The Sun.
London, England, 1820-01-05 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY, JANUAtiY 5, 120..

aLq. owEt's REPLY

TO' THE SPEE(II OF THE cIiANcELLon. OF TFIE,jI
ExcilEcluEit, ON SIP, WILLIAM DE CRESPIGNY'S
MOTION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, IGni
DECENIBEII, 1819.

Ste—The Speech which you delivered in the
House of Commons, in reply to Sir ‘VILLIAM
CREiPIGNY:S,: Motion ;or the appointment of a
Committee to investigate a Plan which I had to
propose for the Relief of the distressed Working
Classes may probably lead to con-equences of
the deepest interest to the well-being or mankivid.
o‘ir ultimate object is, I believe, the same;
that is, to amelinrate the condi,inn of Society,
on a sound and ra•ional systern--on priticiples
that wi!l hear the test of the most severe ,icrotiny,
althoughcipposed by all the prejudices of localities.
Bat, that 1 may be the better understood on
thisiMpatant subject, I will endeavour briefly to
explain what I Mean by the word localitie., as it
will so frequently occur in this Letter.
Under this term. I include the opinions and
partly trite and partly false, which
every individual inthibes, accorclitig to the country,
climate, government, and religion—class, sect,
and patty, under Or in which he was educated,
at that period when the youthful mind is utterly
incapable of rationally exercising the power
of volition, or to whose influences he may
have become in riper years, fro,n various
accidental, yet perhaps uncontronlable causes,
more or less subjected. Thus the localities of the
inhabitant of China would force upon his rennet
mind, at the period of childhood and youth, opi-
nions favourable to the p ternal or despotic form
of Government, to the religion and philosophy of
Fo and Confucius, whilst some minor sect or party
would probably be found to share his more parti-
cular attachment and confidence ; whilst the in-
habitant of New York would, from his peculiar
localities, as devotedly maintain those doctrines
in Government which oppose individual ascend-
ancy. With him, the Majesty of the People is a
doctrine not less sacred, titan wiih a Chinese it.
would be treasonable, if not blasphemous.

On the other hand, an inhabitant of the Com-
munity of flatmony, in Indiana, in the United
States, being born and matured in a society stir-
rounded .with every inducement to virtootts eon-
dt,ert, and it; full possession of comfort atol !dewy,
can with difijeulty realise the thought, that man is
capable of arming himself to slaughter his fellow
u,an, Or t:3dl can be content to partake of luxu-
ries the nnist refined and 'dedicate, whilst he ;no
esvell knows that %Nil' in a fend yards of him dwell
hundreds :A' his brethren, pitting in want sod
wretchedness. Yon, sir, are equally subjected to
this great L,w of Nature, having been yourself
equally surrounded by peculiar localtics from
,in-
fancy, which have iattpressed a conviction on
your mind, that men can be made better
and happier than they have yet been, solely by
the adoption of certain sentiments, •vhich you
have been forced to believe are flue, by the loca-
lities in which you happen to boue been horn and
instructed. Viewing, as you do, through the
medium of these peculiar localities, the principles
which I have promulgated, you pronounce them
to be subversive of the Laws and Religion of
this Country ; and, by so doing, you endea-
vour stir arouse all the prejudices of British
lo-
calities against me, and indispose mens' minds
to consider the good which I labour to obtain
tot' them. • I blame you not for this conduct,
for I am quite sure that your intentions are pure
and excellent. Yet it appears to me to he a
duty to. persevere, and to endeavour to over-
come these prejudices of localities, which ob-
struct the path to true and substantial happiness.
By my remarks, I would not willingly offend
you or any one; but, placed as I am, by your ob-
servations, before the eyes of the world, and at a
period 100 when that world, by our present pro-
ceedings, must be rendered either more miserable
or More happy than it has yet been, I hold a full
declaration of truth, as it is impressed on my
mind, to be at the present period a ditty para-
mount to every personal consideration. Tire
principles which I advocate have become so public,
and are making such rapid progress through So-
ciety, notwithstanding a vote and !emporary pre..
judice " in the House of Commons, that if
they are erroneous, their error should be in-
starrly proved, and if my judgment has been
misled with respect to these ptiociples, there
caa he no individual snore .simsetely desirous
of being set right than I am ; and I publish
this Letter to bring the subject to a fair issue.
yim have said, that the principles svhich I
have
vebliely avw.sed are snliversive of the.Governmeut
and Religion of this Country. It never was, Sir,
my ioterition to injure the Government and Re •
I:gion under which we live ; my object has been
to withdraw front Joth twat which appeared tome
to be their detects and eirors, and 10 withdraw
them; not by coercion and violence, but gradually
and temperately, tinder the direCtion of the Go-
vetnment and the Church.

