The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-02 00:00:00

THE LANCASHIRE COAL FIELDS.

Ou Saturday afternoon a meeting of lihe landed pro.
priators of West Lancashire Wan held at to "Bull"
Rotel, in Erestan, for the purpose of hearing tha
opinion of Mr. E. Young, of Sheffield, a geologist, as
to the probability of coal being fofind over a large tract
tif ground running from Lancaster to Literpool, and
embracing, an area of about 300 square miles. Cafitnel
Wilson Patten, M. E., seas called to the chair.
Mr. Young said he did not agt-ct with many geo-
logis' ts that the pernpan reeks overlie ilia millstone
troi or the mountain limestone, seeing that coal
formed abodt the same period, and over an im-
mense and unbroken area. As We Lancashire was
surrounded on all aides by vast Pealfields, he con-
tended that the district had not been subjected to any
up leatal, brit the lower measures of the Wigan coal
field have tilted upwards. After tracing the out-crop
of the millstone grit from Liverpfiol to Lancaster, he
said it was his belief that the CAW measures at Wigan
had been cut MI from those of the western part of the
county by a heavy "fault," which was found running,
in a certan direction, leaving the permian rocks and
the carboniferous series undisturbed. From the geolm
gical formation of West Lancashire he had no doubt what-
ever but what the whole of the best seam peculiar to the
Wigan coalfield would be found tUnning throogh a very
great part of the West Lancashire district.
Mr. Vivian remaaked that Professor Phillips said
that at Rampside the red sandstone would be found
about ROOft. from the surface, and the coal at 1,200 ft.
They were now sinking for coal at Barrow.
The Chairman then suggested that Mr. Yount should
favour them with his views as to where the coal
cropped out, where he should advise the trial boring's
to be mad; end as to what would be the cost. lie
should also propose that a committee be appointed for
receiving the communication of Mr. Young, and be
empowered to call another meeting of the landed
proprietors.
Mr. Beaumont said the cost of boring three holes,
each 100 yards deep, would be about 1000, and in
about three weeks 100 yards could be completed.
A committee, consisting of Colonel Wilson Patten,
M.P., Sir Gerald Fitzgerald Colonel Cross, Mr. T. L.
B J
irley, Mr. Elliston, Mr. J. W. Faire, and Mr. E.
Garlick, was then appointed, and the proceedings
terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.

