On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (9)
-
> >1B THE MEMBERS OF THE LAND COMPANY.
-
iMr %U FriEsds,—It was my intention to h...
-
NORWICH . Duty and justice to the men of...
-
TO MR T. A., BARNSLEY. Sir,—I take the l...
-
/rifc ^,.,,L. : //st^T^ ..AMuAt, ¦¦ **.r...
-
AND NATIONAL TRADES' JOURNAL.
-
V XN " ' « ' OL- . ? 507- LONDON, SATURD...
-
THE LAND AND T'JE CHARTER. A numerous an...
-
^te - ol f x Vv> s •s *s h , r-. ' ^
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
≫ ≫1b The Members Of The Land Company.
> > 1 B THE MEMBERS OF THE LAND COMPANY .
Imr %U Friesds,—It Was My Intention To H...
iMr % U FriEsds , —It was my intention to have itittenitten you a useful letter this week upon ririculWcuiture and our progress and prospects ; it , full , finding that the malcontents had built ipipe olpe of Strength upon mv disregard of their Lilly , Hy , and Mr T . A . having insisted upon isisweusWers to THEIR questions , I have thought .. best best to silence them by gratifying him . eext \ ext week you shall have an account of my uierafoerations " here . wJiich will be attested by Kiousaousands , and which will astonish you and mralnralvse Faction . I wish y ou could see my
hheatheat sown at the rate of le » than MGHI C 0 U 10 UNDS' WEIGHT OF SEED TO THE I CK CUE , AND TOO THICK- What I shall rroveoveisthis : that a man , his wife , and five l ^ ild ^ nldren could not , in SIX MONl'HSanisume hUe phe produce of a QUARTER OF AN ACRE , cccorccordinjr'to what I have this year produced mndemder the most unfavourable circumstance ? , vwt hot having put a spade in the ground till the Kith cth of March , and my wheat was sown on that I ; lav . lav . I think nothing of building houses : I » flulwuld erect t wenty thousand of them in the r reairear ; hut I will show the LAND , and what I ii taveave done . I will tell you a fact here , and will
jjeatreat of it nest week ; no man who has not jseeneen it will he inclined to credit it ; hut "dates 3 ire are stubborn facts , " and no one ran disbelieve l ( U * s own eyes . On the 13 th of June 1 p lanted 11 pit p lot of potatoes , the largest I could get : this i js tjs the 7 th of July , and 1 will now have them i rii Kjoeasured , and my evidence attested . I have Ihadhad the potatoes measured . I took not the Italltallest in aline across all the drills , and they iaveaverage over SEVENTEEN INCHES IN ; H ^ BlGHT r some are over two fe et , and i ivearerage abeut . seventeen stalks from each , see & eed ; the drills are three feet apart , and the : seeseed potatoes are three feet apart in the drill , antanu thev now meet and touch . As the black
smsniith who has just seen them says , they are iikjike umbrellas . Now , if the day they were p i ; p lanted was not booked and known to all , and jif if they did not bear unmistakeable evidence lotlof the fact of their growth , I should not menftiftion one word about them—but I have not [ df done yet—they have been landed , "earthed " hifup TWICE , and are that heig ht above the fafaewnd landing . We measured ecen . from the Isfsurface , and those potatoes were planted by liiine ,: « " ! will be eaten by Mr THOMAS ACKiffLAM , of BARNSLEY . Now , every acre in IS En gland may be made to produce as much . 11 Mr Cullingbam , our foreman , measured the I i potatoes , and he will bear witness : —
lJ I have tins day measured the potatoes referred to . and full y corroborate every word of the above statement ; and , truth to say , I can scarcely credit my own eyes , but so the fact lianas . '" Henry Cullingham . ' So much for what was never done before ; next week I will account for it , and show how every man may do likewise . TFell , you see ' lam on my hobby , and I must go on , though I have done as niiich this week as would kill a LITTLE HOUSE . Ihavejustdugonestalk of potatoes formr own dinner , and had the potatoes
counted ; " there were FIFTY POTATOES , every one of them fit to cook , and no two persons would require more for dinner ; those I p lanted on the Sth March , on my own plan . Peter , a BLACK MAN I have , counted them , and vhen the old Bailiff turned them out , the Black Man roared out , " Oh , Massa Ellis . Massa Ellis , what a sig ht ! " Now , this was not a picked stalk , but came in its regular tarn . Now for the wheat : such a thing as this my eyes never beheld ; it is about fourand a half"feet high , and each ear is about five indies long , even now . and that I intend as
C " .- -aw stock to supply all the occupants with seed . I mean to propagate it on my own allotment , and to GIVE enough to each occupant , not to SELL it ; I will g ive some to each of the O'Connorville men this autumn . I p lanted less than ei g ht pounds ' wei g ht to an acre ; the farmers sow about fourteen stone ; so that at "is 6 d . a stone , I saved nearly !/• 15 s . an acre in seed , and left it for consumption . I would give a large sum that every working man in England could see mv garden , and not 2 , 0 ( KM . hut 50 . 000 / . a week would come in ; and I tell vouthat on mv word and on my soul , I would
, " rather be the founder of the LAND ? LAN rthan monarch of Europe , upon the condition ? tbat it should not be carried into effect . I tell | you more , —that its full results have not yet entered into any man ' s mind , < even the most sanguine or enthusiastic . I Now , allow me to digress a hit—you see I will Igo on , though I was up all Monday night , and kmly in bed three hours last nig ht . Men of ^ Stockport , you have not been the most backward of Your order in carrying out the LAND
IPLAN , and , still more glorious , your genegrous donation to Chartism proves that it has Inot destroyed your love of liberty . You Iremember " that in November , 1835 , nearly £ twelve y ^ ars since , I told you that if the [ land was locked up , I would not give you a t straw for Universal Suffrage . You remember 11 told you , that in one year the people could t ? purchase the tithes , and in a few years could Ipurchase the Land , and by prudence could pay i off the National Debt . Will the men of
