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 < 
 
 T H E 
 
 RIGHTS of MAN, 
 
 AS EXHIBITED IN A 
 
 LECTURE, 
 
 Read at the PHILOSOPHICAL SQCIETT* 
 IN NEWCASTLE, 
 
 To which Is now firft added, 
 
 AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION, 
 
 Between a Gentleman and the Author, on the Subject 
 of his Scheme. 
 
 WITH 
 
 The .Queries fent by the Rev. Mr. J. MUR~ 
 RAY, to the SOCIETY in Defence of the 
 
 Same, 
 
 AND 
 
 A SONG OF TRIUMPH FOR THE PEOPLE, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 RECOVERY OF THEIR LONG LOST RIGHTS, 
 
 THE FOURTH EDITION. 
 
 
 B Y 
 
 T. S P E N C E. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tli* invention all adnm'd, and fitch, 
 to be the inventor mifs'd ; fo cafy it 
 Once found, which yet unfeund moil 
 JropoiTible, 
 
 how he 
 feem'd 
 
 would have thought 
 
 a 
 
 MriroN, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED fOR THE AUTHOR, 
 A'T »OID AT THE CORN«SR OF CHANCERY-I.ANS, 
 
 noi.BORN, 1793. 
 PRICE FOUR-PENCE. 
 
 [ Lntikxd a r •St^tioneri-Hall. ]
 
 l+i 
 
 B0nni» 
 
 R E F A C E 
 
 HAT the celebrated Dean* 
 Swift laid upon another 
 Occafion, do I fay upon this : viz. 
 u I hope the Pleader need not be 
 ,c told, that J do not in the lead in-' 
 " tend my own Country in what I 
 <{ fay upon this Occafion." No, in- 
 deed, I certainly am not (o infatu- 
 ated as to expect the People here to 
 become fo fyitematicai in their Pub- 
 lic Plans, for then there would be 
 no caufe for cavilling and cobling, Co 
 pleafing to mod Geniufes. Both 
 thofe in Office and thofe out of Of- 
 fice would then have nothing to do 
 but mind their respective BulinefleSj 
 which would be deemed by too many 
 but forry employment. Partial Re- 
 A z forms,. 
 
 366595
 
 ( iv ) 
 
 forms, or by Piece-meal Reformation, 
 beft iuits fuch an inconfiftent Peo- 
 ple. I therefore beg to be under- 
 stood as laying down a Syilem of 
 Government for the free-born, un- 
 ihackled Minds of the North- Ame- 
 rican and African Savages, who have 
 not yet learned to look upon blood- 
 fucking Landlords and State Leeches 
 with that timorous, fuperftitious, and 
 cringing reverence, paid to fuch 
 Mifcreants, in a Country fo well bred 
 as this, 
 
 *£?!»* The Author,
 
 A LECTURE, redd at the Vhilojbphkal 
 Society in Newcqftle, on the 8th of A'>- ' 
 vember, 1775* for Printing of zvhicfi 
 the Society did the Author the honour id. 
 expel him. 
 
 Mr. President, 
 
 IT being my turn to Lecture, I beg*, 
 to give fome thoughts on this im- 
 portant queftion, viz. Whether Man- 
 kind in Society, reap all the advan- 
 tages from their natural and equal rights 
 of property in land and liberty, which- 
 in that ftate they poffibjy may, and, 
 ought to expect ? And as I hope you,. 
 Mr. Prefident and the good company 
 here are fincere friends to truth, I am. 
 under no apprehenfions of giving of- 
 fence by defending her caule with free- 
 dom. 
 
 That property in land: and liberty 
 among men, in a ftate of nature, ought. 
 to be equal, few, one would fain hope, 
 would be foolifh enough to deny. There- 
 fore, taking this to be granted, the coun- 
 try of any people, in a native ftate, is 
 properly their common, in which each 
 of them has an equal property, with free, 
 liberty tofuftain himfelkand connexions.- 
 with the animals, iruits, and other pro-<- 
 dudts thereof. Thus jpcb a people reap 
 
 A 2 jointly
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 • 
 
 Jointly the whole advantages of their 
 coumry, or neighbourhood, without 
 having their right in fo doing called 
 in queftion by any, not even by the 
 moil ielfiih and corrupted. For upon, 
 what mud they live, if not upon the 
 productions of the country in which 
 they refide ? Surely to deny them that 
 right is, in effect, denying them a right 
 to live. — Well, methinks fome are now 
 ready to fay, but is it not lawful, rea- 
 fonable, and juft for this people to fell, 
 or make a prefent, even of the whole 
 of their country, or common, to whom 
 they will, to be held by them and their 
 heirs, even for ever ? 
 
 To this I anfwer, If their pofterity re- 
 quire no grofler materials to live and 
 move upon than air, it would, certainly 
 be very ill-natured, to difpute their right 
 of parting with what of their own, their 
 pofterity would never have occafion for; 
 but if their pofterity cannot live but as 
 :sly as they do, the lame grofs ma- 
 terials mud be left them to live upon. 
 For a right to deprive any thing of the 
 means of living,fuppofesa right to deprive 
 it of life; and tiiis right ancestors are not 
 fuppofed to havj over their pofterity. 
 
 Hence it is plain, that the land or 
 
 earthy
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 earth, in any country or neighbourhood, 
 with every thing in or on the fame, or 
 pertaining thereto, belongs at all times 
 to the living inhabitants of the faid 
 country or neighbourhood in an equal 
 manner. For, as I laid before, there is 
 no living but on land and its produc- 
 tions, confequently what we cannot live, 
 without, we have die fame property in, , 
 as in our lives. 
 
