Star. — London, England, 1817-08-15 00:00:00

then questions, and to which perhaps they would aot make su ready a reply as to those now rat, one however shall suffice. How dr , they propose to relieve the people from the ign-rance, sctstres-, dui inimorathy. with which the country abounds, and which, ri• ro t speedily checked, must soon over wtolm all rani' . gene sal scene of confusion, disorder, and ruin ? I know they have no reply to make, founded on any sound practical ke.ou ledge of the sehject. I should have been delighted beyond any thing which I can now find language to express, to discover that the Govem-Lenr, the Legislature. or any Parties in the country. had possessed' the requisite knowledge and practical experience, trS ternove the physical and mental evils, under whik It we a:4 other nations are now stdretiog. I. patiently and calmly, for rears;) sought for this keowledge, among the most intelli gence enlightened, and experienced% of all classes, eau and parties, in the State. I neglected no source whetever, from whence it appeared to me possible to derive the information required—while thousands of my fellow creatures were most unnecessarily pining in want, and their ottsiiring hourly wasting away before their eyes, I anxi.iusly attended tinthe proceed-1 logs of both Committees or Patliament, to learn if help was near. Soon, Isqwever, to my mortification, I discovered that the knowledge and experience ne cessary to enable them to comprehend this subject, in its various parts, and entire connexion, did nut in any degree exist among them. They speedily in volved themselves in an heterogeneous mass of parti culars, admirably calculated to confound their intel lects, and to disappoint every hope of the,country.— My duty now compels me to say, that were they to proceed thus for a century, they would continue in the d ilk, and remain incompetent to pass one ratio nal legislative act on this vital subject to the well- Leine of the Empire. With such knowledge before toe, and as distinctly before my mental vision as you are now to wiry sight, could I remain a quiet, inactive ooserver? Ought 1 to have held my tongue, and been mute, in deference to unmeaning forms and Custeros ? Nay, with the knowledge permitted me to acquire, should I not have been the most criminal of all human beings, if, regarding any personal con siderations whatever, I had not attempted to make the still small voice of truth heard among my fellow men. It has gone forth, like the Jove lions the ark, never more to return. This truth will not rest in its progress, until it has visited and pervaded all parts of the earth, and its influence will dispel and destroy every pestilential vapour, and whatever is noxious and evil ; and, my friends, it will thus render our country, and all coun tries, a tit abode for 1200114 beings. But, my friends, before this period can arrive, and I now speak to you as a plain practical man, long and intimately ac quainted with the transactions of men, that you have much to ankara—muat to karst. This change in your proceedings, is not. cannot, be created by magic.-- It can be effected only gradually, by individual steps correct principles being carried into actual practice—by imperfect attempts at first, until expe dience shall point out that which is better and more beneficial. 1 bare been long aware—l have so stated it some years ago—that when you should have the new or der of things distinctly placed before your minds, so Is to enable you to compare it with those which have passed, and which exist ; you would become too in patient for the change, that yod would be inclined to destroy your old habitation, before the new one could be erected. and made ready for your reception. To feel thus is natural ; but so to act would be most unwise. From this day forward. I shall have po occasion to urge you to adopt in practice the plans proposed. Your wishes and inclinations to be in the loyal possession of the happiness which they cannot fail to give you and your children, to endless genera. lions. will greatly exceed the present power of human beings to prepare the means to put the plans intone. menu. These considerations, however, should not prevent us from making all the practical preparation possible to relieve us from the existing evils and dis. tress, and replace them with the least loss of time. by those new circumstances, which, without a shadow of doubt, must produce a happiness that the world has not yet experienced ; and of which, none of you can now form a clear and distinct estimate. There are various modes by which the measures now proposed can be cartied into practice ; and Should this Meeting approve of the outlines of the plans