Middletou , and all who have read it . remember my speech delivered at Middletorpn 1838 , wherein I predicted the effects of FREE TRADE , and how it would affect the several interests ? You all remember my Letters to the Irish Landlords in 1 S 40 r Now then observe , it is important : read those letters , and say if I have not foretold , to a miracle , the present state of Ireland . I told the Landlords of Ireland , that if they did not subdivide their estates , to meet national recpiirements , that Government would confiscate them . Well , read the " Morning Chronicle * ' of Monday last , and there VOU will
|§ £ nd that the greatest part of the Irish gland MUST BE SOLD . Read tfce bill that fp Lord John Russell is preparing to enable them Ipto sell , and read the very fact as I stated it , p | that the Jews and Mortgagees would oust lif ^ them ; and they are doing so . And now I tell Ifi . yoti that you have onlv seen the BEGIN-% i KING OF THE END . I told you that W-mhen the Church pressed hardly uyon the remf rjaant left to the landlords , that they would Ivlthen inquire what Chartism meant , and would Caav , " : WUY , BLESS MY SOUL ! I HAVE
|^ 'SEEN IN IGNOfiANCE-lFHY , I AM A pCHARTIST . " jr % f : ' Now , without vanity , working men , ( although j ! j / we are told there is nothing new under the Spsun ) I ask you , if , while factions have been ^ talking about moonshine , I have not , for fif-Ifiteen years , heen telling you what the inevitable || -effect of class legislation must be , and if I have jp iiot clearl y mapped out times that have come r jp f ] Nw , I will venture another prediction . The h j > re .-ent Pope is an honour to the age , but even | f iie has to some extent joined the league of r Irings ; he has interdicted all priestl y inter-1 | - fere / ice with political questions . Now ) couple Wi this with the avowed intention of the British
minister to exchange ambassadors with the court of Rome , and to that add Archbishop Murray ' s political interdict , and the only sane anWi * " ENDOWMENT OF THE IRISH PRIESTHOOD and prostration of the Irish people . " And now attend to my ruphecy on the sth of July , 1 S 47 : — JOHN O'CONNELL WILL BE 3 IADE THE LITTLE MOUTHPIECE OF THE HUSH CATHOLIC HIEKAllCIIY ; AND THOSE OF HIS OilDEIl WHO NOW FLEDGE THEMSELVES TO REPEAL , WILL
ADVOH t .: ATE THE EQUALITY OF THE jg CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD , THAT ! , S jjp TiiElll PROSTITUTION , AS A NEgi t'ESSAHY PRELIMINARY ; AND j | WHEN THE GENERAL ( ELECTION m IS OVER , YOU WILL SE £ IRELAND
Imr %U Friesds,—It Was My Intention To H...
MORE DISTRACTED THAN EVER , BY THE CONTENTIONS BETWEEN THE ENDOWMENT AND NONENDOWMENT FACTIONS . But , my friends , do vou look to the LAND AND THE CHARTER , until all factions shall have EATEN EACH OTHER TO THE TAILS . Your sincere Friend and Bailiff , Feargvs O'Cossor . •^ ' / ' / ' // . ^ kM- ////// , /^
Norwich . Duty And Justice To The Men Of...
NORWICH . Duty and justice to the men of Norwich compels me to say . that such H demonstration as theirs of Monday last lias not been seen in England since 1 S 39 , and was never excelled even then . I never was more astounded . To make a guess at the numbers , or to attempt a description of the enthusiasm , would be foll y . When in the centre of the congregated thousands , I could neither see beginning or end of people or banners . Close behind my carriage , drawn b y four beautiful grey horses , was the most . magnificent flag that can be imagined . On
one side was a huge Bastile , a porpoise of an overseer at the door , dragging a starving child in , and paapers bearing the corpse of a pauper passing by ; over this were the words " ENGLAND AS IT IS ; ' ' on the other side was a view of O'Connorville , splendidly done , and over it , « ENGLAND AS IT WILL BE . " The market-place ( an immense place ) was filled with people , and the Hall at ni ght was crammed . In short , nothing could be more triumphant ; while I am bound to say , that the absence of both Mr Jones and Dr Simpson was an insult to the fine fellows by whose
exertions the whole affair was got up ; and I must add , that they , the Chartists , are not at all chargeable with the neglect . I can partly excuse Mr Jones , though he should have been there ; but I cannot excuse the Dr ., who can offer no earthl y apology . The fact is , all must remember the adage , " God helps those who hel p themselves ; " and those who stand in need of Chartist support must in future be able to plead SUPPORT OF CHARTISM . In compliance with the request of the Election Committee , I sent to
the address they gave me , in the hope of finding Dr Simpson , and determined to comply with their wish ; but I now beg to observe that we must have a better system of discipline in our ranks—a system based on the princi p le of MUTUAL " co-operation , not a kind of forced or one-sided action ; and I beg to tell Dr Simpson that he will find himself most egregiou ^ Iy mistaken if he thinks I am to be his travelling trumpet , or if he thinks the Chartists are going to humbly beg his assistance . I was the onlv one of the three
who had no personal object to serve by going to Norwich . I went to assist others , and I was the only one of the three present . Henceforth I beg to state , that I will assist no man who has not openly , avowedly , and consistentl y assisted and advocated Chartism . The lessening of our own dignity makes factions and waiters upon Providence despise us . The non-attendance of those gentlemen was a sore blow to the Committee , who worked hard to get up the Demonstration , and my going was a very serious inconvenience to myself . Now I tell you what : for the future I vote for hiring candidates as we hire other servants , tbus : SHOW ME YOUR
CHARACTER FROM YOUR LAST PLACE . This picking up and hawking about of candidates , upon the modest assurance that they will condescend to represent us , is positively a disgrace to our cause . Feargus O'Coxxor .
