The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-22 00:00:00

THE STRIKES IN THE NORTH.

The only change in the aspect of the strikes this
week is at Wigan, where on Monday morning the manu-
facturers opened their mills to such of the operatives as
were willing to return at the old wages. At Messrs.
Eckenley's about 400 workpeople went to work, and
about 200 more at Rylarad's mill. At most of the other
factories a few operative, went in, and on the whole about
1,000 of the 6,000 on strike resumed work. The trades
delegates from other towns, as well as the leaders of the
movement in Wigan, were watching the factories from 4
o'clock in the morning, and did not fail to use all the
persuasion of which they were masters, and where that
did not succeed even threats, to keep back the
operatives., or probably more would have gone to
work. The mayor of Wigan, the magistrates, sad
the police, were astir to prevent intimidatien
as much as possible, sad had to take two persons into cus-
tody. Ou Tuesday and yesterday morning similar efforts
were made to p t people going to work, but the autho-
rities do all they can to protect the operatives. Several
other persona hate had to be apprehended by the police for
ntimidating the workpeople, but they have continued
steadily at work to the present time.
The intimidation practised throughout the manufactur-
ing districts by the leaden of the strikes is loudly com-
plained of by many of the working people, and is said to be
connived at by some of the overlookers, for the parpose of en-
forcing subscriptions. The Manchester Guardian, of yester-
day, gives the following instance of the system at Bury :—On
Wednesday last, the 14th instant, a poor widow, with two
children, named Betty Walmsley, applied for relief to the
Bury board of guardians. Being asked why she had left
the mill of Mr. Mitchell, at which the handsgenerally were
working, she stated that one Saturday about six weeks ago
a young man named John Kay, working in the same shed,
came to her and demanded Sd. She said she had no money ;
he swore at her, and said she must find it ; she replied that
she bad only two looms agait, and had done no work to pay
him Bd. for. Ho again swore at her, and said he was not
going to stop there ; and that at any rate she must pay
next week. On the following Monday her eldest daughter
came and worked beside her on other two looms. During
this week, those whom she calls the ringleaders resolved
to levy 6d. per loom, " to let the Minters see they had
a large subscription." On the following Saturday morn-
ing another collector, named John Shepherd, came to her
and asked if she was going to pay. Not having money to
buy meat for herself, she determined not to pay and told
the collectors so. Kay then came to her and said, " D—n
it, we'll turn out against thee." On her return from
dinner, several of the hands jeered and laughed as she
passed, and John Kay called to the manager, whose name
is Greenhalgh, " There's one here will not pay." Green-
Italgh said, " have nothing to do with it ;" and asked
who would not pay. The poor widow, finding all else silent,
said, " I dare say it's me." Greenhalgh then said to her,
"And wilt to' not pay ?" On this, William Heap said to
him, " If you don't make her pay, or turn her off, we'll
tura out against her ;" and Kay said they would not have
her in the same shed with them tinkle she paid to the
strike. Shortly after, Greenhalgh, the manager, sent for
her and said, " I want you to pay," and she replied, " I
cannot pay. I have nothing to pay with." He rejoined,
"I'd rather you paid ;" end she added, "I will not borrow
money to pay with, sad I have not enough for myself."
She returned to her looms, and found her shuttles gone and
the weaveis laughing her to scorn. According to her
daughter, John Kay tuck two of them, and soother man
the others. The manager (Mr. Greenhalgh) passed her looms
while she was lamenting the taking away of her shuttles;
but he said nothing to those who had taken them away ;
and as she could not go on with her work, she was obliged
to leave the mill ; and, to conclude in her own words, " I
am out of work, and have nothing for my children, and I
am like to come for relief."
Another case was brought before the magistrates at
Stockport, on Tuesday. Three factory operatives, named
Thomas Butterworth, Ralph Hadfield, and Joseph Bowden,
were charged with assaulting a fellow workman, name d
George Davenport, on the 13th instant. Mr. Hudson,
solicitor, appeared on the put of the complainant; and Mr.
Johnson, solicitor, of Marple, for the defendants. Mr."
Hudson opened the ease at some length, and from his state-
ment it appeared that the complainant and all the defend.
ants worked at the factory of Messrs. Waterhouse and
ampson, in Edgeley. Tee complainant had always sub-
scribed to the Prestoa strike fend, while the levy did not ex-
ceed 3d. per loom per week; but when the levy was increased
to Sd.
.per loom he objected to pay that sum. This objec-
tioe, it seems, gave great offence to the other hands in the
mill, and the complainant had been much annoyed in con-
sequence. On the night of the 13th inst., the complaisant
lett his work at the usual hour, and coming out of the mill
he was met by the defendants and a mob of other persons,
who began to assail him with ablative language, calling
him by various opprobrious names, and threatening what
they would do " if he did not pay up." They then fol-
lowed him through the streets, and the defendants and
others struck and kicked him repeatedly. He was so much
hurt that he had not been able to resume his work since.
Before any evidence was given, Mr. Johnson, on behalf of
the defendants, admitted that he could net justify their
conduct. Before coming into court he had convinced them
of the illegality of their proceedings; and u he was sure
that neither his friend Mr. Hudson, nor the complainant
entertained any vindictive feeling against his clients, he
trusted that if they expressedtheir contrition for what had
taken place, and, at the same time, gave the magistrates an
assurance that the offence shout t not be repeated, the case
would be withdrawn upon payment of the costs. After a
brief consultation this course was adopted. The Mayor
then addressed some suitable remarks to the defendants.
The same freedom of thought and action which the defend-
ants claimed for themselves, they must allow to other per-
sons. It could not be tolerated that because persons ob-
jected to pay an involuntary levy made upon them,viulence
should be employed to compel the payment. He thought
the complainant had snown great lenity to the defendants
in not p • g the charge, and he wished it to be under-
stood that its all such cases where the offence was proved,
the parties would be dealt with as severely as the law
allowed. Toe defendants having made the necessary apo-
logy and assured the bench of their future good behaviour,
they were discharged on payment of the costs.
At the petty sessions at Stalybridge en Monday another
case was brought before the magistrates. In this cue four
men, named Z icharish Wadsworth, John Greenwood,
Joseph Crossland, and Crossland Hill Young, were charged
by Mr. Hickey will molesting a female named Ann liar-
bury, by shouting at her while she was on her way home
from her work on the 15th instant. Mr. Mickey was about
to state the case, when Mr. Roberts' who appeared on be-
half of the prisoners, said he should plead not guil y, bat
before the case was entered into he would make ea
application to the bench. It was well understood
that this Cafe was connected with the question of
raising subscriptions for the suppert of the Per
tan turn-outs, and he would therefore apply that it
might be heard by gentlemen not connected with the cotton
trade. He was instructed to make that application, sod he
must say he fully concurred with the views taken by his
clients.—Mr. Harrison : It cannot be done at this court ;
there is only one not connected with the cotton trade.—Mr.
Roberts: I'll agree to the postponement of the cue to any
time, and produce the parties.—Mr. Harrison: 1 don't iiee
who we can get here. It must go to the Hyde or Ashton
bench. There is only Mr. Thomas Morrison not connected
with the cotton trade her , I think.—Mr. Roberts I will
undertake to have them here at any time.—Mr. Harrison :
I don't see who we can get ; but I have no feeling in
the matter.—Mr. Roberts : We must have magistrates
uaconnected with the cotton business.—Mr. Harrison re-
peated that the cue had better go to the Hyde or Ashton
bench ; and several gentlemen were named. Mr. Taylor
said Mr. Thomas Harrison had been sent for, and h
perhaps, arrived ; but it appeared that be had not. Mr.
Taylor then suggested the adjournment of the case until

