The Sun.
London, England, 1819-07-27 00:00:00

owrlN•s PLAN.

Yesterdey a most respectable Meeting Writ held
at the City of London Tavern, litshopsgate-street,
for the purpose of receiving the Report of the
Committee, appointed at the last meeting, to take
Mr. CiwsN's Plan into consideration.
llis Royal Highness the Duke of KENT being
called to the Chair, explained, in a few words,
the object of the meeting, and then proceeded to
read the Report. It stated generally that the
Committee, upon this important subject, had to
regret the t:•ant of experience, as there was no
establishment in existence exactly upon the plan
proposed. "[hat at Lanark was of a commet cid
nature, but it still afforded sufficient analogies,
'Ton which hopes of success might he fairly
grounded, and the Commit,ee, therefore, recom-
mended, for the sake of experiment, one Esta-
blishment upon Mr. Owen's Plan. It might at
least become instrumental to the production of a
better system of Patochial rdief. The Report
concluded by expressing the cordial thanks of
the. Committee for the promptitude and facility
with which Mr. Owen afforded opportunities for
the investigation of his plan, and for that con-
descension evinced by him .upon hil occasions
when any intercourse upon the subject was re-
quired.

Mr. OwEs: then came forward to explain his
views. The sante models that were exhibited up-
on a former occasion at the Freemasons' Tavero,
were arranged upon a platform somewhat inclin-
ed, to afford a better opportunity for ohservatiou.
lie proceeded to detail, at coosiderable
those benevolent purposes in which he has been
so long occupied ; the means ot carrying them
into effect, and the happy consequences he ex-
pected from them. His speech was the same in
substance and nearly in words, as that which af-
forded so much gratification to those who had the
pleasure of hearing hits in June last, at the Free-
masons"raverts. Having concluded a pathetic
address on the existing distresses of the country,
he invited any gentleman present to propose such
objections to the projected system of relief, as'
might have occurred to his mind.
A GENTLEMAN in the room begged to ask what
would become of liberty of conscience under Mr.
Owen's System ; and whether complete freedom
of worship formed a part of it ?
Mr. OweN said, he was friendly to liberty of
conscience, as appeared from the Establishment
at Lanark. There a Clergyman was employed
to instruct the people its their own creed, and
to convey these instructions in, their toothier
tongue, many of them not understanding English.
The Establishment consisted of about 2500 per-
sons, among whom not the smallest religious ani-
mosity existed. The children went to their dif-
ferent places of worship two by two, and, at
parting, wished each other a good morning, with
as much affection and cordiality as if they were
all of one religion. The three sects, of which
the Establishment consisted, were Calvanists,
with some slight shades of difference.
Major TORRENS wished to be informed whether,
in Mr. Owen's contemplation, all the agricultural
and manufacturing produce of the proposed vil-
lages was to be consumed witin each, aod if not,
show it was to be disposed of ?
Mr. Oweta said, it might be consumed within
the village, or sent to some other market, as cir-
cumstances required.
Sir W. De CRESPIGNY begged leave to state
shortly the reasons which induced hint to bring
this subject forward in Parliament, The principal
was the general distress which he observed to
pervade the couritry. It had arrived to such a
pitch that something must be done. lie looked
with horror on the made of relief proposed by
Government, that of transporting their fellow-
creatures to distant and barren soils.—(Applause )
It was cruel; it was*disgraceful to the nation. It
was, in his mind, a sufficient motive for adopting
any plan that might relieve the existing miseries
of the people, and preclude the necessity of so
cruel an alternative. it was Mr. Owen's declared
opinion, that if the population was four times
more numerous than it was, there were still am-
ple means of support within the country itself, if
they were converted to the proper use. His plan
was condemned upon the ground, that it tended'
to render man too much of a machine. God for-
hid that man was not a machine.- The more he
was a machine' the better, if the mechanism was
so arranged and conducted as to lead him to the
practice of rectitude and virtue. If men were not
machines, they would for ever remain in the sa-
vage state, wild, uncultivated, hiding themselves
in holes and corners, without any knowledge of
social comfort, without the practice of any virtue.
The object of Mr. Owen's plan was to introduce
industry, useful exertion, comfort, and educat ion,
and by that Means destroy sloth, misery, and im-
morality. Of the efficacy and wisdom of his plan,
no other proof need be required than that they
who once felt the effects of it in the establish-
ment at Lanark never wished to make any change.
For the last 14 years there was not a single in-
stance of any person belonging to that establish-
ment being prosecuted its a Court of Justice.-
-(Applause.)—His only apprehension, upon the
present occasion, was want of money to try the
experiment. The colonial and other establish-
mews were supported at a vast, and, in a great
measure, a useless expence—streets were pulled
down, for the purpose of building new ones, at
an enormous charge to tie public ; but let any
proposition for the relief of the poor be men-
tioned, and it was sure to be declared wild, vi-
sionary, and impracticable. He congratulated
the country that such a man existed as Mr. Owen,
and that there were persons as illustrious for their
-rank as they were distinguished for the extent of
their charities, willing to take the chair Nom such
occasions, and to come forward boldly for the
public good. The Hon. Baronet concluded with
a high eulogium upon Mr. Owen, who, if be
should fail of his reward in t his life, would be sure
to receive it from that Being who allowed no
'4i-toe to go unrewarded in another. He then
proposed, as a Resolution, that the Report of the
Committee appointed on the 26th of June be
confirmed and approved.
Mr. TooKE seeourlial the Resolution. Ile did
110'1)re-tend. to say, that all the views of Mr.