 Now as fociety oughtproperly to be no- 
 thing but a mutual agreement among the 
 inhabitants of a country, to maintain the 
 natural rights and privileges of one 
 another againft all oppofers, whether 
 foreign or domeftic, it mould lead one to 
 exped to find thofe rights and privi- 
 leges, no farther infringed upon, among 
 men pretending to be in that ftate, than 
 neceffity abfolutely required. I fay 
 again, it mould lead one to think fo. 
 But I am afraid, whoever does will be 
 mightily miftaken. However, as the 
 truth here is of much importance to be- 
 known, let it be boldly fought out ; 
 in order to which, it may not be im- 
 proper tr© trace the prefent method of 
 holding land among men in fociety, 
 from its original. 
 
 If we look bac to the origin of 
 
 the
 
 ( 8- ) 
 
 rhc prefent nations, we fliall fee that 1 
 the land, with all its appurtenances, was 
 claimed by a few, and divided among 
 themfelves, in as affured a manner, as 
 if they had manufactured It, and it had 
 been the work of their own hands, and 
 by being unqueftioned, or not called to 
 an account for Inch ufurpations andun- 
 juft claims, they fell into a habit of 
 thinking, or which is the fame thing,, 
 to the reft of mankind, of acting as if 
 the earth was made for or by them, and 
 did not fcruple to call it their own pro- 
 perty, which they might difpofe of 
 without regard to any other living crea- 
 ture in the univerfe. Accordingly, they 
 did fo, and no man, more than any 
 other creature, could claim a right to., 
 fo much as a blade of grafs, or a nut 
 or an Acorn, a Fifh or a Fowl, or any 
 natural production whatever, though to 
 lave his life, without the permiilion of the 
 pretended proprietor j. and not a, foot of 
 land, water, rock, or heath, but was 
 claimed by )ne or other of thofe lords;. 
 fo that all things, men as well as other 
 creatures who lived, were obliged to 
 owe their lives to fome or other's pro- 
 perty, confequently they like the cfea« 
 tures were claimed, and certainly, as 
 
 pro-
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 properly as the wood, herbs, &c. that 
 were nourifhed by the foil. And fo 
 we find, that whether they lived, mul- 
 tiplied, worked, or fought, it was all for 
 their refpective lords, and they, God 
 blefs them, mod: graciouily accepted of 
 all as their due. For by granting the 
 means of life, they granted the li r e it- 
 felf, and of courfe they thought they 
 had a right to all the fen/ices and ad- 
 vantages that the life or death of the 
 creatures they gave life to could yield. 
 
 Thus the title of gods feems fuita'o'.y 
 enough applied to fuch great bemgs : 
 nor is it to be wondered at that no fer- 
 vices could be thought too great by 
 poor, dependent, needy wretches to 
 fuch mighty and all-fufficient lords, in 
 whom they feemed to live and move and 
 have their being. Thus were the firft 
 land-holders ufurpers and tyrants ; and 
 all who have fince poffeffed their lands, 
 have done fo by right of inheritance,, 
 purchafe, &c. from them, and the pre- 
 sent proprietors, like their predeceflbrs, 
 are proud to own it; and like them too, 
 they exclude all others from theleaftpre-. 
 tence to their refpeftive properties. And 
 any one of them ftill can by laws Of their 
 own making, oblige every living creature 
 
 to
 
 X ro ) 
 
 to remove off his property, ( which, to the 
 great diftrefs of mankind, is too oft put 
 in execution) Co of confequence,were all 
 the land-holders to be of one mind, 
 and determined to take their properties 
 into their own hands, all the reft of 
 mankind might go to heaven if they 
 would, for there would be no place 
 found for them here. Thus men may 
 not live in any part of this world, not 
 even where they are born but as ftran- 
 gers and by the permimon of the pre- 
 tender to the property thereof: which 
 permimon is for the mod part paid ex- 
 travagantly for, and they are dill ad- 
 vancing the terms of permiffion, though 
 many people are fo ftraitened to pay the 
 prefent demands, that it is believed in 
 a (horttime, if they hold on, there will 
 be few to grant the favour to. And 
 thofe Land-makers, as we mall call 
 them, juftify all this by the practice of 
 other manufacturers, who take all they 
 can get for the products of tlieir hands, 
 and becaufe that every one ought to 
 live by his bufinefs as well as he can, 
 and cohfequently fo ought Land- makers. 
 Now having before fuppofed it both 
 proved and allowed, that mankind have 
 as equal and juft a property in land as, 
 
 they
 
 ( 11 ) 
 
 Srliey have in liberty, air, or the light 
 and heat of the fun, and having alio 
 considered upon what hard conditions 
 they enjoy thole common gifts of nature, 
 it is plain they are far from reaping all 
 the advantages from them, which they 
 may and ought to expeft. 
 
 But left it mould be laid, that a fyftem 
 whereby they may reap more advantages 
 confident with the nature of fociety can- 
 not be pro^oled, I will attempt to (hew 
 the outlines of fuch a plan. Let it be 
 fuppofed then, that the whole people in 
 fome country, after much reafoning 
 and deliberation, mould conclude, that 
 every man has an equal property in the 
 land in the neighbourhood where he 
 reiides. They therefore refolve, that if 
 They live in ibciety together, it mall 
 only be with a view, that every one 
 may reap all the benefits from their na- 
 tural rights and privileges pofhble. 
 Therefore, a day is appointed on which 
 the inhabitants of each parifh meet, 
 in their refpecliveparimes, to take their 
 long loft Rights into pofleffion, and to 
 form themfelves into corporations. So, 
 then each parifh becomes a corporation, 
 ;and all the men who are inhabitants be- 
 come members or burghers. The land 
 
 with
 
 ( 1* ) 
 
 with all that appertains to it, is in every 
 parifh, made the property of the corpo- 
 ration or parifh with as ample power to 
 let, repair or alter all, or any part 
 thereof as a Lord of the manor en- 
 joys over his lands, houfes, &c. but 
 the power of alienating the leaft model, 
 in any manner, from the parifh, either 
 at this or any time hereafter, is denied. 
 For it is folemnly agreed to, by the 
 whole nation, that a parifh that fhall ei- 
 ther fell, or give away, any part of its 
 landed property, fhall be looked upon 
 with as much horror and deteftation, and 
 ufed by them as if they had fold all their 
 children to be flaves, or mailacred them 
 with their own hands. Thus are there 
 no more nor other landlords, in the whole 
 country than the parifhes ; and each of 
 them is fovereign landlord of its own 
 territories. 
 
