The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-22 00:00:00

SCANDALOUS TREATMENT OF IRISH
PA UPERS.

Yesterday, at the Thames Police-court, John
Sherman, an infirm old man' • pauper beloeging to the
Greenwich anion, appeared before Mr. Paget to answer •
Incisions taken out by Mr. Thou.as Babington, solicitor to
the Cork union, in Ireland, and which charged the defendant
that he, bane • person employed in the execution of • war-
rant duly issued by Mr. Daniel Maude, a magistrate at
the police-court, Greenwich, requiring the guardians of the
Greenwich union to cause • certain poor person named Julia
Matinee and her child to be safely conveyed from the parish
of St. Nicholas, Deptford, to the parish of Killaroey,
Ireland, did unlawfully and wilfully desert the said Julia
Ilanuen and her child before they had been conveyed to the
place of destination mentioned in the warrant.
Mr. Charles Young, solicitor' said he was instructed by
Mr. Babiogtoo to prosecute in this ease, which was one of
great importance. la consequence of twelve poor persons
having been irregularly forwarded to Cork by the Green-
wich union, the Cork union had instructed their solicitor to
proceed against the defendant, who was the may person
that could be reached. The 4th *retain of the 2tith and
27th of Victoria, cap. 83, enacted that any person being
employed in the execution of • warrant duly issued, who
shall wilfully desert any person mentioned therein before
he or she shall have been conveyed to the place of destina-
tion, shall be guilty of • misdemeanour. Mr. Mande,
the magistrate of the Greenwich Police-court, had,
upon application made to him, issued his warrant
for the removal of a poor woman and her infant to the
union of Killarney, in Inlaid, and to be delivered at the
workhouse of the Killarney union. The defendant had
sent the woman and her child to Cork in a steamboat sa
deck passengers at this inclement season of the year, and
they had been sent back again for the purposes of this prose-
cuisine.

Mr. Joseph Plate. a relieving officer of the Greenwich
union, asked for an adjournment of the ease until the direc-
tions of the board of guardians could be obtained, but as
there was no charge against that body. but merely against
their officers, Mr. 'Paget refused to comply with the request.
Evidence was thou given showing that it was in obedience
to orders front the relieving officer, Mr. Putts, that the
defendant bad left the woman and child on the
steamboat. Mr. William Cox, an inspector of the
Thames Police, who was on board at the time, said he
saw them arrive, and that he told the defendant be was
doing wrong in sending them off with nobody in charge of
theni. Had not the second mate kindly given up his cabin
to them they would have had to remain on deck the whole
of the voyage. Witness had before seen defendant seeding
off paupers to Ireland as deck passengers, and had warned
him several times.

Mr. iegetLHrw long are the steamboats on the voyage
from London to Cork! _

Witueea—About three day, and three nights.
Mr. Babington said there wee a special clause in the act
of parliament prohibiting the shipment of women and
children under 14 years of age u deck pueengeta between
theist of October and the 31st of March. He then read
the section refined to.

Mr. Paget said it was perfectly clear the defendant, who
was an old, illiterate pauper, was following the directions
of another. He WSW very reluctant to send the old man to
prison, because he acted according to the directions given to
him by Mr. Pattie. They were most illegal directions. A
more flagrant violation of the law he bad never heard of.
If it bad sot been for the kindness of the second mate of
the steamer the poor woman, who had been confined only •
month, would have been exposed so the elements on the
deck of • steamer in the beginning of December for three
days sod three nights. It was quite monstrous. He wu
glad the authorities at Cork had taken up this matter. It
was a very proper proceeding on the part of the authorities
of Cork. Notice ought to be given to Mr. Mande, and he
should recommend Mr. Bisbiogton to wait upon the
magistrate of the Greenwich Police-court, and let Lam know
how his warrants were executed by the people of the
Greenwich union. In justice to Mr. Maude he ought to be
made acquainted with the evidence. If any officer of the
Thames Police-court was to so far forget his duty and exe-
cute • warrant of hie as Mr. Mande's warrant had been
executed, he would immediately suspend him. He must
commit the defendant for trial at the next Middlesex ses-
sions. He asked him if he could find security for his ap-
penance there.
Mr. Putts—We will be security; I and the master of the
Greenwich house. _

Mr. Charles Vouiu—l will take the muter of the Green-
wich union only ; he is not a witness, Pane is, and I
object to him.

the bond of the master et the mice was taken, and the
defeudaat wee liberated.

THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE COLLIERS* STRIKE.

