My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

CHAPTER XXLAND NATIONALIZATION TO SOCIALISMSoon after I returned from the Amazon (about 1853),I read Herbert Spencer's " Social Statics," a work forwhich I had a great admiration, and which seemed tome so important in relation to political and socialreform, that I thought of inviting a few friends toread and discuss it at weekly meetings. This fellthrough for want of support, but the whole work, andmore especially the chapter on "The Right to theUse of the Earth," made a permanent impressionon me, and ultimately led to my becoming, almostagainst my will, President of the Land NationalizationSociety, which has now been over a quarter of acentury in existence. In connection with this movement,I have made the acquaintance of a considerablenumber of persons of more or less eminence.The publication of my "Malay Archipelago" in1869, procured me the acquaintance of John StuartMill, who on reading the concluding pages, in which Icondemn our " civilization " as but a form of " barbarism,"and refer, among other examples, to ourpermitting private property in land, wrote to mefrom Avignon on May 19, 1870, enclosing the programmeof his proposed Land Tenure Reform Association,and asking me to become a member of theGeneral Committee. Its object was to claim the