The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-31 00:00:00

that they had given rise to the worst feelings between the
employers and the employed, and had conferred no advan-
tage on either—(hear, hear) ; and ho insisted, therefore, on
the conditions agreed to by Mr. Platt being accepted. Ho
said further that If Mr. Platt refused at present to fulfil
that egreement, it still remained a question between him
and has workmen ; they were determined not to be dragged
into the dispute, and as regarded the men whom it was
formerly naught to remove, considering that those men had
been employed with themselves for years, they had a greater
disposition to make common cause with them than to insist
u e
thought hpon their bein e
had g
_th
showwronn,d t ihen,pole uthat,n thso far ase worldthe (
AmaCheers.x*)
H-
, mated Society were concerned, the question of the machines
had nothing to do with their present request to their em-
ployers. And he was sure every one present would believe
him, when he mid they had no intention to equalise wages.
Why, it was preposterous to suppose that one of the highest
F.M trades in existence could adopt the doctrine of the
equalisation of wages; a doctrine which would tend
W bring down their wages to a level with those of the agri-
mitural labourer. What they required was a fair
opportunity for every man, as far as was practicable, to ex-
' ereise his powers of labour. They knew that labour was an
attribute of their nature, on which they depended
for their subsistence and support—(hear, hear)—they
knew how much depended upon it in their homes and
families; and they were desirous of making it less precari-
ous and more continuous than it was at present, and of im-
proving the condition of their trade by the regulating the
work to be done. They were told that they were identified
with Louis Blanc and the communists. (Laughter.) Yes,
those who knew the constitution of the society might laugh,
hat it was no laughing matter in relation to the public.
The Times had iatimated that there was such a con-
nexion. Ile dill not believe that a single member of the
council ever spoke to Louis Blanc ; he was sure he had
never done so, and, having read a small book published by
him, he must say that he did not know what it
was that was advocated. If they happened to
hold any principles in common with others, that was not
their fault ; they did not advocate their views because Louis
Blanc ,might
.have done so, but because conference had
taught them that some changes were requisite to elevate
their social position. (Hear, hear.) Let any employer or
editor of a newspaper look over their rules, and lie would
find that there was nothing in them connected with politics;
there was no social party; no religious sect; politics were
not allowed to be discussed. (Hear, hear.) They were
12,000 men banded together for the purpose of charity
and providence. They were a reflex of the OpinlOß of the
country. They had amongst the 12,000 of whom their
society was composed, men professing conservative and
chartist and social principles—men who advocated what were
called extreme free trade principles, and men who advo-
cated protection. Was it not preposterous then to suppose
that in a society composed of so many different elements
they entertained the sentiments attributed to them ? What
was it, then, they wished ? The Times said that if the
masters combined, the men might combine, and that work-
men had a right to conspire if employers had the right to
conspire. (Hear, hear.) The object they had in view was
a just one then, and the only question was as to their
policy. Aud if they could only convince the public and the
press that what they asked for was only what was necessary
and desirable, and that they did not seek to disturb society,
or to throw themselves out of employment, but that they
merely wished to have an opportunity Of obtaining thaw
advantages which they were fully entitled to, they would
effect a great deal. '1 hey asked far the abolition of over-
time. Now what was the meaning of overtime ? Over-
time meant time over and above six days work in the week.
(Hear, hear.) Six days was the proper time for a working
man to labour, and in six days the labouring man could
earn enough to keep himself and family. (Hear, hear.)
They did not ask for a reduction in the hours of labour in
the week, which amounted to ldj hours. Everything over
this number of hours was over work. This system
of over work was the cause of much physical,
moral, intellectual, and social evil, and this it was which
they desired to abolish, and not the regular hours of weekly
labour. (Hear.) This question of overwork was not ono
which was raised to-day, or yesterday, but one which was
agitated in the trade for the last 15 years. In 1836 men
elder than he was remembered that the same question was
discussed in this metropolis at that time. At that time it
was agreed that for the first two hours after the completion
of the day the men should be paid for nue hour and a
quarter for every hour, and from 8 o'clock in the evening
until 6 in the morning one hour and a half for every hour.
This was the effect of a compromise between the employers
and the men at that time. In 1846 their attention was
seriously drawn to this subject, by means of an essay pub-
lished by a medical man of Manchester, in which the
physical evils consequent on working so many hours—from
6 in the morning to 8 and 10 and 12 o'clock at night—were
pointed out. (Hear.) Many of them must be aware that
men worked from 4 o'clock in the morning till 8 at night,
and from 6 o'clock in the morning till 10 at night. (Hear.)
The physical evils consequent on such excessive labour
must he evident to all. (Hear, hear.) If men wi.hed
to do serviceable duty they would work the regular
time, but he defied any man to work front
6 in the morning tilll 10 at night, and do jus-
tice to his employers. (Hear, hear.) Men could nut pre-
serve their health, and at the same time undergo so much
labour. Investigate the question in whatever phase they
would, it was still a bad one. The moral effect of over-
time was more dangerous than the physical. In 1848 and
1849—those years of distress and famine in this country and
in Ireland—when the society had one-fifth of the entire of
its members out of employment, this system had a most
deleterious effect on the body of the trade. At that time
the society consisted of between 6,000 and 7,000 member',
and 1,500 were out of employment. (Hear, hear.) These
men could get nothing to do, and they resorted to the pub-
lie houses to order to drive away care and sorrow, and to
mu away that time which they could not otherwise employ.
