The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-30 00:00:00

.THE STATESMAI

say, "men. if left to themselves, wiit do the best for them-
selves." I challenge them to bring forward one fast in We
history of one sprites, which &matte shadow of 'new
to this theory. As wail may they say, "do not adapts
" halms beings, for, if loft to themselves, they will acquire
" the most correct principles. and adoptthe best and most
" surd practice."
Ititse Oentlemen. whose natural powers of mind ere
mita above mediocrity, whose intentions are good, and fbr
'mayor whom I feel sentiments of great regard and friend-
ship, have been deceived by the past ; they have 'mown the
world governed only under false and mistakes notions, sad
have perceived that, in proportion at those notions have
been forced into practice. poverty, vice, misery. and, mae-
sequent discontent, have been found to prevail; and no
where has their influence been more evident then in the past
system of govern's' 'retold.
It Is very tree that It is better to govern as Unless possi•
isle. than to be active to governing on erroneous principles ;
so far I cordially agree with theme/ere politicateconomists.
There is, however. a wide tilliereewe between governing on
mourns principles, or remalliglesetile,—and govern-
ing on principles whisk sepses's', has •proved to be true,
consistent, and beneficial. Tbe is of the world
have hitherto, from error, ps fret of these modes.
In consequence of the *llium Wad of access which has
attended all legbiathis megisuni, *oder* political econo-
mists now recommend the eseified, ir the abstaining from
all attempts, on the part of sitsktfycolleetively,to direct the
proceedings of mankind ; in other words, they seem to have
a notion of some mysterious pteciple of self-adjustment in,
the affairs of life, which, if asie Interfered with, would in-
fallibly bring all things to Mgr proper level in society.
Allowing, however, the minhiserous sleets on the general
economy of life which erroneous legislation, or the absencg
of all direction, must neemiserily produce. I recommend VI!
third mode of proceeding, as being the best calcuiated to
form, conduct, and preserve, a healthy, active, intelligent,
wealthy, moral, and happy society:
Ilfr.Owsisthen proceeded to recommend toOovernments
to commence an active legislation,as soon as tbey bad dis-
covered the vinciple on which alone mankind ought to
be governed. That principle bad been stated to be " the
direction of circumstances, and the practice to consist
in withdrawing those which experience bad proved to be
injurious to mankind, and in introducing others which,
on the same authority, were known to be benefits. At
the present hour, every portion of mankind was sur-
rounded with 6ml:trances, the greater part of which
were of an immoral character; and the great majority
of mankind were forced to exist amidst circumstabresb
almost all. if not the whole of whirl', were directly de-
trimental to them. To take an instance from among his
fellow subjects, was there a single virtuous circumstance
prepared for the indictee of infants who came into the
world in idea cabins? It was impossible that Ireland
could much longer remain in its present miserable con-
dition. Every one now felt the pernicious effects, if they
did not understand the cause, of the errors of the present
system; and the only consideration which remained was
—would the change which he (Mr. Owen) proposed he
an essential improvement or not: for he would readily
admit that no fundamental alteration ought to be at-
tempted unless it appeared probable that the condition of
mankind would be greatly ameliorated by it. (Hear,
hear.) Under the system which he recommended the
forming of the character of the rising population of Ire-
land would no longer be left to accident. Measures would
be adopted to prepare for them such new circumstances
as were calculated to ensure them a good constitution,
proper treatment in infancy, an education from which
they would derive good dispositions and manners, Was.
trious habits, and useful intelligence, the means of pro-
ductive employment, and of an advantageous exchange
of the surplus products of their labours, as well as the
means of maintaining a beneficial intercourse with ge-
neral- society. By such arrangements there would be
no waste °flab° ,r,aod the result of each person's exertions
would be much more than.fourfold in produce, colnpared
with their result under the existing system; and a hun-
dredfold greater in reference to comfort and all the real
objects of human life. It was in the power of the Go-
vernment to effect these desirable objects without any
pecuniary sacrifice. Pecuniary charities could no longer
be considered as virtues, but as crimes, since they tended
to degrade and render dependent those who were the
objects of them—who, if treated with common juitice,
would• be •in a condition to bestow favours upon their
fellow creatures, rather than to be receivers of a miser-
able pittance—a smelt portion of that affluence which by
their
.previous exertions they bad actually created for
those very persons who made a merit of such misnamed
charities.—(Applause.) How erroneous, then, was the
system which rendered it necessary to assign poor rate
and pecuniary charities, as they were called, to those who
produced all the wealth in society? It was in consider-
ation of these and many other grievous errors, that he
came prepared to advocate this advantages that would
result from an entire change of the present syytern. lie
would now proceed to the consideration of the means by
which the inhabitants of Ireland could be united and
induced to Ike together as one people having the same
interest. He believed that the primary and substantial
cans of the divisions among the people of Ireland was
the matinee in which religion was taught them. Expe-
rience demonstrated that men in any part of the
world might be forced to believe any thing to be true,
' however irrational and contrary to the truth it
might be. It was a pridciple in unison with all• known
facts, that the will of the individual had no power over
his belief; that his belief or conviction was in all cases
forced upon him, and very generally by the geographi.
cal circumstances of his birth. Notwithstanding this,
however, the people of Ireland, divided into two power-
ful parties, had been taught, for many centuries, to be-
liere that there was merit in one particular belief, and
great demerit in every other, on the sus jest of religion.
