PEIGE ONE PENNY. 1850 , ITS WOMEN, MEN, AND MANNERS, By the Author of the FOUR P’s. DEDICATION. To the Members of jMecbanics’ Institutions—those Peoples Colleges—I dedicate this Utile work. Every word of “ 1850, ;c." was written in the Reading Room of a Mechanics’ Institu- ion; this circumstance suggested the dedication ; this circum- tance also shows the important bearing Mechanics’ Institutions, jiterary Societies, Public Libraries, Working Mens’ Rooms, ilutual Improvement Societies, &c., &c. have upon the days we ive in, w affording commodious shidies for the people—but these nstitutions must be remodeled or they,will soon fall into decay. A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU. A happy new year to you, old acquaintance! may 1850 prove he most prosperous and happy year to your mind, body, and state of all the years you have ever lived ; and may it be the east prosperous and most unhappy of all the years (and I hope [hey will be many) you may live on earth. Thus will this year I860 prove to you more happy than any which has preceded it, ind your future years more happy than this. JUBILEE! JUBILEE! JUBILEE! This is the year (Jubilee) of grace, 1850. Jubilee! Jubilee ! fubilee ! public festivity! public festivity ! the peoples’ feast!— fhere is it to be found'? and echo answers— where ? be patient, riend, we will see more about it anon. 2- u Time was when the hewers of wood and the drawers of waiei f were valued as something more than machines bj' thepriesthoo! § and rulers of the worldj they, however, now begin to feel thei/L own strength but they are as yet only estimated as tax payers j or as so much of the raw material of workable humanity to bi l wrought for the benefit of tax-eating Princes, Peers, Priests h princely Merchants, lordly Factors, Gentlemen Fanners, &cl| In the future the people will manage their own affairs, parta!i.| of the fruit of their own labor, under their own vines and fig tret'^ none daring to male them afraid. But much work has to b-j done, much to be undone, much woe, sufl’ering, and strife to bf, endured, ere this happy period will arrive. 1^ The masses will have to gird up their loins in order to dd battle with their Royal, Aristocratic, Priestly, and blammon-wot i shipping foes. Oh! ye people, fortify your heads and hearts fo ' the great combat of Right against Might! the strife will b fierce and long, but the people will ultimately conquer, for thei cause is divine, the Lord is on their side. “Thriceis he armed who hath his quarrel just, and he bi naked, though locked in steel, whose cause or conscience wii injustice is corrupted.”.But this year of our Lord, 185 is called the year of Jubilee,—let us see.— Under the Jewish dispensation the people had feasts, festival! and seasons of rejoicings many, to perpetuate the memory o what they believed were God’s mighty works, and to allow thct frequent seasons of instruction in the laws, to give time for rc< and intercourse with their friends and relatives. They had tli monthly feast of the New Moons, the annual ones of tb Passover and unleavened bread, of Penticost and of Trumpets the feast of Tabernacles, the Sabbatical year of release, and tb year of Jubilee. They had, too, the feast of Puriam and tb Dedication. The Sabbath was by the Jews reallg kept as a day of rei because the Israelites had other times appointed for festivity. Tb Sabbath cannot now be kept as a day of rest, because our moc Christian system allows no other time for the recreation of tb people, but Sunday, which ought to be kept holy. There was the feast of the New Moons—Why i so ignorai and artificial have we become that the people know not when is new or full moon, so accustomed to look down, so much ai we of the earth earthy that we scarcely know there's such thing as a moon in the heavens.Look up ye toilers! ca your eyes heavenward and behold the glory of the stairy firm ment in order that your souls may be elevated!.Tliere we the feasts of tlie Passover and Penticost, the design of which w to commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians. Almighty God! hasten the day when the people of this kingdom shall have a great passover to celebrate their ieliverance from their Priestly Aristocratic, Priestly and Mam- , sionite oppressors! [ There was the feast of Tabernacles, when a cessation of labor took place which lasted eight days.We want a feast of rabernacles in order that the toilers may meet to deliberate I imong themselves as to the best steps to be taken for obtaining i ilieir lights;—^lei a feast of Tabernacles be appointed for carry- jlng out this God-like idea. il There was, too, the seventh year, or year of release, which 'jjwas a continual festival—this was a season for spiritual instruc- j tion and for the