Asitrespectsofficesofwhichtheemolumentsarefixed,thequestionofeconomyissimple:theamountoftheemolumentsdoesnotdifferfromaperpetualrent。Butwhenanofficeissold,theprofitsofwhich,whetherreceivedfromthepublicorlevieduponindividuals,areuncertaininamount,thisuncertaintycausesapresumptionagainsttheeconomyofthebargain:itisdisadvantageoustothepublictobesubjecttouncertainexpenses,anditisnotprobablethattheseuncertainprofitswillsellforsolargeapriceaswouldwillinglybepaidforasalaryequaltotheiraverageamount。
Again,astoemolumentsderivedsolelyfromindividuals。
Theseareaspeciesoftaxoftencreatedandalienatedatthesametimeinfavouroftheoffice。Thegeneralpresumptioncannotbutbeunfavourabletotaxesimposedundersuchcircumstances。Informertimes,whenthescienceofpoliticaleconomywasinitscradle———whentaxesandthemethodsofcollectingthemwerelittleunderstood———governmentshavefrequentlythusalienatedlargebranchesofthepublicrevenue:temptbyanimmediatesupply,theyeitherdidorwouldnotregardtheextentofthesacrificestheymade。
ThehistoryofFrenchfinanceisrepletewithinstancesofthiskind。ThecustomsofOrleans,whichwereoriginallypurchasedbyaDukeofOrleansfor60,000francs,afterwardsyieldedtohisposterityayearlyrevenueofmorethan1,000,000francs。
Thevenalityofofficesinthatkingdomhadanexceedinglycomplex,andconsequentlyexceedinglyvicious,system。Theofficesconferringhereditarynobilityespeciallymischievous,sincethisnobilityamultitudeofexemptions。Theypaidnotaxes。Henceeverycreationofnobilitywasatax,equalinvaluetotheexemptiongranted,thrownuponthosewhocontinuedliabletopaythem。
Shouldthepriceforwhichanofficeissoldformapartoftheemolumentsoftheheadoftheoffice,andnotbereceivedbythepublic,thiswouldmakenodifferenceinthequestionofeconomyasrespectsgivingandselling。Thattheproduceofthesaleisafterwardswasted,isanaccidentunconnectedwiththesale。Theemolumentsreceivedbytheheadofthedepartmentmaybetoolargeornot:ifnottoolarge,thepublicgainsbytheoperation;since,insuppressingthesale,itwouldbenecessarytoincreasehisemolumentsbyothermeans:iftoolarge,theexcessmightbemadeapplicabletothepublicservice。TheSaleofOfficesconsideredwithrespecttoparticulardepartments。Publicopinionisatpresentadversetothesaleofpublicoffices。Itmoreparticularlycondemnstheirsaleinthethreegreatdepartmentsofwar,law,andreligion。Thisprejudicehasprobablyarisenfromtheimproperusetowhichithassometimesbeenapplied;butwhetherthisbethecaseornot,theuseofthewordvenal,seldomifeverbutinanodiousanddysolgysticsense,hastendedtopreserveit。
``Hewhohasboughttherightofjudgingwillselljudgment’’,isthesortofreasoninginuseuponthissubject。Insteadofanargument,itisonlyanepigram。ThemembersoftheFrenchparliamentswerejudges,andtheypurchasedtheirplaces;itdidnotbyanymeansfollowthattheyweredisposedtoselltheirjudgments,orthattheycouldhavedonesowithimpunity。Thegreaternumberoftheseparliamentswereneverevensuspectedofhavingsoldthem。Countriesmayhoweverbecited,inwhichthejudgessellbothjusticeandinjustice,thoughtheyhavenotboughttheirplaces。Theuprightnessofajudgedoesnotdependuponthese,butuponothercircumstances。Ifthelawsbeintelligibleandknown———iftheproceedingsofthejudgesarepublic———ifthepunishmentforinjusticesurpasstheprofittobereapedfromit,judgeswillbeupright,eventhoughtheypurchasetheiroffices。
InEngland,therearecertainjudicialofficeswhichthejudgessell——sometimesopenly,sometimesclandestinely。Thepurchasersoftheseofficesextractfromthesuitorsasmuchastheycan:iftheyhadnotpurchasedtheirplaces,theywouldnothaveendeavouredtoextractless。Themischiefis,notthatthisrightofplunderingissold,butthattherightexists。
IntheEnglisharmy,thesystemofvenalityhasbeenadopted。Militarycommissions,fromtherankofensigntothatoflieutenantcolonel,aresold,withpermissiontothepurchaserstore—sellthem。Theepigramuponthejudgesisnotappliedhere。Thecomplaintis,thatthepatrimonyofmeritisinvadedbywealth。Butitoughttoberecollected,thatinthiscareertheopportunitiesforthedisplayofmeritdonotoccureveryday。Itisonlyuponextraordinaryoccasionsthatextraordinarytalentscartbedisplayed;andwhentheseoccur,therecanbenodifficulty,evenunderthissystem,ofbestowingproportionateandappropriaterewards。
Besides,thoughthepatrimonyofmeritshouldbythismeansbeinvadedbywealth,itwouldatthesametimebedefendedfromfavouritism———adivinityinlessesteemeventhanwealth。Thecircumstancewhichoughttorecommendthesystemofvenalitytosuspiciouspoliticiansis,thatitdiminishestheinfluenceofthecrown。Thewholecircleoverwhichitextendsissomuchreclaimedfromtheinfluenceofthecrown。Itmaybecalledacorruption,butitservesasanantidotetoacorruptionmoretobedreaded。
Itisthesaleofecclesiasticalofficeswhichhasoccasionedthegreatestoutcry。Ithasbeenmadeaparticularsin,towhichhasbeengiventhenameofsimony。IntheActsoftheApostles,weareinformedthatatSamariatherewasamagiciannamedSimon,towhosegainfulpracticesanimmediatestopwasputbythepreachingandmiraclesofPhilip,oneofthedeaconsofthechurchofJerusalem,whohadbeendriventoSamariabypersecution。Simon,therefore,regardingPhilipasamorefortunaterival,enrolledhimselfamongthenumberofhisproselytes,andwhentheapostlesPeterandJohncamedownfromJerusalem,andbythelayingonoftheirhandscommunicatedtothedisciplesthegiftoftheHolyGhost,Simon,desirousofpossessingsomethingmorethantherest,offeredtothemmoney,saying,``Givemealsothispower,thatonwhomsoeverIlayhands,hemayreceivetheHolyGhost。’’UponwhichPeterseverelyreprimandedhim;andthemagician,suppleashewasintriguing,askedforgiveness———andthushishistorycloses。Itisnowheresaidthathewaspunished。
Uponthestrengthofthisstory,theRomanCatholicchurchhasconvertedtheactofbuyingorsellingecclesiasticalbeneficesintoasin;andtheEnglishlaw,copyingfromtheCatholicchurch,hasconstitutedsuchanactacrime。AstheRomanCatholicchurch,amongCatholics,isinfallible,astothemitmusthavedecidedrightlywhenitdeclaredsuchactstobesinful。Oursubject,however,leadsusonlytotheconsiderationofthelegalcrime:andbetweenthiscrimeandtheoffenceofSimonMagus,thereisnothingincommon。Presentationtoaliving,andthereceptionoftheHolyGhost,arenotthesamethings。Ifitbetheobjectofthislawtoexcludeimproperpersons,moredirect,simple,andefficaciousmeansmightbeemployed:theirqualificationsmightbeascertainedbypublicexaminations;theirgoodconductbythepreviouspublicationoftheirnames,withlibertytoalltheworldtoobjectagainstthem。Theirmoralandintellectualcapacitybeingthusproved,whyshouldtheynotbeallowedtopurchasetheemployment,ortodischargeitgratuitously?Anidiotonceadmittedtopriest’sorders,mayholdanecclesiasticalbenefice;butwereamangiftedlikeanapostletogivefiveguineastobepermittedtodischargethedutiesofthatbenefice,hewouldbebornedownbytheoutcryagainstthesimonybehadcommitted。
