The Sun.
London, England, 1825-05-20 00:00:00

CO.OPERA'FJVE SYSTEM

POLITICAL ECONOMY.

We have received from Washington two small
pamphlets, published in that rising city and ca-
pital of the United States of North America,
containing the two Orations or Discourses of Mr.
OwEN, delivered in the Hall of the Representa-
tives of the North American Union, and attended
by the greater part of.the executive Officers and
Legi'slators thereof about two months ago.
..Mr. Or2:lr's object in-going .to America was .two-fold.
First—to difilise through the other hemisphere, as he had al-
ready done in Europe, the knowledge of the great principle of
" co-operation," and its advantages in the production of
wealth, and of all other means of human enjoyment, over the
rival principle of " Individual Competition," even in its freest
and best form ; and, secondly—to ascertain, from personal in-
spection, if the United States afforded a site, all moral and phy.
sical circumstances considered, better adapted. for a practical
experiment of the new scheme of social co-operative arrange.
nients than Europe could afford; and, if so, to purchase that
spot, and try the grand social experiment in America.
By public meetings at Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Washington,
and other places in the United States, anti by publishing the
proceedings of those meetings, Mr. EN has accomplished
the tint object ; and, by the purchase of a magnificent estate
of more than 20,000 acres of the hest land, called Harmony,
in the new State of Indiana, north of the great inland river
Ohio, the basis is laid for the accomplishment of the second ob-
ject—the grand practical experiment of the principles of co-
operation in the production of human happiness.
Mr. Other le's first discourse to the leading men of the United
States of North America, consists of an expos 6 of some of his
leading general principles. The second, and most important of
the discourses, details the .practical means' and regulations by
which lie proposes to carry these general principles into effect.
The ultimate object and necessary effects of the system of
mutual Co-operation would seem to be, to raise all the co-
operators (peculiarities of organization, temperament, and acci-
dent excepted) to an equality of moral and intellectual attain-
ments, and of course to an equality of the means of enjoyment
to be derived from wealth. Community of possession and
equality of distribution according to the wants of each, would
appear to be a necessary branch, an inevitable consequence, of
the system of Co-operative Industry, unshackled by fanaticism
or any other species of delusion or similar interests, on the part
of its propagators and High Priests.
For this community of property, and ultimate equality of
enjoyments, for the securing, even ultimately, to the whole
community, and of course to every individual in it, the use of
the entire products of their united labour, we see no provision
made in the arrangements before us. The co-operators, with-
out any' other capital than their industry, are invited by Mr.
Owzsr to flock to the Settlement at Harmony, where already
a village for about 1300 inhabitants (founded and kept together
by a Mr. RAPP, a German, on certain fanatical principles, and
his personal character, joined to the substantial comforts which
their easy and healthful labour produces them), already exists.
As Mr. Rao r's people-retreat to a new Settlement near Pitts.
burg,. at the source of the Ohio, Mr. Owrix's co-operators are
taking possession. Mr. 0 wEs: is to charge the co-operators
rent for the land,. and interest merely for the capital, employed
in the settlement. The profits are to be placed to. the account
of the co-operators individally, according to their skill, and the
ordinary estimate of their talents. With the amount of these
prqfiti, when sufficiently- ample, the co-Operators may, after a
certain number of years, •purchase land for themselves, and,
enter on a new and enlarged scheme of Co-operation, Commu-
nity of Property, and Equal Distribution, should they then
think fit to do so. Mean while they will have erected a magnificent
palace and work-offices, to replace the present imperfect ar-
rangements, at Harmony. But no provision, that we can per-
ceive, is made in the articles, as stated in the second discourse,
for enabling the primary co-operators to purchase out fur them-
selves the palaces, 'And gardens, and pleasure-grounds which
their hands will have raised. Every other part of the plan ap-
pears to us excellent; and, compared with the present state of
an equal number of industrious producers under individual
coropaition, Mr..owEet's co-operators will be in morals, man-
ners, and enjoyments, a new race of beings. But our notions
of the .principle of co-operation demand more than even these
adieu tages. We expect community of possession and equality
of enjoyment as the-necessary consequences of the principle of
mutual co-operation, either immediately or ultimately to be
produced, according to circumstances as to property of the ori-
ginal co-operators. Mr. Owax will doubtless be able to recon-
cile theultimate effect of his particular arrangements with his
general principles. •
Meantime, while Mr. OWEN is carrying into effect.the prin-
ciple of co-operation at Harmony in America, and while Mr.
HAMILTON is proceeding rapidly in the erection of the build-
ings at Orbiston, near New Lanark in Scotland, for another
establishment on any they modification of the co-operative prin.
ciple, the London Co-operative Society we understand have in-
stituted a plan for the purchase of land, and the erection of-
buildings, &c., for a Community on the perfect principles of
Mutual Co-operation, community of property and enjoyments,
within 50 miles of London. Which of those three interest-
ing experiments, on the Co-operative principle, will the most
speedily and perfectly succeed, we cannot conjecture. We wish
them all success, -as we doubt not the object of them all is to
increase the sum of human happiness.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Max 19.