They could not bear to meet the squalling misery which
met them at home, and thus they became despised, de-
graded, and dissipated. (Hear, hear.) And thong!, they
were said to be an intelligent trade, lie regretted that there
were too many amongst them ignorant and uneducated,
and for the reason that they had not the opportunity of ac-
quiring knowledge. (Hear, hear.) Physically, morally,
and intellectually this system of over-time was injurious to
them. (Hear. hear.) If men were obliged to work from
six o'clock till eight and ten at night, bow was it possible
lfor them to gratify their intellect at the mechanics' insti-
tutes (Hear. hear.) He knew that a mutual instruction
clams had been established in Greenwich, the objtet of
which was to discuss ,questions connected with the trade,
and to make men skilled workmen and good members of
society; hut that society failed in a few weeks,
because the system of overtime was commenced. (Hear,
hear.) Men were compelled to work overtime. (Hear,
hear.) Ile said " compelled " to work, and ho main-
tained, in spite of what the masters said, that they were
compelled to work overtime whether they liked it or not.
(Hear, hear.) Ile recommended them to read a little book
written by Mr. Sidney Smith, called the " Mother
Country," wherein the condition of ignorance in which the
working classes were kept was described, and the disgrace
to the country of allowing such a state of things denounced.
Were they, then, to be blamed for seeking • remedy for
such a state of things, or, rather, was it not their duty to
seek for one ? (Hear, hear.) He hoped, at all events, that
Mr. Sidney Smith would not oppose them in their endea-
vours to shorten the hours of labour, which was the only
means by which they could avail themselves of mu-
tual instruction classes and mechanics' institutes, and
without which they could not possibly take ad-
vantage of them. (Hear.) At the meeting of employers,
Mr. .1. S. Russell said that " tho address of the executive
council was craftily qualified to catch simple humanity-
mongers." Well, if they did appeal to humane feelings,
he dad not see much that was wrong, or much of what they
should be ashamed of in that. (Hear, hear.) They did
not intend to appeal to the commercial spirit of the em-
ployers—that calculating spirit which knew no knowledge
but that of the ledger. (Hear, hear.) But if by appealing
to the common feelings of humanity, and to those general
sympathies which pervaded all men, they thought they
would interest others in the misery inflicted upon them,
and the wrongs they suffered, and thereby to elevate their
condition without doing injury to others, ho thought it was
only the more honourable to them as a class—that it was
more honourable to the twelve thousand workmen of this
society. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Russell said further, " that
this pretest was a hypocritical one, and that
so far from overtime being considered oppressive, the men
regarded it as a privilege ; that to his certain knowledge
the leaders in this strife were the greatest voluntary over-
time workers, and that every man was ate,ierfect liberty to
refuse overtime work if he desired." He Mr. Newteo) de-
flied that. (Hear, hear.) He maintain that the work-
men were forcibly compelled to work overtime, for • man
was not able to refuse. (Hear, hear.) If he did be was
punished—he was discharged. (Hear, hear.) A man was
either obliged to work overtime, to undergo labour
that was too excessive, or he was seat to starve.
(Loud cheers.) Was that fair competition? He was
compelled to work overtime, or he was thrown out of
work altogether, and he and his family were left to starve.
(" That is true.") Aye, that it was true, and hundreds here
knew it to be a fact. (Loud cheers.) Well, then, when oar
man maw his fellow-workman discharged for refusing over-
time work, and when the alternative was proposed to him-
self, he had either to submit to excessive labour, and to
have his health injured, or to be discharged. There was
an more hesitation than this. (Hear.) And the men had
game to the conclusion that this thing must be resisted.
(am, Men) They knew that it was in vain for individual
mess to nisei, for it was certain ruin, bat as a body they
hod come to this conclusion; and, indeed, it one which
they had come to fifteen years ago. (Cheers.) If Mr.
Rummell had sufficient influence with the rest of the em-
ployers to ensure that the men would not be forced to work
overtime, that they would not be discharged for refusing,
they (the men) would ask no more with regard to
overtime. (Hear, hear) They desired, after performing
six days labour, to have some little time left for enjoyment.
This was the ground on which they advocated the abolition
of overtime. (Cheers.) With regard to piece work the
public in general considered that their case was less just
than in that of overtime, because they had the notion that
piece work meant that every man should make the best use
of his industry and abilities. lie granted that, and no honest
workman had any objection to it. (Hear, hear.) They
did not object to piece work, but to the abuse of it.
(Hear, hear.) If it was carried out in the format an agree-
ment and contract, the same as between the employers and
their customers, no person would advocate it more than he.
Bat that was not the nature of the piece work with which
they had to deal. It was this: The workman is brought a
phis of rude materiel, with a design, and he is told " Do
that Ist 21." If he saye " I cannot do it for 24., my
NSW ywee*=OM," he is told, " Do lit or leave, I shall
Ineefinneeill Men" (Hear, hear.) There were 100 there
, Win ineenn remind to that assertion. (Cheers.) He would
ask a dlosenedng public, and any disinterested body of moo,
wbeggistinsh a system was anything like a fair connect be-
tween Ilbb genies, or was it the way that a contract should

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