The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-20 00:00:00

AIIGUST 20, 1853. CARPENTERS' ADVANCE•OFAVAGES MOVEMENT. TO THE EDITOR OF!' THE PRESS." Pimlico. Sir e -4f you aan afford space for the following communication in your valuable paper, it will be esteemed a very great favour by myself and fellow workmen. I was induced to anticipate such indul gence from perceiving an article in the PRESS issued July 21, headed 1 ‘ Working-Men's Strikes, and their Remedy." Its truly vah u ;ble suggestions ad reme dies for strike are evidently the Tf”llt of a p ractical inquiry into causes and effects, an d app .,: to me to be the best I have hitherto seen. That mem suggestions will be duly appreciated is the sincere desire of your obedient servant, RouEor HOOPER. The following memorial was presented on Wed nesday, May 18th, 1853 : " MEHORIAL OF THE CARPENTERS AND JOINERS OF LONDON TO THEIR EMPLOYERS GENERALLY. "Gentlemen,—We beg most respectfully to inform you that, at a general meeting of the above trade, held ou Thursday, May 12, at the ' George the Fourth,' Leicester street, Regent-street, it was unanimously resolved to me. morialise you for au advance of sixpence per day on the present rate of wages. In doing so, permit us to state that we are not actuated solely by selfish motives; neither have we determined upon coming to any premature con elusion. Being fully sensible that we have not been remu nerated for our labour in a degree proportionate to the ex penses and losses we are liable to, and taking into consi- deration the general movement throughout the country, necessarily caused by the continuous tow of emigration, and the unusual advantages offered.to the emigrant, it is our firm opinion that our request is a jhsi dde, and one that will not meet with any reasonable objection. " Deprecating as we do any hostile feeling towards our employers, and believing that the interest of both parties is best secured by a mutual interchange of good feeling, we submit our memorial to your kind consideration, trusting it will meti with general approval.—On behalf of the meeting, lt: 14( 0 . 4 et . -1 emartoti • . "J. CALLAGHAN, Secretary." The following requisition was drawn up by Mr. Piper at the meeting of master builders, when the deputation from the carpenters was received, at the Freemasons' Tavern, which requisition expressed the wishes of the deputation on behalf of the trade : " That the general standard for workmen be understood to be ss. 6d. per day where it now is ss. " That the employers he considered as quite at liberty to exercise their cnk'n discretion as to whOtit they shall employ at thk rate: _ _ _ That if the employers have in their shops workmen who are really not worth this rate, but are willing to work at a lower rate, neither the master nor workman is to be molested on that account." _ _ . The following are the masters' final resolutions : " At a numerous meeting of the builders of the me tropolis it was unanimously resolved:— " 1. That., inasmuch as labour, like every other article, has its market value, varying according- to circumstances, it is not expedient for workmen or employers to attempt to establish a standard rate of wages. " 2. That neither the present state of the labour market, nor that of the market for provisions, renders necessary an advance of wages at this time. " 3. That the amount of wars now generally paid is, in the opinion of this meeting, fair and ample, but that there can be no objection to superior workmen being remune- rated according to their respective merits. " 4. That it is a matter of great regret that partial strikes are taking place, and thus great injustice is being done to individual tradesmen ; that other and better means of de termining such questions as the rate of wages and regula• tion of employment may well be found, or it is to be feared that the employers will be forced into a combination in self-defenoe—s course greatly to be deprecated, " By order, "Geoxos Wat.es, Secretary. " Freemasons' Tavern, August 10,10.'8." We regret to hear that, at a meeting of delegates last evening, the prospect of an amicable solution of the question appeared to be so remote that a strike among this important class of operatives may be con sidered imminent. Three couriers had arrived at Constantinople on the lith from