The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-11 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

EterLOTMP.NT OP Wustate is COAL-PITS.—At the
Cherie?' Petty Sessions, on Tuesday last, J. Hargreaves,
Esq., was charged by D. M'Crea with empinying Jane
lialliwell as a drawer to a collier in his coal-pit, in Coppull,
contrary to the statute, on the 24th Nov. last. Mr. Hilton,
in opening the ease, said that several complaints had hitherto
been made against Mr. Hargreaves for employing women
in his coal-pits ; but until the late lamentable explosion, oy
which three women lest their lives. it bad been utterly im-
poxsible to procure such evidence as would brine the charge
home to him.—Mr. J. Ellis said I live at Coppull, and
am manager of Mr. John Hargreaves' pits there. and was so
on the 24th of November last. I engage and dismi. the
workmen ; females were working in the pits on the 24th
November ; on that day Jane Ilalliwell, Mary Booth, and
Jane Moss were wilking there ; they went dawn the shaft
for the purism* of working; can't say that I had knowledge
of it then; did not see any of them go down that morning.
A few days before the explosion I thought I raw Jane Hal-
liwell
in the pit, drawing for her father, and I told her father
of it, and he denied it. I know it because I found their
dead bodies after the explosion. Jane Halliwell was
killed on that days—Cross-examined Mr. Hargreaves
has asked me if we had females working in the pita ; hut
no other person has ever named it to me. I went down into
the pit on the 24th of November, and saw Jane Nellie/tire
body ; her father worked in the mine, and was also killed ;
I have since learnt she was a drawer for her father, who was
a collier; the collier employs his own drawers, and employs
or discharges them as he thinks fit; we don't pay the
drawers. When I told Jane Halliwell's father, a few days
before the accident, about her drawing for him, he said she
did not. I said I was sure the person was a girl, and
if he did not send her out, both should be turned away.
He swore she was not a leas ; I said she should be ex-
amined as she came out of the pit ' • he said, " If anybody
examiaes a drawer of mine, I'll send my pick through has
liver." She had on trowsees, a flannel shirt, and a cap like
a lad, and was so dressed when her body was found
Mr. Hargreaves complained of something he had heard; he
said he had heard we had some females employed, and asked
if it was so. I said we had none to my knowledge. He
then raid, "If I have any females working in my pits, I
will put • stop to it, or Pop the works. How an I, as a
magistrate, act justly in similar eves, if I allow it ? " I told
him to my knowledge no females were employed. In con-
sequence of what he said, I gave notice that no women
must be employed, as Mr. Hargreaves would not
have it. It makes no difference to him whether
boys or girls are employed as drawers, as the colliers
are paid according to the quantity of work they du.
Ralph Ainneow said : I am a collier, and work for Messrs.
Porter and Co., of Birkadie ; worked for Mr. Hargreaves, at
the Coppull pit, at the time of the explosion. A good many
females worked in thst pit, but I can only give the names of
those who were killed. Saw more go down. I went to
seek those that were killed. Saw Jane Halberd]; she had
worked there twelve Months to my knowledge. Ellis gave
all the girls notice to change their dress four months before
the explosion took place. He said they must come in
hats or caps, without bed-gowns; I heard him say so.
Any man might know they were females, from ordi-
nary observation. Have been on the brow when Jane
Hslliwell has gone down to work and come up again ;
have seen Ellie on the brow when women have come
up and gone down the pits, and have seen ;him when the
police were about to give signals to prevent the women
coming out of the pits. The bookers-on at the shaft have a
signal for every lase and a man or boy coming up the pit-
shaft ; they jingle the rods below, and knock three times to
let the ban kmart know a female is coming up, and the
baaluman at the top jingles the rods three times if the
police or strangers are not there, for the women to came up ;
but if anybody is about, the banksman does not answer the
signal till all is clear. A different signal was used for
men and boys. Ellis had a full knowledge, and
was the first who employed woman in the Coppoll: pit.
There were plenty of men who bad females for drawers,
Holding's wife drew for him. Ellis said to him, " Charles,
let thy wife come in a jacket and hat or cap and breeches."
I have worked at three different places since I left Coppull
in November. Applied to Ellis for work, and he refused to
I employ me. By Mr. Gukell—l was summoned to give
evidence on the inquest. When I asked Ellis to employ
me again he refused. I said to dim, "Aml to come back
slug with the others?" He said, " No." I said, " What
have you against me ? " He said, " Thou would have
done me an injury if thou had been examined at the
inquest." Anybody that has eyes could know the
women from the men, as the women wear their hair in
a lump behind their heads, and their front hair drawn
behind their ears. Mr. Hargreava did not know of women
going into the pit; but Ellis did. Drawers pull everything
off but drawers and shift when at work ; have been many
times with Ellis when be was talking to the women in this
state.—Richard Kenyon laid that on the day of the explosion
he was employed to bring up the dead bodies; brought up
Jane Halliwell's body. She could not have gone town the
pit es a boy in the state and dress she was found in,
without being discovered to be a female. The ma
gistrates retired for consultation for a short time,
and on returning, Mr. Parker, the chairman, said
it was the opinion of the bench that no case was
made out against Mr. Hargreaves, and the cherge, so far as
he was concerned, must be dismissed ; but that evidence had
been given which shows d that women were employed in the
pits, and that Mr. Hargreaves' servants most have fieen aware
of it, and had taken no steps to prevent it. Two other rases,
grounded on the employment of Mary Booth and Jane Moss,
were then abandoned by Mr. Hilton, the evidence in support
of them being the same as that Risen in Halliwell's COM.
LlVeiteneL AND Ft:limn:Dr PORTS.--The following state.
ment is gathered front a valuable document compiled by Mr.
Court, of the Underwriters'-rooms :
Verde. Taw.
British. Resign. British. V.neirn.
Binko/ outwards... 1444 ... 2,056 1028 .. 1164,3,9 391,;34
Ilitto . 140 2,840 1232 . 8913,196 4711,387
Ditto 6...666 1816 ... 2,631 1236 .. 878,995 417,531
There has thus been a decrease in the number of British vessels
from 1841 to 1846 of 125, and an increase of foreign vessels of
228. The British tonnage has slightly Gillen off, while
foreign has increased nearly a fourth.

