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rlage in your paper of May 18 th , appears to me to admit and deserve no reply , but that of saying NoJ No ! to every clause of it . The real question however is simply this : «• Shall a man and woman who enter upon conjugal union retain in their own hands the power of free divorce ? Those who say , No , must necessarily require some act of wedding , attested by witnesses , and must stigmatize as demoralizing all unions which are not guarded against such abrupt and mischievous disunion . Fbancis W . Newman .
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JOINT STOCK CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY . Glasgow , 57 , Thistle-street , June 18 , 1850 . S , K > Your correspondent's letter on a Joint Stock Cooperative Society is very good ; but I think defective where it leaves the admission of members to be determined by the whim-whams of those having previously joined—the plan must be based on the certainty of a subscriber getting his money's worth . Just let us suppose that " the Old Jewry gentleman " would extend his philanthropy so far as to buy an estate of at least 5 . 00 acres of good land , well situated ; and who so competent as himself to get a good legal
title and keep us out of the meshes of the law , and that he divided it into one , two , and three acre lots , to be retailed out at wholesale price , including in such price the cost of original title , surveying , and making roads ; that the cost of title to each occupant be stated , and on payment of the price the title to be given to the purchaser ; or , in case of his being unable to pay in full , to grant a mortgage for deficiency till he or his friends could pay it off . To cover preliminary and legal expenses make the shares ( apart from purchase sum ) £ 5 each , to entitle to location . Reserve ten acres in the most
convenient spot for erection of a farm-steading with commodious barns , flour-mill , store , and exchange market , a range of Workshops and a school , all done in the plainest and most economical way—the cost to be allocated over the whole allottees , and the title to this eentral land and buildings to be vested in trustees for , the general behoof , making provision that if any allottee wished to sell out , to . bind him in his title to make the first offer of it to the trustees
at valuation price , who would select a new tenant . Let trustees appoint a competent superintendent to regulate ^ he whole concern , who would attend Weekly meetings of the allottees for suggestions and giving information ; the superintendent to be aided by a small committee appointed by the allottees , wht > se duty it should be to see that the accounts are kept in a proper way . , The cottages to be built together in the form of a crescent or square with flower plots in front , so as to have the full benefit of the cooperative and social
ideas , and not built in the straggling style of the O'Connor allotments ; the objection that each man ' s cottage would not be on his own patch would be trifling when we consider that a certain number of horses and carts would be required for the mill , &c , which would be used for the carriage of manure to each allotment from the general farm yard , according to the quantity of straw and cattle which each occupant had ; cottages to be built by contract on a regular plan and at a stated price . Here would be individuality of possession with the greatest possible amount of cooperative labour .
I put thi 3 for your own elaboration and consideration . From my experience at Charterville I am confident a plan like this , judiciously carried out , would be pretty generally taken up ; and besides would gradually yield the full development of the practical Socialists' views . Hoping you will open a share list in your columns and advocate this , or some better plan , to truly enfranchise all classes , Respectfully yours , Wallace Russell . It is not so much good plans we want , as good and prudent capitalists to carry them out .
