Star. — London, England, 1817-07-30 00:00:00

r --- I i but effective, and may be easily regulated and su perintended. Besides, the principles and practices are now quite obvious, by which any inclinations,, from the most indolent to the mot industrious, may . be given to the rising generation. Q But will not the parties dispute perpetually about the division and possession of the property ? A. Certainly not. The labour and expenditure of individuals are sow applied so ignorantly, wastefully, and under to many disadvantages, that the mass of mankind cannot procure sufficient to support them selves in ordinary comfort, without 'great exertion and anxiety ; they therefore acquire, under the influ ence of a strong necessity, a tenacious love of that property which costs them so much to procure; thus making the feeling itself appear, to a superficial ob server, as one implanted by nature in the constitution. No conclusion can, however, be more erroneous % for if men were placed in a situation, where, by mo derate occupation, without care or agitation of mind, they could procure the necessaries and comforts of lifa in abundance, they might be trained to dispute as little abidt the division of them as they now do about the commonly attainable products of nature—such as water ; neither would they have a desire to acco mulate an unnecessary quantity of the one, any morel than they now wish an excess of the other. I might I add, that under this plan, each individual would soon discover that he possessed more for his own enjoy. relent without any anxiety, than he could have ao. (Inked under the existing system among the poor, with ell the cares and troubles which they now ex perience. Q. But can these establishments be well managed, unless by men of great talents and benevolence, such men not being very numerous'—A. Here also I may be permitted to say, that a mistake exists, in cons*. quence of the principles upon which this plan is - fnunded. and ought to be conducted, not being as yet sufficiently understood. In the management of warkhoufes,&c. there is no unity of action ; each part is so placed as to feel an interest at variance with the others; they are, in fact, a compound of the same errors that pervade common society, where all are so circumstanced as to counteract each other's intentions, sad thus render even extraordinary energies and ta lents of no avail, which, under another combination, would produce the most extensive and beneficial ef fects. From my own experience, however, I can 'aver that sued means and regulations may be adopted, for the management of these villages as would enable , any one possessing fair talents, so to manage them as to give entire satisfaction to' all the parties under his direction and care, with the greatest pleasure to hims,ilt and with unspeakable advantage to the coun try. Numbers may be found who would soon be competent to such management, and who would be satisfied with the living and comforts these-villages would offer, without desiring compensation of any other kind, arid the annual expense of such living would not amount to ifilitrin value. Q. Is it not to be feared that such arrangements as you contemplate would produce a dull uniformity of character, repress genii's, and leave the world with out hope of nature improvements;—A. It appears to me that quite the reverie of all this will follow r • that the means provided in these establishments, will give every stimulus to bring forth and to perfect the best parts only of every character, by furnishing the in. habitants with such valuable instruction as they could bot acquire by any other meant, and by affording snifici.n le e and freedom fr. m anxiety to promote the natural direction et their powers t when thus pre pared by early imbibed temperate habits, by an ac etates' knowledge of factr, and by a full conviction that their efforts ate directed for the benefit of man kind, it is not easy to imagine, with our present ideas, what may be accotaipliAed by human beings so trained and so circumstanced. Aa for the probability of a dull uniformity of .cha. ratter being produced, let us for a raiment imagine individuals, placed as the inhabitants of these vil lages will be, and contemplate the characters that must be formed solely by the circumstances that will surround them :—from the hour they are born treated with uniform kindness, directed by reason, and not by mere caprice, weakness, and imbecility ; not one habit acquired to be again unlearned ; the physical powers trained and cultivatedito twain their natural strength and health ; the stigma] faculties furnished , with accurate data, by all 'the. useful facts that the ingenuity and experience of; the world have acquired and demonstrated, aided by..the power of rnincli trained to draw only just and consistent conclusions, and each left to declare freely those conclusions, cocn pare them with others, and thus in the most easy and rapid Manner to correct any errors that might other wise arise;—children so trained, men so circum stanced, would soon become, not a dull uniform race, but beings full of health, activity, and energy ; en dowed, by means of instruction, with the most kind and amiable dispositions, and who, being trained