GOPERNMENf, LAWS, 



405. This may serve to show how little Mr. JERRY BENTHAM, 

 the new Mentor of the Westminster Telemachus, knows about 

 the political part of the American governments. Jerry, whose 

 great, and, indeed, only argument, in support of annual parlia 

 ments and universal suffrage, is, that America is so happy under 

 such a system, has, if we were to own him, furnished our enemies 

 with a complete answer ; for, they have, in order to silence him, 

 only to refer to the facts of his argument of happy experience. 

 By silencing him, however, I do not mean, the stopping of his 

 tongue, or pen ; for nothing but mortality will ever do that. 

 This everlasting babbler has aimed a sort of stiletto stroke at me ; 

 for what God knows, except it be to act a consistent part, by 

 endeavouring to murder the man whom he has so frequently 

 robbed, and whose facts and thoughts, though disguised and 

 disgraced by the robber s quaint phraseology, constitute the better 

 part of his book. Jerry, who was made a Reformer by PITT S 

 refusal to give him a contract to build a penitentiary , and to make him 

 prime administrator of penance, that is to say, Beggar- Whipper 

 General, is a very proper person to be toasted by those, who have 

 plotted and conspired against Major Cartwright. Mr. Brougham 

 praises Jerry : that is enough ! 



406. In the four New England States, the qualification was a 

 hundred pounds. But, one of those States, CONNECTICUT, has, 

 to her great honour, recently set an example worthy of the imitation 

 of the other three. A new constitution has, during this year, been 

 formed in that State, according to which all the elections are to be 

 annual : and, as to the suffrage, I will give it in the words of the 

 instrument itself : &quot; Every male white citizen of the United 



States, who shall have gained a settlement in this state, attained 

 the age of twenty-one years, and resided in the town [that is 

 parish in the English meaning] in which he may offer himself 

 to be admitted to the privilege of being an elector, at least six 

 months preceding, and have a freehold estate of the yearly value 

 of seven dollars in this State : OR, having been enrolled in 

 the militia, shall have performed military duty therein for the 

 term of one year, next preceding the time he shall offer himself 

 for admission, or, being liable thereto, shall have been, by 

 authority of law, altogether excused therefrom ; OR, shall 

 have paid a State Tax within the year next preceding the time 

 he shall present himself for admission, and shall sustain a good 

 moral character, shall, on his taking the oath prescribed, be 

 an elector.&quot; 



407. And then, the proof of bad moral character, is, &quot;a con 

 viction of bribery, forgery, perjury, duelling, fraudulent bank 

 ruptcy, theft, or other offences, for which an infamous punish 

 ment is inflicted.&quot; By forgery is not, of course, contemplated 



pujfenti forgery ; for that, as an act of resistance of oppression, is 

 fully justifiable . it is not only not an immoral, but it is a meri 

 torious act. The forgery here meant is forgery committed against 



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