which I have submitted so generally to public notice, it has next to consider, which, if any, of the following modes deserve most commen dation ; or whether any other that may be prvosed, from some other quarter, should be recommenced, it equally good ; the adoption of the latter would please itse infinitely more than to see any of mrown prefer red. You know not, my Friends. how I shall rejoice. When you shall sink the individual, and unite him itordially with his fellows. The practical modes that have hitherto suggested themselves to me, or have been mentioned to me by others, are the hollowing : The first plan f shall mention, and it is an admi rable one, has been sent to me by a Mr. James John son, of Chelsea. I have not tote pleasure of knowing this Gentlemen, but whoever he is, and whatever he may be, the letter be has seat me, aad which, u ith your permission, I will now read, evinces a clear un derstanding, a sound judgment, and much ?tactical knowledge. It is as follows : " MR. OWEN, " Stn6-4 have taken the liberty of addressing yon, in conseqoence of trading your very able and judi 'Cious Plan for the Melioration and Employment of the Poor, which has appeared in the public papers, and which does appear to be the best calculated for the general happiness and prosperity of t he n a ti on which can be possibly adopted. No doubt, like all great undertakings, many improvements may suggest themselves from time to time, in the course of its ess, but none but what may be eas il y i ntio d uced j s:v ' t r Zat the slightest impediment to the original de. sign. it wants nothing but the support and protec tion of Government to enable it to be the most effi cient nationar establishment in the kingdom. and would be the means of drawing forth the prayers and gratitude of the poor, and would also m eet t h e .' general approbation of every good individual in the country. It would soon change the frelingsot many thousands of the present unhappy and discontented class of the community into gratitude and respect to wards their superiors, and obedience to the laws of the ceontry. It is distress that first produces indiffe t....ce, and from that, imperceptibly, time to tune, to depravity and desperation, and then general minery gets established throughout the country. " Open once a pr.spect to future comfort, there will not be found any want of patience to wait for the enjoyment of it. My motive for addressing this is, merely to suggest a s•mple plan for raising the means for the accomplishment. 44 I will suppose, by way of foundation, £lOO,OOO will be sufficient either for one establishment, or to be divided into smaller ones, as may be deemed ex-i pedient, the common interest upon t:.is will be £5000.1 'Chest will be but little difficulty, I should imagine, to find one hundred Genth•mrn whir would mast wit •' tingly give every encouiagentent to promote any tin-1 dettakisig that Will add comfort to the Poor. We have proof, and proof sufficient, in every benevolent establishment throughout the kingdom, to evince there never has been any want of liberal feeling when it has been required. U our hundred • persons of sufficient property will undertake the promotion of the plan, it can easily be acconsidisbed in this way Government will ad vance, in the hut instance, the s 11100,00;), and each • of the one hundred persons to consider himself as a kind of Truree to the Lstablishnient, subject to the payment of an anlithil stint of £5O to Government— this will discharge the interest. The Trustees in pro portion as they can, employ on the Establishment the , present unempi .yed Poor, which will give comitle . rable relief to the Po ,r Rates. 44 Tile Trustees then shall have a power to receive a reduced rate from the parishes accordingly as the unemployed Poor get off the parish books. This will lessen the chains upon the private property of the Trustees upon the interest. which they have to pay to Government. If I understand correctly, the Establishment, ultimately, is to produce profit. If so, the present Trustees or their Assigns, shall have a power to discharge the original advance of the iffluo,ooo by Government, but not to have power to make new alterations that are once established, but as the wisdom of Government see proper; otherwise, for the sake of profit, it might become a kind of -spe culative concern. and occasion its own destruction. It does appear strongly to my view, that Govern ment giving protection to it. will give it strength and security, not to be obtained by any other means. "The Trustees, and not Government, shall pos sess the power of executing the arrangements, but not the power to alter the plan once laid down, without the consent 'of Government. I hope this rough outline .sill not be considered impertinent, and I must sincerely wish every success may attend your truly benevolent effort. 