To Mr T. A., Barnsley. Sir,—I Take The L...
TO MR T . A ., BARNSLEY . Sir , —I take the letter which I here print to be- that of Thomas Acklam , and I shall . makf such comments upon it as it richl y deserves . Here is the letter : — TUE LASD SOCIETY " . BAK . tsi . ET , 2 J ) th Jane , 1817 . Sib , —A number of persons , I among the rest , not being able to ascertain the mode of conveyance , and what kind of security Tnembcre will have wbeii thoj » re located , I nave been desired to request a solution from you in next « cek ' s Star . And , as I am informed there are members who wish to sell out , and others who decline paying up , under the idea that tiiey will have no personal security whatever ,
and be liable not only for the money advanced by the bank , but for the expenses , losses or misappropriation in conducting tbe society , even when the mortgage is paid off , it is hoped you will consider it worthy of your attention , and , as it is presume ) to be one of the main points , that you will either cire the required information , or direct us where to obtain it . The questions that present themselves to me are : How is the property conveyed ? to each member , or tbe Seciety in trust ?
If to the Society in trust , how far is each member liable ? If liable to expenses , losses , & c , in conducting the Society , it he liable to all , or is the exact amount of liabilities defined in sncli deed ? When a party has paid off tbe money advanced , is the property conveyed to him singly , free from all incumbrances , or Is lie still liable , us a member of the Society , to itsdebts , & c . ? If liable , is tbe amount set forth ? I write this not doubting the integrity of tbe pro motors , but within- ; that every member may see vjhal is his own , and what is another ' s , and tbat he may know that there is a security provided for hiai to place him at the wiil of no man .
You will see the point alluded to , and , if tbe questions are not pot right , all we have to request is that you will be so good as to clear every doubt that may exist on the point . Yours respectfully , T . A . Now , sir , in repl y to yo « r omu inquiries , to make which you are onl y stimulated by your own interest , no one in Barnsley , no party in Barnsley having asked you to be their mouthp iece . If I was to devote my time to answering such ridiculous freaks of imagination as yours , the Lund Plan would very soon fail for want
of my supervision , - . is my whole time would be occupied in repl y ing to such correspondents ; and the reason wh y I digni f y your letter with peculiar notice is , because it is an artful and cunning compilation of the . rubbish that appeared under the signature of " Omega , " in Lloy d ' s { taper , edited by Carpenter , the Chartist ^ deserter , and of that signed "A Newcastle Miner , '' written by Sidney Smith , the ex-League spy , in the DispaleL ^ i I see no reason for punishing the artless for the deeds - of the artful , and , therefore , I shall repl y seriatim to your questions , and shall then mak ^ some observations upon the opposition offered by those two journals to thei Laud Plan . 4
J < irjf / ji , you ask , — "How is the property conveyed ? to each member , or the Society in trust ? " * Answer . Until the Company is completely registered , no property can be purchased in its - name , and , therefore , much against my consent , and at the desire of the directors , during provr . ioaai registration , the property has heeii purchased in ; my name . When the Company 13 completely registered , in ; twenty minutes after 1 shall convey the gwhole ; property purchased in my name to the trustees for the benefit of the members , according to the intent and purport of the rules of the Company . When the property is thus assignr j the trus ' tees will make the conveyance sti pulated bv the rules to eachoccupant [
To Mr T. A., Barnsley. Sir,—I Take The L...
Question' 2 nd . —I f to ' , the '' Company in trust , how far is each member liable ? ¦ Answer . —It appears to me that you have got hold of some railway act , and are knocking your head against it No individual member is liable for any act performed by any officer , or by any member of the Company . The fact is , 1 am obli ged to guess what you ' are driving at . as there is no sense in your
questions . I remember , when the "Northern Star'' ^ as established , a cunning attorney of Halifax , who was also a brewer , coroner , and coal miner , told the people , in my presence , that all who took out shares would be liable for my debts . for stamp duty , libel prosecutions and all the rest of it ; he knew he was telling'a falsehood , hut he thought to intimidate the people , as being a humbug Liberal , he dreaded the influence of the "Star . "
Question 3 rd . —If liable to ^ expenses , losses , & c , in conducting the Cojnpahy , is he liable aU , or is the / exact amountj > f ^ ahifcfaeSjtL > - fined mOTcfcfleWrrv * - " No amount of liabilities is defined , because no amount of liability is incurred . Question m . —When a party has paid off the money advanced , is the property conveyed to him singly , free from all incumbrances , or is he still liable , as a member of the Company , to its debts ?
Answer . —If T . A ., as a member of the Land Company , pays the stipulated amount of his allotment , the land and premises are conveyed to him , for ever , free ^ of rent ; and , in case the Company was to fail on the next day , the property of T . A . , so conveyed , would stand precisel y in the same situation as A . B ., who may have purchased a portion of an estate from a landlord , who might subsequentl y fail ; neither law nor equity could touch the property of T . A . in one case , or of A . B . in the other case , any more than it could compel C . D ., who , on the 1 st of July , had purchased and paid for a pair of stockings from E . P ., to pay for them again , in caseE . F . had subsequently become a bankrupt . T . A . has an indisputable right to all the privileges of a landlord over so much property .