What,then,istheeffectoftheseanti—simoniacallaws?Apriestmaynotpurchaseabeneficeforhimself;buthisfriend,whetherpriestorlayman,maypurchaseitforhim:Hemaynotpurchasethepresentationtoavacantbenefice;buthemaypurchasetherightofpresentationtoabeneficefilledbyadyingman,orbyapersoningoodhealthwhowillhavethecomplaisancetoresign。andreceiveitagainwithanobligationagaintoresignwheneverhispatronrequiresit。Inreadingtheseself—styledanti—simoniacallaws,itisdifficulttodiscoverwhethertheyareintendedtoprohibitortoallowthepracticeofsimony。Theironlyrealeffectsaretoencouragedeceptionandfraud。Blackstonecomplainsoftheirinexecution:bedidnotperceivethatalawwhichisnotexecutedisridiculous。
RRBook2Chapter10TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterXOFQUALIFICATIONS。Wehavealreadyseenthatasalarymaybeemployedasameansofinsuringtheresponsibilityofanindividual,andasamoralantiseptictopreservehimfromtheinfluenceofcorruption。Bythesaleofoffices,ithasbeenseenthattheactualexpenseofasalarymaybediminished,andevenreducedtonothing。Itisthereforeevidentthattheimportantcircumstanceis,thattheindividualshouldpossesstherequisiteportionofthepreciousmatterofreward,andnotthatitshouldhavebeengiventohim。Ifhepossessitofhisown,somuchthebetter;andthemorehealreadypossesses,thelessisitnecessarytogivehim。InEngland,sucharetheattractionsofpoweranddignity,thatthenumberofcandidatesfortheirpossessionhasbeenfoundsolarge,thatithasbeenthoughtdesirabletolimittheselectiontothenumberofthosewhopossesstherequiredquantityofthismoralantiseptic;andthiscircumstancehasgivenbirthtowhathavebeencalledqualifications。
Themostremarkableandimportantofficestowhichthesepecuniaryqualificationshavebeenattached,arethoseofjusticesofthepeaceandmembersofparliament。Ajusticeofthepeaceoughttopossessatleast£;100perannumoflandedproperty。Thereisnoreasonableobjectionagainstthislaw。Theofficeisoneofthoseforwhichanordinarilyliberaleducationissufficient。Itisatthesametimesuchanoffice,thattheindividualinvestedwithitmightdomuchmischiefwerehenotrestrainedbypowerfulmotives。
Asaqualificationforthemoreimportantofficeofmemberofparliament,thelawrequiresofthememberforaboroughorcityasimilarqualificationof£;300perannum,andofthememberforacountyof£;600perannum。Thiscasedifferswidelyfromtheother。Sufficienttalentforcarryingthelawsintoexecutionispossessedbyamultitudeofindividuals;butfewareabletodeterminewhatlawsoughttobeframed。Thescienceoflegislationisstillinitscradle———ithasscarcelybeenbeguntobeformedinthecabinetsofphilosophers:amonglegislatorsinname,scarcelyanyotherpracticecanbefoundthanthatofchildren,whointheirprattlecopywhattheyhavelearnedoftheirnurses。Thatasciencemaybelearned,amotiveisnecessary;thatthescienceoflegislationmaybelearned,orrathermaybecreated,motivessomuchthemorepowerfularenecessary,asthisscienceismostrepulsiveandthorny。Forthepursuitofthisstudy,anardentandperseveringmindisrequired,whichcanscarcelybeexpectedtobeformedinthelapofease,ofluxury,andofwealth。Amongthosewhosewantshavebeenforestalledfromtheircradle———amongthosewhobecomelegislatorstogratifytheirvanityorrelievetheirennui———therecanscarcelybefoundonewhocouldbecalledalegislatorwithoutmockeryHowshallhewhopossesseseverythingwithoutthetroubleofthinking,beledtosubjecthimselftothelabourofthought?Ifbedesirablethatlegislatorsshouldbemenofenlargedandwell—instructedminds,theymustbesoughtamongthosewhopossessbutlittlewealth———amongthosewho,oppressedwiththeirinsignificance,arestimulatedbyambition,andevenbyhunger,todistinguishthemselves;
theymustbesoughtamongthosewhopossessthehabitsofCyrusandnotofSardanapalus。Amongthechildrenofluxury,ofwhomthegreatmassofsenatorschosenbyarichpeoplewillalwaysbecomposed,therearebutfewwhowillundergothefatigueofstudyingthelessonswhich,attheexpenseofsomuchlabour,havebeenfurnishedthembyBeccariaandAdamSmith!Ifitbeexpected,then,thatfromamongitnumbertherivalsofthesegreatmastersshouldbefound?Qualificationsinthiscasetendtoexcludetheindividualsendowedwiththegreatestmoralandintellectualcapacity。
Thereasons,however,infavourofqualificationsareplausible。Itisalleged,thatthepossessionofacertainpropertytendstoguaranteetheindependenceofitspossessor,andthatinnoothersituationisindependencemoredesirablethaninthatofadeputyappointedtowatchoveranddefendtheinterestsofthepeopleagainsttheencroachmentsoftheexecutivepower,suppliedasthatpoweralmostnecessarilyiswithsomanymeansofseduction。Tothisitmaybereplied,thatitisnotthepooralonewhoareliabletobeseduced:multitudespossessingpropertyexceedinginvaluethequalificationsrequired,arebiassedbytheseductiveinfluenceofplacesandpensions,whilstthepoorremainunmoved。
Alawofthisnature,whoseeffect,wereitstrictlyexecuted,wouldbetoexcludethemostcapable,ismadetobeevaded,andinfacthasconstantlybeenevaded:amongthosewhohaveactedthemostconspicuouspartsintheBritishHouseofCommons,manyhavebeenabletoenterthereonlybyanevasionofthislaw。Meansmightbeprovidedwhichwouldaffordaperfectguaranteeagainstsuchevasions;buthappily,uponthis,asuponmanyotheroccasions,theveilthathidesfromhumanweaknessthedistantinconveniencesofbadlaws,hidesalsothemeansnecessaryforrenderingsuchlawsefficacious。
Someyearsago,amember,thehonestyofwhoseintentionscouldnotbedoubted,proposedtoaugmentthequalificationsforcitiesandboroughsfrom£;300to£;600perannum。Theproposition,afterhavingmadeconsiderableprogress,felltotheground。Iknownotwhetherthishappenedfromaconvictionofitstriflingutility,orfromoneofthoseaccidentswhichinthatslipperypathequallybefallthemostusefulandmostmischievousprojects。
Whenthegreatestpossiblefreedomisgiventopopularsuffrage,andevenwhennocorruptinfluenceisused,thepopularemploymentofwealth,beingofallspeciesofmeritthatofwhichpeopleingeneralarebestqualifiedtojudge,andmostdisposedtoesteem,therenaturallyexistsanaristocracyofwealth。Isitdesirablethatthisaristocracyshouldberenderednecessaryandcomplete。?
