。[1]
Pensionsofretreatarerecommendedbyconsiderationsofhumanity,justice,andgoodeconomy:theymoreovertendtoinsuretheproperdischargeofduty,andconstituteasourceofresponsibilityonthepartoftheindividualsemployed。
1。Therearemanycasesinwhichitisnotdesirablethatapublicfunctionaryshouldcontinuetobeemployedafterhisactivityandcapacityhavebecomeimpaired。Butsincetheinfirmitiesofagetendtoincreasehiswants,thisisnotthetimeinwhichhewillbeabletoretrenchhisexpenditure;andhewillbeinducedbythisconsideration,inhisoldageandimpotency,tocontinuetoendeavourtoperform,withpain,andevenwithdisgrace,thedutiesofastationwhichinhismaturityhehadfilledwithpleasureandreputation。Towaittillhevoluntarilyresigns,istoexpectaspeciesofsuicide;todismisshimwithoutapensionofretreat,is,inthesupposedstateofhisfaculties,aspeciesofhomicide。
Apensionofretreatremovesallthesedifficulties:itisadebtofhumanity,paidbythepublictoitsservants。
2。Bymeansofthesepensions,thescaleofallsalariesmaybelowerthanotherwise,withoutproducinganyilleffectuponthequalityoftheservicesrendered:theywillconstituteaniteminthecalculationwhicheveryindividualmakes。Inthemeantime,governmentwillobtainfromall,atalowprice,services,theulteriorcompensationforwhich,onaccountofthecasualtiesofhumanlife,willonlybereceivedbyafew。Itisalotteryinwhichtherearenoblanks。
3。Inallemploymentsfromwhichtheindividualsareremovableatpleasure,thepensionofretreat,inconsequenceoftheapproachoftheperiodatwhichitwillbecomenecessaryordue,willaddanincreasingvaluetothesalary,andaugmenttheresponsibilityoftheindividualemployed。Shouldbebetemptedtomalversation,itwillbenecessarythattheprofitderivablefromhismalversationshouldcompensatewithcertainty,notonlyforthelossofhisannualsalary,butalsoforthevalueofhisfuturepensionofretreat:hisfidelityisthussecuredtothelastmomentofhiscontinuinginoffice。
4。Weoughtnottoforgetthehappinessinsuredtothepersonsemployed,resultingfromthesecuritygiventothembytheprovisionthusmadeagainstthatperiodoflifewhichismostmenacedwithweaknessandneglect。Henceanhabitualdispositiontoperformthedutiesoftheirofficewithalacritywillarise;theywillconsiderthemselvesaspermanentlyprovidedfor,andfixedinasituationinwhichalltheirfacultiesmaybeappliedtothedischargeofitsduties,withoutbeingturnedasidebyvagueapprehensionsoffuturedistress,andthedesireofimprovingtheircondition,whichsooftenleadsindividualssuccessivelytotrydifferentstations。Anotheradvantagetothegovernment:insteadofbeingbadlyservedbynovices,itwillpossessabodyofexperiencedfunctionaries,expertandworthyofitsconfidence。
Theamountofthesepensionsoughttoberegulatedbyfixedrules,otherwisetheywillbecomeasourceofabuse:officeswillbebestowedforthesakeofthepension,insteadofthepensionbeingbestowedforthesakeoftheoffice。Theyoughtalsotoincreaseaccordingtothelengthofservice,leavingatalltimesaninducementtocontinuedexertion;
withoutwhichprecaution,theservicesofexperiencedindividuals,whichitmightbedesirabletoretain,wouldfrequentlybelost。RRBook2Chapter9TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterIXOFTHESALEOFOFFICES。Ifitbedesirablethatthepublicservantsshouldbecontentedwithsmallsalaries,itismoredesirablethattheyshouldbewillingtoservegratuitously,andmostdesirablethattheyshouldbewillingtopayforthelibertyofserving,insteadofbeingpaidfortheirservices。Suchisthesimplebutconclusivetrainofargumentinfavourofthevenalityofoffices,abstractlyconsidered。
Suchanarrangementisattendedwithanotheradvantage。
Asumlaidoutinthepurchaseofanofficerendersthepurchaserresponsibleinahigherdegreethanhewouldbe,werehetoreceiveasalaryequalto,orevenexceedinginamount,theinterestofthemoneyhehaspaid。
Thelossofasalarypaidbythepublic,ismerelythecessationofsomuchgain;thelossofanofficewhichhasbeenpurchased,isthepositivelossofsomuchcapitalwhichtheindividualhasactuallypossessed。Theimpressionproduceduponthemindbythesetwospeciesoflossiswidelydifferent。Thecessationofagainisgenerallymuchlessseverelyfelt,thanalosstoacorrespondingamount。Thegainwhichdependsuponexternalcircumstancesisalwaysprecarious———itcannotbereckoneduponwithcertainty;
ontheotherband,ifanindividualhavepurchasedanofficewithhisowncapital,helooksuponitasabsolutelyhisown;itcomestoberegardedasacertain,fixed,andpermanentsourceofrevenue,andasidentifiedwithhisoriginalproperty,uponwhichbehasalwaysreckoned。
Whenamanpurchasesanoffice,itmaybefairlypresumedthathepossessesappropriateaptitudeforthedischargeofitsduties。Aretherepecuniaryemolumentsattachedtoanoffice,———theofficemaybeacceptedforthesakeoftheseemoluments。Aretherenopecuniaryemoluments,———theofficecanbedesiredonlyonaccountofitsduties,orofthenaturalrewardsofhonourandpowerwhichareinseparablefromit。Such,atleast,istheordinarystateofthings。itis,however,possiblethatsuchanofficemightbedesiredasameansofobtainingsomehiddenprofitprejudicialtothepublic:butthiswouldbeaparticularcase,whoseexistenceoughttobeestablishedbyproof。
Itisnotbynamesalonethatwecandeterminewhetheritbemostadvantageousforthepublic,thatofficesshouldwithoutemolumentsbegivenaway,orwhenwithemolumentsshouldbesold:thisquestioncanonlybedeterminedbyanaccurateaccount,exhibitingthebalanceofthesumspaidandreceived。If,however,therebeanyofficeswithoutemoluments,forwhichpurchaserscanbefound,———wereitpossibletosellpurelyhonoraryappointments,officesconnectedwithpublicpompandshow,itwouldbeentirelyconsistentwithgoodeconomy:itwouldbetoconvertataxuponhonour,unfeltbyanyone,butestablishedinfavourofthepurchasers,intohardcash。Ataxwouldthusbelevieduponvanity。
Thegainwouldbereal,thoughthebargain,likethatoftheLaplandsorcerers,wereonlyforbagsofwind。