The Express. — London, England, 1852-01-17 00:00:00

r- TILE STRIKE. .nlip (*AN WORTH'S OPINION OF THE EsTIONs AT ISSUE. caused the publication of the ts•- - t 411 4 'item has • .aqsatae• ita•l. limn Lord Cranworth as to the t*• • II the masters and men. The Ant named tt. r d J an. hi, and enclosing Lord 4• ~iiitouniestion, thus eaplaisa the eircum• warn h it ha• been addreesed to him 1 10110'• molder the sth, a letter thing me whether Po, •*. ..• au a rbitrates. between the operative en -1 w ' I et. r 4.101 , 1 0 1 .. I wrote in answer, that I 4 l7t il' i ng do w ut i t c e."l w wh i e l t d he l r 'n ar d bit o raret tt ift. at u present. On reca•ivine • second • • - .1 I. • I has:. u.. 1 at once to London, mad pro 1 Urants..rth, whom, as I war told „„ a j ta r eiotilt n e• - • Lad .1.5tr..1 to place at the head of • monied e▪ 7, : 1 at ".. ter the .1. i.e..* of the questions sow taatortip 1"6 • I WII! enitroewil by the duts of his ee W ar 4 the ...Inert of my skit i . e he set t ,„„,„, D. devote his whol e mi n d t o era. •••••'" . • l . ~.o l t e beat ',sown in the eliellierd "4"-.". I I, • • I ke silted .. is .. sue n a err al e lost .14 t was to tommanicate it to the •• .tnala..mated Society ; but I could net " pulite ee. It was not, ind ee d, with ou t P' '"" • of inv ..eu part that I brought myself to n • .1 to the • t • • throe • is .4 ',tweet ltn.4 A l l WSf th IP .41 J m. to AC; 11111 my doubts were noosed ▪ I t • tali et whet side. ring. the operative es solo, tartly to lopee on themselves sad the sibate purpose of obtaining what they etc , bY !Mir Lord Crusiwortle pro , t.• I e tot All Ilt•.Ore Mein • •senhce, raw pallaut band .it men, in • so brit of hem. ...T.:. . T I ..snot but a Ine. ire t.. h. a mistaken ...mac ▪ •, r• to psi tot., them the imperiled and de.- ; ...I t.•theiees - enleghteued arbitr.i• I .ao the wish tat their 'ceders at tete auunseut to r.• c ra anestii*. letter is a+ follows . to. Upper Brook.strece Jan. In. Rai Led AdViertom—sasee I saw your lordship this 1 „,.....rg I hiss leen thinking more and more of the , un • • ••.. r • which our convor•ition termed. I ... c . v. ,. ~.... vehicle mite. me gnat pairs. and the more mac I k Anwt but COMe to the conclusion that the •:a Vie *Tone. The mister, have grater wealth, Q- . r, ion. • greater instructioninstruction if nut greater in. • a it tile. I wish, therefore. not unnat u r a lly, : I :.at.. over the matt• r with you I could take the ear...t th.• a. e'er body ; but 1 really cannot. ~.1!. on which the men insist are, tint an d tta • h e 1 . . e OlasltTA 1:1004/ unskilled labourer., i.e., l i e u who are content to accept low wages, to do • 1,,r,20f0re• done by skilled, i.e., by Co.- :• s • %...n.i.e labourers; and. oceondly, that they 1 ..; .0 of ;heir noet dome by contract with persons we n s;. rte rem the it part of the coutract by employing the • e.! •do by paver or trikwork what they have eon t .1 rte ; and, lastly, the uses insist that, unless ▪ e• ea spewed emergency. the masters ou ;lit not ▪ .lone by employing workmen overtime, i.e., at teen b.e..n.1 the erilinary, hours or work. I wows• that, en ad these points, I think the ter ter. .at•nly in the wrong. The masters ought, surely, ✓ ity to employ whomsoever they may please for es,'..aed %eery portion of the work. if it is work only to • a. well by skilled workmen, they must employ eel:m..ll.4nd utile.% they do so the work will be We • . o ld the =tigers will be the sufferers. if it e••,, r. e uiring skilled workmen, on what po•sible • .an the muter. he called on to employ them 11, ouirld to be at liberty to employ whom L. may choose. Of course, the workman must etkagy la left at liberty to accept the terms offered by the taster. end work, ore) r. j, et there terms, and abstain from wriang. 11. th parties usuilit to be left at perfect liberty to ito •:..t Ito y think mot for their own intereat. So as to • awl work overtime,—all the relations between efar:eyer and employed are or ought to be those of contract te:e...a two perfectly tree agents. The matter may pro pe abates. r terms he eho.eee; the workmen may accep t w. ;.,t the,. terms In such a state of things, when there it combinations on either side, the result must even ku::y is fair and just to both sides. If the master proposes 'Le as harsh and unreasonable, he will get no workmen to • fee him. If, on the other hard, a workman insists e: • rni• which fetter the ma•te r, the muter will nut give c. yinent, and the workman will be unemployed. . .• misfortune is, that in these disputes between thos e s. work and those who employ workmen, things never •o to take their natural course, i.e., the course tln • :I.ike if each dispute was merely an individual dispute •.. ...J. • avail themselves of the privilege which the law go.. tlam of combining. I believe the law has done mall in allowing these combinations. It is never politic is preti'ea by law that which certainly will exist whether ii mad or out. But the misfortune is, that in the game (- combination, the workmen always eventually L. Ih,) b. gin with the fairest and most honest inten t 'limy have not the least notion of putting in opera ..-aeonst their employers, or against any of their own • ,nythine like physical fuer. They think the justice, w: - ..at whirl, they coneider to be the justice, of their cause ▪ by ns mural influence, operate on the minds of the evils, et ,:se that the Usability to obtain workmen . jam Cie toasters to secede to the proposed terns'. 1.• truth is. that in all such combinations the man have an immense advantage over the men. The ere that ran happen to them is, that capital is for area. u unpreeluetive. The reason for their Meeting on pt..et fneilom on the disputed points Is, that they think tit %shwa .114 h fr. cduw they could not make their capital el pettily pmelit. tire ; and so they are content to let it be litartkar fruitlew fur a time, in the hope of • brighter kat There is no dune eof any violation of the law on b..: part, awl they arc therefore content to bide their tro list Low is it with the men ? With them what is ko surds. tits is not • capital on which they can at lark craw for subsistence ; it is the labour which is their My When that is unproductive they tun only het tesappirt from funds to be supplied by others ; and efteeesaty those supplies are in time furnished grads. 6;4. Tinn teens jealomiel and alarms ; some are in '44 to so. of outrage towards the ir employers ; others ft mimed •;forceel, if you will) to quit their own party and seion;goviont ; this leuel• to acts of injustice and even er.:.-44. used the workmen themselves, and, in the end, Se mote r. triumph. I t•.l ai st dee ply for the men, for I believe in my con tour that many, perhaps all, not only are most fully per th y are in the right, but they would smut the red. nog or encouraging those who should offer loaner, either to master or man. But, however pure and Portable may be their intentions, 1 know from 'sleekness MIA is the mavoitlable result. It has been my painful dry tt, sad punish for outrages such as 1 hats adverted It Mut! E. I, who, I have no doubt, when they entered M. :be. trade combinations, would have been indignant 1 . 21 ray "tie who should have suggested that what they rotr e tangle; in could ever lead to a violation of the Law. 11, r, it invariably is. I cannot wonder that meter. refuse to agree to any arbitration that is to ores, ou them any restriction whatever as to the lota et, which they are to contract with their men. No ilk meta to presume to defies.. such terms, any more 11a• t o lend the men as to the terms which they itsThr to submit to in favour of their marten. The ob- ' sus duty awl interest of the mi n is to treat the matter b au•vtion of bargain. If once they do that,—if mo'they .ilow that the master is at liberty to propose hie Wit Urn... and the workman to accept or reject them, dea . ..l tint It the muter, would - I am sure they ought—to k•oatt. pwly to listen to any suggestions of the men, se to 11 7 sesleeetiens of the system which should be more menestile to them, without infringing on the free sgeney a , t the'it employ , rs. I fear from what has pasted that them °too mud, beet now to expect that any temperate advice Ildl be attended to. Sure 1 am that • time will tome wheel e d n 'whim a will deeply !egret the steps they bare takes ' " 4 • 11 7 ate I ndravouring by combination to deprive Ito meter of their Natural right of managing their own IWAWAI is their own way. I deeply feel for the mem, and Phoned hare been very glad if we ennui have seen our ‘ l l t°merziat any sort of arbitration which could solve the idleatty. hat I really cannot. I retellitt you said the men think there ought to be seam ttd 'u° who, should decide this question between them mt•l lleir.n.i.loyere, and that such is the Cabe in France. I flaunt ..) hit may is the state of the law there, but it posaiLle that there can be • law regu l.';ellvdeet . 