RRBook2Chapter11TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterXIOFTRUSTANDCONTRACTMANAGEMENT。Thecapacityoftheindividualstodischargethedutiesrequiredofthemhavingbeenascertained,andthemostintimateconnexionbetweentheirinterestandthedischargeofthesedutieshavingbeenestablished,theonlydesirablecircumstanceremainingistoreducetheamountoftheemolumentstobepaidforthedischargeofthesedutiestothelowestterm。
Supposetheamountexpendedinthepurchaseofagivenservicetobeacertainsum,andthatanindividualequallycapableofrenderingthisservice,shouldoffertorenderitatlessexpense:isthereanygoodreasonforrefusingsuchanoffer?Icandiscovernone。Theacceptanceofsuchapropositionistheacceptanceofacontract:theservicethusagreedtobeperformed,issaidtobecontractedfor,orlettofarm。Tothismethod,themodeofobtainingservicesbyemployingcommissionersandmanagers,isopposed。
Generalreasoningsuponthissubjectareinsufficienttodeterminewhichofthesetwooppositesystemswillbemostadvantageousinanyparticulardepartment:thenatureoftheservicemustbeascertained,beforethequestioncanbedecided。
Ifweconfineourselvestogeneralprinciples,contractsmustbepreferredtocommissions。Underthesystemofcontracts,theinterestsaboutwhichtheindividualisemployedarehisown;whilst,underthesystemofcommissions,theinterestsaboutwhichheisemployedremaintheinterestsofthestate;thatis,theinterestsofanother。Inthefirstcase,thesub—functionariesemployedaretheservantsofanindividual;
intheother,theyaretheservantsofthepublic———fellow—servantsofthosewhoaretowatchoverthem。``Buttheservantsofthemostnegligentmaster’’,saysAdamSmith,``arebettersuperintendedthantheservantsofthemostvigilantsovereign。’’Ifthiscannotbeadmittedasaninfalliblerule,itisatleastmorefrequentlytruethanotherwise。
Publicopinionis,however,butlittlefavourabletothesystemofcontracts。Thesavingswhichresulttothestateareforgotten,whilsttheprofitsreapedbythefarmersarerecollectedandexaggerated。
Uponthissubject,theignorantandthephilosopher———thosewhojudgewithoutthought,andthosewhopretendtohaveexaminedthesubject———arenearlyagreed。Theobjectionswhichtheybringforwardagainstcontractors(fortheyrelatetoindividualsratherthantothesystem)aresufficientlyspecious。
I。Thecontractorsarerich。Iftheyareso,thisisnotthefaultofthesystem,butoftheconditionsofthebargainmadewiththem。
II。Thecontractorsareostentatiousandvain。
Andiftheyburstwithvanity,whatthen?Suchinappreciable,orratherimaginaryevils,cannotbebroughtintopoliticalcalculations。Theirvanitywillfindasufficientcounterpoiseandpunishmentinthevanityofthosewhomtheyincommode,whilsttheirostentationwilldistributetheirwealthamongthosewhomitemploys。
III。Thecontractorsexciteenvy。Thisisthefaultofthosewhoareenvious,andnotofthecontractors:itisanotherimaginaryevil,inoppositiontowhichmaybeplacedthepleasureofdetraction。
Besides,ifthecontractsareopentoall,unlessimprovidentbargainsaremadethroughfavour,corruption,orignorance,rapidfortuneswillnotoftenbeaccumulatedbycontractors:shouldtheystillbecomerich,itwillbebecausetheyhavedeservedit。
IV。Contractorsneverfindthelawstooseveretoinsurethecollectionofthetaxesforwhichtheyhavecontracted。Theywillprocuresevereandsanguinarylawstobeenacted。Ifthelawsaresevereandsanguinary,thelegislatureisinfault,andnotthecontractors。
Whetherthetaxesaremanagedbycontractorsorcommissioners,itisequallyproperthatthemostefficacioussystemoflawsfortheircollectionshouldbeestablished;andcertainlysevereandsanguinarylawsarenotthemostefficacious。Contractors,therefore,arenotlikelytoseektheenactmentofthemostseverelaws:therearemanyreasonsforsupposingthecontrarywillbethecase。Thebetterthelawisexecuted,thatistosay,themorecertainlypunishmentfollowsthetransgressionofthelaw,thelesssevereneeditbe。Butundertheinspectionofthecontractor,whohassostronganinterestinitsexecution,thelawhasabetterchanceofbeingputinexecution,thanwhenundertheinspectionofacommissionerwhohassolittle,ifany,interestinthematter。Uponthispointitisimpossibletoimaginebywhatmeanstwointerestscanbemoreintimatelyconnected,thanthoseofthecontractorandthestate。Itistheinterestofthecontractorthatallwhoillegallyevadethepaymentofthetaxesshouldbepunished:
thisalsoistheinterestofthestate。Butitcanneverbetheinterestofthecontractortopunishtheinnocent:thiswouldtendtoexcitethewholepeopleagainsthim。Ofeveryspeciesofinjustice,thisisonewhichisleastlikelytomeetwithtranquilandacquiescentspectators。
AdamSmith,whohasadoptedalltheseobjections,littlecalculatedastheyseemtometoappearinsuchaworkashis,alsocontendsthat``thebestandmostfrugalwayoflevyingatax,canneverbebyfarm。’’[1]Ifthisweretrue,itwouldbeaconclusivereasonagainsteverlettingtaxestofarm,anditwouldbeuselesstoseekforothers。Whenafactisproved,itisuselesstotroubleone’s—selfwithprejudicesandprobabilities。
Itistrue,thatwithoutthehopeofgain,nocontractorwouldundertaketocollecttheproduceofatax,andtomaketheadvancesrequired。Butwhenceoughttheprofitofthefarmertorise?ThisiswhatAdamSmithhasnotexamined。Hesupposesthatthestatewouldmakethesameprofit,byestablishinganadministrationunderitsowninspection。
Thetruthofthissuppositionisaltogetherdoubtful。Thepersonalinterestofaministeristohaveasmanyindividuals,thatistosay,asmanydependants,employedunderhimaspossible———thattheirsalariesshouldbeaslargeaspossible;andhewilllosenothingbytheirnegligence。Theinterestofthefarmer,orcontractor,istohaveasfewindividualsemployedunderhimaspossible,andtopayeachonenomorethanhedeserves;andbewilllosebyeveryinstanceoftheirnegligence。Inthesecircumstances,thoughnogreateramountshouldbereceivedfromthepeoplethanwouldhavebeencollectedbythestate,acontractormightreasonablyhopetofindasourceofprofit。
