The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-03-10 00:00:00

Cht.Janto 28th, plaintiff wrote to dafandant thua-1

- - -
"Tour reference to a plaaard posted around Ham Hill Ii
the first intiination I have had of it. I know nothing of It
myself. My reporter toils me he did not notice it. I find to
three papers that you refer to me unmistakeably ma haring
incited the labourers to acts of violence, and 11 700 really did
not mean it, the lomat you could du into retreat the sharp at
once."

To this letter defendant made no reply, but on the 16th
August *sot to plaintiff a prlohti letter saying be had
sei,t copies to motel the newspapers I. Dorset, Devon,
Gloucester and Hants, and requested the editors to
insert it, aidle "I hop, this will meet your views."
The printed letter, pert of whleh the leaned nounsel
n&d, SS. MI follows :

.a,t.Silii.;:o::—.o,.lll"lloi iwia".l7:l telk'neutqL;!t"tirh,:flnsthhaerelPevesitrweinngrthleayitz.,lPftedchiri. thmaderhane
folloaing 1111, reply : -
A• reganis
.%:our it reatenesl action I am not armed. But
U bi whether anything said or done by me would muse you or
any other person any injury, I would be the last person to
injure anvone, and lion, particularly the editor of any paper,
whether friend or foe hi the cause In which lam engaged. I
have to thank the editors of various papers, the greater part of
whom have spoken out the truth in • most fearless manner as
to the condition of the pteir labourer. I hare yet to be con-
vinced who circulated the inflammatory paper the day previoull
to the toasting at Sherliorne, Lay 15th, to which I referred In
my speech at Ilam Hill, and I have yet to be convinced that I
gthab:eulio:tf::)..h.!..l.l.lll.l4l:ll;staki':•:e.it,c.l;:halnaracrr.fel.Le,arr.‘th7.A.:l;llk,ilyortandwttlhtoahayattati
hml7hay,..actavepooact';!ded;hl.naja..
worse olf than may slaves. Fathers, neither., daughters,
and sons sleep together, and the result is evhlent. The children
work in the Stile front Ave years of a'-c, and the girls lose
their delicacy and chastity, and boys become old men in
immorality. What con anyone expect when young men and
young women, bnohers and sisters, are fouod sleeping together
in one 1.00111, .111li eVCII ill OM bOl? Nally men do not mete
butcher's meat (tom oats club dinner to another, excepting
dia....sal matt which is dangerous to take to market. Lord
Portman has publicly declared that he will In future build
bloomers' cottages of mud. In It bemuse they are inure com-
tirtable ? No. His lonlship says he can build them for one
third less. Farmern give the landlord, I. a year for the cottages,
and charge the poor labourers is. M. a week for them. The far-
mers say that they must have the cottages, because thee want to
keep thelabourer• iii constmit derail of being turned out of house
and home. I advise (Moe Interested to refer to the actions
of Lord Sherbornc, at Sherborde, tlkucestershire, last August,
and to remember the at-ti 'if the Prestoo farmer and of Mr.
BUM. I d., tiot know If the Paget who sentenced the shepherd
to gaol Is the lair Paget, I. I'., who mode a false statement
snout me at Matlock Loot October or not. This Ido know,
that at every mectiog I have atteo.leil shoe, I have 1,1,,V(.41 Ilia
statement to be false, 2114 unless the 11.1'. withdraws that false
statement and he presents liiiivolf ii, seek the suffrages. of Slid
S.onerset a:aiti, the grouted shall tremble under his feet. 'llic
gallant Major's roileague is very little, if any, better, as beset.
51 times 111.. re vaMe on a a on bull than on • haniaurking
industrious man Will, hail cupportni his wife and brought up ten
children on Si. • week 0.5,-en without parish relief, and who has
also distinguished himselfas one of the C110:111i1,1 of the Church
of EngLuel by opisMilitf an enquiry, as Lonl Shaftesbury has
suggostell, Into the state of the late, no has, if possible, to kit*
out, such men as Ihninett and the four hundred and eighty, and
put righteous men in their places. But, Sir, I must not waste
my UlllOllll such men, hut simply say, " Father. fonrive them,
fur they Moor not what they do." The condition if the poor In
Someniet is a .fisgrom, and dangerous to the country, and I
challenge any I/III:U.I.AV that any one has nettle an attempt to
help theme poor people until myself and • few others came into
Somerset. I thank Cow 111:n11. ...tone for what he has done.
klienetts!.hhies,%.ntet.:- :,..i.a..l.,,..iiii,d,...bieeltnt.h: itioiheirwfa"rrikuillbtsl:u.ric'rsdot'So°mellrfeWTUOti'ollAikiethWe
tradesmen who have partly hi keep them. A small tradesman
told lite some little time since that the poor men owed him over
two hundrod pounds, and he did not expect as many *hilltop
unites the men got more wages. The tradiannen met Parsons
dare not take part In this 11111 l anent, altliongh they synuothlse
with it. It would be their ruin. I shall still feel it my duty to
ask the lobourers to juin the National Agricultural latimurers'
Union for their own 1i0n...1i tttt , and, as sure as there Is a Cod
in Iltaren, the condition of the starving men In Somerset will
be bettered without injuring any other person In the world.
Let me entrust all right-minded honest men and lads It,
Stand by the Union ! All Urn nigh the laud
The SOUS of the soil are waking ;
Join heart to heart, and hand to hand,
no rusted chain, of bondage breaking.
Cuoace.
For the poor man is weak, though his came be right,
but the weak grow strong when they all unite.
Stand by the Union I Labour's hope I
One fibre is light as • feather;
but the twisted strands of the good shipli rope
Defy the rage of wind and weather,
Stand 17 the Union I the friend of all
Who dare to befriend each other •
&spend like men to the Union's 011,
Ile helps himself who helps his brother.
Stand by the Union I The great may frown;
We'll be their serfs no longer •
Thourh they are strong who we'ad us down,
::ftesttio:::=l,c.iwir::!tool,::::,l:.l.i It.
ciw::,..di...:icieh...;,.....T0be , ;
The God-given right, of men are stronger.
Stand by the Union ! Firm and true,
We are bound to conquer through Lt ;
°el: tdrilawtey'"ehthkt: IsPt:oP°reetith.da to
do
ik
Stand by the Union! Stick to It now
We've.put ~ur with • will to the plough,
Well never look IXICIi, boys, never—never 1