Oxen vroulil be realiztd, but at least 'Le plan
was wortntrial. One experiment -r.-enld sti.te
the question now at issue between Mr. Uwea mut
the political economists.
The Duke of Kt NT begged leave to call their
attention to the object of the Meeting. The
present assembly met merely for the purpose of
receiiring the Report, and determining whether
they would confirm it or not. It ream desirable
that the utmost harmony should prev,il, and that
nothing should manifest itself but a spirit of
conciliation. fle hoped, therefore, that reel)?
Gentleman, who was disposed to speak, %you'd,
confine himself to the subject immeth?ceiy be-
fore them, and banish every thing bordtJirg on
political differences of opinion. It w'y such dis-
cussion shotilii arise, he expected the concur-
rence and assistance of the Meeting in putting it
down.

Mr. LovVE oppoied the Iteso lie con-
tended that the effect of the proposed plan aotticl
be to produce an increase ut popalation heyonq
the means of subsistence. He did not agree with
the principle of the Hon. Baronet (Sir W. 1)e
Crespigny) that it was desirable men should be-
come mere machines. The proposid plan would
have that effect, and rob them of all in.--
dependence and enterprise. It would besides in-
crease the e%isting. evils, by producing a greater
quantity of those commodities for which there
was now no market, and by throwing capital out
of employment. Such ft plan tnight answer in a,
new colony,. but not in a country circumstanced
as this was.

THELtvALL thought nothing WAS more de-
sirable than that all men ,hould become machines
in the sense of Ole Hon. lir °net ; of
of which intellect was the moving nrinciple. It
was the most efficacious means of commtE.icAting
that degree of instruction without which the mul-
titude, that many-headed monster, Was always

. _
dangerous.
A GENTLemAN now rose wir)se nano. could not
be learned: lie spoke in a very subdued roue of
voice, and begged leave to communicate a piaci
for the relief of the poor. to he had, for it
long time, pail consi‘ferable attention. The
Gentleman was proceeding, when he was in:er-.
rowed by
Mr. ROSVCROFT, who said, that the Meeting'
was assembled merely for the porp:)se of ticeitflog
whether the Report of the Committee %vas to be
confirmed, or not. There were at present not
less than 12 or 14 plans ready to be brought for-
ward by Gentlemen present. They might have
considerable merit, but it was very clear that if
diey were all gone in!n, nothing could' he done,
and tlie business of the Meting roust be entirely
relinquished, at least for that day.
The Resolution was then put, and-carried tine.
nituously.
Mr. JERVIS proposed another Resolution, the
object of which was, to declare the sense of the
Meeting as to the policy of trying the effects of
Mr. Owen's plan in a s:ngle experiment.
Mt. GREY seconded the Resolution.

Major TORRENS also supported it, but merely
with a view to make trial of a new plan of educa-
tion. He clicl not expect from Owen's sys—
tem all the good effects that Gentleman antici-
pated. The distresses of the country arose from
three circumstances : the necessity of cultivating
land of an inferior quality, the present system of
Corn Laws, and the great weight of taxation.—
Mr. Owen's plan would remove neither of these
causes, of course it could not materially alleviate
the distresses of the people.
_

After a few obervations from Arr. SAUXDRRS
and ,Nlr. RowcsorT, who deprecated the intto-
duction, upon the present. occasion, of those ab-
struse disquisitions connected wi!lt political eco-
nomy, the Resolution was agreed to.
General BROWN moved, that 100,0001, should
be raised by way of subscription, tor the purpose
making the proposed experiment.
The motion was unanimously agreed to, and
a subscription accordingly opened, for which see
the Advertisement in our Ist Page.
The announcement of the subscriptions was
followed by enthusiastic applaule.
His R-)yal Highness, in closing the business of
the day, remarked, that they had been .guilty of
one very great omission, and that they !lad thought
more-of him th to of the person with whom the
plan originated.—(Applause.)—He begged to
propose their general acknowledgments to Mr.
Owen for his ttonble. The Resolution having
been carried, his Royal Highness left.tl►e Chair
at a quarter before five o'clock ; after which ti►s
Meeting broke op,

DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF A COAL MINE.—Tt
is our painful dn; y to notice another of those dit•
tressing accidents which so frequently occur in
coal mines. On Tuesday morning last, owing,
it is reported, to some
,neglect or mismanage-
ment regarding the .safety lamps in the S)crilf-
hill Pit, at Gaieskead, near Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, a dreadful esplostiro took place, by which.
nearly 40 persons have lost their lives. Had the
accident happened an hour laver, it is sail about
100 persons would have perished.--.Eightee
the unhappy sufferers have been interred at Gates-
head church-yard, and 14 in the chapel-yard ; the
remaining bodies have either been given to their
respective friends, or nOt yet taken out of the
pit. Amongst the poor unfortunates, were three
boys trolls Whitehaven, who had been taken there
by.their mother and obtained work, but were soots
atter dismissed ; consequently their patent .ap-
plied to those in risanagemen:, and again obtained
employment foeher..childt en, just its time to share
the melancholy fate that has just befallen them
and their fellow-sufferers. The same pit, we
believe, exploded about boar years ago, when con-
siderable damage was done.—(Cartis/e Paper.)

At Limerick,SessionS last week, a coincidence
of names in a case for trial, rather cot ions, oc.
curred, and is worth recording :—A man, of the
name of Kidd, was prosecuting a man of the name
of Wolfe, tor an assault ; and as it was necessary
to have corroborative testimony, a man, named
Lamb, was produced to give evidence against the •
Wolf On winding up the affair, the teroci-v of
the Wolf, in his attack upon the harmless Kidd,
was so glaring, that' the' July (ot which a Grote
ruse forcwan) ivatantly prouvuaccd a conviction.