It is now neatly seven years since I distinctly
saw the necessity for this change, and I opvit-
ly and fairly communicated these sentiments,
without reserve, to the heads of the 'Church—to
our own Government—and to otheethivelnments.
I then received encouragement from these partieS
to proceed in the course which I had commenced,
itid to this hour I have not devia,ed from it.—
Vet, if I ant wrong,' 1 willingly take to myself
whatever blame attaches to these proceedings,
since they have arisen front a thorough conviction
of the truth of the principles on which they are
fonvided—that conviction is still mote eonfirinert
the fm‘ourable decision of the most smite and pro-
found minds in this country and in Europe; and
also from a convictiou of the mokulied benefits

[PRICE SEVENPENr F.

,that will arise frum their a.:opion ii. prbictire,
both to the goverows and gov,rnett.
I will limy submit the cattiv, of dirrrenc be-
tweenv us, to our c-unt t y and to the •;ould
Sir, an strong is my cwiviction of rh, ttuto of the
principles on Isprl,:o I ;AO , • !,..jooi,:e11 a. I
know you ore, by the t.lcali• les of cdtt-
Ca.loll, and OffiCe ift the 5! 4t leave
the deciinn to your coin anal th:lincrite jod,:mento
and allow you to be ju,Le in your owl) can,,,.
The principles anti practice which I ptopose Inc
adoption, must, however, bo tried by those whose
a, (runt (hill I roust be virevily
your favniir ; and against such alwo!:
prt indices, nothing hut truth de• of all
no-or, can have the s!i:4litest chine.. of. soccess ;
and I anticipate socce- solely on this aroiond.
Tice defects the'', Sir, of .ur Gavernotent, as
heyappear to me, are those which mote inone•
diatey or praCtol from a single etl one-
ons principie. it is trite it is an error of ancii•nt
date, nhich has, according to existing records,
era itself arunnd every GoverioneEit awl
Religion hitherto known to ex',st ; and it was
thelefure that I poblicly avovvel, " that I was not
of any Religion hitherto taught in tile world ;"
because they all contained much, yes, vet y much
el For.

Tell we honestly, Sir, tlo you believe me to be
an enemy to any part of wanking!, because I ant
enxions to bring 'leder !evicts, that which ap-
pears, to a conscientious mind, to be an error
productive of no good fruit in practice, but oE
incalculable evil and misery ? You, surely, will
not condemn any one for so acting ? is not
your oppositioa to hinr. who now addr,sses you,
founded on the very same principle ? The error,
then, which 1 ton compelled, by a strict adhe-
rence to truth, to lament in our Government, is
!hat part- of it which presumes that the Character
of the individual is formed by himself. This
error is, in the first place, in direct opposition to
ail the facts of which we possess any accurate
knoweledge—it is. also in direct opposition to
some of the principles, and to the best part of the
Religion, which is the Law of this Land—and it
is the cause of the inconsistencies, visible to all,
in the conduct of those who profess to be govern-
ed by that Religion ;—it is the sole cause why
those invaluable principles of universal charity
and benevolence, with which it abounds, have
never been seen in practice. This Religion
teaches us, and you, Sir, profess it, that
we cannot do any tiling of or for our-
selves ; that the DEITY, directly or indirectly,
forms us into what we are, and !bus govetns
and controuls all our actions. !lad we rent
knowledge on this silbject,, every hour of ode
lives would enable Os to understaud this great
truth, and its manifold practical benefits. Could
your mind, Sir, be relieved from the almost over-
wheiming effects of the localities of your birth,
and opened clearly to comprehend the real valne
of this fundamental principle of your
you would contend as at deutly for its singleness,
and that it should not be debased with opposioc.
and inconsistent doctrines, as I have dune, as I.
now do,' and, whilst the conviction of its truth and
cake remains upon my mind, as, I believe, I shalt
continue to do to the clay of my death.
The localities in which you are enveloped pre-
vent your perceiviog that the erroneous doctrine,
that " man forms his own character," is the sole
cause of all the anger, and of tile evil passions,
which now agitate the world; that the conse-
quences arising- from this mistaken notion are
odoctive of, perpetual inconsistency in the cha-
racter of all who profess theinselves to be Chris-
tians ; and that it must inevitably lead to conduct
destructive of genuine charity, benevolence, and
kindness. These same localities, Sir, prevent your
seeing the truth, and practical benefi's of the
truth, " that the character of every human being
is, in all its pats, formed for hint ;" that the
want of this knowledge on the part of those who
!tovern the world, alone retards the adoption of ti
syatem of government founded on principles of
science, which would unerringly prevent the ex-
istence of those crimes which hitherto it has been
the chief business of the world to detect anti
punish. _ _

