The Press.
London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

the state of things to which the memorial refers must have
inflicted upon those 4ni whom it so hardly bears.
" Lord Palmerston desires me to state that he feels
bound moreover to do justice to the temper and moderation
with which the memorial has been drawn up. His lord-
ship is sorry, however, to say that he has no means of inter-
posing to apply a remedy fur the evils referred to. It
would he impossible for Lim, witl t much more detailed
information than
polowtows, to form a just opinion as to
the merits of the points in dispute between the working
men and their employers, and he could nut, as a member
of the liovernment, possess any right or power to interfere
iu the matter.

Under these circumstances bits lordship only ventures
to suggest, in the most friendly spirit, some topics for the
conaideration ..f the memonalista. They must he well
aware that, labour being a commodity like any other, its
money value in the market must be regulated by the same
general principles which govern the price of other commo-
dities ; and that among these governing principles the most
influential are the cost of production, and the relative
proportions of demand and supply. The east of produc-
tion in regard to labour 111eR1144 the priec of the necessaries
of life, and the proportion of &moont and supply must
depend very much mites the penodieal fluctuations of trade.
It is greatly to Is wished that both the working men and
their employers would allow these geisend causes to act
silently and gradually, in equitably adjusting from time to
time the proper rates of the money reward ler labour ; and
it is scarcely to be doubted that, by forbearance on both
sides, and by mutual and reciprocal good feeling, these
amingements might generally be effected without a recourse
to Ruch injurious methods as strikes and Ittek•outts. It may
be stated that in times when, according to the general
principles above min-tied to, an inerease in the rate of
wages would be just, that increase might be too lung
delayed, and the working-men be thus subjected to undue
privationa, if the adjustment was kit to the gradual opera-
tion of forbearance and good-will. Hut may not all appeal
be made to the result of recent events to shim that even
such inconvenience would be less than time evils arising
from extensive and general strikes? These evils are many
and great. The strike of the workmen deprives the
striker's of their wages, and, so far as wages are cemented,
it deprives thein of the means of subsistence. On the
other hand, the strikes, of eounte, stop production ; and,
unless markets happen at the moment to be match over-
stocked, strikes give to the foreign producer a position of
advantage from which he bitty not afterwards be so easily
dislodged. And if strikes were to become too frequent, or
of its. lung duration, it part of that capital which is now
applied tit giving empbt3ment to Latour at home might
possibly be transsfernsl to other ceinstriets, to the distuivan•
tage of Itritish induatry : and that this is not a groundless
suppositi 111 l is proved by the feet that British mode:luring
establishments have been formed in Belgium, in f'ran'c,
lin Mexieo. This, too, leads to It refileetieli Upon the
opin' which seems to have actuated the strikers, that the
general prosperity of our export trade was in itself a proof
that the rates of wages ought to he increased. Lord
Palmerston does not pretend to form any j114441,11e11t as to
whether that topinitat was well or ill founded in the parti-
cular instance to which it referred, but his lordship has
desired me tit remark that our power to supply foreign
markets with manufacturem depends upon the cheapness at
which those manufactures eau he sold ; that their price
must depend mainly 4411 the coat of production, and that
the wages of labour form an material part of that cost.
"'Therefore, as our exported manufactures must always
be a hard rave wills the ' 'tar manufactures of
other namtries, an apparently nourishing trade may
possibly be checked by an increase of wages, which would
add to the cost of production ; and the gain made by the
fat-timer may often consist of a very small profit upon
each separate artide; the aggregate a 11l tint of gain
depends on the quantity exported, and that quantity
depends on the cheerios* of the non tttt slities, which
cheapness again is governed by the cost of prishietitin.
" directing me to submit these general reflections to
the consideration 441' the 1114`1114olittliSts, Lord Palmerston
does not meats to give any opinion on the immediate sub-
ject of dispute ; but his lordship would earnestly entreat
the working-men to lay aside those feelings which an- too
apt to be engendered by a struggle, and to endeavour, if
possible, to come to *ono orritogement with their
emitlityers. " li, WAntomoros.
" Mr. Kinder Smith, Preston."