release of debtors, then they acknowledged land to be the Lord’s. “ Verily the earth k the Lord’sand 'me fullness thereof.” —He gave it to each and every child of earth. *.Then there was the Jubilee, or every 60th year—no f enial w’ork was done this year; the land remained untilled— hat grew of itself belonged to the poor and needy—debts were holly remitted—^bond and hired servants obtained their liberty, id inheritances reverted to their original proprietors. I desire not to return to the Mosaic dispensation of forms and lemonies, but sure I am that these feasts and festivals contrast vorably with our ever-toiling animalizing epoch of mock hristianity, with its Work—work—work Till the brain begins to swim, i| Work—work—work Till the oyes are heavy and dim. It’s oh to be a slave, if this is Christian work. .Yes this is what is termed the year of our Lord, 1850 year of Jubilee. Toilers, has this word “Jubilee” any 'meaning in as much as you are concerned?—None whatever! JWhy ?—Because the whole life of your princes, peers, and piJpriests is one great Jubilee—to the destruction of their minds ’and bodies, for it is intended that all shall labor before they en- ea because the whole life of our princes, peers, and ■priests is one great Jubilee is it that the life of the masses must necessarily be one eternal round of toil to support the Jubilee of „ I men living in idleness at the expense of those who labor.— jJ Great God ! wither up with thy just indignation, evinced through .ji I the voice of the people, that diabolical system which causes one 'class to enjoy a perpetual Jubilee which isfunnatural, whilst anotherjclass is doomed to unremunerative and eternal toil, which, is highly prejudicial and contrary to Nature. THE WOMEN OF 1850. But let us glance at the women, men, and manners of tliis L Jubilee year of 1860; and first of the women, God bless them, j,,] I love them, they have uniformly been kind to me, and then mv L wife, tender hearted, faithful, and affectionate creature, is a 1] woman.—My revered and departed mother, self-denying and.L indulgent, was a woman.—My sisters, rest their souls, amiable, L kind, and obliging, were women.—And I have so many smilinn L and agreeable female friends and acquaintances that I caniidi k choose but love them. k Oh woman! lovely woman! Nature made you i‘^ To temper man: we. had been brutes without you. ; Angels are painted fair to look like you. There’s in you all that we believe of Heaven , Awaking brighmess, purity, and truth, i Eternal joy, and everlasting love.” But I look around me on the women of this kiutrdom. who ^ ought to he divinities, and for the most part find them toys ami 1 slaves, or both, not impressed with the great idea that they form the minds of the rising generation and are destined to become , the mothers of the future men and women of the world;—when j woman becomes impressed with this great idea how different will he her education and habits to what they now are. Fair reader, j perchance you may take offence at these plain blunt remarks, or . happily he led to ask yourself what you have done to qualify , yourself to become a suitable teacher and protector of the children ' you have born or may bear—dear lady, don't discharge tins , thought from your mind, let it remain with you till you resub e |, to set about preparing yourself to become a good mother, capable j of properly instructing your offspring;—don’t, I pri'thee, dismiss j this thought till you have, too, qualified yourself to become the , companion and helpmate of an intelligent husband :—take mv , word for it, lady, when the heyday of the delightful honey¬ moon shall be over—your husband, if he be an ititelligent man, will hope to find a congenial partner in you, with whom to cn- change thoughts, and lacking this companion in his wife, he will possibly go elsewhere to find companionable people, and your I pretty face will be left to keep company with the cat, dog, and i fire-irons,—or—or do worse—which is often the case with those 1 who are ill-matched—but don’t, now, dear lady, imagine that ' a pretty face will compensate for an empty head :—a pretty face i with an empty head will be endured for a short time—just when one can come and go at pleasure, but I candidly tell you that a woman with a pretty face and an empty head will make a miserable wife and a wretched mother; but intelligence and virtue render all beautiful, and qualify their possessors to dis¬ charge the duties of life, properly. Now, fair reader, pause and think of what is here written—read it to-morrow and the next [lay, in fact study it till you fully feel your responsibility as a ivoman who will probably become a mother of future men and ivomen.