free from the motives, could not form one Ipthuive wish for themselves. It is only when the absurdities by which society is now enveloped are in some degree removed, that the benefit of these new villages can be eves is part appreciated.. - So far from genius being depressed, it will receive every Sid to enable it to exert itself with unrestrained delight, and with the highest benefit to mankind. In short, experience will prove that no objection against the ge new view of society" will be found more futile than that which supposes it not competent, nor calcu lated, to train men to attain the utmost improvement in arts, sciences, and every kind of knowledge. Q. Will not these establishments be expensive, re quire a large expenditure in the outset, and can such a mpital be easily obtained ?—A. The expenditure will prove the greatest possible economy, and the ca pital may be had, without difficulty, as rapidly as it would be required. A largoind anticipated revenue, °m a g ned by the war expenditure. :u this and other countries, having ceased, discreia Of diorama grievout nature has mild I the only lfmedeebat can be found will be a greatly increased expenditure uppliedte Woo equal 404 to the inte res t Mat k reitrodectine, of the capital invested, and to the remuneration of the labour employed, both physical and mental. these establishments offer means for the investment -of capital on Security that ought to be considered of the highest value to the country. Every shilling thus expended would be noticed gain, create national -movement, find ample - support for, end re-moralize. 1.11. c population lemployed, and 'return five per cent. interest for the capital expended, leaving the property 1 annually and rapidly increasing in intrinsic value. Ditthe situation of the country admit of such a Slow progress, I should •be satisfied to see a few of these Tillages set on foot by way of national experi 'meat, well knowing that their manifold advantages, and superiority over every other plan for the employ men t of the labouring classes, would be obviouS to every capacity; but I know that, the peculiar cir cumstances of this country, and of Europe, will not admit of this slow proceeding. Value must be re stored to manual labour, and this cannot be done ex cept by employment en land. When the mode of effecting this shall be fairly and full) before the pub lic, they will readily discover thatahere are no means within ow present knowledge competent m t e o ra trive to individuals and to the country the innu le ad. vantages that this will accomplish 'for both. With this conviction before them, the public will feel the strong necessity for, and naturally require, a liberal expenditure, in order that a rapid progress may be made in forming these asylums for the health, solo fort, improvement, and happiness of the working classes, and the rising population. . Q. But should many of these villages be founded, will they not increase the products of agricultural and manufacturing labour, which' are already too abundant, until ao market can be found for them ; and thus injure the present agriculture, manufactures, and commerce of the country ?—A. This is a part of the subject that requires to be understood better than at present it appears to be by any party. Is it possible that there can be too many productions de sirable and useful to society : and is it not to the interest of all that they should be produced with the least expense of labour, and with the smallest degree of misery and moral degradation to the working classes : and of course, in the greatest abundance to the higher classes in return for their wealth ? It 1: surely to Me interest of all that every thing should be pro duced with the has: esystrus of labour, and so as to realise the largest /torsion of comfort to the prodnring classes : and there are no means of effecting these desirable ends that will bear an comparison with the combined agricultural and manufacturing villages, colleges of industry, county or district establishments for the poor and industrious, or by whatsoever name they may be called. It is true, that as they increase in number they may come into competition with the ex isting agricultural and manufacturing systems, if so ciety shall permit them so to do; otherwise, they can restrain them to the amount of their own immediate wants ; and, constituted as they will be, they can have no motives to produce an unnecessary surplus. When society shall, however, discover its true in. terests, it will permit these new establishments gra dually to supersede the others; inasmuch as the latter are wretchedly degrading, and directly opposed to the improvement and well-being of those employed either in agriculture or manufactures, and cense. quently are equally hostile to the welfare and happi. ness of all the higher classes. We know lull well the misery and vice in which the manufacturing popula. tion is involved : we know also the ignorance and degradation to which the agricultural labourer is re duced ; and it is only by such a re -arrangement of this part of society that these enormous evils can be ever removed. Q. But will not these establishments tend to in. crease population beyond the means of subsistence, too rapidly for the well-being of societ, ?