The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-09-24 00:00:00

SELF-SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS.

It will perhaps be known to some of our readers that
Mr. John Minter Morgan, a gentleman, we understand,
of independent fortune, has for some years past been en-
deavouring in the metropolis to raise the necessary funds
for the commencement of what he terms " Self-supporting
Institutions." His object is, by means of an entire re-
form, or reconstruction, of the fabric of society, to re-
move the evils inseparable from the present system,
(particularly as affecting the working classes,) by religious,
moral, and industrial training in rural establishments of
so many families and individuals as can be drawn together
for that purpose, and induced as one common family to re-
trieve themselves from the destitution, vices, temptations,
land other evils of crowded cities and communities, and
work together for the common good on that principle of
equality of rights, privileges, and rewards, which he ima-
gines to be the most conducive to human happiness, and
the most in accordance with the intent and purport of the
Christian religion. It may also be known that he has
been countenanced by some distinguished clergymen, and
that a prospectus to obtain shareholders for one " model"
institution has been drawn up at Exeter-hall, from which
it appears that, with an outlay of about £60,000, such an
establishment, capable of accommodating, employing,
and supporting 300 poor families, averaging four each,
may be fairiy put to the test—that £4,000 a year might be
thus realised—and that a petition from him was, in
March last, presented to parliament, representing his
scheme, and praying that in the lnclosure Bills now in
progress provisio,:,s may be made for eligible portions of
land, for such purpose.
Mr. Morgan, in furtherance of his object, has com-
menced' a tour through the provinces, and is now in this
town. We had the pleasure of visiting him at his private
lodgings, on Friday evening, to hear his explanations.
The meeting was preliminary, we learned, to a public one.
Mr. Morgau entered into a long exposition of his plan,
which he illustrated by a large transparent painting of a
community located under it, and which certainly repre-
sented a pleasing landscape, with a quadrangle of cottages
and public buildings, a large farm, gardens, and addenda,
and groups of well-clad individuals, young and old, in the
wooded foreground, with cheerful countenances—a pic-
ture, indeed, of happiness, the realization of which were
" devoutly to be wished." Although the theory was
pleasing, startling objections were raised by some of those
present as to the possibility, in the complicated state of
modern society, of bringing it into practice. We may
briefly state, that it appeared to us to be precisely, the
" social system", so long and unsuccessfully advocated
and attempted by Robert Owen and his followers ; but,
! we must pointe lly impress, with this great and redeeming
difference, tl at he author, (who admits it to be a modifi-
cation of a irea nception,) in place of exhibiting a care-
lessness or a scorn of religion, makes religious education
and moral training the basis and hope upon which he relies
for success—his motto being, " Love God with all thy
soul, and thy neighbour as thyself ;" and, in reference to
the happiness that might be enjoyed under such a system,
" Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added unto you."

In his printed explanation he states :
Competition, a principle at all times hostile to the best inter-
ests of Religion and Humanity, becomes more intense with the
progress of machinery, which, although rapidly advancing the
wealth of the nation, reduces the vaitie of labour, and thus,
misdirected, inflicts upon the people poverty, demoralisation,
and increasing misery. A complete Model Institution, discard-
ing competiti n, once established, a new and more happy era
of Christianity will commence.
We much question the practicability of this doctrine of
non-competition ; for competition is, to our thinking, only
another word for that so pertor exertion, mental or physical,
or both, which produces superior articles or works, and is
the mai❑ promoter of excellence. It would be all very well
if mankind could be induced, on a large scale, to with-
draw from their present modes of subsistence (fluctuating
and uncertain as they are) ; renounce all further hazard
in the grand lottery of the noisy world, and betake them-
selves to secluded valleys or mountains, there to live in
quadrangles of given size ; submit themselves to strict
discipline and reciprocating employment for the general
good of the whole, without a desire to amass extraordi-
nary wealth, or to yearn after extraordinary distinctions.
This might do for those who have long been destitute or
unfortunate: such might there find a happy asylum ; but
while men's minds are so differently constituted as they
are, this cannot take place to such an extent as to amelio-
rate the general family of mankind. The liberty of intel-
lect would be bated down ; ambitious spirits would arise
demanding greater rewards for superior skill or talent,
and all would again revert to the present struggle for life,
competency, or fortune. The clever min may, it is said,
indeed, withdraw himself from the institution and exert
his talents elsewhere. If so, these establishments would
resolve themselves into mere seminaries or colleges of
education and industry. They seem to be best, if not ex.
elusively, suited for an isolated rural population, who
might cultivate waste lands to advantage,and by a division
or reciprocation oflabour in the various handicrafts supply
each other with the common necessaries of life ; but com-
petition being excluded, they could never become either
wealthy or great. For commercial or maritime pursuits ;
for the purposes of science, in mining, engineering, &c.,
or for the promotion of commerce—without which civilized
countries must retrogade and savage countries remain in
stalu quo—they would be totally inapplicable. A Milton,
a Newton, a Cook, a Bruncll, or a Stephenson, could
scarcely be expected to confine himself within the walls of
such a settlement. There are other objections arising
from the variety of religions, politics, general government,
&c., which form an inseparable barrier against their
adoption. the thing is impossible without an entire
change in the whole system of our internal polity. How
would the taxes be collected from persons who thus lived
in common occupation of ranges of cottages, and pos-
sessed no individual property ? How would they exercise
the franchise? or would any of them be qualified ? We
could dilate on the subject, but we consider it unneces-
sary to say more.