64 I am, Sir, with the highest respect, " Your very obedient servant, a Chelsea, August 4, tem .Inifirs Joiinton." "this plan appears to me very unexceptionable. Belt other modes may be asked for, and others offer themselves...individuals possessing £lOO each, and the means of support for one year, may unite in this plan, and carry it most successfully into execution. Extensive parishes, in which the poor ate numeroul, and the annual expenditure large, may put the play into almost immediate execution—or, several parishes, according to their number of poor and annual raven diture, may noise under the Gilbert Act. and carry the plan into practice, most advantageously for them selves, and for the poor. Or, one or more wealthy individuals, who may be desirous of ameliorating the condition of the igno. rant, the ill-taught, the vicious, and the miserable, of their own dependents, or others, may form such establishments as are proposed ; effect thereby the greatest possible good to their fellow creatures—most certainly increase their revenue, and add a new zest and pleasure to every hour of their lives: But before either or any of these plans can be put into execu tion, I have still other duties to i.erform. I must direct a complete model to be made of the whole ar rangeinents proposed, draw up rules and regulations, by which the population within these villages Gan be alone governed, to enable them to attain all these promised lienefits, and never to recede, or be statio nary in their progress of improvement. These I will yet do, and at all times, while my health, strength, and other circiunstai.cts will admit, 1 will render all the personal aid in my powers to put any establishment or establishments on the plan now advocated, into executioo ; or if 1 can be of any real service in aiding any superior plan, devised by, and proceeding hum any party whatever, I shall have equal, nay, and I speak from my genuine feel ings. I shall have more real pleasure in giving such aid, than I could derive from giving suppoit to any plans of my own, But now, permit me to say, that opposed by the ignorance and folly of the world, 1 have devoted nearly tl.irty years to deep research and active expe riment, in order that the plans before us might be well matured. In thus acting, and in bringing the priuct ples on which they ate founded promistently before the public, I have expended sums that would have stayed an ordinary or short-sighted prudence in its course. I have not, up to this hour-1 do not regret one mo ment of this time, or one shilling of the money which has been so spent and expended. 1 ask for no return, none are due to me; I have simply performed my duty. The great leading object of my life, from my youth upwafds, is this day accomplished; the prin ciples and plan are even now so fixed and permanent that hereafter the combined power of the world will be louud utterly incompetent to extract it from the public mind. It will from this hour go on with an increasing ce lerity. " Silence will not retard its course, and op position will give increased celerity to its move ments." It may now be said, my great task is done ; I resign it with unspeakable pleasure into the hands and unto the guidance of others. When death ap proaches, he will not, he cannot now be to me an un welcome visitor. I shall receive him, come when be may, and as he will, With a satisfaction, of which ' none of you, perhaps, can now form any just concep ' tion. I should Nome, however. to see these de ' lightful associations of unity and mutual co-operation flourishing in this country, and en others and should my file be longer spared, toe utmost bounds of my anttilion, is to bemire an undistinguished member of one of these happy villages; and in which my perso , nal expences would not exceed ‘l2O a year. I ought to apologize for having spoken so much of, .