•-• Did you clearly understand this invaluable
truth, and were you hilly aware of the cettari con-
sequences which must ensue from a general belief
of it, you would not attempt to raise any part of
the Ret'ertues of these realuis in such a manner.
as must, and does actually deteriorate the moral
character, and, consequent ly,create notch pover-
ty, crime,, and misery. But it is to the conse-
quences of the great truth, " that man does not
.forin his own character," tliat I would direct your
close and profound attention, sin :e it is frolic
a superficial examination of the conserances of
this doctline, that so many well-nventioned
minds have been at first repelled limn it ;
whereas many of the most amiable and intelligent
of my early opposers, now publicly acknowledge,
that they pereive nothing but onmingled good to
the consequepces of this mice appalling doctrine.
May 1 be permitted then to add, that by your
acts of commission, Or otuissiou, you, as'one of
the Members of the •Goverument, may justly be
said to be one of the innocent, yet certain occa-
sions of the poverty, crime, anti soffering which
now afflict. the pepulatioo of these kingdoms ;
tor, on an experience whirl) no other individual
bas been permitted to attain, I assert that you
possess. the most ample means to give a new dia•
ractt'r to the people, greatly superior to any yet
seen, and to surround them, iu a short period,
with plenty and enjoyment.
I state these facts (such I know them to .be)
" not to call tio,vo the spirit of persecution"---
(your words)—on the Governmeor, for my real
desire has been, and.is, to see this improved sys.
tem carried into practice in all Countries, by those

who happen to be in power, that the irrational
anger and irritation of the world may the more
speedily cease. It is not, therefore, to arouse a
spit it of animosity that 1 thus write, but, it pos-
sible, to direct your attention, and the attention
of the Government, to the extraordinary power
that Providence has placed in your bands to do
good, and to allay the present alarming and in-
creasing irritation of society.
Let the People be instructed from infancy in
knowledge that the character of every individual is
formed for him, and let all your other proceedings
be consistent with Iris fundamental principle, and
your difficulties will speedily terminate. Instead
of the present system, which you must plainly
perceive is generating evil op all sides. a new one
will rise from your labours, which must prevent
the creation of nny of these evils, as it will destroy
them in their birth—where you have now anger,
opposition, and malevolent s , you will
have kindness, unity of action, and all the best
feelings of human ttature. Charity and Benevolence
will beicomplete ; they will not then be bounded
by the selfish circle of our present limited locali-
ties. Try ten tliOHSdnd oilier schemes to make
men better than they are, or have been, and you
will fail.

Permit me to a 4 what character do these sec-
tarian notions of locality. ‘vhich you and my
truly excellent friend, Mr. Wilberforce, opposed
to the incipies which I advocate, tend to form
in society ?

