Thehonourwhichcementstheirconspiraciesisthepestofsociety。Whyshouldwenotseekinspirethemwiththehighestdegreeofdistrusttowardeachother？———whyshouldwenotarmthemagainsteachother，andmakethemfearlesttheyshouldfindaninformerineveryaccomplice？Whereforeshouldwenotseektofillthemwithadesiretoinformagainstandmutuallytodestroyeachother；sothateachone，uneasyandtremblinginthemidstofhisfellows，shouldfearhiscompanionsasmuchashisjudges，norbeabletohopeforsecuritybutintherenunciationofhiscrimes。Thisisexactlywhattheconsiderationofthepublicwelfarewouldleadustowish；
andifwearetobeturnedasidefromthecareofthisobjectbyregardtothefidelityofthievesandmurdererstotheirengagements，forastillstrongerreason，fromhumanity，oughtwetoabstainfrompunishingtheircrimes。
Beccaria，uponjustground，condemnsthesovereignsandjudges，whoafterhavingenticedanoffendertobecomeaninformer，afterwardsviolatetheirpromise，andrenderitillusory。Inthiscaseweneednotfeartogiveventtothefeelingsofhorrorandindignationwhichsomischievousaproceedinginspires。Itismischievousinthehighestpossibledegree，Itdestroysallfutureconfidenceinsimilaroffers，andrenderspowerlessthismostnecessaryinstrument。Itcements，insteadofweakening，theunionofcriminalsamongthemselves，andcausesgovernmentitselftoappearastheguardianoftheirsociety，byaddingmockerytotherigourofthelaw，bypunishingtheindividualwhohasconfidedinitspromises。
``But’’，saysBeccaria，``societyauthorizestreason，detestedevenbycriminalsamongthethemselves。’’Wehavealreadyseenwhatistobeunderstoodbythistreason。Itisnaturaltocriminalstodetestit———itistheirruin：itoughttobeapprovedbyhonestmen——itistheirsafeguard。Itwillintroducecrimesofcowardiceandbaseness。No：itwillintroduceactsofprudence，ofpenitence，andofpublicutilityitwilloperateasanantidotetoallcrimes。Thesepretendedcrimesofcowardicearemoreinjurioustoanationthanthecrimesofcourage。Thetruthisexactlythereverse：whichproducemostalarminsociety，privatelystealingandswindlingontheonesideorhighwayrobberyandmurderontheother？Thetribunalwhichemploysthisexpedient，discoversitsuncertainty。Itdiscoversthatitcanknownothingwithouthavinglearntit。Bywhatmeanscanajudgeattaintocertaintywithoutwitnesses？Inwhatcountryisitcustomaryforcriminalstomakethejudgestheconfidantsoftheirmisdeedsandtheirplans？Thelawexhibitsitsfeebleness，inimploringtheassistanceevenofhimwhohasbrokenit。
Thelawseekstheoffenderwhofliesfromit：ifthemeansemployedforhisdiscoveryareeffectual，itonlyexhibitsitswisdom。