Belgrade, with despatches—one for the British embassy, another for the French embassy, and the third for the agent of the Prince of Servia— notifying that the Austrian consul-general at Bel grade had formally applied to Prince Alexander, in the name of the Austrian Government, for authority for an Austrian army of 25,000 men to occupy Servia, in order to check any disturbances which might break out in that country by reason of the occupation of Wallachia and Moldavia by the Russians; and, on being point-blank refused, had declared that the exi gencies of the times would compel Austria to turn a deaf ear to such refusal, and to carry out its deter mination as a matter of urgent necessity. Prince Alexander of Servia had thereupon ordered a general arming of the people. This intelligence has given rise to several cabinet councils of the Ottoman Mi nisters, as well as of conferences with the represen tatives of foreign powers, and meetings of the latter wow themselves. THE PRESS. THE NATIONAL GALLERY. Atm a protracted sitting, the report is now before the public from the Commons' committee appointed "to in quire into the management of the National Gallery, and also to consider in what mode the collective monuments of antiquity and fine arts possessed by the nation may be most securely preserved, judiciously augmented, and ad vantageously exhibited to the public." The committee have come to the opinion that the imperfections and gularities in the working of the present system originate, for the most part, in certain fundamental detects and ano malies in the system itself ; in the want, more especially, of any clear definition of the powers or responsibilities of the -.waging body of the institution ; and in the absenee • of specific regnam lions for thei r guidance in the perfor --aling with the subject of mane of their duties. In ... Tied some public "picture-cleaning," which has lately stub. '-,pled in attention, the committee detail the processes am.,. the Gallery, and state, as the conclusion front the evident'. before them, that discrepancies, varieties of opinion, and general uncertainty, even among professional men, prevail upon this subject. The committee examined many artists, amateurs, and picture•dealers on the condition of the pie. tures cleaned itudei instructions itt the National Gall' ryi and their evidence on the point exhibited gnat contrariety of judgment, and inceoncilable differences of taste ; but the preponderance of testimony is to the effect that the appearance of the pictures has for the present been ren• dered less agreeable by the operation of cleaning. The committee recommend that, in figure, no picture•cleaner shall be employed who does not give a Ulril explanation of his wheel Of Meittiifig, add that this shoal flbt be done With. out a written report from the dircetbrs df till; Gclll4y to the trustees. They state that, after the National Gallery became public property, the principal charge of it devolved on the Treasury, and to this department of the Govern• utent, ecingespferttft, tuts attaehed the primary responsibi lity for titit re'riatiet 6f the esiahliatiniettt the eotattliMPl. consider it but an act of ju§tiee t 6 the trustees to add their opinion that the defects in the present tuariagertioitt are chargeable ou the system rather than oh the inOiiidual managers. Ity way of conclusion to the report, the tstm• mittee offer the hillowing recommendations : In.reganl to the•Atutre management of the Gallery, the site °lathe building, anellthe expedlemey of ()141111m( the national collectintuoftttion .antiryiilty and tine art to one building or group of buildings, per committee have coma to the follow hug resolutions : "1. ThavitAis the opinion of this committee that a system of management/by rboard of trusters should be continued. " 2. That no person.shmild iu Atture, in virtue of any office, benome a trustee of theNatinnal Gallery. " 3 That the trustees be appointed by the Treasury " 4. That itois expediene that the number of trustees be dimi• ninhed as swamies occur. "b. That the office of keeper of the Gallery should he abolished. " 6. That a salaried director should he appointed by the Trea sury few a definite time, at the expiration of which he may be re appointed. " 7. That every recommendation for the purchase of R p.r_ I ure should