• mmelf; but it appeared to MS somewhat nertnary. that no part of the subject might he misunderstood. It now becomes an important question to conside• what resolutions ought to be proposed to this,mret• ink —many offer themselves, and probably a mate rial advance might now be made towards carry:nu the plan proposed into immediate execution. and in several places.' But lam most anxious, that not one premature step should be taken in this business. By the observations of several public writers. and public men. I perceive the subject is not understood.. They have hitherto caught, a few only, of the parts as I contemplate them, and have mixed them in an incongruous manner, with various notions of their ! own, which have no connection whatever with the I pl. a I recommend. Many sensible and intelligent ' indmiluals, whose minds had not been previously directed to such subjects, are so confounded and AStl , - nihed, At this new and extraordinary combination of t itman powers, that they very naturally conchi6e, the pr•poser must he either mad, a visionary, or an enthusiast ; not in the least suspecting the truth, that I have ever been a plodding, practical, per,evering, matter oh tact man, who have been engaged for :35 years in all the common, and in extensive !ransac- , tions of business. Under all these considerations, and as I do not wish to take any parry by surprise, it ap- ' peared to me to be due to the subject, due to the country, and due Co individuals, who are desimus of promoting the plan, it it should be found to possess the advantages I have stated, that it should undergo the most severe scrutiny, in its details separately ; and as a whole combined ; proper for a great national and universal system, to relieve mankind tram the igno rance, vice, poverty, crime, and misery, with which the whole earth is now degraded and oppressed ; to the deep hurt and injury of all ranks and descriptions 1 of men ; none of whom can be happy, under the tun damentally erroneous notions on which society has been hitherto constituted And that this high and important duty, a task' worthy the present age and period, shall be commit. ted to the calm and mature investigation and deli beration of a sufficient number of the most respecta ble characters in this kingdom, for rank, intellect, practical experience, and active benevolt-nce ; 111+1 without distinction of parties, sect, or class, that they should form a national Committee, in order that strict justice may be done to the plan pr. posed—to the country—and to the world. By this procedure, every part of this interesting and important subject, would he well and effectually sifted to its lowest foundation, and through all its extensive and multi- - plied ramifications, and thus prove by a full and fair examination, all its defects and advantages ; and whe ther it will be proved as 1 have stated, to posscss that high claim to public notice, and universal adoption. It is for the Meeting to decide what encourage ment shall be now given to an immediate experiment of the plan, in one, or more instances. In conlormity with these views, I beg leave first to read the following Resolutions, as they stand in con nection ; and afterwards to propose them separately for your opinion and deeisitn 1. That many of the poor and working classes, In Great Bri tain and Ireland, cannot now procure employment to enable them to earn a proper subsistence.—Carried unanimously. 2 That In Great Britain and Ireland, the poor, th* unem ployed, and the inefßeiemly employed, are now supported at a minute expense to many parishes, and by extensive it'd injurious private chart les. a. 'that under thee circumstances, the poor and working classes, generally experience privations and distress to a greater extent probably, than they have suffered at any former period in the liistory . of this country.-a Ike above two Resolutions carried nearly uaanimou.ly. 1. That this arises from manual labour being of less value now, compared with the price or provisions, and the habits of the peo ple generally, than it has been at any former known period. 5. that It is not probable manual labour CIA regain its proper and necessary value, under circumstances beneficial to the comn try, unites other arrangements shall be formed by society, put. poorly devised to give productive employment to all who are competent and willing to labour. 6 That it is the highest praciical point In political economy, as It most essentially involves the wettlielorsontirappiest of all ranks, o attain the means, by which the labour of any country eau be most advantageously employed. 7. I o reduce the Poors' Rate, and to gradually abolish Pau. peruses, with all its degrading and injurious consequences. 6. That es a solemn and grave judgment ought nut to be given hastily, on a subject in which the vital interests of this Empire and other countries are involved,—the plan raw proposerl shall be submitted to the scrutiny and investiga• ion uE a Conandttee, composed of many of the leading, mow ititelpgent, and best dis posed, from among all ranks, who by their previous acquire- ciente may be competent to give a useful opinion nom the sob ject. Fur something must be done 9. That the Committee 01 General Investigation be composed of the following Noblemen and C;entlenien, or such or them as may be inclined to perform this high and important dui., fur themselves, their country, and for posterity. '1 lie Committee to have power to add from time to time to their number, and to be a quorum. lit. 1 hat this Committee shall report the result of their loves tigrions and labours, to a Genera Meeting to be called fur that purpose, early in May next year, or sooner, It' they shall so de termine. 