. _
Tours faithfully,
GEORGE MITCHELL, un• from the Plough.
In oonslusion the learned ciouneel reverted to ths
heinoninees of the Mudge made by defendant against
the plaintiff, and said after be had proved the frets it
would be for them to say whether the slander was not
tittered by defendant, and whether It was not • case in
which autivantial and exemplary deranges should be
given to the plaintiff.
Charles Gent: I am assistant reporter at plaintiff's
°Aloe and was present at • meeting at Ham Hill on 17th
June last. It was • public demonstratioe of the
Labourers' Union, It WY "etiolated about 8,000
persons were present, principally labourers. The plum
of meeting is an amphithestre, called the Frying Pan—
ilanghter4 Many of the persons wore placards La their
bate —"the franchise sad • [Woes • week for the
15,merset farm labourers." TIM speeshmi were made
from • waggon, in width were Arab, Taylor, George
Putter, and Mitchell the de/spinal. with 'enrol
reporters. I was within • yard of defroulut. I took
notes of Mae speeshes. Not *eliciting anything to arise
out of the meeting the no were destroyed. I restraint
defendant in his speeoti said There's • man at
Sherborne, the editor of • paper there, who Is trying to
molt, you to set fire to the houses and to your masters
ricks, but. tell him, friends, you have more brains than he
hu.' The labourers shouted—some of them—" Haug.
/tutu" and "Bherbortie Journal." Although my notes
have been destroyed my report appears to the plaintiff's
paper.
Cross-ezarained by Mr. Cole: I have been • reporter
nearly 18 months., Do not write shorthand. I do not
go to give • fell report. Hearing the words Sherborne,
I took • full noteiof what followed, feeling interested
Don't know of any meeting respecting which • pluard
11114 published. Never saw any placard of the kind.
Mitchell got up to propose& resolution. Haul lect one wita
to.thisleffeet—" That this meeting deeply sympathises
with the depreased condition of the agricultural labourers
of Ragland, believing it to be • pi:modal and diagreos to
the present state of ohilisstioo, and injurious to the
Internet of the country ; and leo( ophiloh that measnres
should be adopted for their social improvement arid
Intellectual elevation; and to then end we plodse our-
selves to become members of the N.A.L.U." It was
received with great cheering, The labourers cheered
before knowing what it was; Thought there was not
much harm in the resolution. The labourers needed a
little intellectual elevation. Defendant said be could
see the field, be used to plough with • hungry belly,
and where he ploughed up 13 dozen old swords. He
said they bad nothing to do with making the laws, and
advocated the franchise. He said hard words had been
said about bins; but labourers wanted • second suit of
clothes to go to church in, • bit of bacon in the chimney
corner, • pig in the sty, and • oars if tatted,. If they
had that they would light for the Q4Ollll to. There
wee nothing so very shocking In the spi;eoh. TIMM
was • cote at the bottom of the report "This is • fair
specimen *I George's reined (or truth' " "George"
meaning the defendant. It was appended to the part
about settiog Brit to ricks. Mr. ituegg writes a goad
deed in the paper.
Mr. Cole asked about an article on the meeting; end
Mr. Collins wished the whole to be read.

_
—;Th;Ta-dge saki if anything WM quoted. the whale
meat be put in.
Mr. Cot.: Do you pot In that pep.'?
Mr. Coatis rti exercise my discretion when the
time Comm. You oan put it in yourself.
Mr. Cole : I know that, end I don't want you to tell
me my a oiy or my prole...ion.
Mr. Colima agreed to pat in the paper.
Mr. Dole reed from the artiule—" Tbe clinsiounirne
Ws turned out to be a very barmloas affair," and
acing on to refer to the misery of the laboarere who
had gone out to Brat 1
Witmer.: Quit* mania defendant used the word
"editor" and "Bharberao." I woe moignaat, sad woo
oboes to laterrapt him and my what he allosoli was sa