'tarot a nester shall enter into with his men; Laot a tit subject fur • tribunal or an arbitration and i ''' L `".°•feaseon—the master, a fter the decision given, ~ to s a y ' I will not enter into such a contract;' no t's tae force him t', do so. When, indeed, the employed 6e.ct a ..s ..ent, not th en se ire an equa l w i t h t h e em pi,. .r• instance a child or a woman, there we know 1 . 2 .! dare has new:maid enoug h interfered. But I Y * lorry, nuked, 1 , , that the adult workmen tt't. "'untry Amid claim protection on any such ground !hat whirl, has led to the legislative protection of women 44 ' 1 . 441 1in in their dealings with their . employer.. I with) THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 17, 1852. (sere.) Bet ate time was gone by when working men essuld be made slaves of. The in te Iligene• that was growing up amongst men was teaching them, that when the master CMS into the shop —no matter how crusty and surly ho might look—that he was n o l onger a eresture to be regarded with fear or dread. (Hear, and a laugh.) It the musters would emus and reason with them, he believed they were open to argument. Hitt one of them said -" You chaps can talk too much for us •" Ile said in reply—. li's very strange, if that is an, that we who have had no edu cation, having had to labour ten or twelve hours milay, should be an over-match in talking, for you who have hero reared in the lap of fortune, and taught in the Iscsuschouls -the tree schools of the country, schools, by ' the bye, which w./1) never intended for you, but for us." (Cheers and laughter.) Now, as regsrdol the struggle, they must prepare to meet it They were nut. and having been turned out they would be traitors to themselves if they did not stick out till they had justice done them. The snudgamsteel society was prepared to sop ' port its member.. They had a fund of 2.)009(. That would do something ; but the trade throughout the rerun try had agreed to a levy of one day's pay per wet k, which would he or 64. front each workman, crud possibly the, , might thus obtain support without touching the s o ciety • fund at all. Ile tens- , .: " That in C.,ll , l,pcnce of htq,ral ! of the employers in the iron trade closing their estatili.h merits, aiolforeing worl.suen, unconnected with ! any merit ty, upon their own resources, we call upon the public to extend that sympathy towards them whack their prewort position dionamls." Mr. WM. HEM )1, secretary to the society, seconded the motion. It ass:: strange thing thst the employer., a lOW deprecaliog union., Mould hove forced one of thew own. They had thus, in Met, crested what they called on evil to destroy an evil. II there all anything wrong in am-king nu n esenhining to prstect th:•rowlvew, surely there was much greater wrung in the employer. combining to bend deputations from a orkshop to workshop, to prevail upon the owners to close them. (Ilear.) Hut it was a fort. Toe two great firms so long aortu.tumcd to undersell each other—the one in Ancoats and the oth. r in that Ilridge water.drect —hail actually become friend., and put them selves into a cab to ureic' shout from one workshop to another, to induce the owners to join in this crusade against the workmen. BEARDSALL, an operative stocking-frame maker, though opposed to over hours, thought that tor the purpose of conciliation they might reconsider the question of piecework, if the employers would agree with them upon a fair scale of prices. (lie was listened to with im patience.) t 7Mr. lIEMM said the employers would agree to no Ration, because they knew their cause was a bad one. They said if the men wished to confer with them, they must emus singly. The milt must not come in union, though the cm plo)ers mit them in union. (Hear, hear.) Mr. TAYLOR (of Reelelale), moved a vote of thanks to the chairman, sod the matting separated about eleven o'clock. the consideration of the public. The feeling between the skilled and the unskilled labourer was never so cordial as at the present time ; and the skilled labourers were de sirous to take the unskilled by the hand, to make them members of the society, and to give them all the advan tages which the member' of the m wiety now possessed. They were morally and legally justified in all they had done; and if they went nu Mg moderately end as met Ily as hitherto, success R4Oeertain. Mr. Newton concluded by ugain urging the men to be patient, persevering, sober, and self-reliant. If they did anything to bring themselves within the rrsch of the law they would involve the whole faht is of the society in ruin, destroy their best fris rids, owl throw themselves into a position front which it would occupy them years to rise again. The speaker resumed his seat amidst hearty applause, having spoken mono than an hour and a quarter Mr. J. HEATH proposed the third resolution, which was as follows :—"'(hat, in the opinion of this meeting, the misrepresentations of n gnat portion of the press, con cerning the dispute in questimi, had arisen from a wiltul perversion of (Berson the pat of our "moments. We trust, tin refore, that the explanations ;riven this evening will have the elfeet of inducing the intelligent portion of the press to retract such unfounded:stateents, and place our cause but Ore the public in a cle: m trer light than it hitherto has been. The motion was seconded by Mr. Jona hemmers, and carried unantinemly. Mr. JOHN HAWLINSON moved the fourth mole- Gun :—" That we pirilgo ourselves to support those who have been turned nut by the employers, so long as they continue out of employment, and trust that they will not return to their work until there is an amicable settlement of the dispute." lie wished to know if the 111111 had asked Mr. Platt for his establishment? (Great laughter.) If MOH sere to be turned out of work and into the streets, he would rather that they should purchase the establishment at once, and occupy the men in it honestly in working to support their fannies. The motion having been seconded, was carried unani mously. Thanks were voted to the press for their attendance, nod to the chairman ; and after thine cheers fur Newton, the proceedings terminated, about twenty minutes beftwe eleven o'clock. Lv.i.i.A.—This week 21 union men have been discharged from work at the tstablisliment of Mr. Peter Fairhairn, Leeds. They have not, however, heen discharged on the ground of their belonging to the union, although the mru entertain an opinion that this is the real e.tm'• of their di.. Mit , Md. Nu other Meal:011C, have as yet brio di ch:.rgtd. lint few union men are employed at any of the machinery establishments in this town. llnisTot.