11. 'net the Proposer of the Plan shall give from time to time to tie Commit ee, all the information in Lia pow er, that they may ask or require. It was not my intention to have proceeded further at present, but a most benevolent and public spirited Gentleman, whose name lam not yet to mention, called upon me late last night, and in the most liberal manner made me an unlimited offer of about 1500 acres of land, proper in all respects to try one experi. merit upon, and of at least £50,000 in value, which I might use for such purpose at any time after Octo ber next. I cannot, ther e fore, ref rai n from propos ing the following additional Resolutions : 12. That it ii now most desirable one or more experiment should be :tied with the least possible loss of tint:. 13. that fur thl. purpose a subscription be new opened, that whenever reioo,ooo in money or land shall be subscribed, oce experinseat shall be commenced forthwith, eel a second Wheal XVOOPiIi sl.all be subscribed, and so on as each folrowieg .5100,0 r 0 shall be subscribed. 1t• That the foltowleg Gentlemen, or such of them as May be inclined to act, shall be a select acting Committee, to direct and superintend such experiments, assisted by the proposer of the plan. LS. that the most warm and cordial thr Its of this Meeting he given to the Gentleman who has st. step; torward to offer his Land to the Country, for the use of an experiment, at the moment it was wanted. Mr. Ruwcnorr next read letters from number of Gentlemen and Magistrates, some of wlioro, from an experience of forty years, had declares their convic dun that the evils of the present ayitem were grown too great; and that.unless some corrective were rip plied, confusion and ruin must be the result. One statement from a Magistrate was, that in his time, And in his district, the poc.r.rates had increased from £450 to £5OOO, and that at present, out of a popu lation of 1300, 800 were paupers. Mr. HursT next presented himself, but as the Re ' solution was not yet read, "lie CaI:TRUAX (Mr. Roseman.) requested that it should be put forth in form ; and then, as a duty, the Meeting • wed itself to hear ev,ry Gentleman who address id them. He trusted als i that those oho addressed them would, at least for that .lay, dis. card all party feelings and political prejudice:. The -.deject- propnxed •to. be obtained was almost ton se rious, too extens7ve. (or the popular discussion which such a Meeting could he expected to give. Indeed, when he looked about him, numerous and respect*. isle as was the Meeting, he felt as to arriving at a de cision on that immense consideration, the. Meeting was as nobody. MI, therefore, that those who were most ssuguine in the success of the object conk! ex pect from the decision of that day, was, that the seed war merely thrown in the ground—that it was yet to be watered and watched by the talents and I v.! .t ti(:ns of thnie more competent to superintend the culture, until at length it might grow up into a pro• ductive harvest of extended blessing and general Mar, hear.) We are this day in our yet imperfect view of the propesition, embracing subjects so mementons, only called upon 'or the expression of our hopes. By limiting our decision to such a point, as in candour and modesty we are I , ..untf, we secure to ourselves the consolation, that if we do not alt merely succeed, we are not accountable for the fai leie—(Nesr, bear.) And btfore he nit down, he could :;..t help observing, that it must appear its ogle how 1:t should he placed in the Chair. It *as ne'thee his wish nor his expectation to have filled it. The voice of the room had insisted on his.taking it—but he must be all• n vcd to say that it teas rather it straws coincidence, that in a ✓Meeting called specific.•lly for the relief of thi Poor, that the man called to preside *V AS a beggar.