MR. CHARLES KEMBLE'S READINGS FROM

SHAKESPEARE.

On Tuesday last, this eminent actor gave the first of
his course of reading from Shakespeare, which have been
so successful in London, at the Collegiate Institution,
which was crowded on the occasion by a numerous and
fashionable audience. The play selected was, " Romeo
and Juliet," and excited great interest, not only from the
circumstance of Mr. Kerrible's known ability and taste as
a Dramatic Reader, but also from that of the leading cha-
racter of the piece (Romeo) having been the chief d'oeuvre
of his career as an actor. The expectations of the audi-
ence were not deceived. Considering the advanced pe-
riod of life of the recitor, and the consequent want of that
fire and vigor which distinguished his more youthful im-
personations, the various characters were beautifully
pouerayed, and the whole given in thebest and purest taste.
Mr. Kemble was greeted, on his entrance, with acclama-
tions ; and throughout the evening, in the most effective por-
tions of the play, was loudly applauded. On Friday evening,
the First Part of King Henry IV. was given, with a happy
union of force with comic humour, every character, from
the fiery Hotspur to the "inimitable Jack Falstaff,"
is
being nature itself, a little tamed down, it true, stripped
of the rant and glitter of the stage, but still—nature. At
the conclusion of the reading, Mr. Kemble retired amidst
loud plaudits, due, we are sure not more to the talent dis-
played, but especially to the private character which this
last of the distinguished race of the Kembles has carried
I from the stage unsullied into private life.

SOLUTION OF A KNOTTY POINT.—A contemporary
of Saturday remarks that " the dispute now raging
between some of the local papers, relative to the
right of the magistrates to dismiss Orangemen from the
police office," (Query, force ?) " is a very simple one.
The point appears to us to be this :—Were the parties re-
ferred to found in flagrante delicto ?" It is a pity surely
that any parties should go to law to decide a question so
easy of solution. It may be remarked, however, that our
contemporary does not inform us what he means by
Orangemen being found in flagrante delicto." We pre-
surnebe means being caught in the act of doing something
very heinous; but whether that something very heinous
consisted in drinking " The glorious, pious, and immortal
memory," swallowing the Pope alive, or some other
enormity, we cannot for the life of us make out. Will
our contemporary inform the Town-clerk, the Watch
Committee, the Magistrates, the Lawyers, and our hum-
ble selves, what he means by the Orangemen in the police
force being " caught in flagrante delicto."
' CURIOUS MOVEMENT IN THE DUBLIN CORPORA-
TION.—A special meeting of the Dublin Corporation is
fixed for to-morrow, (Wednesday,) at which Mr. O'Con-
nell and the whole body of the town council, it is ex-
pected, will be present, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the following notice of motion, which has
been placed on the books by Dr. Maunsell, one of the
leading conservatives :—" That a humble address be pre-
sented to the Queen, praying that her Majesty will be
graciously pleased to hold her court, and to summon an
imperial parliament to meet at least once in every three
years in her loyal city of Dublin ; also, that she will re-
commend to the consideration of parliament the propriety
of making such provisions as shall secure that the same
shall be done in future times." The motion will receive
the unqualified support of Alderman Butt, and the whole,
if not all, the conservatve section of the town council—
and will probably meet with no great opposition from Al-
derman O'Connell and the repeaters. The question in-
volved in the motion is not, perhaps, worth very serious
consideration, but any immediate movement which is
likely to combine the two antagonist parties must be re-
garded as indicative of a modified state of feeling with
respect to the agitation which now distracts the country.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE LITURGY !—The Mercury of
last week has the following morceau in his notices to cor-
respondents, under the head of " Improvement of the

Liturgy:"
‘ We
nin reserve
thesery Sundayctl-iele ce of thettesrerovflASisicere
'asigmewhat that
shorter, and, therefore,
more acceptable to thousanes. especially of the young; not,
however, by omitting any thing that is said in the service, ex.
ChurchFied to
,hatovh hiiel for
rc
betor me
renderedhe, advising mdveisl d o
cept the repetitions ; it is too beautiful to be mutilated; but he
time
thinks it unnecessary to pray three distinct times for the Queen
(lately this was done tour times) in a forenoon, or to recite the
Lord's Prayer five times, to use two distinct but similar creeds,
OT to repeat the " Gloria" so very frequently as at present. If
the prayers were always concluded within the hour, the offering
up of the Lord's Prayer being the most solemn act of the ser-
vice, and if the sermon were limited to half an hour, he con-
ceives that such a space of time at one meeting would be ample
for all the purposes of public devotion and edification, and he
expresses his belief that the Church would receive a large acces-
sion of adherents. If we have room some day, we will give his
letter at length."
difficultl ,h ot
one
lye,
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improv-
ing volume
cGod
on
We would suggest to this wiseacre, as his next feat in the
improving line, an improvement of the Old and New
Testaments, to render them " more acceptable to thou-
sschaaoebnn Gos-
pels
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hd,ppt, earchonfi
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thefl'reye:
the Psalms might be
Perhaps
holy,
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h
of sabaoth " might be shortened into " Holy God of
weu l ad f t
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child'swh c any
pty one,
te h iee all of
or .
siderably simplified. Having executed this great work.
thlethhee
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Mercury,