The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 7, 1853.

to a mere serf? I am quite sure, from actual
obeitvation, that the most excited spirits on bOth
aides see nothing between these alternatives. The
masters will consent to no mediation between them
and their men, and the operatives have a Arm persua-
sion that they can do no good without plating their
destinies unreservedly in the bands of a committee.
Each party is thus bound band and foot, and until one
or °that recede from this position mediation is impos-
sible. Nevertheless there is a general feeling in the
county generally, and in Preston in particular, that
it is incumbent on both parties to make
this step. Sympathy is divided between the
masters and the men, although I am bound
to say that the latter have in general the
greater share. The masters are pitied because " fo-
reigners," as they are called—men from other mills
or other towns—come in to interdict all settlement

of a dispute between them and their men. The men
receive a large portion of public sympathy, as thou-
sands of them have been " locked out" of mills where
they have been working, solely because their masters
have given up their own freedom of action, and bound
themselves in a bond of five thousand pounds to obey
the dictates of the " Masters' Association." There is
a feeling almost universal that if both parties would
recede a little from their extreme position, and admit
the mediation of some external tribunal, freed from
all possible imputation of having a personal interest
in the decision, something might be done.

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i
If something of this sort s not done, the evils to
which I have drawn attention must happen, and
worse will follow. At present Preston has been pre-
served from actual violence, but every sensible inha-
bitant is aware that he sleeps on the edge of a vol-
cano. A spark might cause the mass of inflammable
materials to explode. I may add, in conclusion, that
public expectation here is anxiously directed to Wed-
nesday next, the 9th inst., when the bond of the
mutters expires. There is a slight hope that some
of them will refuse to renew it, and that such a re-
fusal may operate on their colleagues in • manner
calculated to initiate conciliatory measures.

(mom OCR LOCAL

At Wigan, Burnley, Bacup, Padibans, Newchureh, and
Bury, no progress has been made towards • reconciliation
between masters and men, whilst at Bury the ;preach is in
danger of being widened, and the strike threatens to extend
to other districts. At Bury 15 firms have now given notice
that they will close on the 10th lust., the object being to cut
off the support those in work there are giving to those on
strike. The masters at Glossop have given notice that they
will withdraw the 10 per cent. recently advanced to their
workpeople, in consequence of the now much depressed

. .
state of the market, and a turn-out may be expected in that
place, where some of the largest mills in the disttiet exist,
Two of the routers there employ between 2,000 and 3,000
operatives.
At Manchester and Royton two of the strikes have
terminated adversely to the operatives. At Royton
the fustian weavers in four large mills, who have
►een eight weeks on strike, have now resumed their
employment. The leaders of the fustian dyers
at Manchester called a meeting of the operatives on strike.
a few days ago, and announced to them that they had no
longer any funds. A struggle of 17 weeks has exhausted
all public sympathy, and with the funds have vanished the
hopes of the leaden of the movement ; and the great body
of the men, impoverished and broken-spirited, have in vain
been offering themselves to their old masters at the cld
prices. There were 1,600 on strike, and the places of 1,200
have been supplied with new bands, so that the greater
portion of them have no situations to go to, even could the
muters at once consent to forget and forgive all that has
passed. " There will remain, then," says the Manchester
Guardins, "sense 1,200 of the turn-outs, dressers, dyets,
and finishers, who are ezcleded,—we are obliged to
add, by the consequences of their own acts,—from
the only employment to which they have been
accustomed, and who have now the dreary prospect Defers
them of a coming winter, against whose approach they are
utterly helpless—without work, without food, or any honest

. .
means of gettiog it, and themselves and their families al-
ready in a state of great suffering and privation. Oh! that
these sad consequences, which we have had so often to pre-
dict at the commencement, so often to record at the close of

strikes, would but impress themselves on the convictions of
the great body of the working clines when stimulated by
designing and mercenary agitators to abandon their em-
ployment. Then would the strike of the fustian dyers, so
full of folly in its origin, so replete with wretchedness and
misery in its duration and subsequent results, be prods..
tive of some moral and social good. If it would only serve
as a beacon light to warn thoughtless thousands of the ship-
wreck they may make, even this strike might yet be produc-
tive of more social good than evil."

LADY FRA.NKLIN'S EXPLORING EXPE-
DITION.