--[A marked sympathy throu, t h the room was manifei,ted on the ntteranceot these words.] Mr. HUNT • ff.eed himself to the room, but gave • way, in order to have the first Resolution put. The Resolution was then read. M ijor Tonnes:a -bserveJ, that in compliance with the invitation given by Mr. Owen, in his address through the daily papers of t° e 30.11 of July, he cf. tered himself to the attention of the meetole, with the view of shewi g. argumentatively, that the prin ciples of Mr. Owen were erroneous, and hi: plan im practicable. Mr. Owen had, in his Address, 1 tid the basis of 'his proposition on what he was pleased to tall the experience of facts, disclaiming altogether any thing in the shape of theory. The discussion of that plan would best prove whether i w s not alto together theory, and i t .. nature the M st uhsUpport. .ed by proof. In discussing suijiet, of political rm. nomy there were two species of theory. which, though capable of being classed un.'er do genet al .tesigna tion, widely differed in their chins to pubh. sit. port. The first description of theory sees a d duc i m of general principles from el long and v.ide exrerrence of facts. The secord Lit set ipuon of theory a S, . de -1 duction of general princtidt :: from vaguo, u pr.ived and unprovable assompttors. Of the first desci iptioa of theorists were such men -... Ada ii Smith, Mr. Malthus, and Mr. David Ric t. do. Of the second description, he nuts: say, without Any attempt at un juist p rsonality, was Mr. Ocven and his plan It tea.; because he felt pet suiteed taat the pl .n that day pro posed to the meeting, and previously wir, the best motives submitted through the general mod, of com munication to the public. was founded on vague. un proved, and unprovable assumpoon-, that he .elt it his duty to oppose its adoption. he very prominent fesstute of the plan, indeed. it was acknowleamod by Mr. Owen himself, proceeded on the denial ttt a prin ciple that was an aitom with the m st crilithiened writer. . n political economy, namely, that populat ion proceeded in a geometrical, acid not in an Arithmeti cal ratio. That though in marriage pairs will produce at first by ones, yet that they successively double, two producing four, four eight, and soon in the mul tiplication of hundreds and thousand;; whilst the productive powers of land, and of cout se of the means of subsistence, decrease. thus, coming to the second proposition, the same proporti ri of land that gave exertion to the labour or ten person., will successively yield less to the cultivation oi 20, and w 11, at the end, be deficient in subsistence to the growing wa nts of the population, by a geometrical r.tio II it, says Mr. Owen, population can never press on subsistence, until the whole world shall be cultivated as a garden. —The answer to such a proposition as that was. that as the productive wealth of laud could only subsist its rent, pr ,, fit, and wages, the only part of that production mat could be supposed applicable to the maintainence of labour must be wages. Much, therefore, as Mr. Owen endeavoured to pride himselt and his system on experience, in c ‘ntradiction to theory, his plan went to draw a wide and broad dis tinction between his proposition and the result of all the facts that had yet been established in the history of the world. His plan supposed a district of IWu acres, from whence was to be produced subsistence fir the cultivators, the surplus to meet rent, pr , ,fit, and taxes. Front this condonation of capital and la bour, a cultivation of the human intellect was eel: presumed, that would intenduce the system of tin! vernal benevolence, which visionaries might no' e. but be was afraid human nature forbade. It was, however, to be recollected, that in this territory to lOW actes, there waild take place such a rapid mul tiplication of the population, particularly as all thing: were to be in ccannion—as no rests.int were to esist upon marriages, that childieu would fall not on the protection of their parents, but on that of society. It was therefore the duty of men who opposed the: plan to speak out, and get rid of suet a delusion as fast as it was possible. Suppose, then, that lisr.,d ste• . ficient fer subsistence of the IWO labourers, with the ; ether drawbacks, were produced, in twenty yea's it i must provide for a popnlasion of 11000. Where tbe. 1 wete the means of preserving this assumption Of in !creased prosperity. arising from supetior ntrinagt- I trent, and so forth, when the whole funds woc'd be swallowed up in the production of the mere t eces- I sary subsistence for the increased population, wi!, she claims of rent and profit. In forty Yeats t! , ;Src pulation wool.: increase under such circumsetnces tc 1.000, and then, when the iioad of want and stars/a t:en pressed its calls upon your funds, what become of this beautiful and romantic system of ant vers4l happiness ariA undisturbed prnsperey C.-s -can:stances determine the character tit m ui; and until (whit perimps WAS impossible) irtifictal reg lation could, in all instances, contriAil thos- circa's; stances, it was fanciful to ihit.k to preciud: their 8 7, * ildenceiby previoos regulation. He had Cie higher: respect for Mr. Owen. its a mitt' svlici 'pm to I 1