Why should any part of society not desire that this pes-
tilential doctrine should be wholly withdrawn from the
moral code of the world? lie asked those who had
deeply reflected upon the ways of mesh whether young
minds would is the absence of this doctrine imbibe feel-
ings towards their fellow creatures which would impel
them in manhood to torture, burn, and massacre them,
because, being differently taught from themselves, they
could not b. live the same truths or falsehood which- the
others had fioin their infancy been compelled to enter;
tain ? He had now placed the subject fully before the
meeting, and he also wished it to be placed without de-
lay befiwe world, in order that the reel nature of the
change which lie proposed might be an,:).-stood. It was
a change which would be accompanied by no evil in its
progress : it bad no hostile feeling •tcra single child of
wan. Its object was to do good, and in spite of every
adverse circumstance to extend that good continually.—
He understood. that many individuals were extremely
anxious that experiments should be commenced to show
the practical results of the system which he advocated.
It was proposed in the prospectus which he held in bit
band, and which had been printed and circulated, that
the first instalments of capital to be called fur for the
purpose of commencing the first or parent establish-
ment, should be,paid on the Ist of Sept. next. Ile was
convinced that if practi, al men would torn their atten-
tion to thi subject, they would find that they would ob-
tain great pecuniary advantages by employing, their ca-,
pital to the communities which were about to be esta-
blished. The introduction of his system into I relaod would
speedily relieve it from the miseries and dissensions which,
under the present system, must eontioue and incresse.—
He had a right to ask why Uoyernment dill not afford
pecaoiary means for giving the plan a fair trial ? At a
time when British revenue and capital were squandered
in every part of the globe, was there none to spare, not
even in the shape of a loan well secured, to aid in giving
the means of support through incluatrimis and temperate
habits to so many millions of our unemployed, starving,
and hopeless
sfellow subjects, who are but two days' jour-
ney removed from us ?—(Applause.) A loan of from

dee to eight millioes, well inweeed en had anti boon,
and on the industry of those who would prefer employ-
liest to idleness; would resale Iteland from its miseries,
and Goverment from its disgrace. (Applause.) The
loans toot' alight easily be repaid with interest. by means
of ambit* fond In eu than silbee yams. So vitally
'important to Irelancididlie consider such aid at the pre-
root juncture, and so safe did be consider the sorority
which the landed proprietors and others had to offer if
the loan were granted them at the three and a half per
cent., that he was ready to commence a Hat, if other in-
dividuals would follow his example, to give additional
security to Government for the repayment of the loan,
Ishii trivet his name down for SPOOL (Applause.) it
)*doing so, be felt that he should bat half perform
Eris duty towards the millions of his suffering fellow
;countrymen in Ireland, Were those in themselves
utterly helpless beings to be seen by many of the
Lich and benevolent persons of either sex with whom this
country abounded, and seen as he had beheld them
in the most wretched cabins, emaciated from the want of
a sufficiency of wholesome food, their children lying in
the litter of swine, and often, in the depth of winter,
without foel enough to cook their daily meal of potatoes, •
they would fee), that if Government would not lend a
helping hand, they themselves could no longer allow
such things to be, and suffer themselves to be called
good, pious, and charitable. (Applause.) Rut, what-
ever others might do, he felt that he should be impelled,
whilst health and means remained to him, to centime
without ceasing, to call upon the Government and the
people to wipe away the deep stein which attached to
our national character. And it was also his determitra
tion, forced upon him by the circumstances s the times,
to proceed without delay to prepare a full exatnple in
Scotland of the practical measures from which the world,.
ere long, must derive permanent and enhstantial advan-
tages to an extent of which, at present, it could form no
adequate estimate. lie wished is, however, to be under-
stood, that frownone of the loans or experiments did he
expect directly or indirectly to derive any,other advan-
tage than would belong to any other contributer
to such loans, or coannoo member of society. The
only return he sought, or had ever sought, for his
exertions, was to know that some day his fellow beings
would be in the full
enjoyment which his life had been de-
voted to secure for them: and as lie felt assured that the time
was not far distant when that desired object would be ett-
Word, he already possessed a rich reward for his s.rrices,*.ed
deemed them amply repaid. (Great approbation.) The wor-
thy
gentleman then read time Resolutions, which lie said
lie would ultimately propose 'should be adopted by the
Meeting. These Resolutions embodied the fact of the
distress prevalent in Ireland, with Mr.. Owen's own con-
clusions as to their cause and remedy.