—Adieu lady,pardon my importunilj^you will liveto thank me for my advice One parting word :—remember that “Life lias no wretchedness equal to an ill-assorted marriage; it is the sepulchre of the heart, haunted by the ghost of past affections, and Itopc gone for ever.” Adieu. i THE MEN OF 1850. There they are as usual, eating, drinking, and smoking, con¬ demning the government and governors, and taxing themselves all the while; there they are praying away in churches and chapels but fortunately their prayers are not heard.—There they arc. mere Sectarians, fancying themselves religious;—there they are sipping brandy and water and complaining of the bad times;— there they are condemning new truths and denouncing their propounders,—which new truths will anon he received and the memory of which propounders will in the future be idolized ;— There they are as usual scolding their wives, when the husbands are most to blame;—there they are educating their children—by settbuj a bad example, but telling them “ to be good.” (Children for the most part imitate doings, not follow sayimjs.) There they are at labor in vain, finite creatures, endeavouring to compre¬ hend the infinite;—there they are infidel to simple truth, and believers in mysterious error;—tha’e they are educating the head and neLdecting the heart;—but let us just sally forth and observe some of their I MANNERS IN 1850. England is in a most heathenish condition. I know not where I no commence my observations. I recently walked about the city of London and found the streets running with blood—blood from butchers' slaughter-houses; for in the very heart of that vast city animals are slaughtered for the food of the inhabitants thereof. I noticed this blood ran into sinks, sewers, and drains, wliich in part carried off the other filth of the city. I traced several of these drains and found they emptied themselves into the Thames, the water of which some of the inhabitants use for domestic purposes. I find all over the country the most perni- 6 p cious practice prevails of burying the dead in ground immediately il surrounding our churches and chapels, thus the atmosphere I f around our religious temples is poisoned with the putrifaction ' arising from dead bodies. Tims religious worship is performed '■ in the most impure parts of the city; but the selfish priests of our dark country strongly uphold this fatal practice of burying • the dead among the living, because they profit by the practice: in the shape of burial fees, &c. I need not add that our i spiritual is as corrupt as is our physical condition. | Our ideas of God and Providence are certainly very remark-! able. As may naturally be expected pestilence is frequendy rife among us. We, however, attribute disease to the “wrath of\ God,” and the ‘‘‘vengeance of Heaven,” Our well-paid priests; go on certain days and offer up prayers to God for the removal j of the pestilence in part caused by their own cupidity. Ireoently | ventured to tell one of these priests that God did not pay a premium for pestilence and filth and that I thought Providence would not do for man what man could in a great measure do for himself, that therefore prayers would prove useless.—I reminded the reverend gentleman that if the cause were removed the effect would cease—that God worked by means of fixed laws which it is our duty to study and try to obey. The priest however was very angry with me and called this an impious view of the subject and concluded a long speech by saying Uiat if I died with such opinions my body would be doomed to eternal fire, for this appears to be the priests’ idea of future punishment. CHEAP BIBLES AND FEMALE PROSTITUTION. I read the report of a meeting, held a short time since in Lon¬ don,—which meeting was called to deprecate the low wages given by the Bible Society, to their hinders. At this meeting it was proved that the poor women who hind “ the word of God" are so badly paid for their labour that they frequently resort to prostitution, to make up for the dificiency of wages, in order to keep soul and body together.—Think of this, reader, when you go to the “house of God,"and see “ the man of God" in the pulpit turn over the leaves of “ God’s Word,’’ and then think of the intimate connexion existing between female prostitution and CHEAP BIBLES, and ask yourselves if we, “ Christian" people, are not as I have so often said we are, most heathenish and infidel in our practises. For my own part I never take the bible into my hands,—1 never see a bible but I think of the prostitute- t Baking Bible Society ; and worst of all, the infamy of the sys- [' em is forced upon my mind when I encounter one of the over- laid “ reverend" agents of this prostitute-making Bible Society. PROMINENT FEATURES OF 1850. j But I must pass on; this is an unpleasant subject. Let us I now examine some of the prominent lineaments of 1850. Per- ; haps the most conspicuous leature of the age is, that society is without a head. We have no acknowledged authority- Our I ‘ old properly constituted authorities” are “ used up,” and un- ; heeded—the old maintains its seat, but lacks ability, and there it I' kts in the chief seats, the laughing-stock of the rising generation. ijThe new lights are all discord, and division, not recognized.