next Monday, when he would endeavour to get some of the
gentlemen named. It wu tLeu arranged that Mr. Taylor
should let Mr. Roberta know if it was not possth'e to get
the gentlemen present to hear the ease. Mr. Roberts be-
came surety for the attendance of the various defendants, who
left the court. When the complainant, Ann Rurbury, left
the court, • considerable (1.1. d being collected, several
people shouted again, and tau were apprehended by the
police, and taken to the police office.
It will readily be understood Cram these eases how strikes
are supported ; but it must not be supposed that they give
any idea of the extent of the system. The instances in
which people suffer and make n. eJmphiint, and in which
the system is so artfully pursued that it would be difficult
to bring the offenders into • court of justice, are much more
numerous—probably in the ratio of a hundred to one—and
are loudly complained of in almost every mill.

MUSIC.

WEDNESDAY EVENING CONCERTS.

The concert of last evening was composed of some-
what common materials, and efti.rds little room for cc mark.
Mendelssohn's Overture to Melusine, which began the
performance, was very imperfectly executed, and produced
no effect. The music of A Mideuntmer Diem,
being more familiar to the ombestre, was much Letter per-
formed, especially the Overture and the Wedding March.
The pretty duet," Ye spotted si ~kee,••' was very well sung by
Miss Messent and Miss Grace Alleyne ; but the chorus of
female voices was not only weak, but unsteady. This
mimic, however, formed the must satisfactory and interest•
ing portion of the concert. Mrs. R. Limpus, a lady
hitherto unknown to UP, an b toe cavatina, " Robert, toi
qua j'aime," from Robert le is a pleasing manner•
Her voice has lute strait,* tut is tuneable, and Ler
manner is unaffected. But wby was this operatic air ac-
companied only by the pianoforte' It was doing great in-
justice both to the music end the singer. A young
pianist, Miss Kate Rogers, made a favourable impression
in
Mendelssohn't " Rondo hrillente," which she played
with considerable neatness of execution, though she has not
as yet gained sufficient strength el hand for the vast space
of Exeter•hall. Madame Maeda sustained her Ligh repu-
tation by her performance of the doe aria, " In si barbara
&Mapes," from Rossiai's Semiranside. In one word, she
sang it mignificeatly. There was then a selection from
Balfe's Bohemian Girl, consistiog of the overture; the song
" The heart bowed down," bun by Mr. Lawkr ; " I
dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls," sung by Miss
Mamma ; " Remember me," sung by Mr. Perren ;
and the Gipsy chorus. This pretty music, once
so intolerably hackneyed, has recovered much of its fresh-
ness by having been laid aside ; and being well performed,
had a very agreeable effect. A pretty,ballad, entitled " The
Rose in its Bloom," composed '.y Kr. Praeger, was sung
by Madame Amedei, wbo, it is scarcely necessary to say,
did it ample justice. Mr. Bon land played a solo on the
double bus, and displayed great command of that un-
wieldy instrument. The rest of the concert consisted of
songs and ballads, sung by Miss Meseent, Miss Welts, Miss
Alleyne, Mr. Porren, Mr. ',twice, and others—moat Of
them very familiar to the public..