—The factory of Messrs. Strrthert and Slaughter at Bristol is still being continued as heretofore. Not a sin gle man hos left the employ ; indeed, the hest feeling ex ists hetrreen them and their employers. TILE AMAZON. TIIIRTEEN MORE LIVES sAVER The following particulars are from our Plymouth correspondent The cutter Royal Charlotte arrived at Plymouth on Thursday evening, bringing thirteen more peopic saved from the Amason. These persons (the number was in the telegra phic summary given yo.terday as eleven) arrived here in great distress, a, wilt b.! seen by the statement given below. Atter floating about in an open boat fur Li hours they were picked up on Sunday evening, the lth inst., by the Dutch galliot Hillechina,Capt. S. P. Oruppellar, from Amsterdam, bound for Leghorn. From the Dutch vc'sel they were re ceived by the Royal Charlotte, and brought into Plymouth. The passengers, on landing, were conveyed to the Royal Hotel ; and the seamen, firemen, 6.c., to Cole's Prince George Hotel, Plymouth. The men will be forwarded to their destinations by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Societr. The following arc the names of the passengers and of the men saved : The Rev. Wm. Blood. Mr. Kilkellv. Lieut. WO% R.N. Senor Juan de Cinut. William Angus, second engineer. Isaac Roberts, boiler maker. Michael &cwt.. Angus Mclnnes, engineers' storekeeper. C. Dewilney, maker. W. Wall, stoker. G. Webb. seaman. Wright, ditto. It. Ilarris, doctor's boy. STATEMENT OF Till REV. WM. IltoOP. The Rev. Mr. Blood states that he went to bed on the Sa torday night without taking off his clothe., and that about half-past twelve he awoke. Soon after that he heard a cry of " tire!" and he instantly got up, and going to the lar board side of the ship, walked into one of the life-bnats In lowering the life-boat, a large hole was stove in the side, ' which required staunching, and one of the seamen's shirts was used for that purpose, as well so the stockings belonging to Mi. Kilkelly. Providentially there w. re two small kegs in the boat, and with these they were able, by constant and per severing exertion,to bale out the water. There were no oars in the boat, and they were left drifting during the whole of Sun day down to three o'clack in the afternoon, when a sail ap peared in sight, and then by tearing up the boards in the bottom of the boat, and making paddles of them, they were able to reach the chip, which proved to be the Dutch galliut that afterwards brought them in. While in the boat, the men had not a drop of water to drink or a bit of food. Some of the party were without clothes, and others only partly clothed, and the Spanish gentleman who was saved escaped without any trousers or waistcoat, having only his night clothier, on. They were drifting for fifteen hour., during which time the weather remained comparatively calm, and the sun shone out brilliantly; but shortly after they were taken .in the Dutch vessel a strong gale ' sprung up, and the sea became so rough that they could not have lived had they nut been picked up. When Mr. Blood came out from his cabin the lite-boat was being lowered aft. He was first about to step into another boat, but that im mediately swamped, suit the passengers that were in that must have perished. The other boat was being lowered when he got into it, hut that instantly capsized and turned completely ever, with hint and another man in it. It then righted and was cut off, and they were saved. The other passengers that were saved, and also the men, got in by eliding down the ropes. As soon as the boat had parted, as the steamer was in full steam, they drifted off some distance from the burning ship, out of danger. In a few hours after, they saw her explode. During the night the passengers and men in this boat heard the voicea of people in another Twat at a distance, hut it being dark they could not see the boat. They shouted out for assistance and for oars, but had no response whatever. The passengers speak very highly of the Dutch captain, who treated them as well as lht means would enable him to do, and was most civil and kind throughout. After being out eight days, and encountering heavy gales from the south-west, the captain consented to return on bring promised payment of 604 and his port charges at the lint English port that ho could make, and under that en gagement he returned, and put in at half-past six this evening at Plymouth. The paasengen and men were most miserably careworn, and their beards being of many days growth, and their clothes much dilapidated, their appear *nee may be readily conjectured. Lieutenant Grylls has relatives in the neighbourhood, and these he immediately joined. STATEMENT OF TILE SECOND ENGINEER. Wm. Angus, second engineer, said—l was on duty at the time the fire broke out. 'f here was no smell, sign, orappear. once of fire. I was at the time in the after stoke hole, blowing off the two after boilers, and half way up between the two platforms I heard a cry of fire. I ran to the feed engine, to fill the water upon deck, and getting there a cloud of smoke met me, which pre vented my going further. On getting there I found all the lamps were out, owing to the density of the smoke, and Mr. Stone, the fourth engineer, assisting, but owing to the smoke we were obliged to leave the engine. I beard the chief engineer giving orders in the engine room about the water, but we could not obey his orders. On getting to the main deck there was a quantity of smoke, and on going aft I found a number of the passengers and crew breaking open the cabin doors to get up the after compa nion to the spar deck. On reaching it, I found them in a state of confusion, and the flames reached the deck. I gave them every assistance in my power in dealing out oars to the people on deck. The blades of the oars were GR fire as I handed them out. After I had done with the oars, I saw the foremast life boat on the starboard side leave the ship all right, with a number of people in her, and was just dipped in the water, but the people got her right, and baled out the water. On going aft, and looking over the taffrail, I saw the dingy go clear, with several peo ple in her. I heard Captain Symonds call to get the ship to the wind. I went to render assistance ; the tiller was lashed to the port side. Myself and the second officer cut the castings, and got her before the wind. I remained at the wheel for some time, till Captain Symonds gave orders for a seaman to take charge of the wheel. I saw a gentleman, I think a Spaniard, come up the companion in flames, and run aft. I tore the burning clothes from him. Going to the starboard aide, I saw a boat upset. But a few persons rose. The boat remained by the vessel bottom up. Another which was just lowered, full of people, slipped the after tackle, throwing the people into the water. I saw several go under, a few rue. I met Captain Symons, who asked me if I could go below and stop the engines ; that was impossible, as the flames prevented any communication with the fore and aft. On going to the port side I found the stewardess, who was hanging to the rattling,. I tried t o put her iu a boat, but lust her. I met Captain Sy mons with a fire bucket, this was the last I saw, but I heard him give orders to Mr. Roberts to lower a boat which was full of people on the starboard ' side. At the port aide I saw a boat, and making a spring humped into her from a di s t ance o f about 2 . i feet, and much urt myself in doing so. I saw on deck a boy dreadfully scorched; I saw a gentleman, supposed to be the mad agent, fearfully burnt. After lauding in the boat I found she was stove, and filling fast. One of the firemen, named Fos, took his drawers off, and stuffed them into the hole, and all hands took their shoes off, and with two breakers, which we stove in, baled her out. At daylight we passed over some portions of thu wreck. One boa. MIA full of shoes ; we supplied oursel ve s, an d east the rest adrift. We I sew a lady's blue silk scarf round one loan of the wreck, but no body, or any signs of one . Wh en I left the ship the second officer was still standing by the wheel, and one semen. Heard several voices, hut could render nn assistance. On being asked for his idea of the cause of the fire, he expressed his utter inability to account for it, saying the alarm was first given by the stoiekeeper, who saw the fire raging about thirty feet from the engine.room. With regard to the engines not being stopped, Mr. Angus state', that had the rules of the ser viee permitted, the engines could have been stopped at the outset, but after the fire had extended, there was not the host possibility of such thing being done. This is the third wreck which Mr. Angus has experienced in the service of this company ; one unfoctunate vc.scl was the Forth. The general appear:oleo of the men indicated the hardships to which they have been exposed; several of them eceined to have been wounded either by falling spars, a , r ir lif. lg th;i n e fire lfects of the , and *Lime of them had their INVESTIGATION AT SOUTI [AM ETON. 1111tOM uvu IPA'N IMPOLLTEILI The interest in the incidents which attended the above melancholy catastrophe deepens as the inquiry pro ceeds. Yesterday was devoted to Cie examination of the fortunate individuals who haul been picked up by the Ger truicla and canna into Brtet ; and the eviderce of one of them (Attwowl the fireman) got. fur to clear up the mys tery as to where the fire originally broke out. It will be area by his evidence , that he first aaw it breaking through the grated dour of the sture•room, and also that the oil tanks in that store-room leaked, the oil running