—A. I have no apprehension whatevsr OR this ground : every Agriculturist knows that each labourer now employed in agriculture can produce five or Aria times more food than he can eat; and therefore, even if no other facilities were given to him than he now posses ses , there is no necessity in nature for 4e population to press against subsistence," until the earth is fully cultivntel There can be no doubt it it the/artificial law of top ply and demand, arising from the principles of indi vidual gain in opposition to the general well-being of society, that has hitherto compelled population to press upon subsistence. The certain effects of acting cn the principle of individual gain is, ever to limit the supply of food in an average season to a suffi ciency, according to the customs of the times, for the existing inhabitants of the earth : consequently, in a favourable season, and in proportion as the season may be favourable, there will be abundance of food, , and it,will be cheap; and in an unfavourable season, in proportion as the season may unfavourable , , liet 'food 'Will be Wane and dear, and famines will ensue. And yet no one who underitands any thing practi cally of the subject can for a moment doubt that at the period immediately preceding . the most grievous femme ever known, the means existed in ample pro fusion to have enabled the population, under proper arrangements, had they possessed the knowledge to form them, to produce a stock of fond amounting even to an excessive superabundance. Whatever may have been imagined by intelligent individuals who have written and thought upon the subject ; the an nual increase of population is really one by one ; we' know its utmost limit—it is only, it can be only, an arithmetical increase ; whereas each individual brings into the world with him the means, aided by the ex isting knowledge of science, and under proper dim tions, sufficient to enable him to produce food espial to more than ten times his consumption. The fear then of any evil to arise from an excess of popula tion, until such time as the whole earth shall become an high cultivated garden, will, on due and accurate investigation, prove a mere phantom of the imagina tion, calculated solely to keep she world in unneces sary ignorance, vice, and crime, and prevent society from becoming whit it ought to be, well trained and instructed, and under an intelligent system of mutual good-will and kindness, active, virteous, and happy s a system which might easily be created, so as to per. wade the whole of society, and extend through all its ramifications. Q. By thus altering the general habits and exist- Leg arrangimeids of the lower orders, would it not give an increased value to manual labour ?—A. My iotention was to combine the means at accordplishing objects which appear to me to be inevitably required by the:existing state of the country, and to prevent the violent derangement of society, arising from the distress'and extreme demoralization which is hourly advancing, and must go on till effectual and coun teracting measures shall be adopted. I saw the poor and workini , classes , surrounded by circumstances that neceisarily entailed misery on them and their posterity ; that, if they were allowed to continue and proceed much longer, they would farther demoralize, and violently subvert, the whole social system. To prevent this catastrophe, it ,beeomes übsoltnely indis pensable that their habits be changed, attd this can not be done without altering the existing arrange ments with regard to them and to the rising gene. ration. H the plan proposed shall be found to be much, nay infinitely, more complete in all its parts, and in its entire combination, than any hitherto suggested, and it it can be immediately and gradually intro duced, without causing the least shock to society, or prematurely disturbing existing institutions, then is the proper time arrived—then are the circumstances duly prepared for its reception : and I feel a perfect confidence in saying, that however, through mistaken private interests, it may be attempted to retard it, that it will be inevitably introduced and firmtj esta Wished, even against all opposition. It is, indeed, of that nature, that opposition will but hasten its adoption, and fix the principles more generally and deeply in and through society. The circumstances that have been silently, for nearly 20 years past, pre paring for this end, are so far completed as to answer all the purposes intended; and the future welfare-of mankind in this and also in other countries, may be considered secure beyond the power of accident. Combined labour and expenditure, for a common ob ject, among the working classes, with proper training. and instruction for their offspring, and surroundgd by the circumstances devised for the whole, will create and secure the present safety of society, the present and future comfort and happiness of the in dividuals, and the ultimate well-being of all. I may therefore confidently believe, that no combination of human powers can now be formed to prevent its per manent adoption. After having made this statement, it is necessary for me to add. that the knowledge I have