The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-09-04 00:00:00

"UP FOR THE LAND!"

lA4 week's Irish vipers were almost wholly encaged
with the land question. The Nation says that "Irmo
city and plain, from hill end valley, the is-Oleg tocsin
now is, 'Up for the land.' " "Three millions of Irish
Christian ryots ' must enjoy at least the protection
and the security extended to the dusky Asiatic war.
shippers of Vishnu. I here most be an en.l tor ever
to the blasphemous T. tidal theory of absolute and it--
renionsible individu a dominion ever the land " The
Nation defines the pole:lir demand as for
" fixity of tenure at impartially regnia,e 1 rents.'
The Wei its New. says :—•' Our efforts nunnt not
end wPh the everthrow of landlord power, hut they
'nay well commence will. it. Let it he thin veer
for the land question, the nexl for repeal. It is ills
any longer tit talk of compensation for improvements :
equal y illusive would he a bill granting fixity of tenure
to the tenant, but allowing the Isndliod to raise the
rent to any figure he pleas,d." The Flag of Ireland
"altogether disbelieves that a rich man's club. as the
English Bonne of COrianolni ban been a descri,ed,
and in whieh the landed ititerents o the Unie-il Kin.;-
doM no preponleratn. will evor do jnsticni tothe tenants.
or abate any of the power for evil welch Erivlish law
places in the hands of Irish landlerds " The //eshmon
still makes the amitest3 question its princifile feat-ire,
hot la' dm an articlehea led "A sirdte of disaffec•imi,"
i•i which it sass SO te vaunt., aniline-I Ott th
snit never set-, on the British Eopire The liatinim
of the present time will h .ve to modify the boast. I-
wid Inn for him to record that the sun never sets On
disiiff,tilin to the British Empire ; dinaff-iction in Ire-
; 111,,Lff,ction is India ; in Amitralia;
disaffection in Canada; ilinnffectiou at the Cape of
Good Hops ! The Cape territory was the missing link
until the last mails; now the girdle of disaffection in
mp'ete. This GoVernMsilt has Mooned to lot a
perfect cincture of disaffection round the globe.'"

peliseb

THE TRADE CONGRESS AT
BIRMINGHAM.
The following papers, amongst others, were read at the
Trade Com ress at Birn.insham.
Mr. Walton (Brecon) read a paper on the "direct
representation of labour in Parliament," in whim he
contended that the working classes were not repre-
sented as they ought to he in the House of Ciimmons.
rhe Session of the Reformed Parliament waa allowed
to porn without a single niember having suggesied an
inqiiiry into the cause of more than a million and a
half of working men iii England being in a state of
eonipulsory Mien. PS. That he vie wed as an immic-
takaiile proof if the want of sympathy in the House
for the wants if the working cl Skilled workmen,
lie said, were flying from poi.eyty /411-1 scarvation at
the rate often during the present year of a thousand
110• V from Liverpool alone ; yet no inquiry had
been instituted inti• the Call, of their removal, nor ant
remedy auggesti d to alleviate the condition of those
who remained behind. The condition if the working
inns bad been neelected, and nit a single working man
had been permitted to enter Parliament in the labour
interest. What. therefore, should they do? They
should unite, form a working-man's party, mill at all
future elections where two Liberal candidatis had to
he elected they ahould insist upon nominating Inte, al-
lowing the niiddle 018,18 to choice the other. Should
the middle-class party refuse to concor in this arrange-
ment, the working men would support their man by
plumping for him. They should in future disregard
the delusive cry of "Diet divide the Liberal interest,"
but, having one object in view, nothing should divert
them from its accomplishment.
Mr. Howell (Lord in) read a paper by Mr R.
Marsden Latham upon the same subject. "Corning
evente," the writer said, "cast their shadows before,"
mid it was generally believed that what were known
as " working men's qeestions" would in the next and
future Sessions of Parliament engage the attention of
the Le.,islature. If it wan borne in mind that of the
entire population of the United Kingdom more than
20,000,000 belonged to the working clams, it would be
obvious that the moral and material progress of as
considerable a majority of the people wan liable to
be affected by the character of the legislatiiin with
regard to those questio,s. He was therefore of
opinion that, in comparison with the subjsct of
securing the direct representation of labour in Parlia-
ment, all other impnlar topics of discussion were of
secondary importance, especially considering the fact
that ths earnings of the working classes exceeded
E4OO 000.000 annually. The present Parliament was
almost exclusively composed of members representing
the nobility and landed gentry, id ofliers in the army
and navy, of lawyers, manufacturers,railway directors,
and other persons representing the interests id capital
and commerce ; but TIO memliers had yet been returned
who directly represented the great chain which he ven-
tured to say did the work of the nation. It wan a
matter of regret that the candidature of workmen re-
presentatives should have hitherto been unsuccessful,
and it was in view of that fact that a national cirganisa-
tion teimsd " The Labour Representation League"
had been established. The writer hoped that the
members of the Congress would actively and earnestly
support the association, and assist in returning work-
men representatives to Parliament.
Mr. Harry (London) submitted &paper, or rather an
address, to the Chtlsea Electoral Association, which,
being in print, and circulated among the delegates,
was taken as read. It urged the fu am:nation id a great
industrial party to secure the return of representatives
of latmur, with the view of securing the nationaliza-
tion of land by purchasing it of its is .ssestiors,' and a
national paper currency hmied 11P1,11 the proillictive
wealth of the nation, combined with a national system
of credit and exchange.
On the motion if Mr. o.lger, seconded by Mr.
eremer the following resolution was mussed :
"That thisConartas eildoraes the papers of Meters Wel-
on, Latham, and Harry, as containing sentiments thoroughly
in accordance with the wants and wishes of workinir men,
and this Congress re,omniends Its conAtitnents and working
men generally to 111111POrt the Lahour Itipiesentation League.
just estatilkheil in London, to obtain the return of actual
working m-n to the House of Commons."
Mr. Owen (Potteries) read a paper upon "The
necessity for working-class newspapers." He thought
such papers desirable in the industrial district., and
believed they would be the means of enlisting public
sympathy on behalf of the workmen in a dispute, and
of often c nivincing the better clams of employers that
the operatives were in the right.
Messrs. Potter (I.i.nrlon) and Cattail (Birscinghano)
also read papers upon the same aubject, the latter re-
commending the co-iiperative system in the establish-
ment of working.classorgans.
On the motion of Mr. Langhton (Birmingham),
seconded by Mr. Burton (Manchester), a rtsolutioe
was mussed expressive of sympathy for those who hail
established newspapers for the political and aocial ad-
vacomiient of the working classes, and recommending
trade unions to support them.
An inter sting paper upon "Emigration" was read
Pt Mr. Bate.
Mr. Normansell introduced the case of the Yorkshire
miners, and the necessity for the priiper regulation of
mines, and, after a brief discussion, the following reso-
lution was passed:—
" Thai ha the opinion of this Congress ibs grail Antrim-