AdamSmithhasattacked,withasmuchforceasreason,thepopularprejudicesagainstthedealersincorn,soodiousandsomuchsuspectedunderthenameofforestallers。Hehasshownthattheinterestofthepublicismostintimatelyconnectedwiththenatural,almostnecessary,interestsofthissuspectedclassofmerchants。Hemightwithequaljusticehaveextendedhisprotectiontofarmersofthepublicrevenue,aclassofmennearlyaslittlebeloved。
Ineverybranchofpolitics,andespeciallyinsowideafieldashissubjectembraced,itwasnearlyimpossiblethatbeshouldexamineeverythingwithhisowneyes:itwasalmostofnecessitythathewassometimesguidedbygeneralopinion。Thisseemstometohavehappeneduponthisoccasion。Heforgotinthisinstancetoapplytheprinciplealreadycited,andofwhichhehadelsewheremadesuchbeautifulapplications。Ihadmyselfoncewrittenanessayagainstfarmersoftherevenue;Ihavethrownitintothefire,forwhichaloneitwasfit。IknownothowlongIshouldhaveretainedtheopinionsitadvocated,hadInotbeenbetterinstructedbyAdamSmith。{Note}
RRBook2Chapter12TheRationaleofRewardBookIIRewardsAppliedtoOfficesChapterXIIOFREFORMS。Theemolumentsannexedtoanyofficebeingshowntobeinexcess,andthemischiefsresultingfromsuchanexcessbeingascertained,thenextquestionwhichoccursis,Whatremedyoughttobeapplied?Themostobviousanswerisashortone:strikethemoffatonce。Butthusunqualified,thisanswerisfarfrombeingtheproperone。
Reformisthepracticalconclusionexpectedastherewardforallthelabourbestowedontheexaminationofthesetheoreticpropositions。Uponthissubject,nothingfurtherremainsbuttopointoutonelimitation,withoutwhicheveryreformcanonlybeagreaterabusethanthewholeofthosewhichitpretendstocorrect。Thislimitationis,thatnoreformoughttobecarriedintoeffectwithoutgrantingcompleteindemnitytothosewhoseemolumentsarediminished,orwhoseofficesaresuppressed;———inaword,thattheonlylegitimatebenefittobederivedbythepublicfromeconomicalreform,consistsintheconversionofperpetualintolifeannuities。
Willitbesaid,thattheimmediatesuppressionoftheseofficeswouldbeagaintothepublic?Thiswouldbeameresophism。
Thesuminquestionwould,withoutdoubt,begainedbythepublic,ifitcamefromabroad,ifitwereobtainedbycommerce&;c。;butitisnotgainedwhenitistakenfromindividualswhoformapartofthatsamepublic。
Wouldafamilybericher,becausethefatherdisinheritedoneofhischildren,thathemightthemorerichlyendowtheothers?Inthisinstance,asthedisinheritingofonechildwouldincreasetheinheritanceoftheothers,themischiefwouldnotbewithoutsomecountervailingadvantage;itwouldbeproductiveofgoodtosomepartofthefamily。Butwhenitrelatestothepublic,theemolumentsofasuppressedplacebeingdividedamongstthewholecommunity,———thegain,beingdistributedamongamultitude,isdividedintoimpalpablequantities;whilsttheloss,beingconfinedtoone,isfeltinitsentiretybyhimwhosupportsitalone。Theresultoftheoperationisinnorespecttoenrichthepartywhogains,whilstitreducesthepartywholosestopoverty。Insteadofoneplacesuppressed,supposeathousand,ortenthousand,orahundredthousand,———thetotaldisadvantagewillremainthesame:theplundertakenfromthousandswillhavetobedistributedamongmillions;yourpublicplaceswillbefilledwithunfortunatecitizenswhomyouwillhaveplungedintoindigence,whilstyouwillscarcelyseeoneindividualwhoissensiblyenrichedinconsequenceofallthesecrueloperations。Thegroansofsorrowandthecriesofdespairwillresoundoneveryside;theshoutsofjoy,ifanysuchareheard,willnotbetheexpressionsofhappiness,butofthatmalevolencewhichrejoicesintheagonyofitsvictims。
Bywhatmeansdoindividualsdeceivethemselvesandothersintothesanctionofsuchmischievousacts?Itisbyhavingrecoursetocertainvaguemaxims,consistingofamixtureoftruthandfalsehood,andwhichgivetoaquestion,initselfsimple,anappearanceofdeepandmysteriouspolicy。Theinterestofindividuals,itissaid,mustgivewaytothepublicinterest。Butwhatdoesthismean?Isnotoneindividualasmuchapartofthepublicasanyother?Thispublicinterest,whichisthuspersonified,isonlyanabstractterm;itonlyrepresentstheaggregateofindividualinterests:theymustallbetakenintotheaccount,insteadofconsideringapartasthewhole,andtherestasnothing。
Ifitwerepropertosacrificethefortuneofoneindividualtoaugmentthatoftheothers,itwouldbestillmoredesirabletosacrificeasecondandathird,andsoontoanygreaternumber,withoutthepossibilityofassigninglimitstotheoperation;since,whatevernumbermayhavebeensacrificed,therestillremainsthesamereasonforaddingonemore。Inaword,theinterestofthefirstissacred,ortheinterestofnoonecanbeso。
Theinterestsofindividualsaretheonlyrealinterests。Takecareofindividuals;nevermolestthem———neversufferthemtobemolested,andyouhavedoneenoughforthepublic。
Amongthemultiplicityofhumanaffairs,individualshaveoftenbeeninjuredbytheoperationofparticularlaws,withoutdaringtocomplain,orwithoutbeingabletoobtainahearingfortheircomplaints,onaccountofthisvagueandfalsenotion,thattheinterestofindividualsoughttogivewaytothepublicinterest。Consideredasaquestionofgenerosity,bywhomoughtthisvirtuetobedisplayed?Byalltowardsone———orbyonetowardsall?Which,then,isthemostselfish———hewhowouldpreservewhathealreadypossesses———orhewhowouldseize,evenbyforce,whatbelongstoanother?