originate with the director, and be made iu writing to the trustees. -71 ii.That a fixed sum should be annually pmpesed to Parlia ment for the purchase of pictures, and planed at the disposal of the trustees. " t►. That the cite of the present Notional Gallery is not well adapted for the construction of a new gallery. " 10. That the estate at Kensington-gore, purchased by the Royal Commissioners of the Exhibition of IMSI, and by them offered to the nation, presents many of the advantages recom. mended by the witnesses before your committee. The position which has been suggested at the extremity of Kennifieton gardens would affonl a better guarantee for the future protection of the works of art there collected front the evils incident to a crowded neighbourhood, and would improve the opportunity of emitting au edifice worthy of the purpose; but your committee are Adly aware that the a•qulaition of much a site is attended with difficulties they see no adequate means of removing; and. in consequence, they are prepared to recommend the acceptance of the offer of the commissioners. "11. That the committee are of opinion that the question of emnbining the various artistic and archaeological eollertions in the British Museum with the National Gallery be referred to a Royal commission. " 12. That no time should be lost in obtaining the decision upon the above question, In order that the new National Gallery should be oommenced with all convenient speed," The committee, it seems, were by no means unanimous, for as many as twenty-three divisions took plane, chiefly on the picture•cleaning, the management, and the site. On the question, "That a fixed sum should be annually pro. posed to Parliament for the purchase of pictures, de.," pro. posed by Mr. Vernon, Lord Seymour moved the omission of the word "fixed." His lordship was supported by Sir W. Molesworth and Mr. Ewart, but he was defeated by a majority of two. A CURIOUS MACHINE FOR SEWING has lately been invented, and is now the nucleus of a company, en tided the Lancashire Sewing-machine Company, which is attracting much popularity. The rapidity with which stitching is effected by means of this machine is suprising. In about six hours an entire suit of clothes may be made excepting the button holes, and seaming may be done at the rate of a yard per minute. It is equally applicable to heavy work, such as sacks, sail, cloths, boots, corsets, &c. The machine may be seen in operation daily at No. 2, Lawrence-lane,Sheapaide. THE WILL OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. Sunday's 3/mincer publishes the report of the com mission appointed to examine all questions relating to the execution of the will of the Emperor Napoleon I. It is signed by the members of the commission— the Count d'Ornano. the Count de las Cues, and MM. de Royer, Donley do la Meurthe, and Count Eugene Dubois. The report, whleh is addressed to Napoleon lU.. any by stating that. after the re•establialunoit of the limotre. Mee of Ur Mejemy's first thoughts war to carry into tmettetise Ibb boa wishes Of Nalblkletbli I. as far as it was practicable. The We writing on the suldeet a few days before his *Mb. "If there should lw a return of fortune, and that my see aitield ii• eellt: the throne. it is tlw duty of my testersagfin ninenteca to plow under hiss eves all that I owe to lagy .44 maven a md „la ws soul to my faithful servings.' The report than Mahn *ft Napo lon died at the sth of May, 1821. ens/ a w ads yews. II is will in dated this lath 01 . April. with lee Vii the Nth and Nth of the Mlle month. The tetrad., innatigned in Napoleon's will are of two kinds, individual and cottoning Mgr. cies. The individual lega.'iea amount to 10,010,01/of. 'Tin est ' 'env. legacies to •uo,soktigof. The Enipenw espected that ' locks %odd he paid nut of his prisons property, ofeltich ileitis s.s. - vif.l had twist deposited. in Juno 18111.10 MO a pittilin (1.101•••••... ••% Lange. This wan the only resclifelli banitinvininat tot NMl's._ legacies. and it was Mead by available Air tits hitytitellt of tow . The legatees only rs debts dna aWdoili hi N.