GAMBLING lIGUSF.S.
WING V. HOLLINBERT, &C.
Mr. 13nonicnics opened the pleadings, which stated that
this was an action brought by Mr. Josiah Taylor; against per-
sons of the name of Ilollinbery, I3owley, and Smith, for a con-
spiracy to extort money from him, under the threat of prosecu-
tion for keeping a gambling-house.
Mr. SCARI.ETT premised his opening, by stating that no
one would feel a stronger abhorrence of the practices of gam-
bling-houses than himself; but that there was, for this very
reason, no class of persons who were so much exposed to be-
come the subjects of private peculation and corrupt gain. The
very severe penalties of the law in case of their conviction,
combined with the general hatred of gambling-houses, tended
to induce these keepers to come to any compromise with per-
sons who might threaten to prosecute them. The persons whose
names appeared in the present conspiracy had carted on their
nefarious traffic to a great extent, before they had directed
their attacks to Mr. Taylor, and at the period when they began
their operations on him, Mr. Taylor had actually converted his
gambling-house in Albemarle-street into a picture-shop.
Charles Molloy Westmacott—ln the year 1022, was Editor
of the Gazette (?f Fathion ; about this period saw Mr. Hollin-
bery ; in the beginning of March 1823, dined with Mr. Hollin-
bery at his chambers; went by invitation of Hollinbery and
Bowley ; knew Howley before ; just previous to that period
understood from Bowley.that lie had preferred an indictment
against a gaming-house in King-street, St. James's, and had
settled it ; Bowley, Hollinbery, and Smith, were present at
this dinner, but no other person ; while at dinner, witness dis-
covered that he was invited for the purpose of getting informa-
tion from }inn relative to Taylor; Mr. Hollinbery stated his in-
tention to prosecute Mr. Taylor ; one of the party inquired of
witness how they might gain admittance to Fielder's and Tay-
lor's houses; they stated their object to be to extort money,
and their words were, that "both of them were rich, and would
bleed well."
Mr. IlitooxEs proved the handwriting of Hollinbery in se-
veral documents which were put in and read.
It appeared from other evidence that a person named Scan-
nally had acted as the friend of Taylor. In the course of some
negociation which took place at a coffee-house in St. Martin's-
lane, it was proposed that Taylor might stop the prosecutions
by the payment of 3,000/. Hollinbery was asked what security
would he given that I3owley and Smith would not go on. Hol-
linbery said, that Taylor should take his trial, and no wit-
nesses would appear against him ; -the consequence of the wit-
nesses not being present would be his acquittal. The draft of
a deed of release was executed by one of Hollinbery's sup-
posed clients, which Scannally undertook to show to Taylor.—
Scannally did not return with the draft ; Hollinbery was told
Taylor would see him. He accordingly went to see Taylor,
but the latter did not see him. He refused to pay the 3,000/.,
or give lip the draft of a release. Hollinbery having ex-
pressed a determination not to go without the draft, Taylor
sent for a constable who took him out of the house.
The COMMON-SERGEANT addressed the Jury on behalf of
Hollinbery. He called their attention to the serious consequences
of conviction upon a charge of conspiracy, and contended that
the offence stated in the indictment had not been made out by
the evidence. If the Jury could believe Smith and Bowley
had conspired, it did not follow that Hollinbery, who acted as
their attorney, had also conspired. The Jury ought to look
with jealousy at all the matter stated in support of the prose-
cution. Taylor had been found guilty of keeping a gambling
house, and so far as the charge went against him on that sub-
ject, no injury could have been done.
Mr. JESSOI' and Mr. CHITTY were heard for the other de-
fendants.—No witnesses were called for the defendants.
The LORD CIIIEF JUSTICE stated the law applicable to
conspiracy. The offence could not be committed unless the
Jury believed two persons had conspired against the prosecutor.
, The Jury found all the defendants Guilty.