The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

CONTEMPLATED CLOSING OF MILLS.

PRESTON, FRIDAY.
Great excitement has been caused in this town to-
day by the placerding of thy following oddress to the fac-
tory operatives of Preston and the neighbourhood, from
the Manufaiturers' Association, anuououng their intention
to close their establishments:

"A month has now elapsed eines the associated masters
of Preston and the neighbourhood, yielding to the request
of the operatives employed in their respective mills, and
after a lull consideration of the circumstances of each par-
ticular case, agreed to give an advance upon the then rate
of wages. Notwithstanding this concession, and the wish
thereby shown on their part to settle the question in a
liberal manner, the masters regret to find that the opera-
tives have put themselves under the guidance of a
designing and irresponsible body, who, having no con-
nection with this town, nor settled position anywhere, but
living upon the earnings of the industrious operative,
interfere for their own purpose and interest with the rela-
tion between master and servant—create, where it dues not
exist, and foster and perpetuate where unhappily it dues, a
feeling of dissatisfaction and estrangement—and in a spirit
of assumption, arrogate to themselves the right to deter-
mine, and dictate to the operatives the means of enforcing
the conditions of which they shall be permitted to labour.
To this spirit of tyranny and dictation the masters can nu
longer submit, in justice either to the operatives or to
themselves; and, hence, they are reluctantly compelled to
accept the only alternate left—to close their mills, until
those cow on strike are prepared to resume their work, and
a better understanding is established between the employer
and employed. In adopting this course, they are fully
sensible of the serious evils, moral and social, which must
attend it, and which the sad experience of 1836 must pain-
fully recall to the recollection of many. Thee feel, how-
ever, that the responsibility is not theirs—it rests with
those who have recklessly created the difilculty, and forced
this decision upon them."
To this address are appended the signatures of thirty-five
firms, headed by Messrs. Horrockses, Miller, &c., the
largest concern in town, employing some five or six thou-
sand hands. Notion to quit work are already prepared for
serving upon the operatives, the intention of the manufac-
turers being to close their mills in a month from to-morrew
(Saturday). For some weeks past the operatives have pc-
tiodically held out-door meetings, preceded by processions
with music and flags. Some of these assemblies have num-
bered fully twenty thousand people. Placards have ap-
peared announcing another meeting for last night, with the
usual preliminaries(all turn-outs being requested to attend).
The magistrates issued a proclamation forbidding the pro-
jected procession, as having a direct tendency to a breach
of the peace, and the intimidation of the inhabitants. At
the meeting the speakers inveighed against the magistrates,
and expressed a want of confidence in the bench on account
of its being .‘ stuffed with cotton" (i.e., chiefly occupied
by manufacturers). Several cases of intimideloo have oc-
curred during the week, and some of the convicted of-
' linden have been sentenced to three months and others to
ail weeks' imprisonment.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT AT A SOAP MANUFACTORY
AT DEPTYORD.—Yesterday morning a frightful accident
occurred to James Welch, a soap maker of Sun-street,
Deptford, which is likely to terminate fatally. The un•
fortunate man was in the employment of Messrs. Whesn's
soapery, Deptford Creek, when he unfortunately walked on
the edge of a vat of boiling soap, and fell in head foremost.
When the unfortunate sufferer was extricated, the flesh
pealed off. He was conveyed to St. Thomas's Hospital ;
but from the severe nature of the injuries not the slightest
hopes are entertained of his recovery.
SUICIDE AT PORTLAND.—On Wednesday evening
a private belonging to the 42nd Highlanders committed
suicide by blowing out his brains with his musket. It is
reported that he had been guilty of some breach of discipline
and was consequently placed under arrest, and the dread of
the punishment which he anticipated, so powerfully wrought
upon his mind as to induce him to commit the rash act by
willed his existence was terminated. On Thursday, an in-
quest on the body was held before F. 8. Frost, Req., coro-
ner for the island, and a respectable jury, when a verdict of
foto de a• was returned.— Sher/lounge Journal.
A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, which might have been
attended with even fatal results, recently occurred to Mrs
Jones, of Pantglass. That lady was giving some orders
with regard toe building in process of erection, and her foot
(biasing to slip, she fell through the open beams of a pas-
sage-landing, and received various injuries and bruises,
though happily escaping without broken bones or com-
pound fractures. We are happy to add, that Mrs. Jones,
notwithstanding the pain and suffering entailed by the
untoward accident, is regressing favourably to conva-
lescence.

COLLIERY ACCIDENT.--A most serious colliery
accident occurred at the Tondu iron works, near Bridgend,
on Thursday last. It appears that on the morning in ques-
tion' when the workmen descended the pit, a quantity of
foul air was ignited by means of • candle. An explosive
ensued, the concussion of air caused by which tore down a
portion of the pit, while four of the colliers were burnt to
so serious an extent that the lives of all appeared to be in
jeopardy. The names of the sufferers are Llewellyn Ro-
berta, Evan John, Morgan Philip, and Hopkin David. The
first named expired on Sunday, and an inquest was held
on the body on Monday, before Mr. R. L. Reece, coroner.
The jury returned • verdict of "Accidental death."—
Swansea Herald.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT WINDERMERE. An acci-
dent, which terminated fatally, occurred on Tuesday after-
noon un Windermere. Two young gentlemen, stopping at
Waterhead with their families, one the son of Mr. Thick-
nesse, M.P. for Wigan, went on the lake in a small skiff,
and when opposite Ecclerigg Crag, from some imprudence,
the boat capsized, and both wet, drowned. After being
nearly three-quarters of an hour in the water, their bodies
wero recovered, and conveyed to Low-wood Inn, to await
the coroner's inquest.
THE CROWN LANDS IN WINDSOR.—For some
time past workmen have been employed in making a car-
riage way, of noble dimensions, from the King's-road to the
cavalry barracks, to be continued from thence to the
Clewer-road, near Clarence-crescent. The land on each
side of this road has been divided into convenient building
lots for the erection of detached and semi-dt tubed villas
The crown land traversed by the new road and the lands of
the neighbouring proprietors (Mr. Alderman Bcdborough
and Mr. Arthur V.Ansittart) will furnish sites fur hundr. As
of houses, and the probAblity is that in less than ten years,
Windsor will be more than double its present extent. It
is understood that the troduce of the laud sales on the
King's-road will be applied townrcle tho purchase and re-
moval of building' in the town, with the view of isolating
the castle, anti so enhancing the appearance of that majes-
tic structure.