Question 5 th . —If liable , is the amount set forth ? Answer . —The amount is not set forth , because there is no liability . Now , sir , tthese plain and simple answers are given to your mysterious questions , lest simple and unsophisticated men mav be duped b y cunning individuals . And now , let me ask you , if you ever heard a society so pure , so spotless , and so honourable as the Land Company ? so pure , so spotless and honourable , that the minions of faction , the hired scribblers of political speculators ,
spies , and informers , dread its influence upon their ] several trades and callings ? I am of frugal habits , sir , of sober habits , and of inexpensive habits . I would prefer living upon a dry crust earned by the sweat of my own brow , to living in luxury upon the proceeds of those whose confidence had induced them to place the parings from . their scant y board in my trusteeshi p . I established this p lan , sir , with a character ; I established it upon a pledge , and I told the confiding that its success mainly depended upon confidence ; and it is because I see an attempt to weaken that confidence , relied upon by faction as the means
of destroying the plan which must inevitabl y and speedily shake Monopoly to its very centre , that I thus condescend to notice your letter at all ; and , in truth , I may add , that the most fortunate are the most querulous . You , sir , have been very fortunate ; you have got your'four-acre allotment ; and , therefore , your attention is directed to the protection of your own interest , without reference to the interests of those who have not been so fortunate . I do not blame you for being nice about your own interest , but I do think that your searching letter might have contained some show of anxiety for the interests of your less fortunate brother members .
As this letter is intended as a wet blanket to the several squibs that have been thrown b y the dissatisfied , I shall also notice here another fact that has come to my knowledge . It is this : great sympathy has been expressed for the allottees at O'Connorville , and several insolent questions respecting their condition have been put to me . Let me here , then , answer those several questions at once . The allottees at O'Connorville have received their respective cap itals of 15 / ., 22 / . 10 a ., and 30 / ., without the
deduction of a single fraction for the culture of the land , for seed , for dung , or for labour . They were located on the first of May , that is , 2 months since ; and I should be glad to know which of the four-acre occupants would have earned 4 / . a week at his trade during that time ; which of the three-acre occupants would have earned nearly 3 / . ; and which of the twoacre occupants would have earned 2 / . Furthermore , the occupants were nut charged a ft irt . Waa for two vents' firing , and I am now
engaged in contracting for the erection of outbuildings to every man ' s cottage , and , when the Company is completely registered , every occupant will receive a conveyance of his castle and his labour-field from the trustees , as stipulated by the Rules . All these things have been done upon the princi p le that I laid down in the outset—that the poor and confiding must not be crimped like soldiers into bad service , and then punished for their misplaced confidence .
Now , 1 make these observations because I understand that subscriptions have been made for some of the occupants at O'Connorville , and because a set of prowling vagabonds are lurkingabout the outskirts to discoverwhether they have jumped , as if b y magic , from the jaws of the bastile to the luxury of a palace . How many of those men now enjoying the free air of heaven would have been now separated from their wives and families , paupers depending upon parish relief , hut for the Land Plan ? And here let it be understood , that : uthough
anxious and desirous to stretch the powers g iven to the directors in favour of located members , that the directors have a duty to perform to the less fortunate , and from the strict observance of which they will not be fri ghtened by the taunts of individuals or parties . There is not a member of the Land Plan who at all expected , or had a ri ght to expect , the advantages that have been conferred upon those located , and I am repaid for what I have done by the fact that I don ' t think out of the thirty-five there are two dissatisfied
individuals . Now , give me leave to ask how it is that no bubble by which the working cbsseshave been duped has ever been exposed by the virtuous press ? The 'Disjjittch , ' since the establishment of the 'Illustrated London News , ' has become a mere Whi g , and now , under the management of the dismissed League tool , Sidney Smith , ;\ has become more anti-popular than cvor . Head the following letter , supposed to oi ? written to the Editor of the Dispatch hy » " Newcastle Miner , " and restrain you ; - laughter , if you can : — Dovonport , Jiil v 2 nd , 1 S-17 .
Sin , —I send you the enclosed < , stract from tlu . DM ^ afcft ( weekly ) of June 27 th . J . think tho lettei bears tiie irnjivcision of its cor .-outjon by tlio nohh editor ; it is noc like the sty ' . cot ' amincr ! This i shall leave to your suncrh v judgment to decide . FEARGUS O'CONNOU ; s Oil ARTIST CO-OPERAT 1 V . . J SOCIETY . We have received the following letter from " / Miner , " dated Newcastle , June 22 nd , 1 S 17 : — " Sir , 1 am a Yorjr poor man , and , aa such , anxious
To Mr T. A., Barnsley. Sir,—I Take The L...
to better my condition . Ilmvescen in a prospectus and rules , circulated here , that for JSSm . id . I can getpo « seas : on of two acres of land , a ijood dwelling and & . U in money , or money ' s worth , on the payment ± Y , f M ?*' , ° w sir , it it be true tnat lean secure all this for such a sum as £ 2 : i ; 23 . 4 d ., I will try to starve that amotut out of my slender wages . But , before I do th . 3 , 1 am anxious to know more of i ^ JiSLSjSE ?* 9 * d 0 n ° * - J ' ¦ l . ? i J nk that f'e benefits guaranteed by the National Land Company can be secured to
all Us members for the subscription set forth in the rules , m , £ 2 12 s . 4 d ., £ 3 lfc . *! ., an * JEsSi A which sums are respectivel y to secure r . s follows To the subscribers of the first sura , two acres of land a geod house , and £ 15 in money ; to the 2 nd sum three seres of land , a better house , and £ 22 10 a . id mnney ; and to the 3 rd sum , four acres Ot'laiu } , fl better house still , and £ 30 in money ? V . 2 nd . —Is the Company a legal one , and shall I be safe in joining it ? ' ¦ - ! . * " lI ' i ""^ ' set * ^ * be prospectus and rules which Ihav ejse ^ n , that it was ' provisionally regis-^ rM ^ Ao ^ fi ^ iak ^ tolfeOsmoany ' s Act : but 1
> $ il € rsTand ~ W ^ t ^ jBK ^^ sS ^ SI ^ W ^^ ' complete registration . * fs Ih ' at regisffatidncdm " ptefc-d ? " 4 th . —If Ft be not , is there any security for the subscribers ? Is tbereanybod y legally bound to account to them , or cannot any of the officers that MI ) gtt possession of the funds put them into his pocket , and snap his fingers at the rest of his co-partners in an illegal trading company ? " 5 th . —How is it that if this complete registration is not effected , the Company is enabled to go on with activeoparations—siib scribumoney—buy land—ballot for jt—and occupy it by the fortunate ' shareholder * , aveitia that other compamesonly ' provisionally r < gistcred , ' cannotoperate until they have completely complied witn tne / aw ?