The Resolutions were seconded by a Scotch Gentle-
man, who delivered his sentiments from a manuscript
be held in his band, and which he real in so low a
tone as to be scarcely intelligible. The Assembly shew-
ing considerable impatience, lie gave way to
Mr. Mauna, an Irish Gentleman, and a Member of
the Middle Temple, who opposed Mr. Owen's plan.—
He gave full credit to that Gentleman for the sincerity
of his motives ; he screed with him as to the exist nee
of the evils which afflicted Ireland, but be objected to •
the plan as visionary aqd impracticable ; it was peculi-
arly so when proposed for a country the inhabitants of
whirl)* were torn by contending parties. He objected
also to the manner in which Mr. Owen li id treated reli-
gious subjects. Hale. Owen could be instrumental in
relieving Ireland from her present system of tithes; in
restoring to her time absentees. the loss of whose reve-
nues now impoverished her, and in removing the oppres-
sion of the middle men, he would confer a real benefit
upon that country:. But Mr. Owen's present plan could
never he carried into effect unless human nature were
first altered in all itq feelings and all its passions. He
did not think it could eradicate the evils which accumu-
lated for years from a system of misgovernment, clerical
rapacity, absentees, tithes, and religious exclusion,which
bore down the peasantry. He considered the proposal
of Mr. Owen would produce no other effect than that of
drawing the attention of the friends of Ireland from the
only certain remedies for the cure of the evil, and of
giving those in Parliament who did net mean fairly to.
wards Ireland, a pretext for resisting any other measure
of improvement. He again repeated' that Mr. Owen's
plan was impracticable ; and that the present feelings
and extraordinary exertions of Mr. Owen, would, if di-
rected in other channelo, be productive of more benefit to
Ireland.
Mr. YOUNG said, that be was inclined to think, judg-
ing from what bad fallen from the gentlemen who had
just sat down, and who had spoken with so much elo-
quence, that lie, in fact altpgether misunderstood the
plan of M Owen. He particularly misunderstood that
gentleman as to what had fallen from him respecting re-
ligion. Mr. Owen did ssot arraign the Catholic religion,
nor the Protestant religion either ; but lie might have
said with truth, that mach of the wretchedness and mi-
sery of that country 'night be traced to that system of
religious persecution which had so long kept alive there
the worst passions of hanian nature. Mr. Owen had
said that the opinion of man was not in his own power,
and who could doubt the fact ? Man could not avoid
entertaining a certain opinion, he wis not to be punished
for opinion ; but he was to be rewarded and honoured
for good works—for his endeavours to reclaim, to in.
struct, and to Improve the state of his fellow-creatures—
(Applause.)—He (Mr. Young) would have been indeed
glad that the plan of Mr. Owen bad been more definite ;
bat as it was, it would have his support, because it was
intended for the benefit of Ireland—a country whose fate
alai whose wrongs were a disgrace to the empire.
Mr. MUDIE said, be could not avoid expressing his
approbation of the plan of benevolence proposed by Mr.
Owen. For six years be had paid unremitting attention
to it, be had examined all the objections, and he'was
every day wore and more convinced that it was founded
on principles which could not be shaken. The only ar-
gainent be heard against it that day was, that it had not
yet been adopted, in this country. The same objec.ion
might be made to.many useful improvements which took
considerable time before they were generally adopted.
They all remember what a time elapsed before gas was
generally used, and what difficulties It had to encounter.
Nothing would be more obvious than Mr. Owen's plea.
It was perfectly tangible. The object eves to employ
the poor, to enable them to enjoy more of their own pro-
duce, and to ailbrd them the benefits of education.
Mr. OOURLAY said, he had devoted his time for twenty-
two years to the improvement of the condition of the
people. He formed the resolution of devoting his whole
life to it, and the consequence was that he was now a
pauper himself, a completely rained man. In conse-
quence of -his exertions in the cause, be was at that
1 moment living on the clothes he hid pawned. He had
plans of his own, which lie would Act upon, if Mr. Owen
joined him; but that Gentleman's scheme had no chance
of success; if acted upon. ,it would not fail to have the
' worst effects. Of this he had no doubt from societies
lie saw in America established upon the mine principle
of a community of goods. Until the human mind was
much snore improved, men would he utterly unfit fur
associating on such a principle. lie had no doubt, how-
ever, that it was decreed., that mankind, through a beg
course of suffering, woultLp_urify themselves so as to be-
come angels upon earth. He went to Canada td carry
his plans into effect,And tried in 'vide for nearly four
yeah to prevail on Parliament to adopt his views.. He
could not succeed, and sunk under the effort.
air CROOK said he did ant think Mr. Owea's plan was
adverse to•the Bible... Ills object wits the ume u that
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