out under the door, owl over the boiler. Ile was positite on this point, us he had more than once wiped it up. Men passed in and out with lights, so that everything but positive proof of ignition is established as W the original seat of the fire. A most anxious observer of the inquiry has been and is Capt. Warburton, !wither to Mr. Eliot Warburton, whose uncertain fate causes such general anxiety. On the previous day'o investigation, act ing on an erroneous impression, he asked whether any agent or ofiTier of the company had requested Admiral Oininanney to send out a steamer to seek the miming boats, hut finding afterwards that there was nu authority for his con jecture, he requested that his query might he withdrawn from the pruceedinie, which request WAS hawked by the chairman, and meeilef to by the representatives of theress. The facts which transpir e d d ur i ng yesterday's evi dence, spc• Melly that part On a MCII Captain Warburton himself ex amined the witnesses, go far to prove, that in a charge of so grave a nature no Inure than a commendable caution had been exercised. The enquiry was conducted by Mr. Shepherd (chairman), C o l. Short, Captains Whivh, Mangles, Nelson, Corry (Admiralty Superintendent), Barton, Chappell (secretary to the company). Captain Walker, of the naval department of the Board of Trade, amended to watch the proceeding , . and examine the witnesses if he thought necessary. The first witness examined was— Charles Lang, stoker on board the Amazon, examined— Ile said it was his first watch on deck on the night of the fire. Bring relieved at 12 o'clock lie went down the fore stoke hole. Mr. Stone called him, and he oiled a crank three or four Waco , . Then walked round the port side of the after funnel, and SAW mile inilurs lying "thick" then. Soon heard a cry of " lire." Called out " put the don key oo," meaning the small engine used in washing decks. The awake, however, soon drove them away from the en gine. Ile then attempted hi get into three boats succes sively. The boat into which he first got overact in the water, and they were ohliged to try another. The cranes caused We greatest ilitlleulty in getting the boats clear id the ship, and into the water. There trete:three coatings, wood, telt, and leuil, betweeu the coal sick. and the boilers. John Bement!, u water tauter, examined—Was in his hammock when the fire broke out. Ilcard some one say " Ship's on fire." Was between asleep and awake, and had not got up. and to a man named Carter, What arc you making such a noise about ?" Carter said " The ship's on fire." Then rushed on deck, and saw the fire coming through the fore sti,l.e. hole. Went to the side, and saw a boat turned time., and the people all filling into the water. Went to the other side, and saw a boat hung up at one end. Witness then got into the gig, and afterwards jumped into the Bewail cutter. At that time they got a mile astern of the ve,cl, and the enables stopped. There were 17 in the boat. Kep..the boat before the wind until mat wing, when they got on board the Ocr triable. The neat morning, art 7 o'clock, he picked up the other boat, a hieh had made Brest light, but could not get in on account of the aim'. Witness then went into some details as to the position of the stare. room and boiler, which have already b. en fully explained. When lie got into the boat, found the plug out. Ile stopped it with his thumb, and Mr. Stone afterwards plugget it with " waste " There were only three oars in the bout. Nu one took charge. Captain Chappell—Was it nut by her being hung up by one tackle that the oars fell oat ? Witness believed so. Captain Mangles—What became of the boat which the people fell out of? She was the boat in which Mrs. M.Lensian was saved. When they went away there was scarcely anyone on the deck. !herd the captain say at the first commencement of the fire, "Don't lower the boats." Never heard any other order. The second cutter, in which ho (witness) was, was as excellent boat, and stood the sea well. They put her hefure the wield at once. Saw the life boats both on We before he left. Chairman--Ilow long was it from the time you jumped out of your hammock until you jumped into the boat? About three quarters 14 an hour. Had run about a good deal. Went once to assist Mr. Trew, eke at the wheel, but he said, " never mind, I can man ate it." Capt. Warburton—You heard the captain say, " Don't lower the boats," did theobey bin,? I can't say.—Did they appear to run to the boas? Co ald not ray, but the tire got on so quickly there Ca, no tune to do anything. George Deal, quart, r-imuder, examined —1 had turned in before the tire. I had been the last two hours on th,•quarter deck. At 10 minutes to 10 o'clock the ship stopped. At half-past 10 a barque came alongside. I went and took tho lantern out, and showed her a light. I hove the log at 10 minutes before 11, and she was vain; only 6.6. She was then lifting a little. Took in sail. Then turned in. That was at half-put 12. Did not hear the first cry of "Fire!" When he heard it, jumped on deck, but the people could not come up the same companion, the flames got on so fast. We then threw the hay over. The cap tain said, " Foul the helm up," which was done. Saw several people escaping aft. Tried to steer, but the dingy's fall had got entangled, and the wheel would not work. I saw Mr. Vincent and others in the dingy. Then saw the boat that had been washed out tossing extern. The quarter-master says that two crews were washed out before we got into her. When I left, the cap tain was on deck in his shirt. Mr. Roberts I did not see. Mr.Treweekewas at the wheel. Chairman—llave you any idea bow the fire broke out ? No, only I think it came from the storeroom. Capt. Corry) Where did it come from? From the fore• stoke-hole.—Thil you hear the captain give any orders? Yes, he said, " Leave the boa's alone, and try to save the ship." Afterwards said, '• It's all over." Never saw him after. Capt. Warburton —What time elapsed betvrem the fire breaking out and the people taking to the boat ? About three.quatters of an hour, but I cannot say exactly.—When the captain ordered the men to delay going to the boats, did any obey him ? Not all. Ales. Ling, quartermaster, examined—l was on the watch from 12 to 4. I was on deck 10 minutes put 12. It was then " all right." I breked at the compass. She was W. by S. 4. In my judgment she was going 71 knots through t►e water. I then looked forward and saw a flame coming up the fore-hatchway. 1 gave the alarm. I had orders not to leave the quarter deck. I saw people rushing aft, and then it wus, " Clear away the boat." I saw the captain. lie was tolling for water. Ho told us to put the ship hard a-starboard, which was tried to be done, but the wheel was fouled by the dingy rope. I looked over the side and saw a boat full of people. In a momeat she took a sheer, and the people were washed out. I saw another boat with twenty people in it to which the same happened. Then I saw it was all over, and got into the boat, and saw Miss Smith hanging by a rope. We said " Lower away, ma'am," and she did, and we got her into the boat. A sea came and providentially struck us astern, and cleared her out of the tackle. Then we found the oars missing. We saw a gentleman in the water. We were then two miles from the vissel. lle was singing out and we got to him and got him into the boat. He had • mast and an oar. Ile was sitting on the mast. We got him in. (This was Mr. Olennie.) We heard one "screech," but we could not get near the permo. We consulted, and decided to go near the ship to see if any one was floating. We did so, but as wo approached the nivasine blew up, and the oilmen-mast went over the side. We passed a boat going rapidly before tho wind. Captain Corry.—When did the dingy fall foul the tiller ? That was about half an hour after the first alarm. Captain Warburton.—Did you hear the captain give orders to the men to go to the boats ? Nes; when he found that all was over he said, "Clear away the hoats."—lid not he before give orders to desist at the boats ? Yes.—Did the people obey him ? Some got into the boats, but I cannot tell who they were,—You saw people collecting settees, who were they ? I don't know; they were crew and passengers. —How long was it from the commencement of the fire be• fore the helm was put hard up ? About three-quarters of an hour. There was a delay from the fouling of the clingy. —Then the dingy must have been let down v e ry ea r ly ? - It was very early. Captain Chappell.