 There you may behold the rent, which 
 the people have paid into the parifh trc '- 
 furies employed by each parifh in paying 
 the government its fhare of the ium, 
 which the parliament or national congrefs 
 at any time grants ; in maintaining and 
 relieving its own poor, and people out of 
 work ; in paying the neceflary officers 
 their falaries'j in building, repairing and 
 
 adorn-
 
 < *3 ) 
 
 adorning its^ houfes, bridges, and ether 
 ftructures ; in making and maintaining 
 convenient and delightful ftreets, high- 
 ways, and paifages both for foot and car- 
 riages ; in making and maintaining 
 canals, and other conveniences for 
 trade and navigation ; in planting and 
 taking m wafte grounds ; in provid- 
 ing and keeping up a magazine of amu- 
 nition and all forts of arms fufficient for 
 all its inhabitants in cafe of danger from 
 enemies; in.premiums for the encourage- 
 ment of agriculture, or any thing elfe 
 thought worthy of encouragement; and, 
 in a word, in doing whatever the people 
 think proper; and not as formerly, to 
 fupportand fpread luxury, pride, and all 
 manner of vice. As for corruption in 
 elections, it has now no being or efTe&a- 
 mong them ; all affairs to be determin- 
 ed by voting either in a full meeting of a 
 panfh, its committees, or in the houfe 
 ©f Reprefentatives arc done by ballot- 
 ting, fo that votings, or eleclions araonp- 
 them, occafion no animofities, for 
 none need to let another know for which 
 fide he votes; all that can be done, there- 
 fore, in order to gain a majority of 
 votes for any thing, is to make it appear 
 m the belt light poffible by fpeaking or 
 
 B writing,
 
 ( 14 ) 
 
 writing. Among them government docs 
 not meddle in every trifle but on the 
 contrary, allows to each par ifli the power 
 of patting the laws in force in all cates 
 and does not interfere, but when tkey act 
 manifeftly to the prejudice of tociety, and 
 the rights and liberties of mankind as 
 ellablilhed in their glorious conftitution 
 and laws. For the judgment of a parith 
 may be as much depended upon as that 
 of a houfe of lords, becaufe they have as 
 little to fear from fpeaking or voting ac- 
 cording; to truth, as they. 
 
 A certain number of neighbouring pa- 
 rimes, as thofe in a town or county, have 
 each an equal vote in the election ot 
 perfons to reprefentthem in Parliament, 
 Senate, or Congrefs : and each of them 
 pays equally towards their maintenance. 
 They are cholen thus : all the candidates 
 are propofed in every parilh on the fame 
 dav, when the election by balloting im- 
 mediately proceeds in all the panlhes at 
 once to prevent too great a Concourfe at 
 one place, and they who are found to 
 have the majority on a proper iurvey or 
 the feveral poll books are acknowledged 
 to be their rcpreientatives. , 
 
 A man by dwelling a whole year in 
 
 anv parim becomes a panlhioner, or 
 
 3 l mem-
 
 ( *5 ) 
 
 member of its corporation; and retains 
 that privilege, till he live a full year in 
 fome other,, when he becomes a member 
 in that pariih, and immediately lofes all 
 his right to the former for ever, unlefs 
 he chufe to go back and recover it, by 
 dwelling again a full year there. _ Thus 
 none can be a member of two pariihes a* 
 once ; and yet a man is always a mem- 
 ber of one, though he move ever fo oft. 
 If in any panfh ihould be dwelling 
 ftrangers from foreign nations, or peo- 
 ple from diftant panihes, who by fick- 
 nefs or other cafualties mould become 
 fo neceffitous as to require relief before 
 they have acquired afettlement by dwel- 
 ling a full year therein ; then this pariih, 
 as if it were their proper fettlement, im- 
 mediately takes them under its humane 
 protection, and the expences thus in- 
 curred by any parifh in providing for 
 thofe not properly their own poor being 
 taken account of, is difcounted by the 
 exchequer, out of the fi'rffc payment 
 made to the State. Thus poor Itrangers 
 being the poor of the State, are not 
 looked upon with an envious evil eye left 
 they ihould become burthenibme; nei- 
 ther are the poor harraffed about in the 
 extremity of diftrefs, and perhaps in a 
 B z dying
 
 ( i<5 ) 
 
 trying condition, to gratify the litigiouf- 
 nci's of parifhes. 
 
 All the men in every parifh, at times 
 of their own chuting, repair together, to- 
 a field for that purpofe, with their offi- 
 cers, arms, banners, and all forts of mar- 
 tial mufic, in order to learn, or retain the 
 complete art of war : there they become 
 foldiers ! Yet not to molefl their neigh- 
 bours unprovoked, but to be able to de- 
 fend what none have a right to difpute, 
 their title to the enjoyment of; and 
 woe be to them who occafion them to do 
 this ! they would ufe them worfe than 
 highway-men, or pirates, if they got 
 them in their power. 
 
