The Sun.
London, England, 1821-08-08 00:00:00

AGRICULTURE.

-r•"CR OF, MR. OWEN, OF NEW LANARK, AT
THE HOLKHAM MEETING.
tor,, • s' n Ivt,N, after returning thanks to his kind host and the
i'anY for the very flattering manner in which his name was
Posed and his health was drank, regretted that he_ had been
v.
nro
" always destined to differ essentially in principle with
tle,„
ablc for whoin In etertained the highest regard and most
thenl.4e friendship ; but as he conscientiously differed with
and knew there could be no advantageous intercourse
4%1 ~een any parties when that difference could not be freely
ite33ed, he should, as an act of imperative duty which he felt
at :elf called upon to perform, state wherein his sentiments
reet'llg the public distress were not in unison with those of the
gettle
'Men-present. He could not be callous to the unvaried
eXertin -
otsh,--ris of his Hon. Friend, or to the praise-worthy attempts
4.1t"4111Y of the gentlemen present to reduce the public expen-
-14 it" the of the country within just and proper limits—economy
be application of public funds would ever continue to
;11- a Most valuable principle to act upon, and as such it
3' °lll4 at all times receive his approbation and support
h
-e could not agree with those gentlemen who thought
4t
5 reduction of our public expenditure, or a reform in the
Z°t'atrotr"4.la• House of Parliament, ald,. under the new and
arid a..nary circumstances in which
this country and the
!hie!) th'e pow placed, give us that. prosperity. we seek, or
"Hexh -"e late improvements in machinery, opening a mine of
iasti,,anstible wealth to all the inhabitants ot the world, now so
Ative' entitle us to expect. These powers were so new in them-
-44(11',„.44,11d their r-suits were so stupendous, that we. were in
berif,-fiu°llY unprepared to comprehend them, or to give them
direction.' Nay, so thr from this, we had suffered
are our errors o destroy that very prosperity which they
keketalculated to carry to awunlimited extent, even to enable
tlie 1 1° extirpate ignorance and poverty from every part of
qatrilulation of the world. Viewing as he (lid the present
that 91 'all countries in this light, he could not avoid saying,
1%4 his opinion, if the taxes of this were remitted, and a
Ne,11;9 aPplicd to our national debt, that without other
itseif"al fundamental chang-es the country would soon 'find
r,triti, again overwhelmed with similar and '°Y LIT"; We are, -he said, at this moment repressed. -down
tler weight of inventions and improvenients, which, un-
esn, ,Proper science and enlightened direction, would
tt. `IIIIY ameliorate the condition and gladden the heart tC-,
h
,tnigcl, "lan being in existence; these powers, when fair!,
-I,.actioNas they now might be advantageously for all classes,
°e "°,lr every individual, are truly without limit ; they may
1rioll,"Y applied to create wealth until society shall be gorged
ttiper,'" and say we have enough for all, and an unnecessary
tttise.4uttadance to spare beyond every possible want that can
Aelih consequence we may liken the present situation of
4 Empire, or of the world if you please, to the state
*het, our Most worthy and noble Host found his property
sandle received it from his predecessor. It was then a barren
tea. pvaste, almost without cultivation or inhabitants, and
.the
Ported 7.iatter which it contained were often fed with food nn-
atte torn other soils and districts.—lt was rented at 3s. an
,tile'Pal the farmer in possession of it would not venture to
nsl In acre for the renewal of a long lease. At that time
ty„aa ',"„t nave been said of this now beautiful domain, that it
`44%;-r-Peopled, that there wag such avexcess of population,
°.'ery ;7_,.could not be supported froM, the soil, and that
1.114 t. " 141-i°ll to the number would be an evil, because they
ZLlty, eor emigrate. Is not this the language now ap.-
4,4%31ied .3' tralse who have great authority among us, whose opi-
-14 th:tellenee public affairs when they describe the situation
the ot titish Lm.pire ? And are the sentiments more just in
that the ease tha Em the Other ? I contend they are not, and
that tieoiljritish pire is at this moment the waste and wild
Vrinn_ll' b••• 11,1142-11 was ; that it is equally destitute of the number
111% ‘4,.+e4 "ants that it is competent to support advantageously
ferittslr.o74, the landed proprietor, the freeholder, and the
or -1,11. 1,-3 Part of the community, and to make this now suf-
pu'd'eact: —,Vaining, and wretched country a second garden
ttioii g 4'o enable it to support in high comfort a po-
}-ea_e s -ve nay tenfold its present numbers, all that
,-r• ustea'Y is'elosely t follow as statesmen, the example of
4111 as a landlor% and 'agriculturist. lie found Holk-
;gneral;',and wild, and theTcw inhabitants it kept, poor and
"i,esPeetal -t•nu now see what it is—a domain unrivalled in ma.ny
creased by anY other in the world, and the inhabitants are in-
elivery
ottxfoltt, living in a degree of comfort that must delight.
eir '9410 has examinfd their residences, and enjoyed
trerner4u cheer, as ny 'of us have done. Yet,
.G -
Iteaaea' 4191kharn may be made to support and to give in-
V'Jet think.(ivantages to twenty* or thirty times the present num-
ie nu a, most beneficially fbr Coke, and for
Our stTereus tenantry he would then have upon his estate.-
11101w:esti-len then have only to follow the example thus com-
terkal'lci the subjects of the Empire be governed with pa-
ittbieted INneas, such as we see exercised here—let them be
estate have valuable practical knowledge, as the tenants of this
f4ll s been—let their powers of activity sedulously have a
coe°P, as these have had, unrestrained by ignorant clauses
tile° Ildltions, which injure landlord and tenant—let them be
titaeuilLaged freely to expendj their capital in substantial perma-
thernf"Provement,_ or let it be expended by the landlord for
eeirrit; aa we hear has been often done here, the proprietor re-
tiatl will
.plc interest for such expenditure, and then produc-
t far outstrip any increase of population, or the vents of
eXaln„;l°n.; but above all, let our Legislators follow Mr. Coke's
air an,,.in allowing the producers of his wealth to have a
onil liberal proportion of that which they create.
.Then,
PrOportY tiler?. can production be beneficial, and kept in one
Joywithro with consumption—then, and only then, can all en-
ut any suffering. The conference, added Mr. Owen,
continued to an almost unlimited extent, but your
rietairt this occasion will not permit, or it might be shewn in
the li 11°Iv greatly the British Empire might be improved, and
ver_eaPpiness of the inhabitants increased, provided it was go-
ha don the saline principle of kindness and intelligence that
iiiss„g4ided the proceedingsaof our worthy Host in every step of
• erogress.,