The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-11 00:00:00

business of Government, of the dictates of expe-
rieuce atutthe discoveries of economical science ;
and on that ground the question for the adoption
or rejection of Mr. OWEN'S Plans may be safely
committed.

The Memorial states that in Ireland, where
there• are no large manufacturing establishments,
no injury could be done to capitalists by enabling
the population to 'Manufacture in the New Aril-
lages for themselves. By way of remark
upon this statement, we think it necessary 4o
observe, that no injury would result to capitalists
or to manufacturers, even by the establishment
of New Villages in the thanafacturing dis-
tricts of England. It can never be too often
repeated, that one of the direct effects of Mr.
OWE N'S arrangements, is that of giving an illi-
mitable.eatension to the markets, by enabling the
population to consume equivalents • for all that
they can produce ; and therefore that the em-
ployment of all Me capital, of all the skill, and
of all the productive power, now possessed by, the
country, would continue to .be required under' the
new arrangements, with the additional certainty
of their' employment being profitable and (idea?).
tageoui.lo all parties !

The MEMORIAL of the PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE
of the HIBERNIAN PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY.
To the Honourable the Select Committee of the House of
Commons for the Relief and EMployment of the Poor in
Ireland.
GENT t.Ewstsr—The Hibernian Philanthropic Society f2el
' grateful to the llOnourable the House of Commons for having
appointed a Select Committee to consider and report on the
means of providing Employment ftir the Poor of Ireland..
They are anxious to draw the -particular attention of every
Member of the Committee to the situation of this country. By
a knowledge of the existito, evils, the danger which may.fol-
low, if not speedily counteracted, will be sufficiently obvious
to induce every friend to humanity, but more especially every
person who has any interest or property in the country, or any
feeling for its inhabitants, of whatever Sector party, to exert
himself to the utmost to meet the emergency, and avert the
consequences.
-It has been estimated, upon information which we fear is but
too well founded, that a majority of the whole labouring point-
Winn of Ireland have not the half of their time employed i
they are not half clothed, nor half fed, even with food of bad
quality. Those who have families, though fully employed,
cannot maintain and clothe themselves at the low rate of wages
which is general in the interior, and the South and West—
thire being no poor rates in Ireland. It' the Committee satisfy
themselves that the fact is as here stated, they must be con-
vinced of the utter futility of all partial endeavours to remove
the evil; but when to a knowledge of this state of' things is
added the consideration that a people, thus circumstanced, is
rapidly multiplying in numbers, the population having been
increased one-half within the last half century, and when the
prevailing political discontents and dreadful state of social dis-
organization are added to the account, the anticipations of every
reflecting mind cannot be otherwise titan of the worst de-
scription.
In the city of Dublin, in a population exceeding 220,000
souls, weber a large portion of the youth rising up under our
view, who.have no means of }ruining a livelihood save by thiev-
ingested prostitution. In every labouring and handicraft occu.
potion there is a large surplus of hands, the decay of business
having had a double operation..—to drive the adult out of oM-
ployment, and to prevent the youth front being taken as ap-
prentices. It is true that our city abounds in Charitable. Lod,
cations, where destitute children are reared in vast numbers ;
but it is not necessary to remind an enlightened Committee of
the. House of Commons, that the certain result of all such
establishments, where adequate means cannot he provided for
their employment when the children shall have arrived at:Ma-,
turity, is but still further to add to the pauper population,
already so overwhelming. The finer feelings of our nature are
- thus converted into the means of aggravating the evils undeti
which the country suilbrs. The most intelligent, sober, and
industrious individuals of the middle and labouring classes, axsoon as they are enabled to collect a small sum, which wig ht
.he deemed sufficient to establish themselves in attothes,country,
arc in the general practice of emigrating; by this evil, the coin..
munity is deprived of many of its most valuable members, and
a portion of capital annually withdrawn, a ,loss which is the
more to be regretted, as the deficiency of capital is a chief
obstacle to the improvement of the country.