 There is no army kept in pay among 
 them, in times of peace; as all have proper- 
 ty alike to defend, they are alike ready to 
 run to arms when their country is in dan- 
 ger : and when an army is to be fent a- 
 broad, it is foon raifed, of ready trained 
 foldiers, either as volunteers, or by call- 
 ing lots in each parifh for fo many men. 
 Befides, as each man has a vote in all 
 th° affairs of his parifh, and for his own 
 lake muft with well to the public, the 
 land is let in very fmall farms, which 
 makes employment for a greater number 
 of hands, and makes more victualing of 
 all kinds be railed. There'
 
 ( *7 > 
 
 There are no tolls or taxes of any kind 
 paid among them, by native or foreigner, 
 but the aforefaid rent, which every per- 
 fon pays to the parifh, according to the 
 quantity, quality, and conveniences of 
 the land, houfmg, &c. which he occu- 
 pies in it. The government, poor,ronds, 
 &c. &c. as laid before, are all maintain- 
 ed, by the parifhes with the rent ; on 
 which account, all wares, manufactures, 
 allowable trade, employments, or ac- 
 tions, are entirely duty-free. Freedom 
 to do any thing whatever cannot there be 
 bought ; a thing is either entirely pro- 
 hibited as theft, or murder j or entirely 
 free to every one without tax or price ! 
 and, the rents are ftill not fo high, not- 
 withstanding all that is done with them, 
 as they were formerly for only the main- 
 tenance of a few haughty, unthankful 
 landlords. For the government, which 
 may be faid to be the greateft mouth, 
 having neither excifemen, cuflom-houfe- 
 men, collectors, army, peniioners, bri- 
 bery, nor iuch like ruin-nation vermin to 
 maintain, is foon fatished, and, more- 
 over, thereare no more perfons employed 
 in offices, . either about the government 
 or paiilhes, than are abib;ute'y neceila- 
 ry; and their falariesare bin juft iufficient 
 
 B 3 , to
 
 to maintain them fuitably to their offices. 
 And as to the other charges, they are bur 
 trifles, and might be increafed or dimi- 
 niihed at plea lure. 
 
 But though the rent, which includes 
 all public burdens, were obliged to be 
 fbmewhat railed, what then? All other 
 nations have a devouring landed in-- 
 tereft to fupport beiides thofe neoeflaryi 
 expences of the public; and they might- 
 be raifed very high indeed before their 
 burden would be as heavy as that of their 
 neighbours, who pay rent and taxes- 
 too. And it furely would be the fame, 
 for a perfon in any country to pay 
 for inftance an increafe of rent ir 
 required, as to pay the fame -fern by lit- 
 
 and little upon every thing he gets. — 
 Jt would certainly fave him a greatdeal c£ 
 Trouble and inconvenience, and govern-* 
 ment much expence. 
 
 But what makes this profpect yet more- 
 glorious is, that after this empire of right; 
 and realbnisthus eftablifhed, it will (land 
 lor ever. Force and corruption attempt-^ 
 ing its down-fall-, fhall equally he baffled,. 
 and all other nations ft ruck with wonder 
 and admiration at its happinefs and lia- 
 bility, ihall follow the example; and thus 
 the whole earth, fhall at lait be happy* 
 as d live like brethren. An
 
 C '9 ) 
 
 An Inter efting Converfation, between 
 a Gentleman and the Author, on 
 the SubjeSi of his Scheme. 
 
 Gent. So I underftand you are the 
 Author of this ftrange Lecture? 
 
 Auth. Yes, Sir. 
 
 Gent. Weil, though T am a friend to 
 the Reformation of the world, I did not 
 expect any one's ideas would have been 
 carried to fuch extravagant lengths on 
 the fubjecl as your's. 
 
 Auth. And I am as ftrangely puzzled 
 to conceive how any one, not afraid of 
 the freedom of his own thoughts, could 
 ftop any thing fhort of the fyftem there, 
 laid down. 
 
 Gent. Indeed ! But who, pray, among 
 all the Revolutionills in either America, 
 France, or England, or ony where elfe, 
 ever difputed or attempted to invalidate 
 the rights of the landed intereft ? Or, 
 does Paine, whofe publications feem to 
 fatisfy the willies of the moft fanguine 
 Reformers, glance in the lead on their 
 lights? This is taking too great liber- 
 ties. 
 
 Auth. I cannot help it. I would 
 (jponei not think at all, than check my 
 
 thoughts
 
 ( 10 ) 
 
 thoughts on i fubjea fo important -1 
 ha?e fttthUg and cobling, Let us have 
 " perfeft (yTtan that will keep it elf 
 right, and let us have done ; for wha 
 is radically wrong muft be a continual 
 
 Pl But Sir, why all this anxiety and 
 concern fot' the 'interefts ol landlords? 
 Thofe who can reward as they can w, 1 
 never want advocates to detend the 
 caufo whethentbe good or bad. Will 
 << you plead for Baal? H Baal be a god, 
 << let him plead for himlelt. 
 
 The Reformers, of whom you lay are 
 1C , indulge thcmfelves in criticizing 
 „ n , and condemning cuftoms and efta- 
 bhfliments as old and as fefaifible a 
 the monolopy of land and think they 
 're only tiling the Rights of Men: al- 
 io; mi, therefore, to take the fame <- 
 ° e ty with what 1 think amifs; and let 
 S 1 ^ 1 fay, plead for hmifelf. So, 
 Kt ierva'nt 1 , you may diftike my 
 fee manner of defending doctrines, 
 which 1 think of fuch magnitude. 
 
 Gent. Nay, Hop a little l,r, you muft 
 
 excufe me, 1 was only a«mg m charac- 
 ~. you muft allow Baal, as you lay, to 
 nlead for HimfelF, for I being a landlord 
 etnnot beeped to lole an elhtte with-
 
 ( 21 ) 
 
 out regret; therefore, indulge me with 
 the ibiution of iuch difficulties as ap- 
 pear to me in the principles and execu- 
 tion of your plan, that if 1 am a lofer I 
 may be fatisfied that the public good . 
 abioluteiy requires it. 
 
 You build your fyftem, I obferve, on 
 the fuppofition that men have the fame 
 right to property of land as they have 
 to liberty, and the light and heat of the 
 fun, which I grant is a very juft por- 
 tion, refpeCling men in a natural, or in 
 their primeval itate ; but this antient and 
 nniverfal right is fo fet afide and difufed 
 that it feems quite forgot and expunged 
 from the catalogue of the Rights of 
 Men ; befides, there was nobody found 
 murmuring at the want of it. 
 