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LETTERS TO LORD ASHLEY ON PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY , WITH REFERENCE TO AN IMPROVED CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE . No . III . My Lord , —If the measures adopted by tho Labourers' Friend Society are wholly inadequate to tho exigencies of the times in which we live , it is to be feared that they arc not even calculated to benefit many of thoso destitute objects whose deplorable condition first induced attention to the neglected state of the people . It was not until the crowded , unhealthy , and demoralized state of some of the
apartments inhabited by the poorest had reached an alarming degree of fever , disease , and revolting depravity , the effects of which threatened to spread even to more favoured neighbourhoods , that the idea of building lodging-houses was suggested ; but if we enquire who are the occupants tit" these lodginghouses , we shall lind that they are of the industrious and in general well p . iid portion of the working clliases , who are required and ablo to procure guarantees for the payment of the rent ; and it may jilso be remarked that to the same class of respectable operatives alone is tho uso of the wash-houses and
baths confined from the inability of the others to pay for them . If again we enquire the class of labourers who rent allotments , we find that they also , so far from being of the poorest of the village , are most of them small tradesmen and the better order of labourers . No one would think of objecting to the encouragement thus given to the steady and industrious operatives . Although , thereby , it may be competing with the smaller landholders and builders in one case , and with , the agriculturist in the other . m Chris
The more comprehensive plan of organized - tian communities for those who are destitute of employment would , by early training and regular employment combined with the moral and religious influences , prevent the lethargic and those characters inferior by nature , bodily or mentally , from falling into want and misery in consequence of the greater attention paid to them by the more efficient members ; and this would give a still higher tone of moral feeling to the whole community . With what great advantages could such institutions , under suitable
modifications , be at once introduced into Ireland , and more especially if the plan of Prince Louis Napolen , denominated •« Agricultural Colonies , " described in his Extinction du Pauperisme , in which the strict discipline of the army is equally enforced in the peaceful pursuits of agriculture and manufactures , was adopted ; such a discipline would be the more necessary in consequence of the acquired habits , indolence , and disorganized state of the Irish . Another advantage of great importance would attend the establishment of such colonies in Ireland , as the
measure would supersede the necessity for the Maynooth grant of money . For if loans and grants of land were made for the establishment of Catholic and Protestant communities under competent commissioners , each community would institute its own system of education , and provide the means of maintaining its professors without any aid from Government for that specific object . Although there are many who have urged the submission of these plans of organized associations to the attention of your lordship , others have remonstrated against the unreasonableness of appealing to those overwhelmed
benevolent individuals who are already with projects of a similar character . . *• Why not , " they say , " solicit attention from those influential parties who are not engaged in any other objects of a public nature ? " But you , my lord , too well know , from the almost isolated position which you and a few others occupy amongst the nobles of the land , how fruitless it is to expect those whose wealth has enabled them early to indulge with the temptations of indolence and self gratification , to interest themselves in any other objects than those which , although they have been taught to avoid they have been trained to indulge in even to excess . To whom , theiefore , ought the appeal to be made , if not to your lordship ? The degree of aid required is simply that of the influence of your name and authority , and the slight
attention sufficient to induce you to give that encouragement could not interfere with the prosecution of those other objects before adverted to . Nor would it be too much to expect that the interests of your society might be more effectually promoted by others , especially lady patronesses , who with balls at Almack ' s , subscription cards , and fancy fairs , their accustomed means , though somewhat objectionable , might enrich the treasury ; and thus rslieved . from the minor details you would be enabled to give an undivided attention in the seriate to the higher duties of a Christian legislator , and to a further development of a great principle destined immeasurably to spread tho blessings of genuine Christianity and real civilization .
It must be admitted that among the beneficial consequences resulting from your lordship ' s benevolent efforts , not the least is the example you have afforded to a section of the Cluirch deeming itself exclusively evangelical . By some of those who compose this selfexalted party , all attempts to improve or alter the physical condition of the people is denounced as an endeavour to substitute human for divine means . If it is urged upon them that the clergy themselves have been invited and consented to guide the movement ,
their next excuse is that the condition of the people has been ordained by Providence , forgetting that , if such a position is tenable , even your lordship , by some acts of Parliament , has reversed the decrees of Omnipotence itself . Tho means resorted to by this party fordoing nil that they conceive within the pi ovince of man are prayer , preaching , and distribution of tracts : although" in no instance has it boon proposed to supersede these essential means , but rather to give them more efficiency . Yet is the distribution of tracts considered as the all-sufficient , regardless of
the condition of tho people , whether they are without work and sometimes houseless and starving . Are tho people hungry ? they are to be fed with religious tracts . Are they naked ? clothed with religious tracts . Are they houseless ? increase the circulation of religious tracts . Are . they without employment ? there is more time to read religious trac's . It is not to be inferred that such parties are negligent of the condition of their own families , who are sedulously protected from the influence of those
demoralizing circumstances by which , the working classes are surrounded ; and thus it is they pray night and morning not to be led into temptation , and yet they leave a starving people ignorant and ill-trained , and consequently least able to resist adverse influences , to be assailed by temptations almost irre - sistible except by a self-denial and holy resignation rarely w itnessed upon earth ; satisfied if here and there among thousands there are two or three capable by the power of religion of rising superior to the external influences that impede their progress in improvements . When the island of Chusan was taken the victorious party upon landing beheld an affrighted missionary running away , pursued by an infuriated woman seeking his life in consequence of having lost her son in the battle . The missionary had told , her that the religion he wished to inculcate and professed in his own country was a religion of peace and goodwill to all mankind . Surely , my lord , it is time that an improved mode of propagating the Gospel was adopted , and by exhibiting , like the Moravian settlements , a Christian policy in our communities , to prove what a blessed thing it is for " brethren to live together in unity , " it would then be seen that missionaries would accomplish more in one year than in a century without such a visible demonstration ot the truth of their doctrine . The self-supporting villages would be the crowning work of the labours of your society , which has a machinery so well calculated to carry into effect an object so highly important . M .
