fame of your establishments had reached the court of Persia; and as I had expressed a desire to visit the classic regions of Greece and Rome, Almured entreated me to extend my travels to this country, and to examine into the laws and customs of your communities. After passing some time at Rome, I proceeded back to Naples, where, finding a vessel on the point of sailing for Greenock, I engaged a passage, and arrived at that port about a month since. And now, Douglas, I hope you will enlighten me with some detail of the different laws of your societies." "Our laws," replied Douglas, "are few and simple; indeed we have almost forgotten the term: it is only where the institutions themselves generate disorder, that numerous or severe laws become necessary. Examine the ancient European codes, and you will find that nine-tenths of them were framed for the recognition of the rights of private property, or for punishing the violaters of those rights. History informs us, that long before the fall of the competitive system in this country, notwithstanding vast numbers of the people were occasionally unemployed, a superfluity of food and of raiment was produced, yet the great mass of the people were struggling to obtain these necessaries, many suffering great privations, and many tempted to commit depredations to satisfy the calls of nature. The interests of some individuals were opposed to those of 66 seront évidents, et formeront un systême capable d'être aussi rigoureusement démontré,que l'arithmetique ou la géometrie. Elle pourra servir de règle aux nations comme aux individus; elle pourra guider la politique, et sera sentir à tous les peuples répandus sur la terre, que leurs rapports et leurs devoirs sont absolument les mêmes que ceux qui subsistent entre les citoyens d'un même état, ou les membres d'une même famille."-Systeme Social, vol. i. p. 38. others. If, for instance, the wants and condition of the people required that the price of corn should be low and the quantity abundant, it was the interest of the dealer that the supply should be contracted, and the price high. The personal quarrels and assaults also arising out of this chaos, rendered many punitive laws necessary; to say nothing of those feuds and bickerings of which the laws took no cognizance, prevailing among individuals of dissimilar habits and pursuits dwelling together in the same family.* In fact, there was a perpetual jarring of interests in every direction; and the longer the duration of the system, the more difficult and complicated jurisprudence became. Under our arrangements, the private and public interests are incorporated: and as there are no unsatisfied wants, there can arise no motive for individual appropri *The following is an extract of a letter from a man of consider.. able talent, who has proved himself a powerful and ardent advocate of whatever tends to promote the improvement, and consequently the happiness of society. "Can it for a moment be doubted, that to-morrow, if men knew how much they could do for each other, and how effectually they might promote their own interests, arrangements of incalculable utility might be devised and adopted: but they are so shut and barred out by this individual system, from each other's notice and knowledge, that they are unable to come together, although in every street and quarter some wretch is languishing for the want of that which another is casting away. I speak not merely of the means of subsistence, but of every thing that conduces to social happiness. In one corner you will find a man teasing, annoying and disturbing his family by the exuberance of qualities, for which, in some other corner, a melancholy wight, preyed upon by the blue-devils, is sighing and languishing. The incontrollable spirits of this pest of quiet industry would be balm and divine cordial to the languid son of Ennui. But there is an impassable gulf between them... And so on, of a thousand other cases which may easily be imagined." ation our storehouses are furnished with two or three years supply of every imperishable article requisite to the community. It is the obvious interest of every individual that there should be an ample supply for all, for who is there among them that is not benefitted by the preservation of order and contentment, even if he be devoid of common sympathy? and you must have observed in our mode of education, with how much care that valuable quality is cultivated. "Each individual member of a family has two private rooms, and is no more compelled to be with his own family, than with any other individuals of the community; he is at full liberty to seek for the comFanionship of congenial minds. Every member in rotation is enabled to travel; and if he desires to reside in another part of the country, he can dispose of his interest in the community in which he has been educated. While