acquired on :this subject has been forced upon me by a long and extensive experience; which, under similar circum stances, would have been acquired by the generality of mankind. None, I believe not one, of the principles have the least claim to originality. ; they have been repeatedly advocated and recommended by superior minds from the earliest period of history. I have no claim even to priority, in regard to the combination: of these principles in theory : this belongs, as far as I know, to John Bellers, who published them, and most ably recommended them to be adopted in practice, in the year 1696. Without any aid from actual expe rience, he has most distinctly shewn how they might be applied to the improvement of society, according to the facts then known to exist ; thus evlncingthat his mind had the power to contemplate a point ex tended 120 years beyond his cotemporaries. His work appeared to be so curious and valuable, that, on discovering it, I have bad it reprinted, verbatim, in order to bind up with the paper: I have written on the same subject. Whatever merit can be due to an individual fortbe original discovery of a plan, that in its consequences is calculated to effect more substantial and perma nent benefit to mankind, than any ever yet perhaps \ contemplated by the human mind, it all belongs ex clusively to Jo h n Bellers. . . _ . Q. Ii it then your decided opinion, that land, la bour, and capital, may be employed under a new combination, so as to produce more valuable results to all panics than they do at present ?—A. If I have derived any distinct knowledge by my long experi ence and extensive practice, I am enabled to say, with a confidence that fears no refutation, that any given quaptity of land, labour, and capital, may be so combined as to support, at least, tour times the ,present number of human beings, and In tenfold com fort, that the same maintains at present under the existing practices in this country ; and, of course, that the intrinsic value of land, labour, and capital, may be increased is the same proportion ; that, con sequently, we possess the most ample means to carry now, without loss of time, the prosperity of the coun try to a point it has not before attained; to a height that no country has ever yet experienced. If any parties suppose these to be mere assertions without sound foundation, or to be a visionary scheme derived from the regions of fancy, they will be mistaken, for they are the result of a patient and unwearied atten tion to discover accurate and practical data, and to try an endless variety of experiments to enable me to draw correct conclusions, and thus bring ahe•theotiea of learned men in their closets to the only test of troth. by this proceeding, I have been rigors mad mom satisfied of the errors of mere theory, and .of: Melnik real value they have hitherto been Id Man kind. I have no wish, however, that any more confidence should be placed in what I say than to induce the public to give a fair trial to the plan.— If I am in error, the lon and inconvenience, com pared with, the object, will be small ; but if I am right, the public and the world will be gainers indeed ! I ask nothing for myself ; and except good will and the interchange of kind and friendly offices, I will not accept any thing from any party. I merely ask , to be permitted to relieve the poor and working classes from their present distress, and to render an essential service to the weidthy, and to all the higher classes. I am, thrretore, desirous that competent persona of business should be named to investigate all the.de tails which I have to propose, knowing, as I do from experience, that this is the only practical measure that can be adopted to enable the public to comprehend a subject so extensive and important as this will ulti mately prove to be. _ _ Q. - On the supposition that the plan may be unex ceptionable in all its parts, how can it be carried into execution ?—A. First, by passing an Act of Parlia ment to nationalize the poor. Second, by borrowing, from time to time, on the national security, sufficient sums to build these •illages, and to prepare the land for cultivation, the Government holding security upon these establishments until both interest and capital shall k paid : by which means, the whole process would be straight forward, equitable, and just,•_ to all the parties; and the country would enable the. Go vernment so carry it into execution, without- .npposi. tion from stay it•terested party. • 26m-emu After closing the above on Thursday morning, the 24th last. I little expected that, be;ote it was ready (or publication, two events were to arise suffi ciently important to render a narrative of the one use ful, and explanaucn of the other necessary. Such events, however, have mulled. That which is use ful is so valuable and interesting that I lose not a moment in making it known. Fortunately it admit: not of a difference of opinions it comprises aim& matter of fact that may be 'emend investigated by every one who will devote time to visit the ptincipsl prison in this metropolis. Having heard from various quarters what 1 ie! •y beneficial effects had been produced by Ks. I's . St. Mildred's-court, Poultry, among the female , ii. sotters in Newgate, I yesterday, by previous appaset. meat, accompanied that Lady, and was conducted by .her through all the apartments of the pris o n occupied by the unfortunate -females of every descriptien. I shall noteasily, if ever, forget the impressions I exFeri. eneed; they were of a mixed and very opposite natere. —ln pasting from room to room we were met in every instance, there was not one exc.