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

STRIKES.

THE LIGHTERMEN.—The dispute between the
muter send journeymen ►ightermen has at ►enth termi-
nated, the journeymen, to a certain client, gaining their
demand, namely, be. for Sunday's work, the previous pay
meet having been only 2s. 6d., and 3s. 6d. for nightwoik,
Wag Is. more than they obtained up to the strike. The
anal settlement of the question was somewhat delayed in
consequence of the masters positively refusing to concede
6s. per day to jobbers and 4s. for nightwork. The men,
however, ultimately oonsented to forego that part of their
demand, and yesterday the commercial traffic of the port of
London was resumed.

CARPENTEIM—The whole of the men in the em-
ploy of Higgins, of Stangate, at work at Marlborough
House, St. James's Palace, the Hone Guards, Somerset
House, the new Rolls-office, Chancerylane, have struck
work, in consequence of their demand fur an advance of
6d. per day not having been complied with.

THE BRICKLAYEIIB.—The men in the employ of
Myers and of Lucas are still on strike. On Wednesday
Light an aggregate meeting of the trade was held in the
Druids' Hall, Skinner-street, Snow-hill, at which it was
unanimously resolved to supp3rt all strikes in the metropo-
lis until the advance of 6d. per day was permanently re•
cognised.

STRIKE OP THE SKEIN DYERS.—WhiIe the dis-
pute between the operative fustian dyers and finishes and
shish' employers still remains as it has been for weeks,
there has been a movement among the skein dyers—
another branch of the same trade—for an advance of wages.
The skein dyers are not so numerous a body as that which
has bees se many weeks on strike, and the number of em-
ployers is equally small in proportion. The statement of
the men themselves is that their wages ranged from 16s. to
18s. per week ; that they demand an uniform rate of 20s.
' (being a rise of 2.1., 35., or 45., according to the rate of wages
in the differeat establishments); and that they stave• week's
notice of the advance, failing concession to which they
would not resume work. On Saturday several firms agreed
to give the advance sought, and their men have since re-
turned to work. Some seven firms bad not, up to yester-
, day (Tuesday), conceded the demand, but there was a ge-
neral expectation on the part of the operatives that an
amicable arrangement of differences would be effected, in
which case the 130 men still out will be again at work to-
day or to morrow. In addition to the question of an ad-
vance of wages, the que,tion of " overtime" has been under
disouesion. Up to this time, according to the statement of
the operatives, 10 hours' overtime has been reckoned equal
to an entire day and been paid accordingly. By the ar-
,
' raagement effected this week with the hands who have re-
sumed work, eight hours overtime will now be paid with
one day's wages. At Radcliffe some 300 or 400 skein dyers
had also given notice for an advance to 195. per week. The
majority of the masters having agreed to the advance, a
large proportion of the men have resumed work. The re-
mainder, the men are confident, will also concede it, in
which case the strike will be at an encl.—Manchester
Guardia*.

THE SHOEMAKERS' STRIKE AT SHREWSBURY.—
At the magistrates' court on Tuesday a number of informa-
tions, taken out by Mr. Haunter against certain journey-
men shoemakers, for threatening and intimid►tiong other
workmen who did net belong to the " club," were heard.
In the case of two of the defendants (William Spur and
Michael Divine) the magistrates consiuered the charge
proved, and sentenced them severally to seven days' impri-
sonment. The other defendants, four in number, were dis-
charged. Mr. Hakes, of Manchester, who appeared for
the defendant', appealed against the conviction, and the
parties were released on bail. The informations were
supported by Mr. Smallwood —F.ddosese's Journal.
ANOTHER STRIKE OF THE WIGAN COLLIERS.—
The colliers at Wigan have given notice of a strike on the
14th inst., unless their wages are advanced 16 per cent.
They have already received three advances since Christmas,
making a total rise of 45 per cent. ; and the masters are
resolved this time to make a stand. The largest contracts
of the coal owners at Wigan are with the large gas works
at Manchester and Liverpool, who have promised to give
them every indulgence daring the struggle should the men
turn out. A meeting of the masters, including the Earl of
Balcarras, the Inca Ball Coal Company, and others, was
expected to take place yesterday, to consider the steps ne-
cessary to be taken for defence. The turn out of the trades
has been regarded by many, so far, as something like the
wisdom of the monkeys at the roundhouse in the Zoologi-
cal Gardens, who each seised his next-door neighbour's
pan of food at breakfast, and, without perceiving that
nothing was gained by the theft, since each but got his pan-
ful after all. It has been said, " If the trades whose wages are
most depressed succeeded in raising themselves, it would be a
happy result of good trade ; but if every trade makes a su uggle
and gets 10 per cent. advance, and their produce is raised
in proportion, and ever, man's bread and butter, and shoes
and clothes, and everything else, is 10 per cent. dearer,
what is all this struggling, turmoil, and vexation for ? "
But the colliers are not making a mere 10 per cent. of it.
Unquestionably, if they get an advance of 15 per cent.
more, making in all a total et 60, they will be compara-
tively well off. There is great empathy abroad with these
portions of the struggling maw, and many secret wishes
that they may succeed; but by aid bye there will be
more need for sympathy with other chew—those work-
people in trades overstocked, or which have decayed or are
decaying, who have no hope of any advance, and whose
wages, by the general advance in price which is resulting
from strikes, will be further deteriorated.