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

THE AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF
ENGINEERS.

Yesterday evening a public meeting, convened by
this body, was held in the Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle-
strect--employers, as well as the public generally, having,
as was stated, been included in the invitations. The hall
was densely thronged with workmen, not less, probably,
than 2,000 being present The object stated on the card
was as follows: " To diseuu the present state of the iron
trades, and the position of the Amalgamated Society in
relation thereto." The chair was taken at 7 o'clock by
Mr. JOSZPII MUST°.
The CHAIRMAN said words were inadequate to express
his feelings on being called upon to preside over such an
important meeting—a meeting more important than any
which had been held in London connected with their Mk
Ile could well remember the great meetings which IMO
htld in 1836, and the unanimity with which they were
conducted. Ile could remember the great meeting
which was held at that period at the Mechanics'
Institution. But let them mark the difference
between that meeting and this. That meeting was entirely
confined to themselves ; this was a public meeting. That
meeting was confined to their own members, no person
being admitted except by tickets issued exclusively to the
members of the trade. It was his duty to inform them
that this meeting had been called as a public one. In con-
, sequence of statements having appeared in the Times newe-
paper which misrepresented the executive council of the
Amalgamated Society, it seemed desirable to the members
of that council that a meeting—the only resource left to
them—should be called, at which they would have an op-
portunity of explaining to the public what they had to say
with regard to this question. A committee was appointed
for the purpose of convening it. The whole of the employers
had been specially invited by ticket. [lie then read the
terms of the .invitation ] If any employers were present
and wished to take part in the proceeding., he hoped the
meeting would be actuated in reference to them by that
spirit of lair play which was found in the breasts of Eng-
lishmen. (Hear, hear.) He would now introduce to them
Mr. Newton, who would enter into explanations of the pro-
merlins of the executive council.
Mr. NEWTON was received with loud cheers. He said
ho had undertaken to explain to the meeting the cause
of their assembling on that occasion. The proceedings
which were first adopted were not intended to en-
gage so much public attention as they had done,
nor would the council have forced on the
public the explanations they were about to make had it not
been for the many misrepresentations which had been made
respecting their objects and intentions. (Hear, hear.) The
combination of employers started at Manchester was either
misled by the statement of Messrs. ilibbcrt and Platt, and
Oldham, or was based confessedly on untruths. At all
events a combination was formed, and that professedly ou
the ground that the workmen of Messrs. Ilibbert and Platt
were about to commit an injustice against their employers.
A writer in the Time: had made certain statements with
regard to the objects of the Amalgamated Society, and upon
these es parte statements the Times had written a leader
denouncing those objects; and since that time almost every
ether newspaper had taken up the subject in the same
Wain. Ho must confess that since the public was made
sequaiated with the circumstances which had attended
their proceedings, a different feeling seemed to have been
possessed both by the public and by the press. The news-
papers had modified their tone considerably, and this led
him to expect that after that opportunity, of giving a full
explanation of what they did request, and of disavowing
what they did not, those newspapers which had taken up
the cause of the employee would see that the workmen
were justified in their proceedings, and would give them
credit fur what they had done. (Cheers.) First of all, they
were charged with making three demands, and with hay-
ing in addition one intention. The public was told, first,
that they insisted upon the abolition of systematic overtime;
next, that they insisted upon the discontinuance of piece-
work ; thirdly, that they insisted that the master
should at once, and without reserve, discharge the
Glass of persons who had been engaged fur a long time
in the working of self-acting machines, and employ in their
stead mechanics who were members of the union. Again,
" Amiens " said, " It is understood that the council are
prepared to advocate an equalisation of the rate of wages ;
to lund themselves, in fact, to an agitation for a trial of the
ingenious doctrines of M. Louis Blanc." Of these proposi-
dons, the first two were the propositions of the Amalga-
mated Society. (Cheers.) The third was never made by
that Society. The request had never been made either by
the Society or by the council of the Society, and the inten-
tion which was attributed to them of equalising wages was
as foreign to their objects, their intentions, their practices and
their general opinions, as one thing could be to another.
(Cheers.) It would be his duty, then, to show how these
statements had originated, and how unfounded they. were;
and another duty would devolve upon him, that of justify-
ing the council is what they requested. First, he would
say, then, that they disavowed all intention of removing
any persons at present in the service of employers.