Your answering these queries in the Dispatch will greatly oblige me , for 1 am sure you will speak uonbsilt of the project . _ If it be a safe one , you will say so ; if it be unsafe , it is time that an exposure should be made , and the promoters of a fraudulent scheme sent to keep company with the ' Morison pill' squad , who had a universal panacea for all the physical ills that flesh is heir to ; only the remedy , unfortunately , rotted tbeentrallsof those ihatapplied it . I remember some such scheme as this Land Com * pany beinjj started in London some time ago , only the subscribers were to have their land in Venezuela , not in England . I remember that some thousand pounds were subscribed on this scheme , and that many parties left their homes to take possession ot the ' promised land ! ' Can you tell me how they are
doing ? [ Wo ( the editors ) think such a company is illegal , if not fully registered ; and it the directors have proceeded to buy and divide land upon a provisional registration , they may be proceeded against for a breach of the law . With respect to rhe expediency of joining it , ' A Miner' may determine that by looking through the rules , when he will see the land , house , & C , are to be paid for by a rent ejual to six per cent , on the ascertained value . If the two acres ot land , the £ 15 to crop it . and the Imt built upon it , are of the value of £ 83 < 5 j . Sd „ the holder is to pay a rent of £ 5 a-year , till every member of the company has , in turn , been provided with a home and land - which , we guess , will run over a terribly long number of years . We certainly shall not venture to recommend an investment in such a project . ]
"'I his is the opinion of the noble and excellenl Dhpatek . lie aho , in another paragraph , answer : the query of ' A Dorking Labourer , ' that he will make good his assertions respecting spade husbandry . I presume he takes the negative position as to its utility and superior advantages . " Query . —Is a pensioner ( either Greenwich or Chelsea ) safe in joining the Co-operative Land Company ?—for Iknow when L was in Sussex in 1837 , a Greenwich pensioner forfeited his pension , because he was rather conspicuous in joining a body of Chartists—I believe it was done by the " Whigs , who pretend tn love Liberal opinions . "J . W , "
Now , what do you think of that f Morison p ill' touch coming from underground ? Don't you think Sidney was the fabricator of both question and answer , and are you not aware that Sidney ' s old friends , the Le . ' : gue , clread the success of the Land Plan more than all other classes of society put together ? And then the article in Lloy d ' s , edited by Carpenter , signed " Omega ? " JNow , the object of ' that article is to weaken confidence in me ; and , in retiirn , just allow me to ask you to read the character given of Mr VVm . Carpenter b y his friend , Joshua Hobson , in the " Northern . Star " of July 5 th , 1845 : —
" the People are too wide awake either to be de ceived by the miserable concoctions of Hill or Carpenter . " » * * # " As for William Carpenter , he has appealed to the eighteen years of his public life ! We purpose going through them with him . We intend to ' begin at the beginning , ' and follow him closely down . We intend to know all about his various ' wnnRSAnouTS , ' and his different and 'PECULIAR , ' and very contradictout occupations , from a writer of religious work down to the keeper of a no matter what , jusnow . We intend to know nil about his connection with the Trades' Unions , and a pbbss bought with their money : in short , we intend to trace him through all the tortuous windings and twistings oi the eighteen years ho has appealed to , that we mav know him too as he really is , and be able to judge ol his fitness to give advice to anybody oh any tiling . "
Now , that article was inserted contrary to my wish , and was considerably softened down by my direction ; and I would ask you what confidence you can place in the teaching of ; v man deserving such a character ? And ; Mr llohson ' s observation to me was ; " Sir , I tvt / i prove every word of it ; and yet this M" Carpenter was one of Mr Hobson ' s principal witnesses in the action against me for the recovery of a year ' s wages . Now , is it not plain to every man of common sense that men who hive been the bitterest enemies to each other will forget their feuds when 1 am to be attacked ? The
Land Plan is now provisionally registered , andi the law which requires provisional registration as a first step , and complete registration as a second step , was f ramed f or the purpose of protecting the thoughtless from the snares of the wily ; but it was not made to , aid spies anil informers in their assaults upon the- honest intentions of honest men . If I were called upon to furnish an account of the funds of the Company , and could not produce at a minute ' s notice twenty shillings and interest for every pouad paid , the law would
scourge me , and very properly so ; but when I could p lace in the hands of the court , principal and interest , without a shilling ' s deduction for my own expenses fi > r two years and a quarter , and when I was the man seeking legal pro-, tection , and anxious to discharge myself of so much responsi bility , by conveying all the property to trustees , " law would say , and equity would confirm it , that this is a company within the strict mea ning of the act , —this is a man who seeks , / tot to embezzle , hut to discharge himself of an immense amount of property .
