The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-13 00:00:00

THE COLLIERS STRIKE.

The following letter has appeared in the Bir-
mingham Datly Port To the Editor.—Sir, Will you
pleas. oblige the public al Birmingham and the miners in
the black country generally, by ironing the foliowing par-
ticulars :—lt in well known to the country that the miners
of South Staffordshire and Feet Woroesterithire have been
on strike fourteen weeks, for what? Why, bemuse the
masters gave notice to reduce the wages sixpence per day.
The misers, considering there was no will foe a reduction,
refused to submit to • reduction, and hence the consequence
—fourteen weeks' strike. Oa Tuesday morning last, •
telegraph message
wee seat to Yr. Burton, the super-
intedent of the Dudley police force, from the Bight
Hog. Lord Leigh, of Stonaleigh Abbey, ',gaieties • &-
palatial of the men from the various districts to meet
him at the Dudley Arms Hotel, Dudley. to inquire into
their grievances, and if persible to nes hie good service@ to
settle the diemna Armediogly, Hsary Bishop, John Chap-
man, George Corbett, Levi Brittsin, and John 'kettle, met
hie kirdahip at the Dudley Anna Hotel on Tuesday kg* sad
after h • the men's aggrievances, said he would wider-
take to gee Yr. Frederick Smith, the agent of the Earl of
Dudley, to try to settle the disputa Th•depulatkm above
mainland, accompanied by Thomas Griffiths, of Welt Brom-
wich, and Thomas Kimberley, of Oidbury, armxithani.hia
lordship an Wednesday at twelve o'clock, at • •
who forthwith speed to see Kr. Smith that mme afternoon,
and to meet the demnatioa at the Dudley Anse DA six
o'clock the same evening. Three of the earthing,. met him,
god it was agreed to meet this day (Thursday), by • querter
peat eleven, at the Hen sad Chickens Hotel, Birmingham, to
try to brim the strike to a ckne. Aacordiogly the deputa-
tion, assisting of seven pistons mentioned above, met hie
lordship again, and after promiseeg to his lordship that
they would one their Mame with the men to go in at the
prices the masters want to give for • fortnight, or arm-
moony till the Ent of November, and then to ooramence at
the ss. per day. But, so, geetlemen, the mantas will con-
, seat to nothing but the reduotioo, so that we must submit
to whatever our masters require, however unjust. Well,
we cannot althea to • reduction ; and because we will
Dot submit to • reduction we are called fools, but
there aro too sorts of fools natural tools and
self-made fools ; but, though fools, we are not to be
bought with money, as the present ow will show. After
his lordship's interview with the meters he Gelled George
Corbett in • private room to try Se persuade him to eightithz
meninto wort. Failing to do so, he next called
Griffiths in, and tries all lama:* with him, but failing
to Ina him over, as • last resource his lordship offers a
tee-pond note to the his isthmus' to get the men into
work, or not to stop his lordship from thing his idiom*,
'to get them in. Such, ',atlantic, is the end of the inter-
view with Lord Leigh. Bat still we may say that ha
lordship promised to do what be could to stop public,
sympathy towards us. That may be so. The miners have
suffered, and at. prepared to suffer, end, whatever may be
the Oleo., they are detersithed to resist, (nee to the
death. Hoping an enlightened public will ere through the
same laid to entrap us, and judge of the price of coal now
sad twelve months ago to see who is right or wren.—
Thome Griffiths, George Corbett, Henry Bishop, Thomas
Kimberley, Janice Chapman, Levi Bantam, John Brett's.
—Birmingham. Oct. 6, 1664."

Another large meeting of colliers was held at Cowsley
yesterday, without any other result than to confirm the
resolve of the misers to continua on strike. It was stated
at the meeting that the locomotive drivers who bring coal to
the district from Lancashire, North Wales, Derbyshire, and
other places, ars about to strike, with the potion of helping
the Staffordshire miners to a victory. The ennounoemsat
we received with greet applause, but it. oorreciams is
questioned in the district.
Mr. Tomlinson, sergeant of polka, has arrested a man
the chief of the mob who committed early oe Monday morn.
log the dastardly outrage of blowing up a house at Lower
Gomel, with the intention of injuring the inmates. Coo-
siderable interest was shown by the miners on strike when
the apprchensioa became known, and some followed him,
he protesting his innocence to those around him. This
man's real name is Thomas Marsh, but he ia only knows as
" Thomas Pea." He is a miner, residing at (30(0111 Wood,
only a short way from the house of Joseph Roberta. Marsh
has been on strike ever since the unhappy straggle between
the masters and men began, and he has acted somewhat pro-
mineutly in the demonstrations of the meet. He will be
brought before the Sodality magistrates to-morrow (Friday)
morning.

fixos.pro to • Mr m —At the Rotherham Court-
house on Mooday, hsdore Mr. T. B. Boreal. mid other magi*.
testae, Barcuel Pearce was summooed for a breaohof oolbetry
rules. The informatioo had been taken out by the pro-
priston of the Holmes Colliery, near Rotherham, is whose
service the defendant Lad been as • miner. Os Tuesday
monism week the underviewer noticed a Maoris smell of
tobacco to the working when the dalmatian was engaged,
sad he admitted, wheo charged, that he had been smoking.
The &filmdom% pleaded guilty, and the beach, after pWateem
out to the defendant the dangerous premium of =okras is
' miose, committed hint for owe month with hard labour.
Gunny NOWTHIRN RAILWAY. The directors
have aompted the Mader it Mews. Smith, Knight, and
Co. (Limited), for the Doncaster and Gaimborough Bates-
Moo, sad the improvement of the loop line. This company
I. at gement engaged ups the DOIDOWW, and Wakefield
hoc The °outrage for the Limeade and Boniegloo breach
was let to Messrs. Kirk sad Parry, who are emoting addi-
tional sheds for the commay at ite Doomater weeks. The
lesgth of the Dosimeter and Oaliaborough line in shoot
lag miles, the improvements to he esectited on the loop line
extend over • distance of shoot 14 aides, and the leach of
the Liaosha mid lioniogion Lae Is gent lag masa.