 Auth. It is, indeed, very amazing that 
 people mould never think more feri- 
 oully of fuch an effential and ineftima- 
 b!e privilege, considering the many ex- 
 prefs declarations to the purpofe, to be 
 met with both in the lcriptures and in 
 the bed of prophane authors. Permit 
 me, then, to produce two or three of 
 the moft remarkable pafiages : and firft, 
 from Leviticus, chap. 25th, " And thou 
 " (halt number ieven fabbaths of years 
 " unto thee, ieven times [even years; 
 
 and
 
 «< 
 
 tt 
 
 tt 
 
 tt 
 
 ti 
 
 a 
 
 tt 
 
 •< 
 
 tt 
 
 ti 
 
 tt 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 ( 22 > 
 
 and the ipace of the ieven fabbaths 
 of years {hull be unto thee forty and 
 nine years. Then (halt thou caufe 
 the trumpet of the Jubilee to found, 
 on the tenth day of the feventh month, 
 m the day of atonement mall ye make 
 the trumpet found throughout all your 
 land. And ye lhall hallow the fifti- 
 eth year, and proclaim liberty through- 
 out all the land, tin to allthe inha- 
 bitants thereof: h lhall be a Jubilee 
 unto you; and ye lhall return every 
 man unto his poilemon, and ye mall 
 return every man unto his family.'' 
 And again in the fame chapter it is faid, 
 " The land lhall not be fold for ever; 
 for the land is mine; for ye are 
 " flrangers and ibjonrners with me." 
 Thus you fee God Almighty himfelf is 
 a very notorious leveller, and certainly 
 meant to flir up the people every fifti- 
 eth year, to infill upon liberty and equa- 
 lity or the repollefiion of their juft 
 rights, whether their mailers or creditors 
 were agreeable or not, or whether they 
 might deem it feditious or no; and we 
 may luppoie inch of the latter as were 
 ungodly men would behave very awk- 
 wardly and quit their hold with much 
 
 reluct-
 
 ( H ) 
 
 reluctance, and would be far from pro- 
 moting fuch a revolution. 
 
 Then we may be certain that as often 
 as fuch a periodical revolution happened 
 in favour of the Rights of Man, they 
 muft arife from, and were procured by, 
 the irrefiftible importunities of the Daves 
 and landlefs men. 
 
 Thus we find perfonal liberty and 
 landed property very properly linked to- 
 gether by our All-wife Creator, nor is 
 the one of much confequence without 
 the other. Indeed, I think all our 
 landlefs people had better live in flavery 
 under humane matter? t at would pro- 
 vide them with the neceflaries of lite, 
 than be turned out of their rights as out- 
 cafts upon the face of that earth whereon 
 thev muft neither feed nor reft. 
 
 Well, we have heard what God has 
 faid on the fubjeft, let us next hear 
 what man fays. ' Locke, in his Treatife 
 of Government writes thus : " Whether 
 •< we confider natural reafon, which. 
 " tells us, that men, being once born, 
 " have a right to their prefervation, and 
 " consequently to meat and drink, and 
 " fuch other things as nature affords for 
 « their fubfiitence. Or, Revelation, 
 *' which gives us m account of thole 
 
 '• grants
 
 f t 
 
 CC 
 
 a 
 ft 
 
 cc 
 
 ( 24 ) 
 
 grants God made of the world to 
 Adam, and to Noah and his fons; it 
 is very clear that God, as King David 
 fays, Pfalm 115, 16, has given the 
 earth to the children of men, given 
 " it to mankind in common." 
 
 Here we find this great man con- 
 curring in the fame fundamental princi- 
 ple as we fhall likewife. Puffendorf, in 
 his Whole Duty of Man, according to 
 the law of nature, where he obferves, 
 that " As thofe are the belt members 
 of a community, who without any 
 difficulty allow the fame things' to 
 their neighbour that themfelves re- 
 quire of him, fo thofe are altogether 
 incapable of focicty, who, fetting a 
 high rate on themfelves in regard to 
 others, will take upon them to act 
 any thing towards their neighbour, 
 and expect greater deference and 
 more refpecl: than the reft of man- 
 kind; and, in their infolent manner, 
 demanding a greater portion unto 
 themfelves of thofe things, to which 
 all men haying a common right, they 
 can in reafon claim no larger a fhare 
 than other men : whence this alfo is 
 an univerfal duty of the law natural, 
 That no man, who has not a peculiar 
 
 " right, 
 
 t( 
 
 ti 
 
 cc 
 
 tt 
 ti 
 <c 
 It 
 
 St 
 
 cc 
 tt 
 
 it 
 
 tt 
 
 *t 
 
 ft 
 
 tt
 
 ( *5 ) 
 
 e< right, ought to arrogate more to him- 
 fc felf than he is ready to allow to his 
 96 fellows, but that he permit other 
 " men to enjoy equal privileges with 
 " himfelf-" 
 
 Such declarations being frequent in 
 all the bell: authors, one would think 
 they would route the mod fupine to 
 confider their contemptible and degrad- 
 ed fituation, who, from being the right- 
 ful lords of the creation, and only a 
 little lower than the angels, and crown- 
 ed by their Maker with glory and ho- 
 nour tamely proitrate themlelves To the 
 earth, for any one that will be infolent 
 enough to pafs over. 
 
 But, Sir, people never thought it was 
 practicable to enjoy an equal property 
 in land. For the mechanics thought 
 they could not themlelves cultivate 
 land if they were polfeifed of it, and 
 that therefore thoufands would be felling 
 their portions to others, which would 
 foon reduce things to the tame fituation 
 as at prefent. And belides, they could 
 not be at the trouble nor put cheoxfelves 
 lb much out oi' temper, io as like the 
 Jews, to demand a restitution of the 
 hind and an abolition of debts every 
 fiftieth vcar. No, they would rather 
 . C fa
 
 ( 26 ) 
 
 fit down contentedly with their pot and 
 iheir pipe, and their rags and their af- 
 fronts, though the poor wives and chil- 
 dren mould be perifhing at home of 
 hun.qer and cold. 
 
