The Sun.
London, England, 1817-07-25 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

Mr. EDITOR,--Mr. CORBETT, in his first icte-
gister sent hither from America, comparing the
comforts of New York with those of his native
Country, states, amongst other things, that at
breakfast he gets large lumps of Sugar to his tea,
and not snips of Sugar, as in England. I beg
therefore to ask, whether, if a Reform in Parlia-
ment should procure us large lumps of Sugar, such
an advantage is not the strongest argument which
the Reformers themselves have brought forward
in favour of Annual Parliaments and Universal
Sufrage.

SWEET TOOTH.

• MR. OWEN, OF LANARK.

Yesterday, in consequence of a printed notice,
a select' meeting was held by the invitation of Mr.
OweN, of Lanark, at the George and Vulture
Tavern, in Cornhill. The object was, "to con-
Sider and determine on the propriety of a public
fleeting of merchants, &c. &c. in the city, to pro-
Pose a general subscription for the purpose of au
establishment of experiment and practice of the
plan for relief and employment of parish poor, la-
bourers without employment, and other paupers
and distressed poor people."
Mr. OwEN stated, that notwitl►stan4ing the im-
proved condition of affairs, there were yet a great
'number of distressed individuals, who &served the
attention and support of the benevolent. In re-
marking on the situations of calamity that had
occurred within his own neighbourhood, he said,
that at Glasgow and its vicinity, for the last ten
Months, there were at least 12,000 persons who
}►ad not the customary means of subsistence, and
who were maintained, if maintaining it might be
called, on one-third of the ordinary support. la
tngland, where the indulgences are greater from
habit, these persons could not h►►ve subsisted ;
and, indeed, they themselves were only prevented •
from starving by the disposal of every thing that
was disposable around them. The worthy Gen-
tleman said, that he had had frequent intercourse
with Mr. Bourne, the Chairman, and other Nlem-
'br•rs of the Committee on the Poor-laws, and that
Le had furnished them with all the information in
his power. He observed, that on the plan he had
to propose, an immense saving would result to
the country of 8 or 10,000,0001. sterling, which
Were now annually devoted to the preservation of
the, necessitous. His principal purpose was to giSte
employment to the poor, in order that every man,
as tar as possible, might maintain himself. About
1,000,000 of paupers were at this time receiving
Parochial relief, by far the greater portion of
whom might support themselves ; and, generally
!speaki►►g, the labour of one individual properly
directed, and under the fit organization of society.
Would provide aliment for four persons. A prio-
cipal feature of the project of Mr. Owen was to
locket., under a statute called the Gilbert Act,
various parishes to unite in order to carry into
td.ect a scheme by which the expense of 51. would
Produce equal utility with the charge of 151. under
the present parochial expedients ; and which ulti-
rnately, by the permanent provision it would se-
cure, would exonerate the wealthy part. of the
community from the heavy burdens imposed under
the poor-laws.

it was in the sequel determined, that a Com-
mittee should be formed of several gentlemen pre-
sent, to whose names were to- be added others of
the first respectability-in the city, consisting of
those
.who had already signified their approbation
egn:dly of the design of Mr. Owen, and of the,
means by which he proposed to carry it into ex
cution.