Benthamwasclearlythevictimofacommondelusion。Ifasystemwillwork，theminutestdetailscanbeexhibited。Therefore，itisinferred，anexhibitionofminutedetailprovesthatitwillwork。Unfortunately，thephilosophersofLaputawouldhavehadnomoredifficultyinfillingupdetailsthanthelegislatorsofEnglandortheUnitedStates。WhenBenthamhadsettledinhis’RadicalReformBill’83*thatthe’voting-box’wastobeadoublecubeofcast-iron，withaslitinthelid，intowhichcardstwoinchesbyone，whiteononesideandblackontheother，couldbeinserted，hemusthavefeltthathehadgotveryneartoactualapplication：hecanpicturethewholeoperationandnobodycansaythattheschemeisimpracticableforwantofworkingplansofthemachinery。Therewill，doubtless，benodifficultyinsettlingtheshapeoftheboxes，whenwehaveonceagreedtohavetheballot。ButadiscussionofsuchremotedetailsofUtopiaisofincomparablylessrealinterestthanthediscussionintheRationaleofEvidenceofpoints，which，howeverminute，wereoccurringeveryday，andwhichwerereallyinurgentneedofthelightofcommon-sense。
Bentham’sgeneralprinciplesmaybeverysimplystated。Theyare，infact，suchasweresuggestedbyhisviewoflegalgrievances。Why，whenhehaddemonstratedthatcertainmeasureswouldcontributetothe’greatesthappinessofthegreatestnumber，’weretheynotatonceadopted?Becausetherulersdidnotdesirethegreatesthappinessofthegreatestnumber。This，inBentham’slanguage，istosaythattheyweregovernedbya’sinisterinterest。’Theirinterestwasthatoftheirclass，notthatofthenation；theyaimedatthegreatesthappinessofsome，notatthegreatesthappinessofall。Ageneralisationofthisremarkgivesusthefirstaxiomsofallgovernment。Therearetwoprimaryprinciples：the’self-preference’principle，invirtueofwhicheverymanalwaysdesireshisowngreatesthappiness；andthe’greatesthappiness’
principle，invirtueofwhich’therightandproperend’ofgovernmentisthe’greatesthappinessofthegreatestnumber。’84*The’actualend’ofeverygovernment，again，isthegreatesthappinessofthegovernors。Hencethewholeproblemistoproduceacoincidenceofthetwoends，bysecuringanidentityofinterestbetweengovernorsandgoverned。Tosecurethatwehaveonlytoidentifythetwoclassesortoputthegovernmentinthehandsofall。85*Inamonarchy，theruleraimsattheinterestofonehimself；
ina’limitedmonarchy’theaimisatthehappinessofthekingandthesmallprivilegedclass；inademocracy，theendistherightonethegreatesthappinessofthegreatestnumber。Thisisashortcuttoallconstitutionalquestions。
Probablyithasoccurredinsubstancetomostyouthfulmembersofdebatingsocieties。Bentham’sconfidenceinhislogicliftshimaboveanyappealtoexperience；andheoccasionallyremindsusoftheproofgiveninMartinChuzzlewitthatthequeenmustliveintheTowerofLondon。The’monarch，’asheobserves，86*