 But, by giving the land to the panfhes 
 they will be ealed at once of all thole 
 trouble fome apprehenfions; one hearty 
 revolution and one jubilee will do the 
 buiinefs for ever : for we find focieties 
 once poffeffed of land do not eafily give 
 it up, but are very tenacious of their 
 property of which we have many in- 
 fiances, there hardly being a corpora- 
 tion but what has landed property, and 
 have retained the fame for many ages. 
 
 So here is a fimple, eafy, practicable 
 fcheme, which people may fee realized 
 in every corporate body; wherefore, as 
 pconle will now think themfelves qua- 
 lified to manage their own eftates by 
 the agency of their paiilh officers, for 
 their own advantage, they mud of courfe 
 think landlords of no more ufe, and they 
 will grow weary of them. The payment 
 of rent to a landlord will be like giving 
 to a highwayman, and they wili 
 t to be rid of their infupportable 
 ns all at once.. They will long to 
 d from the language thofe 
 
 odious
 
 ( »7 ) 
 
 eefious words : tolls, taxes, t-ythes* 
 cedes, and rents. In fhort, Sir, when 
 the public machine is thus fet a going 
 on nature's principles, like nature itfelf, 
 it will never err to any degree, but on the 
 k iftaberrii ion immediately rebound back 
 to its juft equilibrium. 
 
 Gent. But, Sir, 1 am not Co part'al 
 to corporation government but I can fee 
 many things amifs in them. There is 
 too much party work, and I am afraid' 
 the people at large would reap fmal [be- 
 nefit from their landed property, as is 
 too much the cafe in mo ft of the corpo- 
 rations already in being. 
 
 Auth. The corporations now in being 
 were eftablifhed in times of ignorance, 
 when very few were qualified to take 
 cognizance of public affairs, wherefore 
 the mats of the burghers were never fur- 
 fered in their own perlons to make 
 choice of their magistrates, but every 
 company or trade chofe an elector, and 
 thefe were to make a kind of (ham choice, 
 of magiftrates and officers, for all this 
 was fettled in reality before in the Com- 
 mon Council; and the fame practice to 
 the great eafe and content of the people 
 is (till continued, which I hope you clo 
 not think I approve of; for I fee no rca- 
 
 C 2 fon
 
 ( 28 ) 
 
 ■Ton why a candidate for a magillracy or 
 other office may not, after proper ex- 
 amination in refpect of abilities, be pro- 
 pbfed in every diftinct company or trade 
 at the fame hour, and then in their own 
 perfons proceed to election. Candidates 
 would not find it lb eafy to make a party 
 ainorig, the burghers at large, as they do 
 now among their deputies or liverymen ; 
 but 1 hope if the people were but once 
 put right (for they never have been io 
 yet) they would be wife enough never 
 to relapfe into iniignificance again, and 
 find it worth their while to act in perfon 
 as much as they could, by admitting of 
 no electors or deputies between them 
 and the perfon or thing to be voted for; 
 for if a parifh were found to be too po- 
 pulous to vote conveniently and expe- 
 ditioufly iil one place, they would furely 
 have the fenle to divide the parifh into 
 fuch a iulncicncy of diftri&s or depart- 
 ments as thoukl render buiineis fpecdy 
 add gencrall} fatisfactory. 
 
 I (houlcl likewile expect that they 
 would have the fenfe to cauie the parifh 
 ac< ounts to be minutely (tated and print- 
 ed, at le?ft every quarter j and the na- 
 tional accounts to be in the fame man- 
 ner printed, ai Leaft every '.ear. And 
 
 1 thou Id
 
 ( 29 ) 
 
 I mould Hkewife wifti that the rents or 
 rates might be collected monthly, as the 
 poor rate is now, which, when once 
 paid, they would know was in full of 
 all demands. 
 
 In fhort, Sir, if I thought the peo- 
 ple at large would ever become lo defpi- 
 cably deftitute of common fcnfe as to 
 be incapable of conducting fuch fimple 
 tranfactions with any little accidental 
 variations after being thus fairly put 
 right — I lay, inflead of exciting by pity 
 as they now do, 1 would, like their ty- 
 rants, hold them in the moft fovereign 
 contempt and derifion; nay, I would 
 rejoice in feeing them all delivered over 
 to cruel taik- mailers, planters, negro- 
 drivers, landlords, and all the devils on 
 earth. Moreover, I would endeavour to 
 get into forne infernal office inyfelf, and 
 make my thong the moil terrible of the? 
 terrible. 
 
 But that I am far from apprehending 
 will ever be the cafe, for it is impoffible 
 for the world to become generally igno- 
 rant again, as it was before the art of 
 printing. Knowledge has been conftantly 
 encreafmg ever iince that happy inven- 
 tion, and will infallably continue to do- 
 io while the world endures.. 
 
 C 3 Gent,.
 
 ( jo ) 
 
 Gent. Hut I am at a great lots to con- 
 ceive what will become of all the landed 
 people, gentlemen of the law, gentle- 
 mens' fervams, many artizens and trades- 
 men; entirely dependent on tl>e nobility 
 and gentry, and alio the foldiers, for 
 you intend all your citizens to be fol- 
 dier*. 
 