Anevilfelt,andagoodunfelt,———suchistheresultofthosemagnificentreforms,inwhichtheinterestsofindividualsaresacrificedtothoseofthepublic。
Theprinciplesherelaiddown,itmaybesaid,areapplicabletoofficesandpensionsheldforlifebutnottoofficesandpensionsheldduringpleasure,andwhichconsequentlymayberevokedatanytime。Maynotthesebereformedatanytime?No:
thedifferencebetweenthetwoisonlyverbal。Inallthosecasesinwhichithasbeencustomaryforthoseplaceswhicharegrantedduringpleasuretobeheldforlife,thoughthepossessormayhavebeenledtoexpectothercausesofremoval,behasneverexpectedthis。``Mysuperior’’,behassaidtohimself,``maydismissme,Iknow;butIflattermyselfIshallneverdeservetobedismissed;Ishallthereforeretainmyofficeforlife。’’
Hencethedismissionofsuchanindividualwithoutindemnity,isasgreatanevil,asmuchunforeseen,andequallyunjust,asintheformercase。
Tothesereasons,arisingfromjusticeandhumanity,maybeaddedaprudentialconsideration。Bysuchindemnification,theinterestsofindividualsandthepublicarereconciled,andabetterchanceofsecuringthelatterisobtained。Assurethosewhoareinterestedthattheyshallnotbeinjured,———theywillbeamongtheforemostinfacilitatingreforms。
Bythusremovingthegrandobstacleofcontraryinterests,thepoliticianpreventsthoseclandestineintrigues,andprivatesolicitations,whichsooftenarresttheprogressofthenoblestplans。
ItwasthusthatLeopold,theGrandDukeofTuscany,proceeded。``NotwithstandingthemultitudeofreformsintroducedbyhisRoyalHighnesssincehisaccessiontothethrone,therehasnotbeenasingleofficereformedinTuscany,theholderofwhichhasnoteitherbeenplacedinsomeotheroffice,[equaltothatsuppressed,mustbeunderstood]orwhohasnotreceivedasapensionasalaryequalinvaluetotheemolumentsofhisoffice。’’[1]Uponsuchconditions,thepleasureofreformispure:nothingishazarded;goodonlyisaccomplished;
atleasttheprincipalobjectissecured,andthehappinessofnooneisinterrupted。
RR,Book3,Chapter1TheRationaleofRewardBookIIIRewardAppliedtoArtandScienceChapterIArtandScience桪ivisionsAcloudofperplexity,raisedbyindistinctanderroneousconceptions,seemsatalltimestohavebeenhangingovertheimportofthetermsartandscience。Thecommonsuppositionseemstohavebeen,thatinthewholefieldofthoughtandaction,adeterminatenumberofexistingcompartmentsareassignable,markedoutallround,anddistinguishedfromoneanotherbysomanysetsofnaturalanddeterminateboundarylines:thatofthesecompartmentssomearefilled,eachbyanart,withoutanymixtureofscience;othersbyascience,withoutanymixtureofart;andothers,again,aresoconstituted,that,asithasneverhappenedtothemhitherto,soneithercaniteverhappentotheminfuture,tocontaininthemanythingeitherofartorscience。
Thissuppositionwill,itisbelieved,befoundineveryparterroneous:asbetweenartandscience,inthewholefieldofthoughtandaction,noonespotwillbefoundbelongingtoeithertotheexclusionoftheother。Inwhatsoeverspotaportionofeitherisfound,aportionoftheothermaybealsoseen;whatsoeverspotisoccupiedbyeither,isoccupiedbyboth梚soccupiedbytheminjointtenancy。Whatsoeverspotisthusoccupied,issomuchtakenoutofthewaste;andthereisnotanydeterminatepartofthewholewastewhichisnotliabletobethusoccupied。
Practice,inproportionasattentionandexertionareregardedasnecessarytodueperformance,istermedart。Knowledge,inproportionasattentionandexertionareregardedasnecessarytoattainment,istermedscience。
Intheverynatureofthecase,theywillbefoundsocombinedastobeinseparable。Mancannotdoanythingwell,butinproportionasheknowshowtodoit:hecannot,inconsequenceofattentionandexertion,knowanythingbutinproportionashehaspractisedtheartoflearningit。Correspondenttherefore,toeveryart,thereisatleastonebranchofscience;correspondenttoeverybranchofscience,thereisatleastonebranchofart。
Thereisnodeterminatelineofdistinctionbetweenartontheonehand,andscienceontheother;nodeterminatelineofdistinctionbetweenartandscienceontheonehand,andunartificialpracticeandunscientificknowledgeontheother。Inproportionasthatwhichisseentobedone,ismoreconspicuousthanthatwhichisseenorsupposedtobeknown,梩hatwhichhasplaceisapttobeconsideredastheworkofart:inproportionasthatwhichisseenorsupposedtobeknown,ismoreconspicuousthananythingelsethatisseentobedone,梩hatwhichhasplaceisapttobesetdowntotheaccountofscience。Daybyday,actinginconjunction,artandsciencearegainingupontheabove—mentionedwaste梩hefieldofunartificialpracticeandunscientificknowledge。Takencollectively,andconsideredintheirconnexionwiththehappinessofsociety,theartsandsciencesmaybearrangedintwodivisionsviz。?。Thoseofamusementandcuriosity;2。Thoseofutility,immediateandremote。Thesetwobranchesofhumanknowledgerequiredifferentmethodsoftreatmentonthepartofgovernments。
Byartsandsciencesofamusement,Imeanthosewhichareordinarilycalledthefinearts;suchasmusic,poetry,painting,sculpture,architecture,ornamentalgardening,&;c。&;c。
Theircompleteenumerationmustbeexcused:itwouldleadustoofarfromourpresentsubject,werewetoplungeintothemetaphysicaldiscussionsnecessaryforitsaccomplishment。Amusementsofallsortswouldbecomprisedunderthishead。
Customhasinamannercompelledustomakethedistinctionbetweentheartsandsciencesofamusement,andthoseofcuriosity。
Itisnot,however,propertoregardtheformerasdestituteofutility:
onthecontrary,thereisnothing,theutilityofwhichismoreincontestable。
Towhatshallthecharacterofutilitybeascribed,ifnottothatwhichisasourceofpleasure?Allthatcanbeallegedindiminutionoftheirutilityis,thatitislimitedtotheexcitementofpleasure:theycannotdispersethecloudsofgrieforofmisfortune。Theyareuselesstothosewhoarenotpleasedwiththem:theyareusefulonlytothosewhotakepleasureinthem,andonlyinproportionastheyarepleased。