—flow long do you think it was from the commencement of the fire when the dingy was lowered? I do not know; but it was the clingy fill that fouled the helm and prevented my putting it hard up. Daniel Brown, examined.— When I came on deck I saw the fire coming out of the engine -room. I ran down on the main ;deck to the pump but was almost suffocated by the smoke. I gut on deck, and saw the whole midships on fire. 1 heard the captain say, " Don't lower the boats ;" but I, seeing all, passengers and crew, lowering boats, lowered one, but when she touched the water, the people were washed out. I thin went to lower the opposite one, and she shared the same fate. A third was lowered with the same consequences. I I then went to the quarter-deck, and saw Mr. Roberts and about twenty people, passenger. and crew. I then got into one of the remaining boats in which Miss Smith was. The boat sheered in and out. At last I got in, and we baled her with our boots. While we were baling, I heard voices in the water. We picked up one Mr. Evans, I believe, and the other was Peter Kelly, my mount-fie. I suggested to the quarter-master to drop down in the ship's wake to pee if we could pick up any more penple. Uot near the ship. and saw life lines hanging from the bowsprit, as if people had lowered them down. I advised the quartermaster to steer for Ushant. We sighted a schooner, and chased her until we were tired. We chased her fur to miles; then we gave up, and the next land we made was Brest lights. W . ! , kept rowing till we found ourselves in the breakers. W e WSW there was nothing for it but to go to sea again. We them shire. , got tired and gave up rowing. We dosed away for some time, but there was no sleep in our eyes. We then tried again, made Ushant light, and shortly after we were picked up by the Dutch galliot. I believe - I was nearly the last man out of the ship. Messrs. Symons, Roberts, and Tr.- wrecks were standing by the wheel when I left. One poor man who was half burned to death " looked amazed ;" who he wan I could not tell. (Supposed to be Mr. Goodriche, 4th officer.) Colunel Short asked what WAS the smell of the fire o It had the smell of tallow smoke. I have been in !iia West Indies, and know the smell of tallow. I saw round the settees. They were principally firemen. 1 saw Mr. Roberts take a lite buoy from round the neck of a very tall gentleman, and give it to a lady. Mr. Roberta said the ladies should have the life buoys. Gee. Harding examined- -lam a fireman. I scrambled across the paddle-box, and gut to the quarter deck, wheru I assisted the second officer in putting the ship round. Then I saw a boat lowered, and the moment she touched the water all the people. 2.1 in number, were washed out. I saw a very tall gentleman, all in tunes, rush alms;) the dart, and dance round Mr. %V. Angus in agony. Mr. Angus endeavoured to put the fire out on ta u . I also saw a little child coi tire. I got into the gie, but got out again. I believe she was strive by the erai.e. I away in the boat with him hl'Lensian and the child. Thomas Attwund, firemam, csamined--I was is the middle watch. I was firing the after atoke-hole. I *sent down to the larlemid tire boiler, and lay on a grating. If the rod bap hail taken tire I must have seen it. I put them there myself. There were twenty-five, and they were partly on the ateam-chi et and partly on the iron t, s an. first li4W the fire coming through the grating of the attire room door. There is half the door solid, and half a getting, to admit the air. The tire came out. the re, nail het fire to the figs. I am coufi•lent the tire came out of the ature room. Chairman—Had any one been in the store•room that night? Oh, yes; there were people coming in and out all night with and for oil and y.ei see Dl•Luu•s, the storc-keem r, come out Vet, at A o u t etas to 12, with a light ir, his hand, and the holler-make, aro with him, and the fire broke out nt 111 minutes to one. Both stepped over me, and I saw that noes had a light in hi, hand. I am quite certain the fire came out of the store-room.— Bow was the tallow stowed? It was %tow, din tanks. Th,re wan also soft soap and oil in tank•.—Then what wits there about to create tire > The tanks - ike4.—llow do you know ? 1 saw them, and wiped away the kakage. Captain Curry—What wan the store-reem floor ni.ale o(? Two-inch boards.—And the oil got on the boards? Yes. There was very li•tle oil. I did nut sae it in the store-room, but on the toll of the boiler, when it had run out of Ow store-room. Capt. Chappell—Hid you report it ? No, several of the men saw it.—llow long have you been in steamers? Ten ycam.—Does your experience lead you to think thi re was any danger from oil being on the boiler ? Oh, certainly not. The Chairman called upon the wanes, to state again whether the fire had come out of the store-room, as his was by far the most important evidenee they had yet rev-ived. The short-hand writer her, read hir note., and the wit ness repeated hie evidence, repeating that he p o siti ve ly 1.3 W the fire coming thro ug h die grating of the store-room door. Capt. Mangles—llow did you bear the alarm fir s t? brother fireman cri e d o u t, There's a fire on the boiler." Capt. Warburton—What boat did you ereape is? The alter boat on the larboard side. Heard no orders given by the officers. Capt. nyinour was running utruut frantic with a bucket in his hand., I saw people about the settees. They could not AZ constructing a raft. It would be impos sible, so rapid was the fire. Captain Whish—hare you given this information to any one else ? No ; when I left the vessel was stopped ; she was only drifting. When I came on deck there were several at the wheel. She was then paying oil. Captain Nelson—Are you sure you saw the fire coming from the store-room ? 1 through the grating. Henry Carter, coal-trimmer, examined—l had been for ward when I heard the cry of fire. I NOW my comrade Rotten. I clung round him, and said let us Jump over board. I looked over the side awl saw Mr. floodriclie look ing out of his cabin. Ile was on fire. We threw him a rope, and dragged him up on deck. lie WWI all on fire. Ile rushed away, and we never saw him atter. I and Ro gers and a little hey got over the paddler, and got aft, all three. I heard Captain Spoons give orders not to lower the boats. Ile had a bucket in his hand, but could get no water. I saw men obeying the captain's carders, clearing the hay away. It war after that they went to the beats. Captain Mangles—Did you pull Mr. Goodriche, the fourth officer, out of his cabin by the outside of the visor 1 ? Yes ; he was looking out of the window with hir face up. Was all on fire and crying out for help. We threw Min a rope and hauled him up, when he rushed away, and we did nut ace him after. I William Geadman, another coal-trimmer, examined. This uitness's evidence was principally a repetition of previous statements. The only new fart was that he saw the stewardess clingiest to the foremost boat on the starboard side. All the rest of the people had been swept out. They bad hauled too quick on the blocks without raising her out of the crane and she turned ever. Mr. Vincent re-examined—l have been three years in the company's service. lelsamined by Captain Warburton—The life-boat would hold you take any steps to save the people in the water ? We kept in the wake of the ship until the waves came in and nearly swamped her, then we put her before the wind.—As the ordinary boats lived, might nut the life boats have lived ? I do not know.—Might there not be people floating about ? Yes. Captain Warburton—Yesterday I asked whether the agents of the company at Plymouth had applied to the naval authorities there for a steamer to search fur the missing boats. I subsequently withdrew that query, but now I beg to repeat it. As if the agents of the company did not apply, then the responsibility rests on the company. Captain Chappell—l believe I can best answer that question. At the time of the calamity Mr. Fox was not our agent at Plymouth, but acted occasionally. Ile had done a few little jobs, and therefore thought himself au thorised to wait on the Port Admiral, and ask him if he in tended to send a vessel. Admiral Ommanney said no, it would be of no use. Mr. Fox wrote to the company to say that he bad so waited on Admiral Ornmanney, and that that was his answer. Captain Warburton (to Mr. Vinrent)—Did any of you who arrived at Plymouth suggest the propriety of sending out a steamer? I believe it was suggested, but we agreed it would be of no use. 1 thought that my first duty, after providing for the crew, was to come up to London and re port myself to the company. Captain Warburton (to Captain Chappell).