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DOCTRINE AND POLICY . Hampstead , June 26 , 1850 . Sir , —You say that I have misunderstood you , and that I " seem to imagine you wish for more doctrines , more theories , more systems than already exist ; " you correct me in stating that " your demand is for the one doctrine which shall replace all these sectarian and conflicting views , and unite men under the banner of one faith . " I did not misunderstand you ; but I wished to
know it you naa any w I have worked out a doctrine for myself , which unites the experience of my senses with the disciplines of my reason under the banner of one faith . This doctrine I call Providential Unity . My first position is that of absolute faith in Providence and in the laws of the universe . I am led to believe that absolute evil does not exist , never did , and never will . That which we deem evil is merely relative imperfection , a necessary state of elaboration in the development of natural and spiritual life . I will not here dilate upon this doctrine . My object is to show that you are seeking in a wrong direction for the unity of faith you want . When I refer you to the Scriptures " you are lost in amazement as to what I am driving at , " and ask if I " seriously think that the Scriptures can in any way help us to a knowledge of living facts and the progressive laws of the universe . " I do think so , most seriously ; and that is my reason for writing to the Leader . I believe the doctrine you want is not to be found without studying both natural and spiritual revelation — both Nature and Scripture . You say men have " studied the creation , " and shown how mere study will not help them out of the difficulty , unless it result in the establishment of ascertained laws , and those laws be elaborated into one comprehensive and harmonious doctrine . " That seems evident enough , but not exactly to the purpose . Is it not a false conceit which stands in the way of faith and understanding more than the insufficiency of study , as a method of obtaining knowledge ? By " false conceit" I mean a false conception or a preconceived opinion , with which some men sit down to study Nature and Scripture , especially the latter . Some students seem to reason thus : —" Whatever comes from God is perfect ; that which is perfect is exactly in accordance with my conscience : ergo , my conscience is tho test of truth , and justice , and perfection . " Those who are consistent with themselves in this conceit generally become Atheists . They reject the works of Nature as well as the revelations of Scripture . Those who are but half consistent become Deists ; they cling to ISature , but reject the Scriptures . # Instead of this conceit wo must begin with perfect faith in Providence , and absolute humility of underj standing , if wo wish to come at knowledge by tho study of facts and phenomena in natural and spiritual life . , . , , Nature is full of swamps and poison , violence and imperfection ; Society is full of violence and imperfection ; why should Scripture be devoid of imperfection , to be held as sacred and divine ? Is not Nature of true origin ? Is not Society from God ? Is tho human conscience , in its present state , coequal with divine wisdom ? Does it understand the use of evil and of imperfection in society and creation ? I think not . It cannot , therefore , judge of scriptural revelation , otherwise than by comparison with Nature .
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326 ©!» * % t&Htt * [ Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), June 29, 1850, page 326, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1844/page/14/
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