LORD LYTTLETON ON TEE LABOUR
QUESTION.
At a dinner of the members of the Worcestershire
Agricultural Society, held at Worcester on Saturday,
the question of the future of the agricultural labourer
and the tenant farmer was fully discussed. Lord
Lyttleton presided, and in responding to the toast of
" The Houses of Lords and Commons" expressed an
opinion that there ought tubs actual personal relations
between the House of Lords and the agricultural in-
tereet. As he had said on a former occasion, the Home
of Lords would not and could not be totally
democratic. If they altered it they might, but if they
did they would alter the whole position of society.
As it was, its connexion with the land ought to be
its prominent character, and nothing could be so
incongruous as the position of a few, a very few
in the House who had no landed estate, no stake in
the country. He did not say it was wrong, but it was
inconornons. Siesl. S. Pakington having atknowiedged
the toast for the House of Commons, opened a disetis-
sion of some length on the present position of agricul-
ture, and especially in reference to the question of
labour and the future relations between landlord and
tenant, lie maintained that the interest of the owner
of the soil, of the occupier, and of the labourer was
identical. (Hear, hear.) The bent thing they could
to, therefere, VioB to te emote ss far as in them lay
feelings of good will and confidence betsteen each Of
these classes. In what he had to say on the subject of
the labour question he might, perhaps, startle some of his
hearers, bui, he asstizeci them that whateverhe did say was
with a good intention, and he anxiousVderired not to
say a word that would grate against the feelings of any
man. He should not wade words in saying harsh things
against *h. seitatots ‘l,llO had lays, been going forth
aniong the labourers, ano enemas osrlo: was sorry
to say, in some places with success—to excite feel.ge
of discontent and dissatisfaction in their minds. He
would not enter into the motives of those person,.
He believed that their motives might be of a mixed
eharactet, and he enepeetsd that anton,s their motives
were to be found some which were not coloteetent with
the interest of the country, or consonant with the opinion
of the gentlemen whom he WAS addressing. Butlet them
face the truth, Wimterer might be the motives of those,z,at line ef action, Olt could
not shut their eyes to this—that they nee arosses in the
country a very widespread and sound and true feeling
that the condition of the agricultural labourer was not
satisfactory. (Hear.) And the question was, what
was to be the condition and what the conduct of the
agricultural labourer hereafter? Who was he to look
up to as his real friend? Was be to look up to these
agitators or to these with whom he had long lived and
had bee" long i'onnected' and Whose cot stip ought
to be, anti he (Sir John) believed WIII, to I.l', Indict; to
him and to make him happy. (Hear, hear.) His earnest
wish was that the agricultural interest generally should
look at the agricultural labourer question in this view,
and that they should do what they could to promote
the interest of the agricultural labourer,
_considering
that what promoted his interest promoted also their
own, and so attached the labourer to the soil and
helped to ;:ave hint iron those ivuo would pois;ffi his
mind with the view to the attainment of dangerous
objects. (Hear, hear.) There was an association in
existence of which they would probably soon hear
more, which started with the title of "The Association
for improving the Comliticn it the A gricultural
Labourer," the objects being to improve his position,
to increase the civilization, and to make him more re-
spectable and happy. Whether or not the recommen-
dation which might proceed from that association
would command their approbation was doubtful; but
he would earnestly adriee all who might be called
upon to consider the views and proposals of the
association not hnstilV to Resent or to reject
theM. They were placed in a dinicult crisis, and
it became them cdl to meet that crisis; and
before they condemned any proposal with that
object, to weigh it well The first requirement on the
part of that association was that every labourer should
be lodged in a decent house with land enough for the
sustenance of himself and his family in allotments or
ttardeh groilnd ; and another requirement Wr.9 ;,hat the
cottage of the labourer should be held directly from
the landlord. (" Hear," and "No, no.") To those who
said "No" he would remark that there should be two
important exceptions to the rule that those who had
the management of the farm and the waggoners should
bold their cottages from the occupier. He would
also protect the occupier from the caprice of the
labourer. ne also advocated the rule that the
labourer should be allowed to keep a cow, and either
rent it of the farmer, or, if he had saved the fleece.
nary capital, have one of his own with sufficient land
to keep it upon. He could point to eases in which
this plan had operated successfully. He also advos
rated the sttbetitution of "piece work " for day labour,
and he quoted a case in which a labourer who by day
labour had earned only 10:. a week had iot ifs. by
piece work without lese to the farmer who oad toe full
initeseenge f rffi the work that was done. Next, he
supported the idea of co-operative farms and an ex-
temion of the 153 t41,C111 or co-operative stores into every
village of the kingdom. As to the relations to be
maintained between the owner and the occupier of the
soil he had exuressed his views on that point before. He
considered that those who entered upop a feign and
cultivated it with spirit, and devoted their capital
to its due cultivation, had a moral right to security
for the capital invested,. (flem: hear.) In his opinion
the best wets to secure that was by the system
of granting leases. Then came the question of
compensation for unexhausted improvements, and
he considered that such compensation was only simple
justice. He did not think it could be fairly withheld;
and without drawing a distinction between the system
of leases on the one hand, and the system of tenant'
right en the other, he thought that every prudent land-
lord would offer a lease to a good tenent, end with
leases there should be compensation for unexhausted
improvements. In the lease there should be covenants
to protect the landlord in the concluding years of the
term, and there should be equal justice to the tenant
for unexhausted improvements. On the termination
of a tenancy, too, the notice to quit should be a notice
of twelve months instead of six. (Hear, hear.)