—When the Teasel reached London, was there any application made to the Admiralty ? Captain Chappell.—l should say not. The Admiralty were made aware that the Port Admiral of Plymouth had not scat out a steamer. That w as , no t by the directors, but I mentioned it in a private letter to the secretary. Captain Mangles.—You did not hear of the avei.lint till Tuesday, when I was forty miles from London, and no steps could he taken until Wednesday. Captain Warburton.—But the unexpected appetrance of the boat this morning shows what might have been done. George Tricker, another fireman, was examined, hut nothing of importance was elicited. Jos. Wiladon, A. 8., described his getting into the pin nace. Chairmen.—Can you, as a seaman, account for the cir cumstance that not one of the officers, except one midship man, has been saved ?—I cannot. CaptainChappell.—You cannot account for it, although ladies and children have escaped ?—No. Win. Lucas, a coal trimmer, gave evidence, but no new J. W. Rogers, A. 8., examined—Said when he came on deck ho saw the third officer, who said, " Don't be frightened, this is not a merchantman, we have got plenty of water." Witness said he feared there was too much tire. Saw Mr. Goodrich almost burned to death. Got into the boat with the lady and child. The lady hail only her night gown on. Witness took off his jacket and gave it to her. The little child began to cry for food, when one of the men found a crab's claw in his pocket, which he broke and gave to it, when it became quiet. In answer to Captain War. burtoa witness said that Captain Symons' last words were, "Don't get into the boats." James Hellman stated that he lashed the helm hard up. Saw Captain Symons running aft encouraging the people to do what they could to save life. Ile and the captain order ingithe starboad life-boat to be got off thqsponsons. Witness thought that if the vessel had been stopped sooner, and the keel cranes were out of the way, everyone might have been saved. In answer to Captain Warburton—Saw one :gentle man throw a deck seat over and jump after it. Never saw any barque. Michael Gould, the head waiter, gave evidence—The only new fact was, that he saw the stewatilese clinging to one of the boats, and afterwards drop into the water. Saw no efforts made to put the fire out, after he came on deck. In answer to Capt. Warburton, when the lo,at in which witness was drifted back towards the vessel, saw two or three people standing close to the taffrail. The last examined was the little boy who had escaped over the paddle-boxes with Rogers and Carttr. Ile had nothing to state of importance. His messmate, who reused him up to save himself, was lost. The inquiry was then adjourned to 10 o'clock this day. We learn that the Lords of the Admiralty yesterday directed two Rummers, the Pont-lance and the Sprightly, to sail immediately in search of possible survivuis from the wreck of the Amazon. The director+ of the West India Mail Steam packet Company provided n IT. cud train to convey the order to Plymouth, which started from Pad dington about three p.m. yesterday. l'ity that this wasnot done earlier!—Monsiof AroTHECARIF.S . HALL.—Nutnes of gentlemen who passed their examination in the science and malice of medicine, and received certificates to !each..., on Thurs day, January 14:—Ilorace Fuleher Howard, New Huck enham, Norfolk ; Samuel I'artridge, Larla.ton, Stafford- • - • LIGHTING WESTMINsTER lIXLI. WITH GAS.- 11 , ..r .mite days Nix workmen have Levu hu.ily employed laying down go. pipes untie the atone flouring of West minster Hall. The pipes run along the aides of the build ing, and temporary wooden lamp posts, about • doyen in number, are being placed at different 'mints. The lamp posts ore constructed alter the antique style, and will lie surmount.' by lamps of a very elegant form. They uro erected in consequence of the hall being the principal en trane, ru the two houses of parliament, and are expetted when lighted to present a very pleasing effect, showing the proNrtions and admirable intetual rind-work of this mag nificent hall. ti rT s , e ; \ I could have written more satisfactorily. I promised yes to make "7 Bonsations which might near to me, but la trath I can think of none. I only heartily bops that the atm may not take a step so very injurious to theaassims m that which the sweat of affairs seem to threaten. Believe me, my disc lard, Yours very faithfully, CRANWOItTII. THE MASTERS' STATF.NIENT. The executive committee° of the Central Associa ioeor ErapMyers of Operative Engineers yesterday even ing teased a representation of their erase. in which they say: " On `Saturday the establietimente of all our members were closed. We are reluctantly reconciled to a certain heavy Ur by the conviction, maturely weighed, and painfully staved at, that our well-disposed vawkinen had better patiently bear a present burden than linger under a per inanent apps. aeon. All we want is to be let alone. IV tilt km than that we shall nod be satisfied. Until we aCemn. plish that, we shall not re-op. it our establishments. With every reepeet for noble and ! guiplied rfcrss, whose arbrration has been tenderest to us, and with no reeeou to doubt that their award would he honest, intelligent, and latlsfactnry, we Mast talc- leave to say that we alone arm the competent judges of our own keine:es; that we are re epeetively the masters of our own establishments ; and that it is our tirm den riiiiiiatien to remain so. 'to this principle we recognise no exception:. Ours is the reepons ability of the details; mars the risk of loss; ours the capital —its perils, and its enemeements. We claim, and are ea...bred to assert, the right of every Hatiah subject to do what we like with our own, and to vindicate the i ! title of our workmen to the same constitatiouel privilege. awsle that we work against tune, s wine of us under act .al penalties., ell of us under peril of the loss of trade if we fail in punetsavlity, lettuce the men. When tile Master is in his greatest 4bitteulty, to take edam tage of his usesseities touring [rem lam humiliating and unjust comeatina, which lease hiei without peru, ur threaten hint win' loss. Afraid to subject 'Masai to the repetition of practices which present to hint only the alterna tive betwixt heavy tines for f Mute of contracts, or lose of business-character, and exorbitaut remuneration for in terior skill, the neater declines otherwise prothahle orders, draws bit uperatiwie narrower, mid di 111 l eddies the demand for labour; and this dread, eprenlitig generally through the trade, mid bio :imply justified by offensive its:enervate., forced upon cue ry master, induces tt universal dispieitient to decline the moat salu.ible custom, and themey seriously to depress the business, and circumscribe the employment of the country. It will readily occur to all who have the slightest acquaintance with commerce, that productiou earned on almost entirely to order and limited as to time in its com pletion, raided be conducted • ithout over-time, in a great measure as systematic as the punctuality of the time.urde is received—that as masters are taxed from to 50 per cent. more fur toe extra hours, when the service in least valu able, nOtliing hut necessity would induce them to adopt the practice—that from the very nature of mechanical operatiu-s, which are almost so dependent on cacti other, and as successive in their processes as the Maininate machiuery they fabricate, the nun-completion of uoe ar title may keep many perenus idle alto are waiting to cum miser eume department of machinery to which the former is indispensable ; and that as the machinery and tools used su engineering involve vast outlay of caplet —the uuly option tett to the employer is to week one set of tools beyond the usual hours of labour, or to erect another wet at an exorbitant expense-, which, even if it would serve the same purpose, which it could nut, must coins. out glebe price sit the work it executes; in which Case demand is dis