We are far from desiring to depreciate the advantages of edu.
eating the lower classes of the people; but in a state of society,
such as now exists in Ireland, the obstacles to any plan of
vary general extent are insurmountable, and unfortunately; in
one instance where the attempt was made with some prospect
of success, speculative differences respecting the use of the
Bible in the schools have rendered the attempt abortive. It is
only by combining education and employment, under a system
wholly unrestricted in matters of religious belief and discipline,
that any effectual progress can be made in the education of the
lower classes. The large sums whirls have been from time to
time most liberally voted by Parliament under various designa-
tions, with a view to relieve pressing exigencies, or contributed
for the same object by private benevolence, have hitherto proved
unavaiiing,—because.the sonrce,.of our multiplied estils being
permanent, ail attempts to divert the current which incessantly
Bowe from it are futile, unless so far as a temporary alleviation
of the prevailing calaMity may be thereby obtained. •
Nothing that we have as yet heard of, appears in our opinion
80 well adapted to remove the disease as Mr. Owen's principle
of mutual co.4peratien, applied to the present state of the
labouring classes in this country. A small proportion of the
sems annually wasted in expedients for temporary relief, would
be snore than sufficieht.to snake an experiment on such a scale
as would. in a very short time, decide the qaestion of its perfect
prat ticability, in the minds of 'those who still entertain doubts
upon. that point. •
• As every Member of the' Select Conimittoe is doubtless al-
ready informed of the nature of Mr. Owen's plati of forming
villages of mutual co-operation, we shall not occupy its time by
dwelling on that subject; on one point only, Religion, we
shall say a few words; the chief opposition ;qr. Owen's plan
has encountered haVing arisen from an ill.grounded itlipeehen-
sion that the people were to be deprived of their religion; if
they joined in the Villages of mutual co-operation. '
The Hibernian PhilanthropicAssocietion is composed of intli-
sithials professing different forms of worship ; they 2ia agreed
in this rest cet,—That die rising youth should be carefully in.
structed not to hate each other for difference of religious belief,
any more than for differences of belief or opinion upon other
subjects--that all should be taught to pracuse the pure Chris-
tiamprecepts, " Do as you would be done unto," and " Love
your neighbour as yourself." The chief pestilence that withers
our 'country is an. unchristian disunion, caused by religious dif.
ferences. If we can improve the condition of the people, and
teach them to practise charity and love.towards each other,--if
a'e can carry into effect an improved system of education ex-
tem ling equally to all, but leaving religious subjects to parents,
as, and clergy, we are strongly of opinion that they can
&P tar
.
Ise =Lie better Christians than under the existing state of
things.
stances and soil of Ireland offer peculiar facilities
The circ.'un
for estahlishi..nit villages of mutual co-operation. There are no
great rnanufact'uring. capitelists who would be injured by these
villages inanufa,ltunng for themselves. Where local conve-
nienctes might render a situation favourable for particular
branclws, the villagt'nt might manufacture for. others not poe.
sassed of similar catawniences, but who might have local ad-
equally valuable. The labour of
vantages .of a different lt,(nd,
these villaffers, ,under juAieious direction, would soon create
'wealth! which would be their own, after defraying the cxpence
of outht.
The cost of apprehending, pi.osecuting, and transporting one
felon, would establish at least Ntree .families in one of these
villages. The expence of the police and criminal jurisprudence
of the counety is very large, and It is an increasing charge.
Would it itot, as- a measure of economy, deserve an expert.
meat, to try if that expence might not he greatly diminished,
if not rendered altogether unnecessary ? It is not too much to
anticipate suehna result, if the unemployed and now superabun.
were placed in the proposed establishments.
otm ortant improvement to draw from their
latnwtmillillabetin°
aameartiess and isolated dwellings a people who, from local
situation and their scattered residences, cannot be controlled
ltli ver d
by force, unless you place an armed so et in e y we ng.
A large portion of the lands of Ireland are lying waste. The
•
commons, generally sources of litigation and quarrel, might be
mountainous districts rendered
enclosed; the hogs byesreelaj
theployinagpauinthosegwherojuaireesoc. cuied
accessible and cultivates 'there
In-plotting and-executing,most p