Now , siv , give me leave to state that so jealous arii I of the fair fame that 1 liave honestly earned , and so frugal and industrious am 1 , that it is my fondest hope that I never shall be obli ged to call upon the shareholders to pay even my travelling expenses incurred on behalf of theCompany , for visiting estates , attending 'auctions , or other acts consequent upon my anxious and arduous duties—duties which would cost the Company sometime ? 10 ()/ v ti week , and which last week cost me o \ (; r 2 ( tf ., and in addition to which it is my iuiention to bestow the premiums I promised upon the most deserving occupants . I shall now state , for the satisfaction of the members ,
what is meant by the severalj stages ot registration . Firstly . The Company is " provisional ' ^ registered : a preliminary step required for the limitation of operations , until the ; Company is completel y registered , and till which the Company could not buy lands or dojother acts This step was rendered necessary ^ to protect shareholders against the concoctors of bubbles , and this is the ' reason the estates have been purchased in my name . " Complete registration means the writing of ev » :-ry shareholder s name , residence , number of shaios held . and the respective numbers of those shares ]
To Mr T. A., Barnsley. Sir,—I Take The L...
and ! which , when ^ done , is called the ( schedule of the deed , and when that is done the names of those representing one-fourth of the amount of shares must be signed by the shareholders themselves , and then the Company is completel y registered , and the property will he conveyed b y me to the trustees ; ; and by the trustees to the members , as located . Now , this was no easy preliminary step for the directors to perform ; and yet " , by proper exertion on the part of the distriefcseeretaries , the whole of the required operations may he completed by the meeting of Conference . The
names-tor the schedule are nearly , completed now , and , in a very few days , the shareholders represeirti / ig one . fourfch of the amount of property could perfect the deed , as Ii think we could procure the required number / of signatures in London , Manchester and districts , Aottingham and districts , and Leeds and districts . Now , the shareholders will observe , tfet for nearly twelve months Ii have been urging the district secretaries to tiie performance of this duty , and their neglect , and not mine , has been the cause of complgte registration not being effected :
I will now , in conclusion , ask a few simple questions of the shareholders : — Whether do they think that affection for them or hatred of me induces the- opposition of the Dispatch , Lloy d ' s , and those-wil y disreputable rascals , who correspond under feigned names , and who are afraid to attach their own signatures ? Was there ever a society so noble , so glorious , so freedom-breathing and so prosperous , established for the working classes ' ? Was there ever such publicity given to the accounts of a society ? Was there ever such open and candid dealings between the managers ani members ol a society I or ,
Was there ever an equal amount of business transacted for a like amount of money ? Was there ever a proprietor » f a newspaper who refused to charge even the duty upon advertisements where he was entitled to charge a large amount for the advertisements ? The liberty-breathing papers of the ' Young ' and ' Old' Ireland party charged for the publication of the monies wrung from the starving
Irish , and for the resolutions and addresses of the hypocritical leaders ; while no penny appears in my balance-sheet for which there is not a receipt . Not a fraction of the money has been speculated with , but every pound has borne interest from the day it was paid , although that lunatic , Jimmy O'Brien , has put down the interest of the money at 5 per cent , as a handsome remuneration for mv services .
Let the members say that there is any other individual in which they wish the property to be vested in preference to myself and the conveyance shall be made , with twelve hours ' notice ; and let them bear in mind , that , until complete registration is effected , it must be vested in some individual . Now , sir , I wish you to understand that 1 will not gratuitously devote'ivery hour and every moment of my time for your benefit and the benefit of those from whom I am to receive no gratitude for my exertions ; and you and those who have been the most fortunate have the least ri g ht to cavil or complain , as , without any liability , the
successful occupants can always make a small fortune upon their outlay , and if you are dissatisfied with yours , and if you dread the liabilities , and if you have more confidence in . the "Miner" and "Sidney Smith , " in . "Omega " and " Wm , Carpenter , " ' than you have in &' tne , I will discharge you of all your fears , liabilities aud apprehensions , b y transmitting you by return of post f SO far the fouracre bugbear that you have drawn , out of the deceitful ballot-box ; and surely , sir , the most artful or cunning cannot diminish that amount by a fraction when it is ia-your pocket ,
even if the Company should fail , upon the following day . The members will now see why I limited my operations to 24 , 0 £ J 0 , and , if 1 ; had been aware of the obstruction to be offered by the most fortunate , I would have allowed : the power of fleecing the confiding to devolve .-npon a mere willing instrument than myself . Good God ! sir , when did you see castles with outbuildings springing up , as if by magic for the coafiding wh »? And is it any wonder , . sis , that they Kliould luck friends when those' friends receive but the poor requital of the insolence of the most fortunate ? When did voui & ver see ,
hear of , read of , or thintof , the transformation of slaves into freemen ? . Do you not hear of building societies and babble societies , all living upon popular credulity , and fostosed and encouraged by a venal pi-ess , because the wealth y make merchandise oS ; the poor .. But when do you see the poor reaping the fcuits of their , own labour ? Bo you supposaj . sir , that you . have any inherent . "' rig ht to ray every hoiixis toiU Do yon suvmose , sir , that I will neglect my own business ,, iny own pr & ate duties ; : thuti I " will pay a host of editors for- doing what . I ; might do myssJf , in ord ^ that my whol e labour may he & iven to yqu . and your order : ? Do you supposesir , that . I will make
dung-, lulls from dajKght to dark ; that I will p lpugh the ground , and buv tile seed , and sow She seed ; that I will tun > horse jobber , and . tvw jobber , aiuUN'ulirT , and y & y-clerk , aad sur «« $ w , and Land ! purchase * , and receive only insolence Hsnw par ? N (^ sir ; if J chos e to establish a society of » " few « ch men for the pmnainse and subdivision upland , I coald make more money in a year than I could spen . 4 in the wholo ' ttf life , an # what I have a ri g lt to expect and what I will have , too , is respect , if not gratitude , for ray services . When she people find me turning those services tja my own account instead of their benefit , t & eu , but not till then , the-v mav treat me as their hired ;
servant . Now , sir-, yon may say thai , your letter did not merit so discourteous an answer . I say it did ; for I cannot caostrue it otherwise than as a pitiful attempt to know V ~ , v you can secure vour own early-acquired benefit without a ' partible of consideration , breathed throughout for the interests of those b y whose pence you have been placed in th . o position of little laudlord . I aUo intend t '/ jis as an answer to hundreds of anonymous scribblers , and to the satisfied members who > - , e fears may bo operated upon
b y the more wily . If the fourth section had not been opened , 1 would have confined my operations to three sections , and let your letter and hundreds of similar onesj be my answer to thousands w . ho have requested me to keep the Company open until better trade shall enable thousand ,,- and tens of thousands who are now anxious ,, but unable , to join . A single remark and I ' iiiive done . While sky-scrapers , moonrakers , and star-gazers , are divining the future ill-success of the Land 1 'lan , 1 may be permitted to vdiow the failure of their several predictions by what has passed .