— IHere comes one with his farthing rushlight, only making the [pervading darkness more visible, saying “ I have got the truth, ffollow methere comes another with a glimmering lantern, land he exclaims “ follow me and I will show what's to be done jand heie they ate in all directions, with their farthing rushlights (of “ truth,” bewildered themselves, and bewildering others, with [new theories, new inventions, new doctrines; for novelty is the leading characteristic of the age,—in truth, we are like to he in- I undated with new theories, inventions, and doctrines, and Lo ! t when we are all busy laughing or crying, as the case may he, at f this our Babel state, here comes a host of gentlemen in black, pointing up into the heavens and saying “ Behold the Lord coraeth with clouds,” and these are a numerous body of wonder- loving" saints” who believe in what they call the Second Advent —these people are looking for a body when the world wants spirit —^Tbese, the millinarians, seeing that no Ruler is aeknow- ■ ledged on earth—look to the clouds for the Great Head, but the ’ clouds will disappoint them, their theory will end in mere vapour [ and smoke. They will not behold the Lord suspended in the clouds at the equator; they are airy castle-builders. These ’ second advent people form a very numerous company in this ’ and other countries. They found the articles of their belief ^ chiefly on certain interpretations of the prophecies of Daniel and ‘ the book of Revelations. They entertain no new idea. ® Millinarians have existed for centuries, they have for centuries ^ founded their opinions on the same disputable texts—they, as a ® matter of course, have for centuries been disappointed—they 'I will continue to deceive themselves whilst they expect a person “ instead of a spirit —whilst their minds dwell upon a physical ■ i being instead of an intellectual—a metaphysical idea.—But there is the folly of prophecy, and the philosophy of prophecy.! Now this Milliiiarian idea, so prevalent, is a heaiuiful, a poeti¬ cal thought:—I can trace its presence among all classes of men with whom I have come in contact, whether they he Jews, Chris¬ tians, or Mahometans, Catholics or Protestants, Churchmen or Nonconformists, Methodists or Independents, Ranters or Quakers, Deists or Atheists:—the Millinarian idea is there present;—for they are each and all anxiously looking for a better state of existence —it is true they differ materially) as to the means by which this poetic, this delightful, this Millinarian state is to be brought about:—they are at variance even as to ‘ what it will be like, and the time of its realization;—but they j all agree in believing it will cpme. i Tile concentrated emanation of the minds and hearts of good ^ men of all nations and creeds will he the means of realizing; this beautiful and poetical idea—will bring about the looked for | Millennium. Let us hasten on the happy time of which' propliets, good men, and poets of all creeds, ages, and nations, have deiiglited to sing. ' Let us do all in our power to bring about a better state of; society :—let us endeavour to establish within and around us the principles of Practical Christianity. THE RELIGIOUS FEELING IN 1860. One thing particularly arrests our attention—it is the extra¬ ordinary means taken by the professors of religion to proselite. The religious feeling is full of glory and full of shame. Behold yon village in a remote and rude portion of our island ; a few poor, humble, illiterate men and women meet periodically in the lower room of a laborer’s cottage to worship God as seemeth right to them ;—they are earnest, enthusiastic. God-seeking people. These humble disciples feel and know that a small chapel w'ould he very desirable, but how is a chapel in this out of the way place to be raised ? Why twelve months have elapsed and the undertaking is accomplished; a neat befitting Primitive Methodist meeting house is erected and opened;—this is the glory of the ’ religious feeling; but behold the scene changes:—on a certain Sunday morning, perchance a child of Nature walks forth to worship in the fields, in God's own magnificent Temple—when behold the fingers of the Primitives point, and with a scowl of the face they say “ Infidel! Infidel!”—this is the shame connected! with the religious feeling. 