 Auth. You will obiervc, Sir, that J 
 am proceeding in this affair entirely in 
 confidence of the people having com- 
 mon fenfe, and that they will, when 
 once put right, put it forth to ufe on all 
 occafions; and, 1 likewile fuppofe they 
 mav 'we as much companion on thofe 
 ,. : : & ed by the change of affairs, as juitice 
 and neceiiit] will admit of. So, in all pro- 
 bability ,onthatmeniorabfeday^thatgranc^ 
 • '.'tee, \vhenc\ >_ :ry parifh in (ome country 
 lhall take into itspofFeflfron its indubitable 
 . i . I mean the Kind with all its ap- 
 nances,as ftruclures, buildings, and 
 fixtures, and mine , woods, waters, &c\ 
 contained within itfelf: I lay, though 
 according to right and fyftem they mud 
 ieize upon thefe, I expect they would- 
 leave ry perfon in polleflion of his 
 money and moveable effects to difpofe 
 of as he might chufev The quondam 
 landlords might therefore be reafonably 
 
 expected
 
 ( 3% )■ 
 
 expe&ed to fubfift comfortably upot* 
 thefe effects all their days with economy, 
 I am fure few of the reft of the people 
 would have as much at that day to their 
 ihare; and as to their children they 
 would doubtlefs fuit their education to- 
 their profpeds, which could be 1 no other 
 than to live as fober, induftrious citizens,, 
 maintained by their own induftry. And 
 what mould hinder them by trading or 
 farming to encreafe their effects under 
 fo mild and cherilhing government, as 
 well as others ? The fame may be faid of 
 gentlemen of the law, and other emi- 
 nent artifts or tradefmen who might 
 fuffer by the change: as- for the private 
 foldiers and fubalterns I would with them 
 to be fent every man to his own panih,, 
 there to receive his pay for life, and be 
 employed in training his fellow-pariuV 
 ioners; and the general officers, 1 hope, 
 the government would provide for in 
 like ample manner. And with reipeet 
 to other individuals, whether fervants, 
 mechanics, or revenue officers, who, 
 having no effeds accumulated, and might 
 be reduced by. any caufe whatever, ei- 
 ther at this or any future period tore- 
 quire affiftance, I hope their refpedive 
 pariihes would prove generous, and 
 
 fympa-
 
 ( 3* ) 
 
 fympathizing benefit focieties for them 
 all, untill they could again provide for 
 themfelvcs; and the parimes, no doubt, 
 would contrive to make fuch perfons 
 contribute, if in health, towards the pub- 
 lic good, and to this they furely would 
 not object. 
 
 Gent. But, friend, what do you ex- 
 pect by all this? Though your icheme 
 mould fucceed you cannot • expect an 
 eftate for your trouble, and both you 
 and your posterity for ever mud be con- 
 tent to herd with the common mafs with- 
 out any hopes of flattering diftinction : 
 if your plan mould not fucceed, you 
 muft expect a fpiteful and powerful op- 
 position in all you go about, from thole 
 you*are feeking to overthrow. 
 
 Mr. Paine acts more cautioufly, and 
 does not hurt the feelings of any gen- 
 tleman that is unconnected with go- 
 vernment, and fo, of courfe, may re^ 
 tain their good will, notwithstanding all 
 the lengths he goes; and may, even 
 with a good grace, confident with his 
 reform, enjoy a very handfome eftate, 
 and with all his boafted liberty and equa- 
 lity, may roll in his chariot on the la- 
 bours of his tenants. 
 
 Auth. The contempt and ungenero is 
 
 rebuffs.
 
 C 33 ) 
 
 rebuffs of the opulent T have already 
 pretty well experienced, and do yet ex- 
 pe£t; but the feelings occafioned by be- 
 holding the druggies of temperance, 
 frugality, and induftry, after an honeit 
 livelihood, which ought to be eafily at- 
 tainable by every one, have always been 
 fufficiently powerful to enable me to de- 
 ipife them. Yes, thofe fympathetic 
 feelines were impreffed deep on my 
 heart, being firft excited by the many- 
 difficulties my poor parents met with 
 in providing for, and endeavouring to 
 brine up their numerous family decent- 
 ly and creditably, which I thought very 
 hard, as none could be more temperate, 
 frusal, nor induftrious. 
 
 I began to look round to know the 
 caufe of this piercing grievance and I 
 found thoufarids rioting in all the abo- 
 minations of luxury and diffipation, as 
 if there had been no Being in heaven or 
 earth but themielves, and they had been 
 created for the fole purpoie or deitroy- 
 incr the fruits of the earth. And again 
 I beheld miriads in a much worfe con. 
 dition than my own family. Then I 
 began to read, and I found the lavages 
 in Greenland, America, and at the Cape 
 of Good Hope, could all by their hunt- 
 ing
 
 C 34 ) 
 ing and iifhing procure fubfiftence for 
 their families. Then I enquired whe- 
 ther men left that rude flate voluntarily 
 for greater comforts in a Hate of civil- 
 ization, or whether they were conquer- 
 ed, and compelled into it for the bene- 
 fit of their conquerors. My experience 
 compelled me to conclude the latter, for 
 I could obferve nothing like the effects 
 of a focial compact, wherefore I con- 
 cluded that all our boaftcd civilization is 
 founded alone on conqueft; nor will any 
 men leave their rude ftate to be treated 
 with contempt, pay rents and taxes, and 
 ftarve among us. Savages may iome- 
 times fuffer want though that is but rare, 
 but the poor tamed wretch drags on a 
 defpicable, miferable, and toilfome ex r 
 lftence, from generation to generation* 
 This furely looks exceeding bad, that 
 among men in fuch high refinement and 
 fo capable of rendering each other hap- 
 py by working as they do to each hand, 
 thoulands mould neverthelefs be in fo 
 wretched a ftate that favages would not 
 change conditions with them. 
 
 Such ftudies, Sir, as thefe, were what 
 ftirred me up with an irreliflable enthu- 
 ijafm to lay before the world a plan of 
 fociety fo confonant to the Rights of 
 
 Man*
 
 t 3$ ) 
 
 Man, that even favages mould envy, 
 and wilh to become members thereof. 
 
 Gent. But you fay nothing of religion. 
 
