tate of this country,--to make a sort of survey of its
jurisdictions, its estates, and its establishments. Something in every
one of them seemed to me to stand in the way of all economy in their
administration, and prevented every possibility of methodizing the
system. But being, as I ought to be, doubtful of myself, I was resolved
not to proceed in an _arbitrary_ manner in any particular which tended
to change the settled state of things, or in any degree to affect the
fortune or situation, the interest or the importance, of any individual.
By an arbitrary proceeding I mean one conducted by the private
opinions, tastes, or feelings of the man who attempts to regulate. These
private measures are not standards of the exchequer, nor balances of the
sanctuary. General principles cannot be debauched or corrupted by
interest or caprice; and by those principles I was resolved to work.

Sir, before I proceed further, I will lay these principles fairly before
you, that afterwards you may be in a condition to judge whether every
object of regulation, as I propose it, comes fairly under its rule. This
will exceedingly shorten all discussion between us, if we are perfectly
in earnest in establishing a system of good management. I therefore lay
down to myself seven fundamental rules: they might, indeed, be reduced
to two or three simple maxims; but they would be too general, and their
application to the several heads of the business before us would not be
so distinct and visible. I conceive, then,

_First_, That all jurisdictions which furnish more matter of
expense, more temptation to oppression, or more means and
instruments of corrupt influence, than advantage to justice or
political administration, ought to be abolished.

_Secondly_, That all public estates which are more subservient to
the purposes of vexing, overawing, and influencing those who hold
under them, and to the expense of perception and management, than
of benefit to the revenue, ought, upon every principle both of
revenue and of freedom, to be disposed of.

_Thirdly_, That all offices which bring more charge than
proportional advantage to the state, that all offices which may be
engrafted on others, uniting and simplifying their duties, ought,
in the first case, to be taken away, and, in the second, to be
consolidated.

_Fourthly_, That all such offices ought to be abolished as obstruct