The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

THE SAILORS' STRIKE.

Captain Beeches, 1t .N., arrived at Hull on
Friday night, and a public notice, signed by the mayor
(Mr. I'. W. Palmer), was posted in the town, inti-
mating that he would meet the seamen at the Town-
hall on Saturday morning, for the purpose of hearing any
complaints as to the working of the Mercantile Marine Act.
As, however, it was notified that all who attended would be
tailed on to produce their register tickets before being ad-
mitted, the Mariners' Committee, acting on the part of the
no n, rejected the conference on this footing, but stated that
they had no objection to meet Captain Beechey in another
place. Accordingly, at noon, about 600 men attended at the
Victoria-rounis, Queen-street, and Captain Beechy referred
the men loth* reply east by the Board of Trade to the end-
derland memorial as a sufficient answer to an exactly similar
memorial about to be sent from this port. With reference
to the shipping offices, he reminded the meeting that the
crews of vessels were not compelled to have their agree-
ments drawn out at these offices under the new system; it
was only necessary that they should be recorded before the
shipping master, who would overlook the articles to see that
the men were not entrapped into a disadvantageous bargain,
or into one the particulars of which were unknown to them,
as was too frequently the case. Commenting on the advan-
tage which would result to the men from the power vested in
the shipping master to settle alt disputes between the master
and crew, Captain Beechey observed that this did not de-
prive the seaman of the privilege of incurring expense by
submitting his claim to a justice of the peace. He repeated
that the shipping-offices were instituted solely to protect the
seamen from impositions of various kinds, and be expressed
the hope that he had succeeded in removing the ohjectiona
of those present. 'lbis observation, however, was met by
cries of " No, no," and Captain lleechey's further reply to
various objections urged by members of the committee
failed to produce any sensible impression. The secretary
(Christie) said, in answer to a peace-making remark from the
mayor, that he would rather go over to Liverpool, and work
his way to the United States, there to remain, than cease
from the present agitation. He denied that it was a strike,
either in regard to the obnoxious legislation affecting seamen,
or to the question of wages. The meeting loudly applauded
this sentiment, and there was evidently, at the termination
of the proceedings, but little advance made towards a settle-
ment of the existing differences. The committee at Hull,
as at other ports, have collected the register tickets from all
the seamen who have struck, and who have attended their
various meetitecs, and as without these, of course, no sailor
can sign articles, the owners are deprived of almost any
chalice of obtaining crews. Under this system, the shipping-
' office here has become next to a dead letter.

One of the largest in-door meetings held (hiring the agita-
tion took place in Sunderland on Friday. It was convened
by the mayor, in compliance with a requisition presented to
ham by the sailors. The building, the largest in the town,
was crammed, and the avenues hailing to it were also tilled
with sailors. The following motion was submitted for the
consideration of the seamen:
" That the Board of Trade having emphatically declared
that thee cannot repeal the provisions of the Mercantile
Marine Act, which affects our body, nor ran any body except
parliament do so; looking, therefore, to the time which
must necessarily elapse before a bill for a repeal of the said
act can be introduced to and passed through both houses of
parliament, this meeting is of opinion that the strike should
be suspended for the present, and that in the meantime
work ought to be resumed, and every effort made, by me-
morial and otherwise, to obtains repeal of the objectionable
clauses of the act. That in coming to this conclusion the
meeting is of opinion that there has been no cause to regret
the strike, but, on the contrary, it is a nutter of great sans-
fat ion that one part of our object has been achieved—viz.,
an important advance of wages."
This motion was violently opposed by two delegates, and,
amid much noise and confusion, was put from the chair and
last, and an amendment, that the strike continue, carried.
The Mayor, after the amendment was carried, strongly
remonstrated with the seamen on the folly of their conduct.
Mr. 'Williams, a town-councillor, in a very able speech,
showed many of the advantages of the Mercantile Marine
Act, and urged upon the men to reconsider the subject, and
go to sea at MICC.
The South Shields Shipowners' Society, representing the
whole of the insurance clubs of the town, has lust issued the
following notice :
"At a meeting of the Shipowners' Society, held at their
office this 15th day of February, 1851, for the purpose of
taking into (.omM...ration the present great detention of
shipping in this port occasioned by the strike of seamen, and
to suggest measures to protect such seamen as are disposed
to engage themselves to ships, Thomas Forsyth, Esq., in
tha chair, a copy of the resolution passed at a meeting of
seamen yesterday having been laid before the meeting, it
was MO-heti unanimously—
" That although this society agree with the seamen in
opposing some of the clauses of the Mercantile Marine Act,
and when the consolidated hill comes before the House of
Commons will probably petition against the objectionable
clauses, yet this society cannot allow their shipping property
to remain unemployed; and, therefore, if the seamen persist
in refusing to go to sea, the shipowners most, however
reluctantly, procure men from other places, and apply to the
authorities to protect them from either insult or injury.'
That this resolution be signed by the chairman,
printed, and published in the town and neighbourhood.
" THOMAS FORSYTH, Chairman.
" South Shields, Feb. 15."
The determination of the Mayor of Sunderland, and the
notice issued by the South Shields Shipowners' Society, will
have a considemle effect in bringing the men to terms.
A deputation of seamen, representing Sunderland, Shields,
and the neighbouring ports, lett London on Saturday,
to wait upon and represent their grievances to the Board of
Trade. It is expected that if they receive a favourable
answer from the government, the strike will cease.
Two foreigners were " tarred and feathered" at North
Shields on Saturday morning. They had come across from
Sunderland to a foreign vessel in the Tyne, and had been
overhauled by a company of " watchers ' who are kept on
the look-out by the men on strike. The foreigners being
unable to give a good account of themselves, were followed
without the precincts of the borough. One of them was
caught near some coal stsiths at Ilayhole, besmeared with
coal tar, and afterwards dusted with chaff from an old beds
tick. The other man, after a chase, was caught in the vil-
, lage of Bowdon, and met a similar fate, amid the yells and
1 derision of a mob of women.