Byartsandsciencesofcuriosity,Imeanthosewhichintrutharepleasing,butnotinthesamedegreeasthefinearts,andtowhichatthefirstglancewemightbetemptedtorefusethisquality。
Itisnotthattheseartsandsciencesofcuriositydonotyieldasmuchpleasuretothosewhocultivatethemasthefinearts;butthenumberofthosewhostudythemismorelimited。Ofthisnaturearethesciencesofheraldry,ofmedals,ofpurechronology梩heknowledgeofancientandbarbarouslanguages,whichpresentonlycollectionsofstrangewords,梐ndthestudyofantiquities,inasmuchastheyfurnishnoinstructionapplicabletomorality,oranyotherbranchofusefuloragreeableknowledge。
Theutilityofalltheseartsandsciences,桰speakbothofthoseofamusementandcuriosity,梩hevaluewhichtheypossess,isexactlyinproportiontothepleasuretheyyield。Everyotherspeciesofpreeminencewhichmaybeattemptedtobeestablishedamongthemisaltogetherfanciful。Prejudiceapart,thegameofpush—pinisofequalvaluewiththeartsandsciencesofmusicandpoetry。Ifthegameofpush—pinfurnishmorepleasure,itismorevaluablethaneither。Everybodycanplayatpush—pin:
poetryandmusicarerelishedonlybyafew。Thegameofpush—pinisalwaysinnocent:itwerewellcouldthesamebealwaysassertedofpoetry。Indeed,betweenpoetryandtruththereisnaturalopposition:falsemoralsandfictitiousnature。Thepoetalwaysstandsinneedofsomethingfalse。Whenhepretendstolayhasfoundationsintruth,theornamentsofhissuperstructurearefictions;hisbusinessconsistinstimulatingourpassions,andexcitingourprejudices。Truth,exactitudeofeverykindisfataltopoetry。Thepoetmustseeeverythingthroughcolouredmedia,andstrivetomakeeveryoneelsedothesame。Itistrue,therehavebeennoblespirits,towhompoetryandphilosophyhavebeenequallyindebted;buttheseexceptionsdonotcounteractthemischiefswhichhaveresultedfromthismagicart。
Ifpoetryandmusicdeservetohepreferredbeforeagameofpush—pin,itmustbebecausetheyarecalculatedtogratifythoseindividualswhoaremostdifficulttobepleased。
Alltheartsandsciences,withoutexception,inasmuchastheyconstituteinnocentemployments,atleastoftime,possessaspeciesofmoralutility,neitherthelessrealorimportantbecauseitisfrequentlyunobserved。Theycompetewith,andoccupytheplaceofthosemischievousanddangerouspassionsandemployments,towhichwantofoccupationandennuigivebirth。Theyareexcellentsubstitutesfordrunkenness,slander,andtheloveofgaming。
TheeffectsofidlenessupontheancientGermansmaybeseeninTacitus。Hisobservationsareapplicabletoalluncivilizednations:forwantofotheroccupationsthewagewaruponeachother梚twasamoreanimatedamusementthanthatofthechase。Thechieftainwhoproposedamartialexpedition,atthefirstsoundofhistrumpetrangedunderhisbannersacrowdofidlers,towhompeacewasaconditionofrestraint,oflanguor,andofennui。Glorycouldbereapedonlyinonefield梠pulenceknewbutoneluxury。Thisfieldwasthatofbattle梩hisluxurythatofconqueringorrecountingpastconquests。Theirwomenthemselves,ignorantofthoseagreeableartswhichmultiplythemeansofpleasing,andprolongtheempireofbeauty,becametherivalsofthemenincourage,and,minglingwiththeminthebarbaroustumultofamilitarylife,becameunfeelingasthey。
Itistothecultivationoftheartsandsciences,thatwemustingreatmeasureascribetheexistenceofthatpartywhichisnowopposedtowar:ithasreceiveditsbirthamidtheoccupationandpleasuresfurnishedbythefinearts。Thesearts,sotospeak,haveenrolledundertheirpeacefulbannersthatarmyofidlerswhichwouldhaveotherwisepossessednoamusementbutinthehazardousandbloodygameofwar。
Suchisthespeciesofutilitywhichbelongsindiscriminatelytoalltheartsandsciences。Wereittheonlyreason,itwouldbeasufficientreasonfordesiringtoseethemflourishandreceivethemostextendeddiffusion。
Iftheseprinciplesarecorrect,weshallknowhowtoestimatethosecritics,moreingeniousthanuseful,who,underpretenceofpurifyingthepublictaste,endeavoursuccessivelytodeprivemankindofalargerorsmallerpartofthesourcesoftheiramusement。Thesemodestjudgesofeleganceandtasteconsiderthemselvesasbenefactorstothehumanrace,whiletheyarereallyonlytheinterruptersoftheirpleasure梐
sortofimportunatehosts,whoplacethemselvesatthetabletodiminish,bytheirpretendeddelicacy,theappetiteoftheirguests。Itisonlyfromcustomandprejudicethat,inmattersoftaste,wespeakoffalseandtrue。
Thereisnotastewhichdeservestheepithetgood,unlessitbethetasteforsuchemploymentswhich,tothepleasureactuallyproducedbythem,conjoinsomecontingentorfutureutility:thereisnotastewhichdeservestobecharacterizedasbad,unlessitbeatasteforsomeoccupationwhichhasamischievoustendency。
ThecelebratedandingeniousAddisonhasdistinguishedhimselfbyhisskillintheartofridiculingenjoyments,byattachingtothemthefantasticideaofbadtaste。IntheSpectatorhewagesrelentlesswaragainstthewholegenerationoffalsewits。
Acrostics,conundrums,pantomimes,puppet—shows,bouts—rimé;s,stanzasintheshapeofeggs,ofwings,burlesquepoetryofeverydescription梚naword,athousandotherlightandequallyinnocentamusements,fallcrushedunderthestrokesofhisclub。And,proudofhavingestablishedhisempireabovetheruinsoftheseliterarytriflesheregardshimselfasthelegislatorofParnassus!What,however,wastheeffectofhisnewlaws?Theydeprivedthosewhosubmittedtothem,ofmanysourcesofpleasure梩heyexposedthosewhoweremoreinflexible,tothecontemptoftheircompanions。
EvenHumehimself,inspiteofhisproudandindependentphilosophy,hasyieldedtothisliteraryprejudice。``Byasing1epiece,’’
sayshe,``theDukeofBuckinghamrenderedagreatservicetohisage,andwasthereformerofitstaste!’’Inwhatconsistedthisimportantservice?
