Full Idea
Man is engaged to establish political society in order to administer justice, without which there could be no peace among them, nor safety, nor mutual intercourse. ...Government has no other purpose but the distribution of justice.
Gist of Idea
The only purpose of government is to administer justice, which brings security
Source
David Hume (Of the Origin of Government [1750], p.28)
Book Reference
Hume,David: 'Selected Essays' [OUP 1996], p.28
A Reaction
The need for a society in order to ensure mutual intercourse sounds like Hobbes, and a pessimism about trust. By 'justice' he means the administration of law.