couraged, and customers are driven to foreign markets, soil by their withdrawal the demand for employ umi t destroyed. many amass:la s have traced tin it rise trout the cuude time of rhe employed to that of employers to the uppur. tunities afforded by piecework, which enabled theta to become Mall contractors, and thereby to avail themselves of the rewards of their dieseling skill. As it is the fairest and least talliblO test id the ahem of labour, and best ambles the master to mike his estimates with security, so it is the line which measures oir the expert and industrious workman from the lazy and unekilled ; and, above all, it is the lever by which patent merit and superior intent grace Man awl( above the surrounding level, and enables society to reward aid to profit by meebiusical genius and energy, WI well as respectability of character. All classic, in pearly every avocation, have megaton:ill to work user• time—the l'ame Minister perhaps the most—the successful physician or the greatest lawyer the must slavishly. !list men of any meat voluutariey set the task to tlicinselves— tho, of the mechanic class earnestly desire it; suit so far is either that or piecework from Meng regarded as an op on , our experieuee us master. is, that in the eye. of reactivates, as a body, it is viewed as a positive objection to an est iblishment that it does not afford opportunity for working overtime. The real objection to piecework, we tear, is, that it protects the musters against those who are indisposed to give a (air day's work, for a fair day's wages. To all of us it has been a subject of the deepest pain to be compelled to visit upon the innocent the common punish• mint of the guilty. We can hut answer, that we punish ourscite% the mot severely of all by the loss ot interest on our capital, anti of profit on our bueiness ; that ae have no mums us distingut hing those who maintain their indepen dence, and render us faithful service, from too many who treacherously apply the wawa they receive from our hands to feed the mutiny against us; and that many who helong or contribute to these %MOM, have the meanness to conceal ur the mendacity to deny it. IViitu the great body of our attains' are sincerely desirous to act with fidelity towards us, and to assert their own independence, there is no doubt that, there being a will, there will M. found a way. if they plead coercion, in timidation, even danger to their personal safety, the more thorough and energetic are the measures which are Called her from their employers. It may be indeed that even these may nut ue effectual. The artssaus in other trades are in voked to take part in the common conspiracy of labour against capital ; and the lime may have arrived when, drive% to stand by their order, this association will have to Ito extended to and embrace all denominations of employers. This only the association will at present define as the Miles• pciteable bass upon which they will alone consent to re sume their avocation*: I. The undoubted and unrestricted right of every labouring man in this Inc kingd to follow any honest calling in which employers may desire to engage him. 2. the utiquestiouable prerogative *revery employer to make what arrangement', and engage what workmen lie pleases, upon whatever terms theyebuose mutually to agree. .1. The imperative necessity of providing such securities fur the full accomplishment sod permanent establishment of these conditions so shall frustrate all attempts of self-consti tuted and irresponsible bodies by intimidation, conspiracy and dietahon, to weaken the rights of employers, tor the in dependent privileges of labour. MANCHESTER. The employers have not succeeded, so far as we can learn, in inducing say of the large Arms at Bury to close their establishments, but the Bury employers nave resolved to discharge any man who ranee, to work over time when required. In one caw, a smith was discharged fur refusing overtime, and it was feared that a strike of the whole of tea smiths in the establishment would have taken place, which must have resulted in stopping all the ether hands; but the affair has been arranged, and at a meeting held on Weduesday evening, a resolution was agreed to, urging the masters not to require the men to work over time, except in cases of necessity or of breakdowns. On Thursday evening, a public meeting, called by a pla card, headed " Employers' Strike," and inviting the at tendance of the "employers the public, and the press," was held in the Carpenters' Hall, Brook-street, Manchester, which was quite full. The chair was taken by Mr. YUAN. CIS DOMON, engineer. Mr. T. NORLO:ItY, in moving the first resolution, said that the opposition to systematic overtime on the part of the operatives was not a sudden thought. They hail seen its evil fur twenty years, and had some years ago paid 61. for a lecture on its injurious effects. The employers com plained that the men had not couched their request in pro per language. They had used plain language such as they understood, but if the employers would submit a form in which their requests should be made, he ventured to say it would have an impression upon the men. So convinced were the men of the evils of overtime, that rather than work a complete miserable time for a number of years, they had agreed to suffer a little now. The object of the invest ment of the 10,0001. ' which had frequently been spoken of, was not to provide for the wants of those who were now idle, but to lay the foundation stone, not of a Feargus O'Connor's land scheme, but of a means of sending men to wok at trades which they understood. It had been said that' the adjustment of prices was perfectly mutual. la Nome eases it was; but all employers were not alike. In one instance, a number of men had engaged to make twenty machines fur 601., and when they had made ten, the muter' said that they must make the other ten for 1.51. less. In another Cast, a man had 41. 10s. due to him; but, on the settling day, the master took back 21., and paid him only 2!. 10*. In other eases, some of the best workmen, after working as hard as they could for sin weeks, had, on the settling day, been told that they were 81. or 101. in debt, and had to take more work to work this off. These were some of the evils, though they could bring many more in stances, of which the men complained, and which they could bear no longer. Ile concluded amidst loud ap plause by moving, " That this meeting considers piece work and overtime, as at present conducted, gross evils, and regrets the conduct of the emyloyers in persisting in the continuance of such practices." Mr. GEORGE SWINGLEUURST seconded the me tics. Ile said every man who was for education should raise his voice against overtime. The editor of one of the news paperpanews- shad said they had no right to combine ; that corer nations were unnecessary. Ile would like that gentleman to point him out one object that was ever gained without elmbin ition. (Cheers.) lle hoed the day was not distant when there would be a national trades' union formed. (Cheers.) The resolution was agreed to without a dissen tient vote. Mr, JOHN MILLER, pattern maker, in proposing the wood resolution, gave a brief sketch of the history and objects of their trades' societies, which he said were designed to meet those oft recurring commercial panics, Irani which their own branch of trade suffered so much, by great numbresof their workpeople being thrown nut of work. The mechanics were willing to work ten hours a-day, and he thought that a reasonable time—though for such a pro position they were to have misery and famine entailed upon thew Awl when they objected to piece work, it was not that they wished to take work easy: they were quite willing that their employers should place over them an intel lectual and able workman to see that they did n fair day's work. If they 111.1 not do a fair imantity of work, indeed, the employer had his remedy, for he could discharge them. OL1)11ANI In accordance with a revolution paned at a Meet ing of operative mechanic., &e., held at Oldham on Miai day, a public meeting was held in the NVorkiug Men's Hall, Ol•iham, on Thursday CVCIIIII4, which was attended by upwaida of 2,000 persons, Mr. ROL later in the chair. Mr. JOHN lIEAP said the position in which the work men were placed wra an estremely delicate one, inasmuch as statements would probehly he• brought forward