Hehadwrittenacomedy,TheRehearsal,theobjectofwhichwastorenderthosetheatricalpieceswhichhadbeenmostpopular,theobjectsofgeneraldistaste。Hissatirewascompletelysuccessful;butwhatwasitsfruit?Theloversofthatspeciesofamusementweredeprivedofsomuchpleasure;amultitudeofauthorscoveredwithridiculeandcontempt,deplored,atthesametime,thelossoftheirreputationandtheirbread。
Astheamusementofaministerofstate,itmustbeconfessedthatamoresuitableonemightbefoundthanagameatsolitaire。
StillamongthenumberofitsamateurswasoncefoundPotemkin,oneofthemostactiveandrespectedRussianministersofstate。Iseeasmileofcontemptuponthelipsofmanyofmyreaders,whowouldnotthinkitstrangethatanyoneshouldplayatcardsfrom揺vetillmorn?provideditwereincompany。Buthowincomparablysuperioristhissolitarygametomanysocialgames梥ooftenantisocialintheirconsequences!Thefirst,apureandsimpleamusement,strippedofeverythinginjurious,freefrompassion,avarice,loss,andregret。Itisgamingenjoyedbysomehappyindividuals,inthatstateinwhichlegislatorsmaydesire,butcannothopethatitwilleverbeenjoyedbyallthroughoutthewholeworld。Howmuchbetterwasthisministeroccupiedthanif,withtheIliadinhishand,hehadstirredupwithinhishearttheseedsofthoseferociouspassionswhichcanonlybegratifiedwithtearsandblood。
Asmengrowold,theylosetheirrelishforthesimpleamusementsofchildhood。Isthisareasonforpride?Itmaybeso梬hentobehardtoplease,andtohaveourhappinessdependentonwhatiscostlyandcomplicated,shallbefoundtobeadvantageous。ThechildwhoisbuildinghousesofcardsishappierthanwasLouisXIV。whenbuildingVersailles。
Architectandmasonatonce,masterofhissituationandhismaterials,healtersandoverturnsatwill。Diruit,edificat,mutatquadratarotundis:
andallthisattheexpenseneitherofgroansnormoney。Theproverbialexpressionofthegamesofprinces,mayfurnishuswithstrongreasonsforregrettingthatprincesshouldeverceasetolovethegamesofchildren。
ArewardwasofferedbyoneoftheRomanemperorstowhoeverwouldinventanewpleasure,andbecausethisemperorwascalledNero,orCaligula,ithasbeenimputedtohimasacrime:
asifeverysovereign,andeveneveryprivateindividual,whoencouragesthecultivationoftheartsandscienceswerenotanaccompliceinthiscrime。Theemploymentofthosecritics,towhomwehavebeforereferred,tendstodiminishtheexistingstockofourpleasures:thenaturaleffectofincreasingyears,istorenderusinsensibletothosewhichremain:
bythosewhoblametheofferoftheRomanemperor,thesecriticsshouldbeesteemedthebenefactorsofmankind,andoldagetheperfectionofhumanlife。
Inleaguewiththesecriticsarethetribeofsatirists梩hosegenerousmen,whowithoutotherrewardthanthepleasureofhumblinganddisfiguringeverythingwhichdoesnotpleasethem,haveconstitutedthemselvesreformersofmankind!TheonlysatireIcouldreadwithoutdisgustandaversion,wouldbeasatireontheselibellersthemselves。Theiroccupationconsistsinfomentingscandal,andindisseminatingitspoisonsthroughouttheworld,thattheymaybefurnishedwithpretextsforpouringcontemptuponeverythingthatemploysorinterestsothermen。Byblackeningeverythingandexaggeratingeverything(foritisbyexaggerationtheyexist)theydeceivethejudgmentsoftheirreaders:梚nnocentamusements,ludicrouseccentricities,venialtransgressionsandcrimes,arealikeconfoundedandcoveredwiththeirvenom。Theirdesignistoeffaceallthelinesofdemarcation,alltheessentialdistinctionswhichphilosophyandlegislationhavewithsomuchlabourtraced。Foronetruth,wefindathousandodioushyperbolesintheirworks。Theyneverceasetoexcitemalevolenceandantipathy:
undertheirauspicesoratleastundertheinfluenceofthepassionswhichanimatethem,languageitselfbecomessatirical。Neutralexpressioncanscarcelybefoundtodesignatethemotiveswhichdeterminehumanactions:
tothewordsexpressiveofthemotive,suchasavarice,ambition,pride,idleness,andmanyothers,theideaofdisapprobationissoclosely,thoughunnecessarily,connected,thatthesimplementionofthemotiveimpliesacensure,evenwhentheactionswhichhaveresultedfromithavebeenmostinnocent。Thenomenclatureofmoralsissotincturedwiththeseprejudices,thatitisnotpossible,withoutgreatdifficultyandlongcircumlocutions,simplyandpurely,withoutreprobationorapprobation,toexpressthemotivesbywhichmankindaregoverned。Henceourlanguages,richintermsofhatredandreproach,arepoorandruggedforthepurposesofscienceandofreason。Suchistheevilcreatedaudaugmentedbysatiricwriters。
Amongrichandprosperousnations,itisnotnecessarythatthepublicshouldbeattheexpenseofcultivatingtheartsandsciencesofamusementandcuriosity。Individualswillalwaysbestowuponthesethatportionofrewardwhichisproportionedtothepleasuretheybestow。
Whilstastotheartsandsciencesofimmediateandthoseofmoreremoteutility,itwouldnotbenecessary,norperhapspossible,topreservebetweenthesetwoclassesanexactlineofdemarcation,thedistinctionsoftheoryandpracticeareequallyapplicabletoall。
Consideredasmatteroftheoryeveryartorscience,evenwhenitspracticalutilityismostimmediateandincontestable,appearstoretireintothedivisionofartsandsciencesofremoteutility。Itisthusthatmedicineandlegislation,artssotrulypractical,consideredunderaparticularaspect,appearequallyremoteinrespecttotheirutilitywiththespeculativesciencesoflogicandmathematics。
Ontheotherhand,thereisabranchofscienceforwhich,atfirst,aplacewouldscarcelyhavebeenfoundamongtheartsandsciencesofcuriosity,butwhich,cultivatedbyindustrioushands,hasatlengthpresentedthecharactersofincontestableutility。桬lectricity,which,whenfirstdiscovered,seemeddestinedonlytoamusecertainphilosopherbythesingularityofitsphenomena,hasatlengthbeenemployedwithmoststrikingsuccessintheserviceofmedicine,andintheprotectionofourdwellingsagainstthosecalamities,forwhichignorantandaffrightedantiquitycouldfindnosufficientcausebutthespecialangerofthegods。
Thatwhichgovernmentoughttodofortheartsandsciencesofimmediateandremoteutility,maybecomprisedinthreethings?。Toremovethediscouragementsunderwhichtheylabour;2。Tofavourtheiradvancement;3。Tocontributetotheirdiffusion。
RR,Book3,Chapter2TheRationaleofRewardBookIIIRewardAppliedtoArtandScienceChapterIIArtandScience———AdvancementThoughdiscoveriesinsciencemaybetheresultofgeniusoraccident,andthoughthemostimportantdiscoveriesmayhavebeenmadebyindividualswithoutpublicassistance,theprogressofsuchdiscoveriesmayatalltimesbemateriallyacceleratedbyaproperapplicationofpublicencouragement。Themostsimpleandefficaciousmethodofencouraginginvestigationsofpuretheory梩hefirststepinthecareerofinvention,consistsintheappropriationofspecificfundstotheresearchesrequisiteineachparticularscience。
