The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-29 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

PILEbTON, Dec. 29.
To•day an address has been issued by the Austere'
Association. It is of a vindicatory character, and re-states
the cases of the masters and workmen, the frets of which are
alleged to have been perverted by the leaders of the latter.
With reference to the complaint that the men are " locked
out," and therefore unable to work if so disposed, and
that the masters want to starve them into submission, the
masters say that " the closing of the mills was only re-
sorted to after the hands in several of them had struck
work, or had given notice to thst effect, although an advance
of ten per cent. lied been offered them in August last upon.
the wages paid in 1852 " The masters further deny that
any promise was given generally by their body to give,
when trade revived, an advance corresponding to the rv-
• uet:ons which took place in the latter part of the year
1817, and then make the following statement:
"Being anxious to ascertain the difference (if any) be-
tween the earnings of the various classes of operatives in
1847, before the abovesmentioned reduction took place, and
those in the summer of 1853, before the 10 per cent. was
demanded, we find, from the returns furnished us from the
wages books of several large and influential firms, that, in-
stead of any decrees', there has been an actual increase,
varying from 5 to 30 per cent., after making due allowance
for the differ, ace in the hours of labour from 69 to 60 hour,
per week. We have nut thought it necessary to extend
these inq • ' not having the slightest doubt that, if the
average of all the mills now closed had been taken, the
result would have been the same. We take this opportu
nity of stating, for the information of those persons whose
aid and contributions are solicited fur the hands, that in a
well regulated spinning and weaving establi,hment the
weekly earnings of men employed therein vary from 12s. to
3-a.; women and young persons from 7a. 61. to 155.; and
children from 4s. to 65., according to the nature of the em-
ployment and the diligence and ability of the worker; and
that the average of all classes of hands in such an establish-
ment is about 10s. each."

The masters conclude with 'he remark that—" After the
continuance of this struggle for upwards of ten weeks, the
operatives •till persist in their demands, and evince the
same indisposition to return to work, although the masters
have declared their willingness to receive applications, and
as seen as they were sufficiently numerous to enable them to
open their mills immediate steps would be taken to that
effect. No applications of any consequence have been
made, and the dispute appears as far uff a settlement as
ever."
Speculation is buy conjecturing the probable result cf the
adjourned meeting of the association, to be held to-morrow.
Some say that the meeting is to be adjourned for a month,
others for three months; whilst a third report is that
several members of the association are anxious to try the
effect of ringing the factory bells at the ',rico, of March
last.

THE COLLIER FLEET.

NEWCASTLE•ON•TYNE, WIDNF.SDAY.

Shortly after the large fleet of collier vessels sailed
from the north-eastern ports on Monday, a squall of wind
came on, witk snow showers; and a rollier brig,
named the Cygnet, of Blyth, ran into the Herd Sand, at
the mouth of the Tyne, and is a wreck. The other vessels,
however, got safely off the coast. The night of Monday
was starlight, and the vessels which had sailed had a fine
wind from the N.N.E. Yesterday, however, the snow clouds
which had been observed by nautical men "banking up"
in the northeast, burst, and we had a heavy snow-
storm all day; the wind, also, blowing a gale, which
caused the sea to rise with great violence off the Northum-
berland coast. Last night has been fearfully wild and
stormy, and the greatest anxiety is expressed with regard
to the fleet of colliers, as they would be threading their
way in the neighbourhood of Yarmouth Roads abcut the
darkening lest night. It was a fearful passage for them to
take in such a night. The wind and snow, however, was
abaft. It is to be feared that some poor fellows will never
"tell their own tale." The anew is drifted, and piled up
in various parts of the district. The railways are going
pretty regularly. At noon today the weather is bright
and clear, and the storm appears to be over.

THE ALLEGED POISONING OF A WHOLE
FAMILY AT BERMONDSEY.