-fir/TM% - the ez=i vi tt eelved about a moiety of fink Was . of aunt* servants rite Tete These :d , whether individual or collective, Ws Mfg which saver reachml the executors, reaeleef inillre, Ito eounninsien nest .h&en flog the retealle == . lllf tie See Etuperor,ethkh by the terms of 60 aerslbe pi ilwillo of Jemmy. lel% 01101)4 "let Wider any Peiseek become the property of the !gate, w - , lova ptraessittnot bythoGoserriust of the Ihistoratiou ' ' ' dela A telegraphic despatch fres Mote of the 18th inst. announces a eonsiderable &aline is Cite price et grain in that market. At the Hague, the Second Chamber erstinues the discussion of the flew !relating the control of the State over public creeds. A great many member. have already spoken without the Chamber haviaw yet arrived at a decision. A greater number yet hem inscribed their names, but the question has been SO much and so long canvassed in the papers and diplo • matic documents, that no new pro or con, has been adduced on either . The adoption, however. seems probable, notwithstanding the excite ment existing in the exclusively Catholic province of North Brabant. Prince Henry of Holland, and his recently-married wife, the daughter of I'rince Bernard of Saxe Weimar. is in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, of which Prince Henry is Royal Lieutenant for his brother. The Queen Mother is at St. Petenthurg, on a visit to her brother, the Emperor Niehulas. The reigning Queen of the Netherlands is taking the bathe at Interlaken, in Switzerland. _ . . News came this day from Berlin that the customs conference has refused each and all of the Pnsgsian propositions for the reduction of import duties on iron. At Athens, on August 7, the Senate was discussing a law already adopted by the deputies, and prohibiting the export of corn. The excitement, on account of the Turco-Russian differences was subsiding. _ A telegraphic despatah from Berne %tate% that the Teevin Government declared to the Yoder& Council itv to refuse soy more eon. cession towards Austria. The Emperor of Austria left Vienna for Isehl on August 15. The Duchess of Brabant ix to be the bearer of the order of the Golden Fleeee for her husband. TUE GREAT WRSTERI4 RAILWAY CONTANY'R HALF YEARLY 31Er.Ttso was held on Thursday. A dividend was declared at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, leaving a balance of under 114,1X10/. to be carried over. The balance brought down from last year was 013,770/., which has been reduced to the above amount in order to provide for the dividend. Never theless. the gross receipts have expanded from 450,0001. to 521,11ig. as compared with the corre sponding six months of 18:04, though the net profits, from various drawbacks, has sunk in the same period from 149,000/. to 117,0001. property of the NSW, was taken possawsiosal by litaChrfariaimot of the Itemorstiou itt virtue of a .Mirk deleheletelles *OM the nth of August , MS, tn width tbi vales la salbasbal at adatAldoWl he 117,1116,1i1f. bile. Then h %OW it alt Imam ot d duty of the eountlission to consider the badt otasavykiff the last wisher of the Emperor Napoleon isle The sew winn 4 Nag .4444 that but tau 0( the 8114 mi 41 • junl , ll, MI : iii The lessey 4800,000 e to the 11111111 li4llZlNit4 PO liii tilt ORM isitt Elio. ar ta lit& %Wool mkt ,- irateit !,. 10 Tilley dT illit. ; Tme deo sidles t i v p i sittputeted or severity wintritreif At Lipini iih atititilk is a eolleetive letntey of 2011,0000 IN: eitteit ais tist,AS . exeetite. Halt of this stun is hegthellind tilt le . ottleore 111111 144.i11iV111 who fought front lial to kits glory tool intletedsolenee of the tuition, and the remsluin . . Si 'Pt.'''. 01111 A ilitVi of Aleare, I.orraitte, nitwit. Colitis goane * ; ti.• AA Mike * ? Patoetilleilete. runs, and muttered itioStt (TAM We trreststott- Of theo b ili):111241111t SA deducted fo the hots of .iiriettie, And i t inatifig IN lb. Midst Mk,. A tifekkitileiy.ogdom the &aid if SOO ic i. the inhabitants' of Marmite in el l ii ~ ' ' • ol *. of ' • olt Ilia A Nisei( Of 140 010 ,0 0 K iW few mitrviving soldiers wild serval lag latil In the will, or tufting their whims Mai ell• A mil of tat,isof. is roootaatooded to he atm to lito tababilaola at %kw town of Miens, are 'wpm to those le IMAy. awl a aria of 10M10.011K to the tavoty-shi dopsatataats obi& reposes& the pnivineee which au,al by tbo bromism. The ealeatiosita. lit ronclumitm, rereseimais that a law he mood a Nes of amoomoof. to the oaaesoira it the Ikaparre 's win, to carry his wisher into Whet