Accounts from Valparaiso announce the arrival
there of the screw schooner Isabel, sent out many months
since, by way of the 'traits of Magellan, on an exploring
expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. A disagree-
ment among the officers had led to an abandonment of the
whole expedition. The details are given in the following
extracts (rem the Valparaiso Herald of September 14
Upon he r arrival, in eonseneenoe of a disagreement between
Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Robert Grate, sailing-master, the
latter left the vessel. Then difficulties arose with the craw,
who refused to proceed further in the vessel. An appeal
I was made by Mi. Kennedy to Mr. Wiley, KN., of the
Nene', the result of which widened the breach instead of
producing any good eff-ct, not from anything doe, by Mr.
M'Kay, who acted throughout the affair in the most gen-
tlemanly manner, but from Mr. Kennedy having called on
a naval officer while there was armed En the port. The
men were taken on shore to the consul en Saturday, Aug.
27, and he said that it was a very unpleassat thing for him
to interfere between the parties,embarked as they were upon
such a glorious service as the rescue of their fellow-
countrymen from death. Ile advised them to go on board
and reconsider the subject, and trested that they would
then see the true state of affairs, and that any unpleasant-
ness that had occurred should be forgotten, and that the
motto of all embarked on such an expedition should be
mutually to bear and forbear. Ile then told the men they
were to appear before him again on Monday, at 2 pm. ; but
Mr. Kennedy went on shore on Thursday morning, and, by
application to the captain of the port, got the men sent to
prison, so that the affair was now fairly out of the hands
of the consul. A new crew was now pertly engaged, and
the repairs of the wad proceeded with ; but new difficul.
tin now arose, which finally terminated in the engineer
leaving the vessel. Mr. Kennedy now seeing that hie path
became more and more rugged, determined not to proceed
any further, so that, for the present, the expedition is
abandoned, which, on the whole, is fortunate for Lady
Franklin, as, from the advanced period of the season, it
would have bees impossible to reach the Ice this season in
time to render any service ; so that the saving of wages
and provisions will be a considerable item between this and
next March, when it is to be hoped that the vessel will be
despatched to aid in the good work before her."

THE FRAUDS UPON THE LIVERPOOL CORPORA-
TION.—WiIIiam Rawson (contractor) and William Clarke
(clerk), whose cuss were remanded on the 29th ult., were
again brought before the magistrates at the Liverpool
Police Court, on Saturday, and after a lengthened exami-
tion were committed fur trial at the assizes. They were
admitted to bail—Rowan in 1,0001. and two sureties in
6001. each, and Clarke is 5001. and two sureties in 2601.
each.

SIIIPWRIGITTS' NATIONAL EMIGRATION AND CO-
LONISATION SOCILTY.—Some weeks since a meeting was
held for the purpose of forming a branch of the above
society, which was instituted at Woolwich, in Devonport.
At that meeting the objects of the society were explained,
and a committee appointed to correspond with the head
quarters, to obtain • copy of the rules of the society, and to
make such preliminary. arrangements as might be deemed
necessary for the organisation of a branch amongst the ship-
wrights in the Imality. Since that period repeated com-
munications have been going on, and on Wednesday night
last, those who had intimated their intention to become
shareholders, and those friendly to the project, were iavited
to attend a meeting at Heydon's Public Rooms, Fore-street,
fir the
i purpose of electing the officers of the branch and for
other businessn connection wish its permanent formation.
Mr. P. Record, formerly a shipwright in R.M. dockyard,
presided. It was reported that between three and four
hundred of the shipwrights of the government yard had
already became shareholders of the society, and that some
of the men employed in private yards had also become mem-
bers. The branch was formed, and measures taken for its
efficient working. It is intended to purchase and charter
ships and to facilitate the emigration of shipwrights.

_ .
TIM BOILER EXPLOSION AT BLACKBURN.—OR
Saturday, Mr. ktugreave commenced an inquest over the
bodies of the seven sufferers by the boiler explosion at Mr.
W. Hesketh's weaving-shed, on Wednesday last, namely,
Edward Sharpies, engine tenter. aged 53; Thomas Shar-
pies, weaver, his son; Thomas Bretherton, loomer. 36;
James Howarth, fire beater, 27; James Claim weaver, 43 ;
William Bono, painter, 47; Robert Robinson aged live
months. Several others are not expected to recover. A
considerable number of witnesses were examined, but their
evidence related principally to the finding and identification
of the bodies. At the clone of that portion of the inquiry,
the Coroner said it appeared to him to be necessary that
they should have the opinion of some scientific man with
regard to the condition of the boiler. The jury concurred,
and it was resolved that either Mr. Fairbairn or Mr. Nal-
myth, of Manchester, should be consulted. The Coroner
than &slimmed the inquiry to Saturday next.