9 Theologians, who now, as in the days of Christ, cry “ Infidel! Infidel!” “Blasphemy ! ’ “Crucify Him!” Crucify Him!” are easily silenced hy those who have moral courage to ask at be¬ fitting times, and in a befitting manner, wether they, (the theolo¬ gians) really mean what they say. I will explain—which expla¬ nation will illustrate our position with these loud-talking theologians of ISpO. A short time since a meeting of the Wesleyan Reform Association was held in Boston, when, as usual, addresses were delivered by Messrs, Everett, Dnnn, and Griflith. On the fol¬ lowing evening a meeting was held in the Independent Chapel, to celebrate the anniversary of the Sunday Schools connected with that place of worship, hlr. Everett attended, and was, of course, the Lion of the Parly. I'hat gentleman made one of the best speeches I ever heard, but he spoilt it all by allowing the evil sectarian spirit to creep n,—he said (I took the words down verbatim at the time) “T challenge any one from the pulpit, the platform, or through the press, to show that infidelity ever established a benevolent institution or performed a benevolent action.” After the speaker had concluded his address, I, from my seat in the chapel, said to the Rev. J. Ewiii, Chairman, “Sir,” upon which almost all the people in the place rose from their seats in alarm or from surprise, “ Sir,” said I, “I shall feel obliged if you will inform me whether the ven¬ erable speaker meant what he said in the challenge he threw out, or whether he said it without meaning, because if he did mean it I should like to occupy three minutes in reply:—Jlr. Everett, you know, may be one hundred miles from here, to- moiTOW.” Oh! what a consternation ensued among the gentlemen in black on the platform, and tvilh the audience in general.—^Methought of Belshazzar’s feast and the hand-writing on the wall. “Oh ! no,” at last stammered out the rev. chair¬ man, “ the challenge was a general one; we wdll go on with the meeting.” “Thank you, sir,” I said, “I do not wish to press the question, but I ilwiight Mr. Uverett did not mean what he said; I am satisfied.” And thus this man who was so great a Lion (and in a good cause too) the night before, was contented to become a Fox and sneak into any hole for security on the next, flad I been allowed to speak I should have said “My friends, theology has unfortunately introduced the word Infidel, but true religion views all men and women as brothers and sisters. It is not noble or calculated to do good, thus to attempt to elevate ebristianity at tbe expense of humanity, by the use of the word Infidel; Mr. Everett knows, you know', ladies and gentlemen, as well as I do, that benevolent institutions and benevolent 10 individuals exist without the pale of the chiistian church :—the truth compels me thus to speak, and I love the religion of Jesus as much as does Mr. Everett..”.But we must pass on to observe once more the manners of this 1850.—We are in a town,—look up, there is the splendid mansion of a princely merchant or manufacturer—look down, there are the miserable abodes of the millions of men and women who built and now uphold yon mansion; which every day scene plainly tells its that labour does not reap its due reward. Let us into the country go:—observe that spacious and grand house,—and tlien notice the mud and stud hovels all around. The men of mud and stud erected that gentleman’s famous man¬ sion—the men of mud and stud find his hunters and his hounds —the men of mud and stud pay for his servants, wine, and women; in fact, those mansions, surrounded as they are by miserable hovels, even in the year of 1850, show that the hus¬ bandman that laboreth is not the first partaker of the fruits of the soil. Idlers enjoy, toilers want. The land was given‘by God to the people; the people must get the land back for the use of themselves.—“The Land!” “ The Land! ” In this little word “ Land,” great consequences are involved depend upon it. Give the English laborer A little house weUaied, A little land well tilled. And a little wife well filled, and he will envy no man's lot. We want a judicious allotment system ; we want more country, less town—more of the garden, less of the factory.