The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-02 00:00:00

t

time would soon heal up the wounds inflicted in
the struggle ! There is, however, this fatal

objection to such a mode of adjusting differences
between capital and labour—that, after all, it
would leave the root of the evil untouched, and
insure only a heavier and bitterer crop of discon-

tent and disaffection. The interests of employers

and employes, are so far identical, that to injure
the one, is to inflict a wrong on the other. The
unequal triumph of either, is rain to both. Each
have their just rights to be maintained,in order
that either may prosper. Coercion employed ea
either hand, can only end in mutual paralysis
and yet both parties have too frequently shoWs
an inclination to proceed to extremities for the
enforcement of their several views. Than this
tendency, nothing could more clearly prove that

the grossest misconception prevails as to the true
interests of the several disputants, and the real
nature of the cause out of which the difficulty
arises, as well as the easiest and safest—nap the
only, remedy for the evil.
Is it not the great end and aim of combinationg
among operatives to provide that every member;
able and willing to work, shall not be thrown out'
of employment by the competition of others wile'

refuse to combine, or by any counter-corabins-
tion of employers to open the labour market?
Is not the object of the workmen in itself niO4
laudable ? Shall we say that men do wtik
adopting any legitimate means for averting sd
solemnly touching an event as that of being'
thrown entirely out of regular employments
pnless they submit to work for a pittance which
is scarcely sufficient to keep soul and body

ENGLAND.

together ? Assuredly not. But mark the opera-
tion of the means they employ, and the rules 010'
adopt. These means and rules have varied, and-
must vary, with circumstances. These variations
have sometimes been in favour of the workers,
sometimes in favour of the employers ; and the
circumstances producing these alterations, hoe
been the result of those continual changes on the
face of scciety and trade generally, which make
themselves irresistibly felt throughout every
sphere of life. Amonz these, we might enumer-
ate new inventions ; the adoption of machinery
political and financial changes, involving varia-
tions in the incidence of taxation; the expan-
sion or contraction of particular branches'
of industry and commerce ; the increase
of population and education ; the decrease
of labour by -emigration ; and generally,
such other alterations affecting trade as spring
from the onward march of progress 23red
tion. These and such like causes must continuo
to modify the objects of trades unions, and the
scope of their operations, as well as the speciflc,
rules by which they are guided as to the rate of
wages, the relative number of hands, hours Of
labour, &c. It will be so ; because the irresistibly
moral force of the causes we have specified cm'
never be controlled, to any material extent, by
merely artificial combinations among either masters
or men ; for all are subject to them, and must ulti-
mately, however gradually and insensibly, bow
to their omnipotent influence.
What then ? Thus far we presume we have ad•
vaneed nothing that may not be readily admitted-
What is to be the result of this general progress
of events and consequent modification of trades
unions ? Certainly not the triumph of capital at
the expense of labour ; neither do we anticipate
the unnatural supremacy of the employed over
their employers. We look forward, however, to
the time when the existence of such associa-
tions will no longer be required, and whoa
such unseemly disputes as now breed mis-
chief between those who require to -
ploy skilled labour, and those who so labour
for a living will have died a natural death.
When artisans, willing and able to earn an
honest livelihood, shall easily dispense with such'
artificial protection, fearless of ever be.mg
out adequate employment, and when employers
shall be left free to apply their capital as they
choose, without dictation from a then defunct
and obsolete organisation. An easy and a natural
death, the result of years of progress, educations
and enlightenment, is the worst and earliest fate
we predicate for Trades Unions and Strikes.
The process must and can be only a gradual one-
Unions in themselves are, perhaps, the unavoid-
able effect of an existing evil, rather th*
a producing cause. Remove the cause, 04
the effect will cease. Educate the peellie
properly—not in the superficial, surrstitionsr
and antiquated, fashion of byegone &V 5,
but thoroughly, practically, and universallYr
and the masses will learn to rely more on their.
own abilities and resources, and never feet it'
necessary or for their interests to depend 11P0P
artificial helps called into existence in a ruder
and less enlightened age. When the great boar
of the working people of this country hace'
acquired, not a mere smattering of certain'
routine forms of school-book knowledge, but that'
plainer and more valuable kind of informatiee'
which comes fully and closely home to their
own every-day personal interests, and enables.
thom in the full exercise of their intellectual
powers, to make the very best of their natural
strength and abilities, they will know how to be.
successful and comfortable, in conformity with Oe.
laws of political and social economy ; and will
contemplate strikes only as an antique proses of
starvation, whereby, in former times, the unveil
ing rigidity of these great laws were wont to be
painfully illustrated in the personal and domestic
history of thousands of British artisans.

BUILDING SHIPS FOlt FRANCE IN

The 7.?,, s says that a scheme is reported to be °ll
foot to raise £2,500,000, under a French guarantee ,
5 per cent., for the construction, in this country, Of te,3
vessels, each of about 6,009 register, or 10,000 builder
tonnage, to be ultimately employed as a steam lgie.
from France to the East. The T!. MCS adds, "It Mal be.
easily connived that the Emperor Napoleon would be;
glad to afford us occupation in accelerating his nava'
preparations, and supplying a class of ,vessels that'
might serve admirably as transports."

REJECTION OF Tin: BRITISH ULTIMATOI
BY THE CHINESE.

Further parliamentary papers relating to China -.core
presented to Parliament last night. The ultimatum
demanded ample apology for the Peiho affair, and the'
restoration of guns and ships abandoned on that occasion.
The next demands were that the treaty of Tien-Tsin
should be exchanged without delay at Pekin, and that
the British Minister should be allowed to proceediin a
British vessel up the river to Tien-Tsin, tr,he
him
with
authorities to make provisions for cosye „ hi
"'third cLaim
due honour from that city to Pekin.
was for an indemnity of 4,ooo,oootaoefls
tfhore military
expenses entailed by the misconductauthorities.
Chinese es ot3his reply is Riven
cihnintelsi:
A translation of the
Chinese-
parliamentary papers.
Government not only refuses any
apology or expression:
of regret for the treacherous condmt at the mouth of
the Peiho last year, it refuses permission to ascend the.
Tien-Tsin River, and directs Mr. Bruce to proceed, not.
to Pekin, but to Peehstang, there to await the exchange
of the ratifications, stating that if he attempted to go IV
way of Taku, the officer in charge of the forts will be
called upon to act. It refuses to restore the guns or
ships abandoned at the mouth of the river, or to con-
sider the payment of an indemnity, and gives instructions
that before the British Plenipotentiary is allowed to
proceed to the north, Commissioner Ho is to go over the
Elgin Treaty and consider what warts of it are to stand
and what be eliminated or modified. There is one passaP
which refers Mr. Bruce authoritatively to the regulations
laid down for the reception of the American mission
last year, but appears 4o contain a hint, at the sani
I°e
time, that these may be modified in discussion with I.
These papers appear to destroy the last hope of an?
amicable settlement of our differences with China.
The Times, in a leader, enforces the necessityl
e
dealing firmly and severely with the Chinese ; but
too
step will have to be won by hard fighting. It is tol
evident the Chinese have clever advisers, whose intere(sis
it is to keep us as far as possible from Pekin. Other he`
;d
the Chinese hav3 laid out the fortifications, staked
the approaches, and even planted the gum