Those who have had the hest means of honestly
and impartially appreciating them, know, that
with some amiable executions, they can produce
no other general character than well-intentioned
weak minds, with diseased imaginations, too
often creating religious vanity and spiritual
pride, destructive of sound judgement, social
• intercourse, and real excellence. \\ hen turn,
whose characters have been formed by them,
- avempt to direct public affairs, tvith the best
intentions, which I believe they possess, they most
involve themselves and others in inexttieable dif-
ficulties and errors. Witness the present crisis,
and the crimes which are actually crewed by the
public measures which they support. In thus
freely stating my opinion of the tendency of these
doctrines, I ant most desirous not to mown, the
feelings of any individual connected with the Evan-
gelical Party, for many of whom I entertain sin-
cere regard, friendship, and affection. But I ap-
peal to the world if their theories, opposed as they
etc to facts which perpetually surround us, i4o
not, at this moment, prevent the adoption of
a wise, energHic system of Government ? A
Government which, instead of uselessly lamenting
evils, and wasting its powers in detecting
anti punishing crimes arising from its own intbe-
eili,y and errors, should he actively employed in
devising and executing means to prevent .the exist-
ence of those errors and crimes, by giving a pro-
per direction to the superabundant resources of
the Empire, to produce snore wealth than is suf-
ficient to support a grea ly increased poptibi• ion,
and to give a well tot met! and rational character
to the People-. Is it, Sir, more a mails of wis-
dom to govern the world by notions arising front
a diseased imagination, which never cart produce
their promised effects, or to govern it by princi-
ples its unison with all the known laws ot nature,
and which, when propetly applied, will, with un-
erring certainty, (as they now do in exact pro-
portion as they are introduced) produce the most
beneficial result in practice
What, Sir, was the general character of the
Debate on Sir William De Crespigny's tnotion ?
Notwithstanding the unfavourable and unfounded
constructions of individuals, it appeared to me
decisive in favour of those measures which I re-
commend. All admitted the existing evils, arising
from the present system of governing the world ;
and all admitted the practical benefits which are
the result of those principles upon which I have
uniformly proceeded in the experiment conducted
at New Lanark. Had these principles been car-
ried into practice by many others, who possess
more advantages than I possess, the results would
have been still more favourable ; and is it not by
the general effects of any principles that we are to
judge of their value and truth ?
If, however, the world is not yet sufficiently
enlightened to act fully on a complete system of
prevention of crimes, it is certainly prepared to
adopt such a modification of it, as is not opposed
to the prejudices of the times in which we live;
and such a modification I am ready to propose,
as shall not interfere with the existing Govern-
ment or Religion of the country, or be detrimen-
tal to individuals of any rank or class. This mo-
dification will leave to the present Church Esta-
blishment the ascendancy it now possesses, and ,
to the Dissenters the rights of conscience, anti
full religious liberty. On this basis a system may
now be formed, which might speedily relieve the
country from its pecuniary embarrassments, and
from the demoralization which is now daily
spreading over the Empire, and wisich, if not
checked by other measures than coercive enact-
ments, must very soon involve the country in far
greater difficulties than it has yet experienced.
Unless arrangements shall be formed to give effect
to the industry, skill, and capital of this country,
the present frame of Society cannot be long held
together.

It is now evident that these valuable materials
of a Nation's prosperity, are, by the existing sys-
tem, paralyzed and rendered of little avail, when
they ought to be, and might be made efficient
and productive—when they might be applied to
give beneficial occupation to all who are in want
of employment—to 'seduce, and gradually render
unnecessary, the Poor. hates--to diminish the
most pressing of the public burthens—and out of
the increasing Revenues of the kingdom, gradually
to reduce the !Public Debt ; while, with these
important results, other arrangements would
be c•insbined, to secure, on principles of science,
a superior character to the lower classes. The
effects of these measures would be to induce
foreign Powers, from motives of interest, to open
with us, and with one another, a free and bene-
ficial inteichange of the advantages which they
could mutually impart.
Such, Sir, are the outlines of the advantages
which I hove to offer to the Government and
Population of (his Country, whenever the
prejudices, naturally arising front the localities

by which they are surrounded, shall permit a
fair and honest enquiry into my proposals.
Seeing how you are enveloped with inextricable
diflic►►lties, in every direction to which your pre-
sent system can extend, 1 await the time, which
cannot now be far distant, when the unavoidable
necessity for a change shall overcome those pre-
judices of localities, which weaken the mind, and
deptive it of those clear, distinct, and strong
powers of ju►lgment, which are now so requisite
to enable the world to derive benefit from past ex-
perience and improvements.
My request is nothing for myself, but that you
will impartially exan►ine the arrangements which
may relieve you from difficulties which experience
will soon prove, are insurmountable by any other
means that can be devised, and which, sooner or
later, the Government of this country, for its own
security and political interest, will find it necessary
to adopt.
It is true, some of the Members of the House
of Commous, who took part in the Debate on Sir
William lie Crespigny's Motion applied the terms
visionary or impracticable to part of the measures
which I have to propose. These Gentlemen,
however, in justice to themselves, should study
these arrat►g►meuts touch more accurately and
profoundly than they have yet done, before they
pronounce a judgment on a subject which is so
far removed front their ordinary thought and re-

I have the honour to he, most respectfully,
Your mos: obedient,
London, Jan. 1, 1320. ROBERT OWEN.

