The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-30 00:00:00

THE WEST YORKSHIRE HIKERS.

On Monday there was a large gath • of the
Methley and Leeds miner., in the Leeds Town the
object of the meeting being to &scums the genera question
of supporting the minty constituted ties called
" The Operative Miners' National Amain ;" sad also to
congratulate each other on the termination of the lockout
in the Methley district. The colliers were in many
mass attended by their wives. The chair was occupied
by Mr. THOMAS STEPHINSON, of Rothwell, who, in ad-
vocating the claims of the National Aseociation, said if
the miners were to unite thoroughly, strikes would be im-
possible. It must have been apparent to well informed
preens in Yorkshire that the miners of that county had
for 'teeny years suffered great privations. It was only
within a very recent period that it was generally *wooded
that miners should have some protection in their dan-
gerous occupation. Their grievances bad been discussed in
parliamentary committee., but the labours of those com-
mittees had not been productive of any advantage until
recently, in cossequence of the influence exercised by
certain lords and gentlemen interested largely in mining
property. At length public opinion was unmistakably
manifested, and government was obliged to do something
in the matter. Sir Henry de la Bache had told the
speaker bow Lord Grey and other members of the House of
Lords had, in the first Matisse& received the Inspection
Act now in force. The other day he (Mr. Stephenson) was
looking over the report el the committee of the Hones of
Lords on which the first colliery act was fouoded, and he
sew from the questions put by Lord Wh a.r.ne, the
chairman, that the committee was inclined to give the
working miners more legislation and more inspectors. Mi.
Nicholas Wood was asked by Lord Wheracliffe U he
thought the inspectioo proposed would benefit the miners
of this country, and Mr. Wood replied that it might if a
certain condition was added. What did the meeting ima-
gine that coudition ? Why, that the government should
00-operate with the coalowners of Northumberland in the
impointment of inspectors. This was the great sweet of
the failure of inaoection. What was now required by
the mining community was a class of inspectors
who would be really of benefit to the workmen.
It was now proposed to go to parliament for 60
sob-inspectors ; but be believed that the class of sub-
inventors proposed would never be productive of one iota
ei good to the hard-handed labourers in the mines. For the
presest inspectors would be continued in their situations,
and woe to any sub-inspector who drooled against the coal
minter, for if he acted and spoke independently he would
soon have to leave his place. If good inspection was really
dared, the men should have anises of sub-inspectors of their
owe, and Krum the intelligent men of their own class. Ho
would appoint four sub-inspectors to every present inspector,
and these four should be selected from the more respect-
able clam of working miners. These would accomplish
treble the work at present performed, and at a quarter
of the cost.—Mr. Andrew Halliday, of Foreword],
near Menchester, proposed this resolution :—" That this
meeting, preoeiving the present condition of the miners of
the United Kingdom, thioluilthat • postal amalgamation
is necessary ; and it pledgee itself to use its best endea-
vours to bring about a general amalgamation of the various
coal districts of the kingdom." He said at the first meet-
ins, after his own neighbourhood had been formed into a
district osioo, the advantages of theprinciple were strikingly
demonstrated, for 591. was subscribed during the
first fortnight, and 1391. during the next fort-
sight, and the union now numbered • over 3,000
members. What they now principally required was the
system of having their coals weighed by their own weighers ;
a restriction of labour to eight hours per day ; and abetter
system of inspection. Mr. John Holmes, of Methley,
advocated social improvement on the pert of the working
miners. He recommended every collier to ester himself
upon the accident fund in connection with bis mine, and
to support the union consistently and continuously, sod be
advised the men to co-operate, so as to endeavour to obtain
collieries of their own. Mr. William Brown, of Hunslet,
seconded the resolution proposed by Mr. Halliday, and on
its being peaesCunaalassoaly, the meeting came to • close.

CONFERENCE OF PUDDLERR. —A conference of
delegates representing the principal iron district" of the
kingdom was opened at Gateshead on Monday morning.
There were delegates present from the following places :
Northumberland—Walker, Bedlingtoe ; Durham—East
Jarrow, Gateshead, Fem. Houses, Cement, Darlington,
kleakwearmouth, Stockton, Witten Park, Springy/nor,
New Jarrow, Blackbill; Scotland--Glaegow, Momead ;
Yerkshire—Middlestiro', Parkgate, Mastro, Mtltoe, and
Elsecar, Leeds, Sheffield ; Staffordshire—Hanley ••
Wiltehire—New Swindon. The delegates expected
from Wales did not arrive. Mr. John Marshall,
delegate from Leeds, was appointed chairman. In
opening the proceedings be said that the iron trade was
now in a very flourishieg state, and those commuted with it
never bad a better opportunity presented to them of better-
ing their condition. Reports were then made by the
several delegates as to the state of the various localities
which they represented, the prime paid per ton to the
paddlers, Rod • comparison instituted between it and that
paid in other localiWs, the number amen in the union, ha.
A few delegates deprecated any steps which would have a
tendency to provoke • general strike in the trade, and ex-
pressed their opinion that the Crewe strike had not been
' managed as they should have liked. The whole of the day
was occupied in the reception of the reports, to be discussed
on a future day. The chairman stated that they were only
in their infancy in Leeds so far as regarded unionism, the
first meeting for establishing a union having been so recently
held as the 24th October last. There were seven branches
belonging to the Leeds district. They were mostly small
weeks, and with three exceptions the iron they manufac-
tured did not go to the market. It consisted principally
of plate iron, manufactured in the Yorkshire fashion. The
men he represented complained of many grievances, which
ha should ley before the coefenence on a future day. The
amber of union men in his district was 318. every puddler
to a men being emulated with the association. The mill
meo, however, bad not jollied. He was surprised at that,
as the mill moo could not do without the puddler', "as
them's the men that feeds the ravens." Other delegate*
I barn( addressed the meeting the conference adjourned
I until the Whoring serous at sae.