- But these gentlemen fanners with their women, wine, and horses, are, say they, going to be ruined. How is this ? thus—when they went to school, their big brother Protection did their sums for them, so they never learnt how to cypher themselves,—^when they got into a scrape their big brother Protection fought for them;—so they were always cowardly braggarts; their big brother Protection destroyed their self- dependance—they always depended on their big brother Pro¬ tection, instead of depending on themselves, and now fortunately this big brother Protection, which has cost the people of England so much money, has gone dead, and the gentlemau farmer finding himself a man-baby, has to learn the difficult lesson of self-dependance, and he can’t do this, and he wants his big brother back, and he goes up and down the country playing all kinds of fantastic and insane tricks, crying, “Oh Why did ye die and leave me in the lurch, my big brother Pro¬ tection, why did ye not live for ever and do my sums for me, and fight my battles, and do all my work for me, so that I 11 might live and die like a Fine Old English Gentleman Farmer, and keep my women, wine, and horses to the end." Now Mr. Clod, go home, give over aping the fine gentleman, (you always put me in mind of the monkey who had seen the world) give up your hunters, hounds, and pretty women, and set to work to obtain self -reliance, and ascertain and bring out the capabilities of the soil., Eememher you bring your produce to market and take the cash, horn in your pockets, you take one year or even two years’ credit of your tradespeople, and your laborers receive worse wages tha^i do any class of men in the country; I say become a rational, self-relying, self-dependant being,—aid the reformation now going on in the land and all will soon be well. CONCLUSION. i I have in part described rvhat we are in this year of 18-50 ; the picture (appears dark because we how possess a sufficient glimmer of light to make us conscious of the pervading dark¬ ness. Be of good cheer, reader, the blackness of error and the mists of ignorance will gradually disappear—a bright future is before the people, but the people will themselves have to work with their hands, hearts, and heads, to realize its glories—go 1 friend, help on the good work.Indulgent reader, doubt- ; less you have in common with myself, experienced many dis- I appointments, and we shall like enough meet with many, many more. We must endure what we cannot cure, hut the true philosophy is io prevent; we must, however, cure what we can¬ not prevent, and endure what we cannot cure. I have just met with a serious disappointment, in as much as I sat down to write much about this Jubilee year 1850, and have penned so \ little; and you, too, are disappointed to think that you have ! been carried along to the bottom of the last page without I reading more about the Women, Men, and Manners of this i age. I, however, trust this pamphlet contains the germs of I thought which may give to thousands a clue to properly esti- ! mating themselves and the Women, Men, and Manners of i 1850. Be it so. May peace be with you. [Democracy, Financial Reform, the Franchise, the Land Co-operation, Education, Peace, Capital Punishments, are great questions much discussed in this year of 1850. My last Tract, “ SHAMS,” throws much additional light on the subject of the Women, Men, and Manners of this age.] 12 NOTICE. I receive many invitations from different parts of the Kingdom in reply to which I say, the manner of my proceeding in reference to Humanity's great mission of progression is in part Apostolic. I go forth into the highways and hedges, in upper rooms, and public buildings, preaching and lecturing (on religion and politics), “without purse or script,” (free) and I return home the same, trusting to Providence for support and success, I hope soon to publish Mings in Lincolnshire, Nottingham- shire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and London. I will' answer the call of the people ns soon as I can. I am at home in Cot or Palace. I take this opportunity of thanking numerous friends in all parts of the Kingdom for the pains they take to circulate my tracts. I receive many . letters, the writers of which inquire how they can serve me, I reply, white FOB HJUID-BILLS (THEY Will BE FOBWABDED FEBE) AND CIBCDIATE THEM. Persons who can afford it, order of their regular bookseller or newsman, a dozen or more tracts, and circulate them per post, &c. Communications to be addressed G. Hows, care of Mr. Rainforth, Boston, Lincolnshire. X. Y. Z. Manchester. I forwarded a copy of" Shams” to the Queen— It appears that you and others have also sent a copy of the same tract to her Majesty. I wish my Tracis to get into the hands of Statesmen, the Bishops, Clergy, and Magistrates. On the Isi of February, by the same author, p-ice Id., mil be published THE CHIJECH OF HUMANITY In Christ and all good names, Which Church will ultimately contain the Universal Religion of the Human Race. The following Penny Pamphlets are now ready ;— THE FOUR P’s, P.P.P.P. (Third Edition.) David’s Sling at Priestcraft Goliath, (Second Edition) SHAMS, Btdicated to the (poeen. (Second Edition.) LONDON:—W. Strange, Paternoster Row, and all ■ Booksellers. George Hows, Printer, Boston.