Mr. Owen's Establishment and Improvements. 165 
Hetracts of a letter from William Maclure, Esq. to the Editor, 
dated Paris, May 2, 1825. 
1. Commerce—its relation to knowledge and civilization.— 
Tamglad you have introduced the Belfast society to some one 
who will exchange specimens of natural history with them, 
as it is the easiest and most accurate mode of giving ideas, 
the commerce that tends more to the happiness of mankind 
than any other, and which will become of more consequence 
to all ranks, as civilization increases. Indeed one can fore- 
see a state of society where the exchange of ideas would be 
the only commerce, where mankind will be so well informed, 
as to raise every thing they want themselves, and restrain 
those wants within the limits of their own productions. The 
commercial system has done good, but at present rather re- 
tards than advances improvement, because the merchant 
has an interest in opposition to that of all others; for it is his 
interest to gain upon the whole consumption of the commu- 
nity, and thus far he prefers of course that all should pass 
through his hands; as a merchant, he must wish that all 
should consume foreign produce, although it is evidently the 
interest of all other members of society to be independent 
of foreign supplies, always excepting those satellites of power, 
removed so far from a state of nature, as to be collectors of 
indirect taxes. 
2. Mr. Owen's Establishment and Improvements.—It is 
fortunate that Mr. Owen has pitched upon a:location, where 
prejudices will not have their force of combination to obstruct 
improvement: thatis but too lamentably common in com- 
munities where there isa more dense population ; for it would 
be exceedingly mortifying if our industrious producers of pub- 
lic and private wealth, should reject so great a benefit as the 
introduction of his plans must be to every kind of labour, and 
our disgrace and humiliation would be much aggravated, if the 
two establishments now forming in Britain were to succeed, 
and the attempt now making in America were to fail. 
A prospectus of the British establishments, with the first 
lecture on human happiness, by John Gray, has been pub- 
lished: it places the present state of society, in a new and 
highly interesting point of view, extremely favourable tg lib- 
erty. 