Firstly . —It was predicted that we would not find land to purchase . Secondly . —That we would not be allowed to purchase it at the fair market price ; aud Thirdly . —When purchased , that the class for whose benefit it was intended , huinw unaccustomed to agricultural labour , wouKl iuil in their new occupation . Well ; Firstly . —If I had ten millions " ot money , I could buy land within a mouth to that ' amount .
• Secondly . —I did malce a profit on one estate , and mig ht have made a profit upon all ; and Thirdly . —The very women andjuhildren who
To Mr T. A., Barnsley. Sir,—I Take The L...
havebeen all their lives cooped-iip in a " rattle * box , " are the very best and most industrious J * * bourers- at O'Connorville ; and the weaver * have actuall y the best cultivated allotments while a great number of them have from » ne to " six pigs * Now , they never had these thing
before ; and I wish it to be strictl y borne in mind that when I established the Land Plan , J never encouraged the occupants to suppose that every occupant , vhetharidleor industrious , would succeed . The Land is the field , Labour is the means , and comfort is sure to he the end ; while the idle have- the consolation % y know that my industry bas p laced them in the situation to turn their 2 £ . 12 s . < k / . into 40 / , ; their 3 / . IS . ? . 6 V . into GGl . ; and their 514 s . 4 d . into 80 / . ; and this fact I always stated as the
security of the Company , the certainty of success and the means of remunerating evert the most idle ; and I now confidently statethat when . the security we can afford thV Land tf jink is uiMlerstooil " , and ; when the effect which will ] inevitably be brought to- bear upon the government is felt , that every member > t the lour-sections will be located within five years from , this date , and that when the affairs o the Company are wound up , the Bank will haiepaul trie guaranteed interest upon every pound deputed , and 20 s . in the pound to ever y enositor , Me an enormous amount of capital mLhlvT dtttrib »&» amongst the
I tell you , sir , that it is impossible , wholl y and utterl yrmposttbl e , that the government of the country can overlook the Land Plan , or refuse aid in-ci . rrying it out . There was a part of Mr Fewand ' s speech at the Crown and Anchor meating which was not published evenin the « Star . ' Ho said that there wasn ' t a mart in hngland of any party who was conferringsuch benefits upon , or doing .-so much good for , the working classes , as MrrO'Connor was by
his Land Flan . Such men as Fsrrand unit Oastler , who call themselves Tories , are sure to be in the next Parliament , and are sure to urge this Plan upon the consideration of governmenfc ,. and they are notmen to secure seats upon p ledges ' which ,, they mean to violate ,, but they are men who would perform for Labour ten thousand times more than they would-pledge themselves to on the hustings .
I shalileantinue in my oven course , resting my claim to confidence " and support upon the motto by which I hope now and hereafter to be judged— "To live usefully , die a pauper , and live in the hearts of those whom I shall have emancipated . " I am , Sir , your obedient servant , 1 ? eargus O'Connor . P . S , —One caution I consider necessary . Let not the fortunate occupants , now or hereafter , allow the peace of their little community to he disturbed by the ravings of the dissatisfied or the artful ; and let not the industrious suppose that the ill-success of the idle , is to denote their
failure . We are embarked in a great , in a novel ,, in a high and philanthropic undertaking for-the regeneration of the conntryandthe emancipation of its slaves ;; and if art , wile , or folly should drive me from the pursuit , I- will prove popular ignorance by carrying out the plan to a . greater extent , upon my own responsibilit y than I have hitherto undertaken ; and , perhaps ,, if I was to pocketsome thousands a year , instead of placing it in the coffers of Labour , then I might be considered-. a great patriot and a wonderful benefactor , as I always find that the workirur classes have the greatest respect for those who grow rich ; upon their confidence . I shall write no more-letters upon tins subject . F . O'C .
/Rifc ^,.,,L. : //St^T^ ..Amuat, ¦¦ **.R...
/ rifc ^ ,.,, L . : // st ^ T ^ .. AMuAt , ¦¦ ** . r : y : < . *
And National Trades' Journal.
AND NATIONAL TRADES' JOURNAL .
V Xn " ' « ' Ol- . ? 507- London, Saturd...
VOL- X . N ? 507- LONDON , SATURDAY , JULY 10 , 1847 " ' ™ iT « SSSiri = — — ¦ - . * lEive SliilliugM and Sixpence pCr « jMari »
The Land And T'Je Charter. A Numerous An...