(From the Leeds Mercury.)
The colliers of South Yorkshire have at length
returned to work. They fought their battle with the
masters long and bravely, but they had to struggle against
• principle of economy stronger than any taloa or aasocia-
tiou, and they find themselves compelled to submit. Ten
months ago the colliers at two of the principal collieries of
South Yorkshire demanded an increase of ten per cent. on
their wages. The proprietors represented to the men that
their wages were higher than were paid in soy other part
of the country, and refused the advance. The colibrs
would not be convinced by that very convincing argument,
and struck work. The prom ietors of the other
collieries of the district, believing the strike to
be directed against the interest of the whole body
of masters, retaliated by locking out their colliers ; and
thus some sir thousand men were thrown out of work.
Lulu all those ten months the struggle bias continued.
The colliers have been supported, after • fashion, by the
miners' union, and the proprietors have beet compelled to
sailor. as they best might the partial stoppage of their
huskiess and the idleueu of their capital. Between the
losses of masters and men no less • sum than 70,000/. has
been sacrificed in the struggle. Yet all these great losses—
all the sufferings of the workmen living for so many month,
upon a pauper allowance, all the sacrifices endured by
the proprietors whose incomes have been stopped—have
led to nothing. The colliers have gone back to their work
without gaining the advance demanded. and with the ex-
.mptiou of a trifling alteration in the mode of dealing
with "had places," everything is arranged, as diplomatists
say, on the basis of the *tat us quo ante &glum. The history
of this strike contains an important lawn, like the history
of every other struggle which has led only to suffering and
loss. When two great nations make war upon each other,
and after shedding blood and treasure lavishly, agree to
make pesos upon the old terms, we think that a very wicked
ad very foolish thing has been done. We see that the war
has caused the death of many thousands of soldiers, and
brought oppressive burdens upon the shoulders of millions
of tax-payers—and all for nothing. An unsuccessful
strike causes very similar rifler:6oot An immense
amount of suffering is inflicted upon both sides,
• great permanent loss is sustained by masters and
men—and all for nothing. Of course there are circum-
stances under which a war or a strike may be justifiable,
although it does not afterwards turn out successful. But
a fair prospect of success at the beginning is absolutely
necessary to justify either the one kind of struggle or the
other. The statesman who plunges hie country into war
without having a good prospect of conducting it to a suc-
cessful conclusion plunges that country into suffering and
humiliation and rain. The leader who induces a body of
workmen to strike without ageing clearly his way to suc-
cess does as much by his followers. Aod we think that
no ow who looks dispassionately at the circtunstaaces
under which the South Yorkshire colliers commented their
strike can doubt that those who induced them to take that
step have been guilty of this folly. The fact that
their wages before the strike were higher than thou of the
collier, in other parts of the country should of itself have
been quite sufficient to show them that en increase could
not be obtained by means of • strike. People who under-
stand finance know very well that to the place where money
is dearest money is aura to 0011, until its price at that place
is brought down to the general level. If money is some in
England the rate of discount is raised, and immediately the
money which had been flowing to Paris or Amsterdam is
attracted by the high price offered at Loudon, and it flows
there until the satisfaction of the English wants enables
England to reduce her rate of discount to that of the neigh-
bouring countries. So it is with labour. If • high price
is offered at any particular place, there the labourers
will flock until the market is supplied. If the South York-
thirecoal-masters had agreed to advance their colliers' wages
10 per cent., and so have raised them considerably above
thegenersl level, of course the colliers from the neighbour.
ing districts would have rushed in to share in the advantage,
and by that mesas the wages would have been brought
down again. Perhaps that would have been the wisest
course for the masters to have pursued. Their lose would
probably havelbeen less in that case than it is now. Duey,
however, chose to refuse even a momentary edvance,
and they have succeeded in compelling the workmen to
abandon the fight without having gained soy material ad-
, wastage. There are those who say that ties collies
have not only not gained anything by their struggle, bat
that they had put iota the hands of the masters • new
weapon against themselvee. The strike has led to the intro-
duction iota the South Yorkshire collieries of coal-getting
machines, and therefore, it is argued, the deemed for work-
ingwill be greatly reduced. Ws don't think the
colliers need have very senons fears upon this score. That
an efficient machine for getting coals will before long be
brought into general use we have every reason to
believe ; but that the colliers will thereby be thrown
more into the power of the masters wedo net believe. The
effect of the introduction of machinery into other branches
of industry has been to elevate the labouring nue. It has
raised him from being • machine himself to being the direc-
tor and controller of machines. In the collieries the effect
will probably be the same. The introduction of machinery
for cutting out coal will immediately lessen the price of
cal. With a lessened price will oome an iocreased con-
sumption, and it is not too much to expect that all the men
who are now employed in handling the pick may be required
at the more comfortable duty of superintending the machine.
The colliers are mole rusonable in this matter than the fee-
tory hands and agricultural labourers were before them, and
we hear of no such objections being raised to the introduc-
tion of machines into collieries as were so loudly raised when
it was proposed to introduce them into weaviog factories
and threshing mills. Like every other revolutioe, it must,
of course, cause temporary derangement ; but if the substi-
tution of machine for d labour in pita permanently
transforms the working collier from soul getting mutual
of flesh and blood into the director of a coal getting machine
of iron, be will in the end have good reuse to be pleased
with the change.