LEEDS AND WEST RtDIND BANKING COMPANY.— In the
Leda District Court of Bankruptcy, on Friday, Mr. Bond,
solicitor, appeared to show cause spinet the adjudication of
bankruptcy under the fiat which ba.l issued on the 9th of
December last, against this banking company, and he deli-
vered an argument Mulct-at ire of the points which lic m-ant
to raise. At theconohosion ol his address, Mr. ih'estmacott,
who appeared as solicitor for the petitioning creditors, stated
that, since the ironing of the fiat, their debt had been paid by
some of the 'shareholders of the bank, and that, therefore,
they had no interest in sustaining the adjudication or further
prosecuting the fiat. Mr. Bond thereupon urged his honour
forthwith to annul the adjudication; but the learned Coin-
miaattiner expressed hie doubts se to the propriety of the

comas proposed. Three sol:eitors, who appeared fur di/fame
banking firms who were creditors of this oomp say, signified
their concurrence in the coarse proposed, believung that it
, would be most beneficial to the interests of the general body
sof the creditors. His honour said he would take till Tree.
day neat to eoasider his judgment, and in the meantime the
matter must stand adjourned.
CHEsIIIRE.
THE PRISON SETTER TIIAN rue WORLHOUSS.—The
magistrates of the cour.ty of Chester met on M Hid ~, at the
Castle of Chester. The report of the visiting justiem
stated that forty-four persona had been committed fur dis-
orderly conduct in the union workhouses of Stockport and
Macclesfield, all of whom bad avowed they had so con-
ducted themselves because they preferred the dietary of the
prison to that of she workhouse. Something, the report
aided, should be done to prevent this abuse; and it was
suggested that representations should he made to the Home
Secretary with that object in view. Potatoes being 18e. a
load, Aniarican peas had been substituted for them in lino
prison dietary. Mr. Williams suggested that the diet in
gaol should be lowernol to the scale of that in the union
workhau.es. The evil would then cure itself. The Chair-
man said that wax impossible. The gaol dietary was regu-
lated by the Secretary of Sat-, and the mogisurates could
not alter it. The treatment of erisoners in the gaols yam es-
cellent in many point.. Each orisoner had a room tohiat
self, a separate much to sleep on, and books to read. la: t s
union workhouse the treatment Man not so good. de
Daintry and several other mosistrates protested against the
inference going abroad that the dietary in the union work-
houses was inferior to that in the house of correction.
Eventually a ru solution was pa•sed approving of the visiting
justices' report; and, with regard to the disorderly paupers,
the vi'itinp justices were requested to communicate with
the officers of the workhouses so question, urging them to be
cautious in taking is parties who thus become a charge upon
the county, as the legality of their commitments seemed
doubtful.

..
EAST WORCESTERSHIRE EU, ElON.—Captain kwhout
will b • n•turned this day (Monday) at Drintwich, without
opposition. The sitting member, Mr. Taylor, has replied to
Sir John Pakingtou'a stricteres on his former addreea to the
constituenry. The proceedings at an uncontested election
are not likely to prove very interestiug.— Woretatorshird
Herold.