The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-06-27 00:00:00

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The Mimeos of IJONDOSDERRY said, a propo-
dikes similar to the present hatkormerly been rejected
by the House, and he Mill had great doubt of the pro-
priety of deciding that Parliament thould cheer Well
with the responsibility of deciding w the prospect
held oat to the commenity by Mr. Oven's plan. The
mode in which his Hon. Friend (Mr. Name) bad
referred to the Reports which had bin aide to Par-
Realest this Sessims imeremed their doubts. For, •if
the Report of the Agricultural Committee, on which
Committee he (Lord L.) had spent veiny a weary
morning..—(A langh,)—was so unsatisfactory, what
would the feelings of the country be, if, after being
told that a Plan existed for bringing back the golden
days of Paradise, and that Parliament had given into
the trick, all the bright colours melted into air? In
this free anti happy country, any plan of this kind
would be sufficiently investigated without the inter-
vention of PATH meet. The Hon. Member had told
us that the spade was preferable to the plough, and
that we should never be happy till we were all digging
--(A laugh,)—that a cotton manufactory could never,
be carried on well till there was a Mr. Owen to take.
care of the morals of the people when they came ont
of the mill, so that society would lose its dispersed
and independent character, and would be reduced to a'
system of machinery which the lion. Member would
drive out of the world except no applied to human
beings. Ile protested agiinst the Ilotise of Commons
being the proper body to take upon itself the investi-
gation of abstract principles, or of all new inventions,
the success of which so of`su depended on the seal of
the inven.ors. Ile hoped they would not undertake an
inquiry which would add one to the fruitless results
which were supposed to lower their character in public
estimation. There were. large and intelligent bodies
strhieli had a direct and lively interest in any plan for
the improvement of the administration of the poor,
and it was not necessary to a trial of Mr. Owen's plan
(if lie held out any prospects) that the country should
be carved out into parallelograms, in order to put the
poor tinder the man 'gement of the Exchegiter. The
state of discipline recommended by Mr. Owen might
be applicable enough to poor houses, lint it was by no
means applicable to the feelings of a free nation.—
Ile did not stand there to any benevolent
schesi.e, but lie felt it necessary to protest against Par-
liament being made the trihunai for investigating
every abstruse p.iticiple and ever• nets scheme for
moticiling the established order of s icie.y. He could
not consent to the graminz of a Commission, which
Ire was apprehensive would ultimately lead to mbar-
rassment in that House, without producing any useful
result.

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Sir W. DE CRES.P:GNY thought that the plan .'e
screed at least a fair bearing. lie thought also Vie
the Mime of Conmtjns was precisly the place for con-
sidering of ant• plan that might kid to the improve-
men► an i bettelit of the people. The system of educ•-a-
tinn adopted by Mr. Owen forced children to become
gntol me►nbers of Society. llow much snl►rrior was
that mode t., the conduct of many 1C11.31014 in the me-
tropolis, which were sinks of iniqUity—which led ehil-
•:rrn into t:.e ways of vice and corruption, and
which otizht to be suppressed by the police of the
country ?
Air. MUM:: said, that he subscribed to every prin-
ciple laid down in the speech of the Noble Marquess.
The nature of the plan of Society recommended would
take array from the British character that which was
its boast and is I:rot-Mon, its native independence.—
(Hest, hear.)—lt was tali! that Mr. t/o•en's establish-
ment was conducted with the utmost regularity s he
admitted the fact, but one of his objections to it was,
that it was much ton reetilar,—(.llaugh.)—There was
too much regularity to leave room fur energy or iude-
peudence if man he not called upon by the pres-
sure of circumstances to think for himself, he will
never thin!: at all. flowerer admirable the society of
Mr. Owen might be under his own immediate eye, its
principles could never be extended to a free and enter-
prising people. lie could not, however, sit down
without expressing the respect and altteiration he felt
f•or the virtues and the extensive benevolence of Mr.
Owen.

Mr. F. BUXTON said, that there was hardly one
opinion uttered by the Noble M..rquess in which he did
not concar.—(Hear,)—and there was hardle an ex-
pression made use of by his Hon. Fr;ionol (Mr. Max-
well) from which he did not slissept.—(A lanais.) Still
there was one reason for his supportin; the present
motion. Circumstances leol him to tile knowledge of
the state of the workhouses, which were institutions
for the direct production of misery and rice; it was
impossible for any one to visit theist without bring
struck with the miserable, squint!, and degraded ap-
pearance of the children ; but n ith respect to Mr.
Owen's establishments, there were not to be found in
any place so large a collection of children possessed of
so much health, vivacity, spirit and thorilitr.—(Hear,
hear.) Ile would agree to the motion, I;eeause the
examination might lead to one important inquiry.
namely. that of considering the best means of manag-
ing large institutions. He hoped that the state of the
workhouses, containing a population of many hundred
thousand persona. wonid be taken up by s Gentle-
ann, and shortly be brought under the cot.sideration
of that House.
• Mr. SCARLETT thought that the Towle proposed
was not the most expedient mode of inquiry: if any
Gentleman thought the principle good, perhaps the
heat way, of proceeding would be to bring in a distinct'
Bill on the Pult.,ert. Referring to an olorserratien
made by an llotoostrable Gentleman that evening, he
(Mr. Srarlett) would only say that he never would
hare brought its the Bill now before Parliament
if he did nut think that it would tend to nine.
Borate the condition of the pour. Ile thought
that Honourable Onstlemen would ouly act fairly to
' hear arguments in favour of public theasures instead
of anticipating- and aspersing them.
Mr. H. GURNEY thought that the Plan of Mr.
Owen was highly deserting of inquiry.
1 Mr. WILBERFORCE regretted that the motion had

been bronglst forward at all. lie had the Itithest opi-
nion of the purity and disinterested benevolence of Mr.
Owen's news ; but he thought a Connuiseion quite an.
necessary for the proposed end. Any four or fire. Mem-
bers who would take upon them to emunine Alr. Owen's
establishment, and put the. result of that examinitiOn on
piper. would receive full credit from the public. fl'hus
all useful intormation would be obtained without the
danger of having it nmlerstodd out of that MUM
that they took up the principle of Mr. Owen as a sort of
panacea for the distress which at the present 'lament
L wa* se generally felt And so mach to be deprofed.-
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Omar.