PARLIAMENTARY I'APERS.

A BILL to REMEDY CERTAIN INCONVENIENCES in
LOCAL and EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTIONS.

Ikrbereas the trial of capital offences before
Justices of Peace, within local and exclusive in-
risdictions not being Counties, may he attended
with inconven.ence ; and it is desirable that some
remedy should be provided for the same.
He it therefore enacted, by 'the KING'S most
Excellent Majesty, by Bud with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and 'femporal, and
Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, that the Jus•
tices of the Peace acting within and for any town,
liberty, soke or pLce, not being a County, but
Having an exclusive jurisdiction for the Trial of
Felonies and Misdemeanors committed within
the same, shall, from and after the passing of
this Act, have full power within their respec-
tive limits, at their discretion, to commit any
person duly charged before them, or any of
them, with any capital offence committed wi;h•
in such limits, to the gaol of the county within
which such town, liberty, soke, or place shall be
situated, then to be tried at the next Session of
Oyer and Terminer or General Gaol Delivery, to
be held in and for such County, in the same man-
ner as it such offence had been committed within
any other part of the same County, and as if such
person had been committed by any other Justice
of the same County, not bring within such limiCk.

And be it further enacted, that in all cases
where any Justice of the Peace, under the autho-
rity of this Act, shall commit any person to the
County Gaol, it shall be lawful for such Justice,
and he is hereby authorized and required also to
bind over all necessary parties and witnesses by
recognizance, to prosecute and give evidence
against such offenders at the next Sessions of
Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery,
and to transmit such recognizance, and all depo-
sitions take❑ before them relating to the charge,
to the Clerk of the Cron•n and other proper Offi-
cer, to be filed in the Court of Oyer and Terminer
and General Gaol Delivery for such County, to
the intent that the same may be used or put in
force by the Judge or Judges of the said Court, as
he or they shall deem proper, according to Law,
Provided always, and be it further- enacted,
That in all cases of any commitment to the county
gaol, under the authority of tl►is Act, all the ex-
penses to which the County may be put by rea-
son of such commitment, together with alt such
expenses of the prosecution and witnesses, as the
Judge shall be pleased to allow by virtue of any
law now in force, shall be borne and paid by the
said town, liberty, sake, or place, within which
such offence shall have been committed, in like
manner and to be raised by the same means
whereby such expellees would have been raised
and paid, if the offender had been prosecuted and
tried within the limits of such exclusive Jurisdic-
tion ; and that the Judge or Court of Oyer and
Terminer and Geatral Gaol Delivery, shall have
Lull power and authority to make such order
touching such costs and espences as he shall deem
proper ; and also to direct by whom and in what
manner such expenses shall in the first instance be
paid and borne, and in what manner the .same
shall be repaid and raised within the limits
of such exclusive jurisdiction, in case there be no
reasurer or other officer within tl►e seine, who
by the custom and usage of such place ought to
pay the same in the first instance.

'l'l►e Viceroyalty of Ireland_has proved fatal to
several of the Noble families that have been ele-
vated to that honour within late years, The late
Duke of Rutland died (luring his administration
in there country, in the year 1787. The late
Countess of Westmorland died in Dublin in 1793,
doting the Viceroyalty of her husband, the pre-
sent Earl of Westmorland. The late Duke of
Dorset was killed by a fall from his horse near
D►►blin, in 1815, during the Viceroyalty of his
father-in-law, thel present Earl Whitworth ; and
now we have to lament the death of Countess
Talbot, during the Viceroyalty of her husband,
the present Earl Talbot.
The Durham Advertiser contains the following
paragraph :—" We are informed that the sale of
the Black Dwarf is so much reduced, that they
carriage of the quantity received in a neighbour-
ing town last week, cost IN. less than the quan-
tity sent to the same town a fortnight before!—
We believe that many persons who disapprove of
the principles of this publication, have been in the
habit of purchasing it through coti,sity.. We
would remind such, that it they wish for the dis-
continuance of a work, they should not encou-
rage its proprietor by buying it."