Defence of Usury

Shewing the Impolicy of the Present Legal Restraints on Pecuniary Bargains in a Series of Letters to a Friend. To Which is Added a Letter to Adam Smith, Esq.; LL.D. on the Discouragements opposed by the above Restraints to the Progress of Inventive Industry

Bentham, Jeremy (1748-1832)

Editor/Trans.

First Pub. Date 1787

Publisher/Edition London: Payne and Foss

Pub. Date 1818

Comments 4th edition. First edition used spelling of 'Impolity' in subtitle.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER I. Introduction.

LETTER II. Reasons for Restraint.—Prevention of Usury.

LETTER III. Reasons for Restraint.—Prevention of Prodigality.

LETTER IV. Reasons for Restraint.—Protection of Indigence.

LETTER V. Reasons for Restraint.—Protection of Simplicity.

LETTER VI. Mischiefs of the anti-usurious Laws.

LETTER VII. Efficacy of anti-usurious laws.

LETTER VIII. Virtual Usury allowed.

LETTER IX. Blackstone considered.

LETTER X. Grounds of the Prejudices against Usury.

LETTER XI. Compound Interest.

LETTER XII. Maintenance and Champerty.

LETTER XIII. To Dr. Smith, on Projects in Arts, &c.

Footnotes

The cuneiform inscription in the Liberty Fund logo is the earliest-known written appearance of the word "freedom" (amagi), or "liberty." It is taken from a clay document written about 2300 B.C. in the Sumerian city-state of Lagash.