 Audi. Becaufe there can be nothing^ 
 in fuch a benevolent arrangement of 
 things repugnant to the true religion, 
 and becaufe that religion depends upon 
 God, and he has declared himfelf hi 
 Protector to the end of the world. It is 
 therefore but prefumption in govern- 
 ment to pretend to take it into protec- 
 tion, and when they do it is only for 
 fome bye end. It is enough if they do 
 not oppofe it. God faid the workman 
 is worthy of his meat, and we feldom 
 fee his faithful fervams want. Where- 
 fore, as their own Mafter is not afraid 
 to truft them in the world, and is able 
 to provide for them, mould govern- 
 ments intermeddle in the affair, for 
 God knows beft who ars his mod faith- 
 ful fervants. Thofe they inftruded 
 .would fureiy provide chearfully for their 
 .teachers of their own accord ; < but if any 
 pari Hi at large chofe to maintain any 
 favourite preacher, or eftablifh a t'chool, 
 or public library ut the parilh expence, 
 who could objeft agairift it?— And I 
 hope to make every one eafy on thai 
 head, toleration would be allowed to 
 every religion or opinion not repugnant 
 to the Rights of Mas. Qu s«
 
 ( 3« > 
 
 'Queries ft at to the ThUofophical Society, 
 in Ntwcaftle, on the 26th of December t 
 1775, by the Rev. Mr. J. Murray, 
 on account of Mr. Spence's expulfion. 
 
 1. Whether, according to the law of 
 nature, has not every one a right to pro- 
 perty in land ? 
 
 2. Whether property acquired upon 
 principles, contrary to the laws of na- 
 ture, is held by a tenure that can be 
 juftified in the fight of the author of 
 nature ? 
 
 3. Can natural rights ever be pro- 
 fcribed, when they are not forfeited ? 
 
 4. Do people act contrary to any 
 ■divine law, when they relume their 
 rights, and recover their property out 
 of the hands of thole who have unna- 
 turally invaded it ? 
 
 5. Are cuftoms that are contrary to 
 the original principles of nature, bind- 
 ing upon the confciences of thofe, who 
 believe the validity of the laws of nature ? 
 
 6. Are laws of nature and reafon 
 different or the fame ? 
 
 7. Whether is the monopoly of land, 
 coniiitent with reafon and the laws of 
 nature ? 
 
 8. Can the laws of nature and reafon 
 ever be dangerous to lociety ? 
 
 9. Arc
 
 C 37 ) 
 
 o. Are the PJghts to the enormous 
 dividends of land, poffeffed by the 
 barons, and many Commons of Great 
 Britain, eftablifhed upon the principles 
 of nature and reafon ? 
 
 10. Would not the granting every 
 man right to property in land, be as 
 far from leveling Society, as granting 
 all the members of a corporation the 
 fame privileges in trade ? 
 
 ii. Was the Jewilh jubilee a leveling 
 
 fcheme ? 
 
 12. Did not the author of nature there- 
 by, fecure every Man's property in 
 land, which was reftored to him, though 
 he had loft it at the end of 49 years ? 
 
 13. Would it be inconvenient to the 
 Philofophical Society to read the 25th 
 chapter of Leviticus ? 
 
 14. Is it implied in the nature of the 
 focial compaft, that the one half of the 
 contradors mould have no right of pof- 
 
 feffions ? 
 
 15. May not poor people fpeak and. 
 write concerning their rights, though 
 they may have but little hopes of ob- 
 taining them. Is it not hard that they 
 fhould both be deprived of their rights, 
 and of the liberty of complaining ? 
 
 16. Suppofe Mr. Spence's fcheme 
 
 D were
 
 ( 3* ) 
 were to take effcft, what influence 
 would it have upon the Philoiophical 
 Society? Would they be lofers or 
 gainers ? 
 
 17. Would it leffen the value of land 
 in Georgia ? 
 
 18. Will it not take a great quantity 
 of lophiftry to anfwer thefe queftions, 
 confidently with the principles of the 
 Philofophical Society, concerning the 
 expulfion of Mr. Spence ? 
 
 A Triumphant Song for the People, 
 on the Recovery of their Lorn 
 Loft Rights. * 
 
 HARK ! how the trumpet's found* 
 Proclaims the land around 
 The Jubilee ! 
 
 Tells all the poor opprefs'd 
 No more they fhall be cefs'd 
 Nor landlords more moleii 
 Their property. 
 
 The Parifh rate is all, 
 Paid now by great or fmall 
 For houfe or land, 
 No more by nature's due 
 God gave the earth to you 
 And not unto a few, 
 But to all mankind. 
 
 * Sec Leviticui, chapter »$th. 
 
 How
 
 ( 39 ) 
 
 How hath the oppreflbr ceafs'd,* 
 
 And all the world releafed 
 
 From mifcry ! 
 
 The fir-trees all rejoice 
 
 And cedars lift their voice, 
 
 Ceas'd now, the feller's noif* 
 
 Long raifed by thee. 
 
 The fceptre now is broke, 
 Which with continual ltrok« 
 The nations fmote ! 
 Hell from beneath doth rife 
 To meet thy lofty eyes 
 From the moil pompous fize, 
 How brought to nought ! 
 
 Since then this Jubilee, 
 
 Sets all at Liberty 
 
 Let us be glad. 
 
 Behold each man return 
 
 To his pofleffion, 
 
 No more like doves to mourn, 
 
 By landlords fad ! 
 
 * Read Ifaiah, chap. 14.. 
 
 Swift's
 
 ( 4> ) 
 SwifSs Revolution Principle, 
 
 <{ As to what is called a Revolution 
 s< Principle, my opinion was this : 
 ** That whenever thofe evils, which 
 ufually attend and follow a violent 
 change of Government,, were not in 
 probability {o pernicious as the griev- 
 ance we fuffer under a prefent power, 
 then the public good will juftiry fuch 
 Ci a Revolution." 
 
 Swift's Letters. 
 
 
 a 
 it 
 
 FINIS.
 
 University of California Library 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
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