(Cheers.) They had never asked for the removal of an in-
dividual from a machine who was now working that ma-
chine, and who had earned a title to work it by the time
that they had been employed in so doing. So far
trees their opinions having been against these men,
limy bed halsred and encouraged them. They had
begs the list to use those machines; they had been
instrumental in introducing unskilled labourers to them ;
and it was no part of the plan of the executive council to
remove those now employed in working them. In &s-
-wamies this third proposition, he must refer to some pro-
sesdlngs which took place some months ago, because out of
times proceedings had the present charge arisen. In May
km a dispute took place between Messrs. Hibbert and
Platt, of Oldham, and their workmen; and that dispute
seemed likely at the time to end in a strike. The men de-
s mended the abolition of over-time ; they asked for the dis-
, charge of a certain number of men who were employed—
illegal men in the trade ; they sent up to London to in-
quire if any one would go down for the purpose of
mediating between Messrs. Hibbert and Platt. He
(Mr. Newton) did not go down without previously
consulting the executive council, and the council
were decidedly of opinion that the parties should not be
assisted by the society in getting the men discharged from
the machines. Ile went to Oldham; he attended a public
meeting there; he heard the explanations which the men
gave of their grievances ; and he insisted at the meeting
that the men should not strike, but endeavour to settle the
dispute by moral means—by the aid of a deputation. A de-
putation was appointed to go to Messrs. Hibbert and Plan.
Mr. Platt received the deputation with kindness; he argued
the question with them for more than two hours ; he made
certain prepositions to the deputation, which were carried
back to the meeting. Those propositions were modified by
the meeting, and then sent back to Mr. Platt. The re-
sult was, that six resolutions were adopted by the
meeting and three of them submitted to Mr. Platt. He
would read them to the meeting: I. That in future all
planing, slotting, shaping, and boring machines, at the
workshop of the undersigned, be worked either by me-
chanics or apprentices, to be taken up by them as they fall
vacant. 2. That the labourers at present employed upon
those machines be not unduly interfered with before Christ-
mas, 1851, when the machines shall fall entirely into the
hands of the mechanics ; but if any of the labourers are
discharged, or the machines otherwise become vacant, the
vacancies shall be filled up by the mechanics as they occur.
3. That Michael Benard have taken from him all authority
over workmen in our employ, and that all illegal hands be
discharged ; we further say that we disapprove of the prac-
tices alleged against Benard, and pledge ourselves that
they shall not again be repeated." Mr. Platt said he
was willing to agree to those resolutions, provided the
same conditions were made with other employers, and
he himself wrote out an agreement to secure that object.
He not only signed the resolutions, but he required that
the workmen should endeavour to force other employers to
do so; and if that were not done at the expiration of three
years, tithe whole arrangement was to be null and void.
His (Mr. Newton's) reason for interfering was, that it had
been stated that when men interfered themselves they were
always marked by their employers, and were discharged the
first opportunity. At the conclusion of the negotiation Mr.
Platt, on behalf of his firm, expressed the greatest satisfac-
tion with the result, complimented the deputation on the
part which they had taken, and said that if he
had bad such reasonable men to deal with from
the first the dispute would not have lasted a
day. Now the council heard nothing more of the
agreement which was thus entered into until within the
part week or two. Believing, then, that a combination of
employers had been formed to prevent Mr. Platt from ful-
filling has agreement, be wrote to thatirentrtmessaa a fort-
night ago, when he found that be was Woolf
with the combination at Manchester, and emit lee
considered that, by repudiating the document labile bis hod
signed, he would be sating unfairly. Mr. !bit wrote teak,
telling him that be mmidared that in July hot. two swath
after the documandialla OW: his workman broke It
selves • and, dm, Mains so, he bediewai it was apes
to himself to leis windrow mares he theft POW With
nod to it. Wow es Ibis print be (Mi. Moms)
mad remark. *Mt Miami award was me at them
ribs mom beditaas the employee and the earZtenira,
pieeirwork. ; he was a kind ot
lOW • gems somtity of work, and emploliolt Mbar men
ea resskft, of course, the chief tone bimosif
ba was, in • man whom the mikes MOM mil •
•••Mer. (Greed hter.) Such was the pselliaa width
Ibis ima mawiled, and so tyrannical was b arrigat lime
vim Om mos was represented to Mr. Platt time imatims•
stubseadrely disapproved of his conduct, ea gm
dainsairs should depend upon his own labour. 111114
mann woe eo far satisfactory ; but the men declared fat
ea es agreement was signed that part of the
not was net carried out, and because they lade=
MI to the continuance of what was to have boaMadiebod, Mr. Platt said they had broken the
egarisent entered into. Whether this was the
OM or not was not now the quarks. Mis
ism induced, however, to go to Oldham for the wpm be
lid stated, by his knnwledge of tke evils of Wash Is
boor the mischiefs of dribs. (Hem, imar.) Is basset