Non of human life in the working of the coal and iron-stone
oiMes of this c 'entry calls alou I for Investigation and fur-
-r legislation Or the protection of file and the represens
tat ves here assembled deep'y regret that the MIIIO, Revd&
Pon Bill, introduced last Session by the Ron. A. Hi um.,
Home Secretary, should have 'wen withdrawn. knowing
that the miners of the United KIIIVIOM have been .thring
the law sin years doing ell in their power t induce the
..wernment to ;piss a ...ire to prevent the fearful uteri-
it aof life will di is constantly taking place. Th.s totigresti
respectfully urges all trades' Unions and associations cmi-
tiected with this con:revs to tite their influence with the
members of tarliatnent in their respective localities to aid
the nil era in passing an effle•ent Bill for their protection.'
It was subsequently resolved that a committee of six
be appointed to assist the miners in their effort to get
the Mines Regulation Bill passed in the next Session,
etch committee to consist of Messrs. Odger, Howell,
Potter, Cremer. Connolly, arid Harry.
The following reeolotion, proposed by Mr. Cremer,
and seconded by Mr. Lurgan, wag passed :

"That as local organisations of labour have almost disap-
peared before organisations of a national character, so we
believe the extension of the principles of free trade, which
induces between nations such a competition that the inte-
rests of the workman is liable to be lost sight of, and sacri-
ficed in the fierce International race between capitalists, de-
mands that sirli organisations should be still further ex-
tended and made international. And as the International
Working Melt's Association endeavour to cctisolidate and ex-
tend the interests of the toiling masses, which are every-
where idefeical this C. mgr.ss heartily roc, bmiliends such as-
sociation to the support or the w along men of the United
Kingd na, especially of all organised b ..ites and stronsi)
,ige• them to become affiliated to that no is "
The Secretary here aging iunced that the total ox.
cases of the Congress amiunted to £l2 lii. only.
It was stated that Mr. Connolly was about to visit
America for the purpose of gathering information upon
trade matters th a • might he useful to the working
climes if Englagid. and therefore it was resolved,
upon the motion of Mr. Owen (Potteries), i.ecouded by
Mr. Woods ( Sirminghand, that a strong recom-
mendation he given by the Uncross to Mr. Connolly as
an introduction to the Trades of America, and to whom
he would he asked to convey a message of goodwill
from the representatives of Trades' Unions now as-
sembled in England.
Mr. Connolly, in thanking the delegates, hoped that
at the next Congress he might be able to make such a
report as would satisfy them that his mission to America
hail not b-en a fruitless one.

On the motion of Mr. Howell, thanks were given to
the president, secretary arid committee, and at the
instance of Mr. Bailey (President) a similiar compliment
was paid to the press.
With this the Congress terminated.

AUGUST 27, 1869.

The Great International Boat race is over ! Bravo
Harvard! Bravo Oxford ! Mr. Punch admires your
pluck, skill, and endurance; and thus immortalises
you

OXFORD.
F. Wiliam Eteter (how).
A. C. Yarhrogh, LinColl2.
J. C. Tint 6 L',.iversity.
B. D. Darhishiro Balliot
J. 11. Hell. Corpus (coi.j.
HARVARD.
Joseph Story Foy, B ~too bow).
Francis Ogdeil Lyman, Hilo ,Stnawich 'islands).
W. H aimmonds, Concord, Massachusetts.
Alden Porter Loring, Boston (stroke).
Arthur Burnham, Chicago (cox).
As you both spring from the same parent stock—
" Cornelia's sons were worthy of their mother—.
;here can be no offence in congratulating Oxford on its
victory. So let no sing—
Here's a health to both the crews,
The Harvards and the Blues—
EvXy man !
And when they meet again,
May dark blue its place maintain,
If it can! —Punch.