Itmay,atfirstsight,appearsuperfluoustorecommendsuchameasureasthis,sincetherearefewstateswhichhavenotsometimesmadesuchappropriations,andsinceallgovernments,inproportionastheyhavebecomeenlightened,havebeenmoreandmoredisposedtoreckonsuchexpensesnecessary。Themostefficaciousmethodsofemployingthelargefundswhichoughtthustobeappropriated,remain,however,tobeexamined。
Itwouldbenecessarythatthefundsapplicabletoagivenscience梒hemistry,forexample梥houldbeconfidedtothestudentsofchemistrythemselves。Theyought,however,tobebestowedintheshapeofreward。Thusthechemist,whouponagivensubjectshouldhaveproducedthebesttheoreticdissertation,mightbeputintopossessionofthesefunds,uponconditionthatheshouldemploytheminmakingtheexperimentswhichhehadpointedout。Whatmorenaturalorusefulrewardcouldbeconferreduponaphilosopher,thanthustobeenabledwithhonourtohimself,tosatisfyatasteorapassionwhichtheinsufficiencyofhisownfortunewouldhaverenderedratheratormentthanapleasure?Histalentsarerewardedbygivinghimnewmeansofincreasingthem。Otherrewardsoftenhaveacontraryeffect:theytendtodistracthisattention,andtogivebirthtooppositetastes。
Ifthismethodofencouragingtheoreticresearcheshasbeenneglected,ithasbeenbecausetheintimateconnexionbetweenthesciencesandarts梑etweentheoryandpractice梙asonlybeenwellunderstoodbyphilosophersthemselves;thegreaternumberofmenrecognisetheutilityofthesciencesonlyatamomentwhentheyareappliedtoimmediateuse。
Theignorantarealwaysdesirousofhumblingthewise;gratifyingtheirself—love,byaccusingthesciencesofbeingmorecuriousthanuseful。
揂llyourbooksofnaturalhistoryareverypretty?saidaladytoaphilosopher,揵utyouhaveneversavedasingleleafofourtreesfromtheteethoftheinsects。?Suchisthefrivolousjudgmentoftheignorant。
Therearemanydiscoverieswhich,thoughatfirsttheymightseemuselessinthemselves,havegivenbirthtothousandsofothersofthegreatestutility。Itisinconductingthesciencestothispoint,thatencouragementsmightthusbeadvantageouslyemployed,insteadofbeingbestowedinwhataregenerallycalledrewards。Whenthediscoveriesofsciencecanbepracticallyemployedintheincreaseofthemassofgeneralwealth,theyreceivearewardnaturallyproportionedtotheirutility:itisthereforeforsuchdiscoveriesasarenotthusimmediatelyapplicable,thatrewardismostnecessary。OfthisnaturearemostofthediscoveriesofchemistryIsanewearthdiscovered?梐newair梐newsalt?anewmetal?Theutilityofthediscoveryisatfirstconfinedtothepleasureexperiencedbythoseinterestedinsuchresearches。Thisordinarilyisallthebenefitreapedbythediscoverer:occupiedinmakingfurtherdiscoveries,heleavesittootherstoreaptheirfruits。Itisthosewhofollowhim,whoapplythemtothepurposesofart,andlevycontributionsupontheindividuals,whoaredesirousofenjoyingthefruitsofhislabour。Oughtthemasterworkmanwhoseesnoparticularindividualuponwhomhemaylevyacontribution,thereforetogowithoutreward?
RR,Book3,Chapter3TheRationaleofRewardBookIIIRewardAppliedtoArtandScienceChapterIIIArtandScience?Diffusion。Thesciences,likethearts,mayexpandintwodirections梚nsuperficiesandinheight。Thesuperficialexpansionofthosescienceswhicharemostimmediatelyuseful,ismosttobedesired。Thereisnomethodmorecalculatedtoacceleratetheiradvancement,thantheirgeneraldiffusion:
thegreaterthenumberofthosebywhomtheyarecultivated,thegreatertheprobabilitythattheywillbeenrichedbynewdiscoveries。Feweropportunitieswillbelost,andgreateremulationwillbeexcitedintheircultivation。
Supposeacountrydividedintodistricts,somewhatsimilartotheEnglishcounties,butmoreequalinsize,sayfromthirtytofortymilesindiameter,梩hefollowingisthesystemofestablishmentswhichoughttobekeptupinthecentraltownofeachdistrict:?Aprofessorofmedicine。Aprofessorofsurgeryandmidwifery。Anhospital。Aprofessoroftheveterinaryart。Aprofessorofchemistry。Aprofessorofmechanicalandexperimentalphilosophy。Aprofessorofbotanyandexperimentalhorticulture。Aprofessoroftheotherbranchesofnaturalhistory。Anexperimentalfarm。Thefirstadvantageresultingfromthisplanwouldbetheestablishment,ineachdistrict,ofapractitionerskilledinthevariousbranchesoftheartofhealing。Anhospital,necessaryinitself,wouldalsobefurtherusefulbyservingasaschoolforthestudentsofthisart。
Theveterinaryart,ortheartofhealingasappliedtoanimals,hasonlywithinthesefewyearsbeenseparatelystudiedinEngland。Thefarrierswhoformerlypractiseduponourcattle,weregenerallynobetterqualifiedfortheirdutythantheoldwomenwhomourancestorsallowedtopractiseuponthemselves。Theestablishmentofaprofessoroftheveterinaryartineverydistrictmightevenberecommendedasamatterofeconomy:thevalueofthecattlepreservedwouldmorethancounterbalancethenecessaryexpense。Thisprofessorshipmight,forwantofsufficientfunds,beunitedtooneoftheothers。
Theconnexionsofchemistrywithdomesticandmanu&;cturingeconomyarewellknovn。Theprofessorofthissciencewouldofcoursedirecthisprincipalattentiontothecarryingthispracticalparttoitsgreatestperfection。Hislectureswouldtreatofthebusinessofthedairy;thepreservationofcornandotheragriculturalproductions;thepreservationofprovisionsofallsorts;thepreventionofputrefaction,thatsubtleenemyofhealthaswellasofcorruptiblewealth;theproperprecautionsforguardingagainstpoisonsofallsorts,whichmaysoeasilybemingledwithourprovisions,orwhichmaybecollectedfromthevesselsinwhichtheyareprepared。Theywouldalsotreatofthevariousbranchesoftrade梠ftheartsofworkinginmetal,ofbreweries,ofthepreparationofleather,andthemanufacturesofsoapandcandles,&;c。&;c。
Botany,toacertaindegree,isnecessaryinthescienceofmedicine:itsuppliesaconsiderablepartofthematerialsemployed。
Ithasasimilarconnexionwithchemistry,andtheartswhichdependuponit。Thecombinedresearchesofthebotanistandchemistwouldincreaseourknowledgeoftheusestowhichvegetablesubstancesmightbeapplied。
Itistothemthatwemustlookforthediscoveryofcheaperandbettermethods,ifsuchmethodsaretobefound,ofgivingdurabilityandtenacitytohempandflaxforthemanufactureoflinens,ropes,andpaper;fordiscoveriesrespectingtheastringentmattersapplicabletothepreparationofleather;
andfortheinventionofnewdyes,&;c。;andsoon,toinfinity。Indeed,itisthebotanistwhomustenabletheagriculturisttodistinguishthemostusefulandexcellentherbsandgrasses,fromthosewhicharelessuseful,orpernicious。
Theprofessorofnaturalhistorycouldalsofurnishabundancenotonlyofcuriousbutusefulinformation。Hewouldteachthecultivatortodistinguish,throughoutallthedepartmentsoftheanimalkingdom,hisalliesfromhisenemies。Hewouldpointoutthehabitsandthedifferentshapesassumedbydifferentinsects,andthemostefficaciousmethodsofdestroyingthem,andpreventingtheirravages。Itmight,however,perhapsappear,werewefullyacquaintedwiththehistoryofalltheanimalswhichdwellwithusuponthesurfaceofthisplanet,thattherewouldbefoundnonewhoseexistencewastousamatterofindifference。