-peon e sre kind boobs and else most evident feelings ot eir.,,•ien in every prisoner towards Mrs. Fry. N i . :tea .we in the countenance of any, however h I vied is; might have been on entering the prison, shit etel f ot evince, in stronger expression than language c a n re fine, heir love and admiration ti ; eash e h a d ,; aat for them. With an alacrity and pleasere di. would be commended in the best trait'ed ce..;. ;I I e c o , ie attend ing to parental requests, they were ready airl wi.ii,.; to comply with her advice. It wits eviJentl y 4 ;was. felt consolation to these pour creatures to 1t0..s : r wishes, that they might skew their grati ude il• t immediate compliance well them. lila. seek • • manner and voice, the :angeage et co n e, , • . kindness, and commiseration to tech ; and line e replied to by all in such accordant lei:hugs sit . and ever will be, produced in human brio s, e', . ever they shall be spoken - to and treated thn, t .. nally. On quitting the prison, the eyes of ail • se directed towards her, until she was no longer itl,4; it sight. The apartments and the persons of the isii, , - ners were clean and neat ; order, regularity, deevec ) and almost cheerful content, pervaded the whcle cr these heretofore miserable and degraded wretches I With the constant habit for yeas of reading the n 6114 in the countenance among the lower classes, I could not discover, throughout the numerous apartments we visited, one line of feature that denoted any inclina tioa to resist, in the slightest degree, Mrs. Fry's wishes ; but, on the contrary, the looks and manner of each female prisoner strongly indicated a full accedes cence in this new government of well direaed &Jaw. The only regret I heard expressed v:as by those who were unemployed, if that they had no work."— All who , had something to do were far more cheerful than I had previously supposed human beings could be in the situation, with the accommodation, and under the ciresmstances here described. We next proceeded tee the female school, and, on entering, every eye was fixed on their benefactress. The little girls, children of the prisoners and convicts, looked on her as human creatures .might be imagined to look upon beings of a superior, intelligent, and benetizent nature.- They were all clean and neat, and some of their countenances very interesting. The school was in excellent order, and appeared to be ti.ntler good management. I could not avoid contrasting the re sent with the former situation of all these poor unfortu netts. What a change must they have expertericed I From filth, bad habits. vice, crime; front the depth of degradation and wretchedness; to cleanliness, good habits, and comparative comfort and cheerfulness ! Had not experience long made knc'wu to me tilt: dm. plicity add certain effects of the principles which had here been carried into practice, I might have been led to inquire, What profound statesman had been here ? What large sums had been impended 1— Row many years of active and steady perseverance bad been necessary to accomplish this extraordinary improvement, which has foiled even the British Go vernment and legislature to effect during the centuries they have existed ! And what would have been my astonishment at the simple narrative which was told me ? That this change from the depth of misery to the state described was felled, by Mrs. Fry, and a few benevolent individuals or the society of Friends, is three maths, without any increased expense. and with feelings of high gratification to herself I We left the female side of the prison, and passed on to the rooms, and courts, &c. occupied by the males. We went first to the boys' court, and found the school, which was formed at Mrs. Fry's request, bad been just din. missed. The person acting as master asked if he should muster the boys f to which she consented, and it was instantlrdone. What a melancholy sight did they offeast eellection of boys and youths, with scarcely fhimrpeerance of human beings in their countenances; the, most evident sign that the Govern ment do efhideb they belong had not performed any part of its duty towards them. For instance ; there was one boy, only 16 years of age, douh,:e ironed. Here a great crime has been committed, and a severe punishmentis inflicted, which, under a system ofproper training and prevention, would not have talrn place. My Lord Sidasouth will forgive me, for he knows I intend no personal offence. His dispositions are known to be mild and amiable ; but the chief civil Magistrate of the country, in such case, is far more guilty than the boy ; and, in strict justice, if n system of coercion and punishment be rational and necessary, he ought rather to have been double-ironed, and in the place of the bey. The Secretary of State for 'he Home Department has long had the power, rd ought to have used it, to give that, and every oiler boy in the empire, better habits, and to place then under circumstances that would train them to beecre moral. We left these boys and visitedabe men arm were yet to be tried, those who h-d been tried, aid others under sentence of death. Every thing on bin side of the prison was most revolting to comenn sense and haman feelings ; but it serves to exitl , 4 the contrast between the practice that results, at.,t ever will result, from acting upon rational and rt 1- 1 tional principles. I wish the Members of Crovre.