Yesterday Mr. Carter resumed the investigation i
of the mystelions circumstances connected with the death
of James George Trump, aged six years, the son of a plas-
terer, residing at No. 9, Prince's-road, some particulars of
which have already appeared in the Daily News.
On the former occasion the testimony adduced tended to
show that on Saturday week the deceased, his father and
mother, dined off some hashed mutton covered with a kind
of paste made with flour and water. After dinner they '
were all seised with violent sickness and the deceased ex-
pired on the same day. An infant, aged 17 months, who had
some of the gravy out of the hash, but did not partake of
any of the paste, was net taken ill.
Mr. Lambs's, of Neckenger-street, Bermondsey, the
baker of whom it was alleged the Soar with which the piste
was made was obtained, attended during the proceedings.
Richard Trump, the father of the deceased, deposed, that
after dinner on Monday week last, he left home as usual to
go to his work, but in about an hour afterwards was seized
with sickness and vomited several times. On returning
home to tea, witness found his wife and the deceased lying
down before the fire. His wife complained of sickness, and
also informed him that the deemed bad been sick, but that
he (deceased) had not complained of any pain. Witness
again left home about 6 o'clock in the evening, and returned
about 1 the next morning, when finding deceased was
worse, procured the attendance of Dr. Paul, but the de-
ceased expired before his arrival.
The Coroner.—When you were seised with the sickness
did you feel,any sensation of thirst, or heat in the throat?
Witness.—Not at all, air.
Coroner—Can you in any way account for yourself, and
wife, and child being so suddenly seized with sickness
directly after dinner
Witness—No, sir, not in any way.
Coroner—ln what was the bash cooked?
Witness—ln an iron saucepan.
A Juryman—Had you auy copper cooking utensils in
use at the time ?
Witness—None whatever.
Coroner—On the last occasion, your wife swore that you
did not belong to any burial club is that true ?
Witness—l belong to the Foresters' Order, but neither
myself, wife, nor children are entered in a burial club.
Coroner—Did any person ever use any threat against you
or your family ?
Witness —I heard of any.
Coroner—Did your wife ever purchase any article to
destroy vermin ?
Witness—None that I ever saw.
The Coroner said from a communication he had received
from Mr. I'aul, the surgeon, he felt the case must be again
salaamed.
A juryman observed that the house in Prince's road had
only been occupied by Trump for six weeks, and that it
was previously tenanted by a bonnet cleaner. He believed
in bonnet cleaning, articles of pernicious character were
used, and that some might have been left about the
house.
The Coroner (addressing Mrs. Trump)—Did yon ever
discover anything in paper which looked like salt lying
about the house.
Mrs. Trump—No, air, the house was thoroughly cleaned
when we went to reside there.
Alter some further evidence, the case was adjourned for
• week, when the result of Mr. Paul's analysis will be made
known.

THE NEW AMERICAN RETUBLIC.—The territory
which Colonel Walker and his companions have just
wrested from Mexican power (not "American power,"
as was misprinted yesterday), is the long peninsula
called sometimes Old, and sometimes Lower Califor-
nia, and extending between the gulf and the Pacific
Ocean. It is about 700 miles in length, with a breadth
varying from 30 to 100 miles, comprising an area of about
38,000 square miler, with a scanty population variously esti-
mated at from 14,000 to 20,000. A chain of rocky w untsins,
not exceeding 5,000 feet in height, runs throigh it from
south to north, and the surface of the country consists of
groups of bare rocks broken by ravines and bills, interspersed
with barren windy tracts, forming altogether one of the least
attractive regions within the temperate zone. It is believed,
however, to be rich in metals. The climate is excessively
dry and lot, and violent hurricanes are frequent ; there are
more wolves than timber trues, sad the greater part of the
country is incapable of producing a single blade of corn.
The chief exports have hitherto consisted of pearls from the
gulf, to the extent of an annual value of from 500 to:1,000
dollars, tortoise shell, hides, dried beef, dried fruits, and
cheese and soap. These commodities are for the most part
exported to Masatlan and SAG Blas in small coasting vessel..
What the country may become in the hands of the new
government remains to be seen.
LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Amount of traffic for the week ending Dec. 24, 1853 :—Pan.
aengers, 8,9591. Os. Bd.; goods, 2,8681. lfis. Li. Total,
11,827 g. 161. id.