that would impugn the characters of employers who had been always considered the most honourable and the most gen tlemanly in their conduct. Ilad the employers acted ho nourably, as they ought to have done, in compliance with their own written agreem, tits, that meeting would nut have taken place at the present time. After giving a statement of the origin of the dispute between Memos,. Ilitsbett, Platt, and Cu., and their workmen—the employ ment of unskilled labourers, whom the skilled me chanics weru compelled to instruct, in order that they might eventually rephice the higher paid work men at considerably lower wages-the speaker gave a history of the progress of th it dispute, the agree ments entered into by Messrs. Platt and Co., and the way in which their fulfilment was ponponed, on one pretext or another,, until the employers hol succeeded in esta blishin.; a combination ut mashis to resist the demands of the workmen. Ou Dec. 16th a me, ting was held at the Clarence Hutch at which it was resolve 1 that, inasmuch sa it was the intention of the wurkpeople of Metairs. Ilibbert, Platt, and SUIII., to turn out at Christmas, 18al, if the tools were not coneeeded, the masters should combine, in order that if such strike took place there should be a total cessa tion in all the works of the associated masters. Ile main tained that there had never been any intention, never any noticeor intimation, that if Mr. John Platt did nut keep to his agreement they should turn out. (Dear, hear.) To show the falsity ut such a statement, he pointed to the fact that the men never held a meeting trout July to Monday morning last, because, they considered it dishonourable to show a lack of confidence in the word of their employers by taking any further proceedings. Ile repeated that that dispute had arisen in consequence of the skilled workmen being compelled to instruct others will would have less wages than themselves, and would ultimately fill their situations. (Great applause.) Mr. EDWARD DYE moved the first resolution: "That this meeting having heard the Matt mints and explanations respecting the conceding of the machines to mechanic", is of opinion that the men of Oldham were justified in Raking for them ; and consider that Mr. John Platt is morally bound, as a gentleman, to comply with his own written agreement." Mr. V. OWES seconded the resolution, which was car ried unanimously, amidst loud applause. . . - Mr. T. BLACKSTOCK moved the second resolution:— " That having read in the different paper* that the mem bers of the Amalgamated Society are the dupes of a number of paid demagogues, communists, *O6 ilists, idlers, Ac., we at once, without hesitation, repudiate such statements as being totally unfounded, inas much a. we have only two paid officers, who devote the whole of their time to the business of the above society." Mr. W. FOWLER. seconded the resolution. Mr. W. NEWTON was received with loud and continued cheep. lie commenced his address with recapitulating the iireunntances connected with the formation of the association of employers; and said that as soon as he saw the circular issued by the meeting held in Manchester, it struck bim forcibly that Mr. John Platt was shout to play false with regard to the agreement he entered into in May. Without conseltieg anybody, he wrote a letter to Mr. Platt, dated from London, the Itith December, in which he said he could not think Mr. Platt intended to break the engage ment which he had signed, after concessions on each side, and assured him " your men will not turn out if you do ' what you stand pledged to do." In his last letter to the Times, Mr. John Platt said, " I must now leave William Newton in your hands, with the expreesion of my sincere contempt and indignation at his base attempts to deceive the misguided workmen and the public generally ;" but did Mr. Platt's reply to his (Mr. Newton's) letter, show that he then thought that he was writing to such a man as was de scribed in this extract from the /Imes. Ile would not have made this letter public if he had not seen th it there was a determination on the part of Mr. Platt to brand him with falsehoods which he bad never uttered, and with prevari cation which he had never intended. Mr. Newton read the letter, which was a long one, contaiuing the following :—" You must have laCen grossly deceived when re a s al Etherately stated that the agreement entered into between us last May had been held sacred by the work people. If such had been the ease, you would never have seen oar name attached to the circular you allude to ; but it was not only broken by them, but in the worst possible spirit, and with a knowledge of what the ulterior conse quences would be. • • We had another deputation when I told them that we had decided for the present to grant their request, but that we did it under compulsion, and with a distinct understanding that we considered the agree ment at an end. • • If after reading the same (the statement of circumstances) you can still say that the men held sacred their engagement, then you are not the person I took you for; but I will not insult you by supposing it." llow could Mr. Platt reconcile the statement that he yielded upon compulsion, and on the understanding that the a.ree meat wallet an end, with the statement in on. of the letters read by Mr. Heap, in which, referring to the same term. Mr. Platt said, .We have no objection to comply ?" It was Mr. Platt who was the prevaricator; and his conduct had satisfied him (Mr. Newton) that the doubts and suspi eions expressed by his workpeople, in the course of the nego tiations, were well founded, and had nn doubt' arisen from previous breaches of confidence. But Mr. Platt had not oaly deceived his workmen—he had deceived the whole of the employers of the country. The employers would, he was mare, yet see that their combination had arisen out of threatened evils, which never existed but in Mr. John Platt's assertions. Ile (Mr. Newton) would not say • word against the combination of the muter.; he was glad to see them following an example which they had stigma tised, and legalising and justifying all the proceedings which the men had taken. The fact that Mr. Platt attached another neolution to those agreed upon by a majority of the moo of Oldham—which resolutions were so agreed to in eetion to his (Mr. Newton's) wishes—showed that he wished to force the society into a struggle by insisting that they should make the same demands upon the other employers. The misfortune was that, from the way in which the matter had been put before the public, they had never been able to separate the two demands ma de by the Amalgamated Society, from the third made by the Old ham men alone, and for which they alone were responsible, and were prepared to answer. When they had succeeded in enabling the public to make this separation, they could appeal to them with regard to overtime and piece work, with the greatest confidence of success. Mr. Newton proceeded to point out the evils, mental as well as physical, which resulted from the system of overtime; and contended that if the masters succeeded in crushing the society, all the men would be left helpless and without protection or any provision for those times when they were in a state of enforced idleness. The men would rely upon their own energies, which they were satisfied would be sufficient to get them out of the present struggle. They were discharged, snit they looked upon themselves as being in the position of their masters not hiving any further necessity for them; ' that being the cam., they would not fp , to the doors of the ' workshop morning, noon, and night, to ask for em ployment; nor would they do anything to prevent any other person getting employment in those shops. The individual suffering of each of the 10,000 men thrown out of work in Lancashire, was no greater to any one particular man than it would be if he were thrown out of work under ordinary eircurnstanne, from • depression of trade, or setae other cause. If they relied upon themselves, and turned their attention towards providing for themselves, there was no doubt that, like every body of Englishmen who had ever directed their energies in • particular course, they would be auccesaful. Mr. Newton next argued for the es tablishment of co-operative labour; and contended that labour was superior to capital, and bad greater claim upon 1! _...1•10 ,