The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-21 00:00:00

A NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENT.
(From the Daily Neri,, Friday, October 13.)

•
An effort has been hi progress for some time past to unite
the tipper ant working classes in some schenie of legislation
for the amelioration id the coed ition of the people. It ban
been carried tin almost entirely by the mediation of Mr. scott
Rushton, who alone has been cognizant if the ininies Id the
ne,,,,,tintors on either side. The suggestions came, in the
that place, f a body of working men is ho meet ender the
chairmanship of Mr. Soott Russell and the secretaryship of
Mr. George Potter, and bears the title of the Council if
Skilled Workmen. lin the 3nl February this Council em-
powered its chairman to enter into negotiati ~,, with 1644U1C
Peers who were anxious to know what were the real wishes
of the Working Men, and it was not till the 4th of August
that he was able to slake an official statement
that a in amen id legislation had been formed by ft number
of Peers and other gentlemen, and lieu l empowered him to
communicate to the Connell of Skilled Vi orkmen the follow
Mg resolution
The emmeill of hegislation for the well being and well-
doing a English s!.i.:ed workmen accept the protsedtion
made to them by Mr. seott Russell, the President 44 (lint
41411114`ii 44 lieunrnselntahive linking Men. e...tit.."1 lii
January last. They ac-ept the responsibility of advising
with that regarding the legislative measures neces-
Saiy to ',remote the physical, moral, and intellectual well at
of ti.e working clank IC They aecept the responsibility of
preparing those legislative unwires for carrying the "Nee,"
nil thi• working non into effect, mini if bringing ill and pass-
ing those 111c11,411,8 ii 11,41101114411 Pieties .1 Parliament.
Th. y Inn not comeal from themselves the great opmeition
whirl. this 14.14(1,4111.4.9 " will eneoonter in passing through
Parliament ; but they consider it their duty to make earnest
elf, ins for the better understanding and el nor union of the
as:pirated i'1u14.4411 of sochty, and retain to themselves perfeet
free-loin of judgment and decision On the wisdom (of the
measure. proposed to them, and the expedient modes of
giving them effect, and they cordially unite with the work-
ing-men tor the promotion of tte.t common,good."
The names of the ten gentkmen who had forped this
Council of Legislation were not eommunieated to the
working nien till the whole p ',gramme had been mr,
nitok It was imilerstrind tha they includisl members of
both Houses of ralhament, in !, though Chiefly Consent.

tives had some Liberals among them. On the ! sth of
September the fundamental principles of the movement
haring been agreed on and embodied in seven resoluthms,
the signaturesA the Conn.-ft r,f Legislation which had been
affixed were real I the chairman, awl the Kimitnrei of the
Workmen's I .01111 c Ii acne added. 'line following were the
seven reseluth ens :

" I. To ream° the families of nor forkmen from the
dismal lanes, enoviled alleys, and unwholesome dwellings of
our towns and plant them out in the clear where, in the
middle of a garden, in a detached homestead, in wholesome
air and sunshine, they may live and grow up, strong,
healthy, and pare, under the influences of a well-ordered
home."

''''
To enable this to he effectually carried nut there
DMA be created n perfect organisation for the self.govent-
meta .4 countion towntk tont villones. with powers Sr the
to,ittikition and disposal of laud for the tworitott.notol."
'rho next condition of the aelhhcing .4 the skilled
workt '''''' ho that it thq 0 lttlo,ut itoshl c.ortittt ..f eight holtn of
hontwt work.:

'• 4. I al.liti.n to 5eh0..14 for clement.y edlination, there
•ihnt) bo presided nr•onol..lr pre.te• 11 kIION ledge Itint techni-
ead 4I n tot' t hnir horne•ten,

•• For the moral and p )atCdnUlinin.! the people,
places of public recreatien, knetvledge..atai refinement, shall
be or.4anize,l In pens the public serve.e.-
Public markets shall Le erected in every town for
the 61110 of goods in small quantities, of best quality, at whole-
sale pite."
. .

re shall be provided a great extension of the
organization of the public seri ice on the model of the lost
fur the common good."

The above resolutions have been signed on the part of the
Council of Legislation by the following gentlemen : The
Alarquis of Salisbury, the Marquis of Lorne, the Earl of
Lichfield, the Earl of carnarvon, Lord Henry Lc lard
Sir 3011111 Packington, Sir Stafford Northeote,
and Mr. Gathorne Hardy. It was signed on behalf of the
Council of Skilled Workmen by Messrs. Robert Applegarth,
joiner; Daniel Guile, ironfounder; George Howell, brick-
layer ; J. W. Hughes, carpenter; George Potter, joiner;
Lloyd Jones, fustian cutter; W. Broadhurst. mason ; F.
Wetstone, engineer ; John Leighton, joiner ; Alfred Barker,
shoemaker; James Squire, painter : P. Barry, author of
" Workmen's Rights' ; R. M. Latham, chaiiman of the
Labour Representation League ; Sigismund Englander, tele-
graphist; Ti. Dunning. Is .okbiniler ; Allen (pledged
by D. Guile); Joseph Leicester and Scott Russell, engineer.
It has been resolved that as early an possible in the autumn
a meeting of the two bodies should take place, and it was in-
tended that at that meeting, where the two Councils would
for the first time come face to face with each other, the form
should be decided under which the announcement of the
movement should be made politic. It is. we believe, In-
tended to increase the number of the Peers' 4 'email to fifteen,
or somewhat more, and to form joint committees of the two
Councils for all the Vali°no parts of the movement. ft Is
understood that Mr. Disraeli, the Duke of Richmond, and
bird Derby have taken some part in the negotiations, and
generally approve the movement, though they have not
affixed their signatures to the resolutions.

tin Saturday, Lord Salishury wrote to the Daily News as
follows :
" I have read with considerable surprise the statement
contained In your paper of this nne.ning owl, the heading,
• A New Social Movement.' I have not signed the resolutions
contained In that statement, or expressed any approval
of them. They were shown to me coundentially last
sunnuen I fully sympathized wills the wish to obtain
better dwellings for the workmen of our great cities-, but I
expreerot in) Aeons disapproval of several id the proposals
contained in the resolot ions.

i RIR your ohedient Nervant, " SALISBURY.
" Hatfield house, Hatfield, Hells, kt. 13."

Sir Stafford Northeote, one of the alleged signatories to
the so called treaty latss e,,i leers alai workmen, writes to
the Exeer Goalte, el follous :
•• None of the noblemen or gentlemen w hmse names have
lately heel, brought under public notiee have signed, or in
Shy way intimated their agreement w ith ally of the resoln-
tb.lls %bid/ hare' liven Inibitiherl. or any resolutions at all.
Nor ba.s any meeting taken ph, between them and any coun-
cil or body .4 Wol king men. All that has peised,ao for as 15,,!
aware, is that some peers and members of I.:oh:uncut have
expressed their willingness to consider any smazestion for
legislation On 4111eS1 inns affecting the wellts ingot the work-
ing classes, and to discuss thou 11l n friendly spirit. No
such taiggestions, however, have as yet hoes made in a form
admitting of consideration."