- MCDt would now investigate these extraordt..lry facts. If they were to inspect them, with this fene volert female, I am sure they would learn the p. , i+ ciples which have guided her practice, and aJopc them in all their future measures. They would I.:,cu I enjoy only The highest satisfaction. It was admitted by the attendants of the erisan, that, a few drondas ago, the women were mere &- prayed than. the-sten are now. They were both pro nounced• to be irreclaimable: but the state of the females has been entirely changed, and that in the 1 short space of three myth:. Nctwithstandiv thi Va.:. tit men are still pronounced to be irreclaimable! Blame, hum-. ever, is by uo means to be attached to any of tie hum:dents of the prison, who appear inclined to d , a .heir duty as tar as they have received instrtictinna. Let Ministers attend here, and they trill discover 'that the most powerful instruments 01 C:miallolz...: Q. Is it not to be feared that such arrangernen's a you contemplate would produce a dull uniformity c character, repress genii's, and leave the world with, out hope of suture improvements ?—A. It appears t me that quite the reverie of all this will follow s•thr the means provided in these establishments, will giv every stimulus to bring forth and to perfect the bet parts only of every character, by furnishing the it habitants with such valuable instruction as they coul hot acquire by any other meant, and by affordin suifieir n i 'a e and freedom fr. m anxiety to promnt the natural direction of their powers: when thus pre pared by early imbibed temperate habits, by an ae carats knowledge of few, and by a full convictio that their efforts are directed for the benefit of mur kind, it is sot easy to imagine, with our present ideal what may be aceciaspliAed by human beings s trained and so circumstanced. A. for the probability of a dull uniformity of .chs ratter being produced, let us for *moment imagin individuals, placed as the inhabitants of these vil lages will be, and contemplate the characters tha most be formed solely by the circumstances that wil surround them :—from the hour they are born create' with uniform kindness, directed by reason, and no by mere caprice, weakness, and imbecility ; not on habit acquired to be again unlearned ; the physics powers trained and cultivated's* twain their nature strength and health; tht mantel faculties furnished with accurate data, by all the , useful facts that chi ingenuity and experience of; the world have acquired and demonstrated, aided by..the power of mind waisted to draw only just and consistent conclusions and each left to declare freely those conchisions,cocn pare them with others, and thus in the most easy and rapid Manner to correct any errors that might other wise arise;—children so trained, men so circum smaced, would soon become, not a dull uniform race but beings full of health, activity, and energy ; en dowed, by means of instruction, with the mast kind and amiable dispositions, and who, being trained fro from the motives, could not form one Ipthuive wish for themselves. It is only when the absurdities by which society i now enveloped are in some degree removed, that the .benefit of these new villages can be eves in par appreciated.. - So far from genius being depressed, it will teeth', every ard to enable it to exert itself with unrestrainer delight, and with the highest benefit to mankind. Ii short, experience will prove that no objection again' the gl new view of society" will be found more futil than that which supposes it not competent, nor eaten listed, to train men to attain the utmost iroprovemen in arts, sciences, and every kind of knowledge. Q. Will not these establishments be expensive, re quire a large expenditure in the outset, and can such a apical be easily obtained ?—A. The expendiuir will prove the greatest possible economy. and the es pital may be had, without difficulty, as rapidly as i would be required. A largoind anticipated revenue occasioned by the war expendtture. in this and otbe countries, having ceased, distreis of thernost grievou statute has ensesd the only tfakedrcbat can be form will be a greatly. increased exßegdetpretrppliedto lddea equal lnasse to the intere t that will be reprothmtizw, of the capital invested, and co the remuneration c the labour employed, both physical and mental 'These establishments offer means for the investmem -of capital on Security that ought to be considered c the highest value to the country. Every shilling the expended would be national gala, create national in -movement, find ample-support for, and ra-moralise 1.1;e population lemployed, and return five per cent Sihe