THE LAND AND T'JE CHARTER . A numerous and enthusiastic public meeting was held on Monday evaning , July oth , . in fav . - . ur of the nhove objects , at the Paragon Uhapcl , Bennondsey Nsw Road Mr Jons Seweii w . is unanimously called to the chair , and said the meeting was convened for the purpose of malting the principles ol the National Land Company better known ia connection with the Charter . Ilad it not been for the activity aud able advocacy of > the Chartist Irmly , so many thousands would not ; now be on the bi ^ h road to the en . joymentof those blessings whichjthe soil , under the guidance of the-National Land Company with aw » - deratc indu-try , was sure to bring forth . ( Loud sheers . ) They . would all admit that the aiisticraey had mouonofed the land and ita fruits , nml tlmt it
was high time-both were restored to their proper owners , the people . ( Renewedcheering . ) Tliejtrinciple of a frecsoi ! was not only prevalent in our land but had happily extended its honinn influence to'tne Americans . ( dJour , hear . ) Thoy had hadla number of goodly men politicians and philanthropist ^ , but , alas ! the £ ood effects prodaeed by their "lorions efforts hail been but faint . V £ ay ? because the working menhailnot hitherto been sr . ih ' ciently united . But , thanks to the indefatigable energies of Mr O ' Connor ,, and that great , luminary the Northern Star—( Loud ; checv . 4 , )—intelligence now prevailed ,
popular apathy had been suakenoit , and the-result was a National Land Cou-pauy withafuudcsca . 'duur £ 10 , OfiitoJifceestates , one in occupation , and a second just readyfor occupation . ( Great cheering . ) The directors-of the National . Lund Company acted in th © true i ' vatevual spiviv worthy of that Banaoeracy of which-they were proud to be the ndvooata * . asking no man when he presented himself for membership what-hUcountry , coicusor creed , sntlieteat for them that , be was member ..- of the great human family . ( Loud cheers ) lie ' iad much plensuvo in intro-¦ ducing their frimci : Mr Doyle tu their notice . ( Chc * 3 S . )
• Mr Doyle said , some two hours asio . lw heard a persca regretting thai the Land Company had been fousjir'd by Chartists , It was true its- fkmders wre Chartists , and that they gloried in tha name . ( Much cheering . ) lie looked on Chartism , as the noblest principle in the TM > rld , demanding , tu . it did , pclitieal equality for ail , and so well calculated as it tvas to . baslotv happiness-oti the whole hitman race ( Loud / sbeers . ) Bnt ^ ad the Nation al Li-nd Giiropjiny been I founded by Tctues , or even by the detestable Whigs , 'loofeinpc at it ? . grcnt intrinsic Kev-its he cnu . 'd not have objected : !© support it . Pity , it was that tiiere should existAUch contracted miads-au those who upon such sm alli-jromids would object to support the beni ° n prinuiplea of the National Land Company .
( Hear , hew . ) :- Had he not have been a Chartist until last uiglin , the spoctacle he- then- witnessed would have ni ! id & him one . On passing Siiint Martin ' s workhouse- he saw at JciWorty jinman brings with scarce-Tjiessuffieient to covar their nakedness , almost in a starving state cravijij ; . for admission and shelter inthaunion Bastile ; and : t . ! iis , ioo in a nation which possessed a plethora c * \ vealtb , » w \ at a time too tf hen Unparliamentary csijmatca numbered included one of % 080 to erect a pedestal on which to mount tha statue of his Grace of Wellington , whoso sola mcriionsistod in devoting his whole energies to the destruction of bureau lite . ( Loud cheering . ! -, lie bel ; pv « d there weae no people on the face of the earth , templed on so niucii as the peoulo of tha United Kingdom ; yet tlsey were told they were the glory of the world , and the envy and admiratioa
of surrounomg nations , uliat an insult , what a degrading awekevy ! The bight of tat night convinced him that their freedom consisted in being free to starve . { Hear , hear ) If this was a test nf the good qualities of British institutions , theso ;> ner they are levcllid with the eaith , and others erected in their stead , the better . ( Much applause . ) Yes the men who produced all , both necessaries and luxuries , worn let to perish of cold aud Imager , while the useless weidth-eonsurasiig , _ idle drone was overgorged with tho good things wrung from overwrought honest industry . Again he said " perish such a , state of things 1 " ( loud and Ion ? continued applause . ) Oh for the Charter , that thev mi-luestablish such a code of laws as would enable " us to labour and lire , and enjoy the bounteous produce of God ' s earth , ( boudcluors . )
Mr b . vMUEi . Kvno spoke at considerable length , offering . vmie convincing pvoi U of the capabilities am ! certain success oi' the Lmd plan , lie also ably defended the Charter . Mr K . v . as loudly cheered . After a few words from Mr Gatbavu , Mr M'Gratii ssld , no subjects could be of mora importance than iho Land and the Charier , " tho Land to » ivc sustenance , and the Charter as a protection from marauders . ( Loud sheers . J Tho Charter was a means in an end . He agreed with Mv O'Connor , that tlv & Charter would be useless if tho I / ir . d was locked up . lla looked on the Charter as the
means ofobtaininethc } . < : it ; d . lie had recently stood una public platform , alongside of the scion ot a noble lunu-o . the Honourable Lcvcsou Gower , tho Whig candidate for Derby ; and a r & ra specimen ot Whlggerv ho was . His miserable Whig shcllling was " exhibited in the matter of the Suffiage , the Church , or Death PuniihmentR , but his po'iihat iaU-lligetico was most wonderful , lie went to Mr Gorse to ivinva-s for his veto , and in tho presence of his tail of followers dccltvcd that he did not know what the liatepavir-g Clauses in the UcfavinAet were . ( Roars of la . ughtcr . ) He ( MrM'Gr . ilh ) knewnumy ivorltioir P-ioii wi o would m . ilie exrelii- 'ut mentors ior
this Wijigphilosopher . ( Loud rhi'c . s . ) Aftercomm < Mit , « s » on tho Land l'lan at coniidvsrab ' . e ler . gUi , Mr M'Grath resumed his seat amid ; :: t : i ! iipp b' ^ c . A vote of thanks to the ehaiiffifui closed tu s cntUu « elastic mooting ,
^Te - Ol F X Vv> S •S *S H , R-. ' ^
^ te - ol f x Vv > s * h , r-. ' ^
-
-
Citation
-
Northern Star (1837-1852), July 10, 1847, page 1, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_10071847/page/1/
-