the competitive state of society left individuals separately to procure the necessaries of life, thereby creating innumerable difficulties and evils, the co-operative state, by supplying with facility under comprehensive arrangements, the whole of its members with food, raiment, and dwelling, annihilates at once the cause of contention, of anxieties and of misery, and bestows upon mankind abundant leisure to improve their higher faculties, and to promote the happiness of the species." "I must confess," replied Saadi, "that I have been much surprised at remarking the full supply of every thing essential, not only to comfortable but even luxurious subsistence; the beauty of your walks, the fertility of your fields, gardens and parks; the convenient and elegant accommodations of every description; and above all, the extent and magni ficence of your buildings, notwithstanding the very temperate labour, or rather employment of the inhabitants." "I am not," rejoined Douglas, "well acquainted with the state of Persia, where competition still prevails; but I have paid some attention to the history of that period when the present constitution of society was first promulgated in this country. I have seen a scale of the different ranks and professions at that time, with a statement of the numbers of each; and at least one-half were either idle or unproductively employed.* These were persons of indepen *......" Sex horas in opere sunt;......id temporis ad omnium rerum copiam, quæ quidem ad vitæ vel necessitatem requirantur vel commoditatem non sufficiat modo sed supersit etiam; id quod vos quoque intelligetis, si vobiscum reputetis apud alias gentes quam magna populi pars iners degit. Primum mulieres fere omnes totius summæ dimidium; aut sicubi mulieres negotiosæ sunt, ibi ut plurimum earum vice viri stertunt. Ad hæc sacerdotum, ac religiosorum quos vocant, quanta quamque otiosa turba! Adjice divites omnes, maximè prædiorum dominos, quos vulgò generosos appellant, ac nobiles; his ad numera ipsorum famulitium, totam videlicet illam cetratorum nebulonum colluviem: robustos denique ac valentes mendicos adjunge, morbum quempiam prætexentes inertiæ; multò certè pauciores esse quam putâras invenies eos quorum labore constant hæc omnia quibus mortales utuntur. Expende nunc tecum ex his ipsis quam pauci in necessariis opificiis versantur...... .....Nam hæc ipsa multitudo quæ nunc operatur, si partiretur in tam paucas artes quam paucas commodus naturæ usus postulat, in tantâ rerum abundantiâ, quantam tunc esse necesse sit pretia nimirum viliora forent quam ut artifices inde vitam tueri suam possent, At si isti omnes quos nunc inertes artes distringunt, ac tota insuper otio ac desidiâ languescens turba, quorum unus quivis earum rerum quæ aliorum laboribus suppeditantur quantum duo earundem operatores consumit, in opera universi atque eadem utilia collocarentur, facilè animadvertis quantulum temporis ad suppeditanda omnia quæ vel necessitatis ratio vel commoditatis efflagitet, (adde voluptatis etiam, quæ quidem vera sit ac naturalis) abundè satis superque foret."-Sir Thomas More. dent fortunes, officers of justice, lawyers, soldiers, shopkeepers, officers, and clerks in the excise and customs. There were also many injuriously occupied; as depredators, and other delinquents. There were others who were not only unoccupied, but were a burden to society; such as the vagrants and paupers. If all these had been usefully employed, the produce or the means of enjoyment might have been more than trebled. There was also, immense waste of time and labour from the following causes. Manufacturers were interested in fabricating their wares of frail materials, in order that the demand for them might be speedily renewed. Hence three articles were required where one more durable would have been sufficient. Loss of time and of labour in the transit of articles in the process of manufacture, in consequence of the various operations being carried on in places widely separated. Also in domestic economy, two hundred persons were employed in preparing the meals for two hundred families;whereas now, the meals for the same number of families are prepared by ten individuals, leaving the remaining one hundred and ninety persous to be employed in some other occupation. Buildings were erected and pulled down from mere caprice, and numerous useless articles were manufactured to gratify a vacillating taste.* Nor should it be forgotten that "Full many a flower was born to blush unseen, *"Edificiorum aut structura aut refectio ideo tam multorum assiduam ubique requirit operam quod quæ pater ædificavit, hæres parum frugi paulatim dilabi sinit; ita quod minimo tueri portuit, successor ejus de integro impendio magno cogitur instaurare: quin frequenter etiam quæ domus alii ingenti sumptu stetit, hanc alius delicato animo contemnit, eâque neglectâ |