The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-13 00:00:00

the poor. " I h.d the greatest possible difficulty,"
he says, " in eleaining money for building any dis-
trict Churches. Oa coming to the parish I ftund
only two old endowed schools in one building, and
they were in welt difficulties." The reverend
gentleman and niter clergymen detail the dlficul les
they have in extrattueg a sixpence from the richest
masters in the district for the benefit of the poor, and
the utter regardlessuess which there is for their social
or spiritual well-being.
This ignorance of the working clue—of their
want., wishes, feelir go, and interests -is no doubt a
piedirposing canoe to the toryism of the Dudley iron-
masters. The system of their trade is another predis-
posing cause. Most people know that, virtually, the ,
nen trade is a monopoly. The large iron masters
are continuity strugelieg to maintain it so. Yoa
have heard probably of what are called "Ironm esters'
Quarterly Meetings." Allow us an opportunity of -
exposing one of the greatest absurdities that ever. "1
existed in any trade. In the week after every It gal
quarter day the ironmasters of Ifeouth Staffordshire
perambulate the district to hold what they cell Moir
" quarterly meetings," and to arrange what the price
of iron shall be for the ensuing quarter. The iron-
misters meet, say at Wulverhampton or at Dudley.
They dine at the hotel. They fix the price of iron—
the rice which is to govern all the trade. One
or dolly red-eased old tory the most
• fiat, sit the, lot, and the moat
icaphatio n -the price, returns home after
'dinner 711111tillffibrItletter on his table reque.ting
blabs teadelr bras tomtit, of rails. Within twelve
boureaftent bas4"seathea the price," he is certain to
be nadersellitik 1111 his" neighbours. This " settling
the price of iron," therefers, is a farce. But, if see
what is the use of the quarterly meeting? Why,
the use of the. qiihefttly meeting is to keep u? the
siiresepoly, to Unmet. Cal a occasion for excluding "the
'assent a favourable
ferieneemlaaUma *guest the wearer and
Inalitilalifintfjto-40,06,ia addition to all this,
to pet • Abe ..401eir,, bibacer, by coin-
Igniug. to Aptoteer'iltereat -rate of wages in the
Weeks- se& -Ji*; -41-• these Iron masters'
'Quarterly Meetings, wages, forsooth, are regu-
lated as well as the price of iron. And
you will find, it you examine the question
attentive ly, that these wages ore fixed wi hone regard
the quality of the labour or the skill of the work-
man, in the Mme way as the price of iron is fixed
without regard to its quality, or to the nature of the
supply..
'their monopoly, therefore, makes the Dudley
fronmasters tories by habit and toeless by posiron.
Wu will now show how they are also tories by self-
interest and teats by coercion. The coal field, or as
it is sometimes called, . " the great black cake," is of
limited extent. The lords of tee sail are few in num-
ber. Lord Ward fiesitieses the largest share cf it ;
Sir Horace St. Paul was the next greatest proprietor.
Now it is a matter of absolute necessity with
the lessees that they should be upon as good
terms as possible with the owners of the soil. And
we will explain the reasons why. When a coal-
field is taken to work a considerable amount of capital
i.e recessarily invested. Works have to be erected :
a shaft has to be sunk. Frr.m the nature of the pro-
perty no very large quantity of land can be taktn at
mice. In a little time, probably, all that has been
originally leased is worked out. The lessee has now
to obtain a new piece of ground. Yon will see at
once that in order to make his original pit ens works
available it is necessary that such new piece of ground
should adjoin that he originally took. The instances
are rare in which this adjoining ground deco not
belong to the same landlord. If the renter is
on good terms with the steward ho gets it; if he
is not, a large proportion of his capital is
necessarily sacrificed. The self-interest, the:cfore, of
these ironmasters induces them to gn with the owner
of the soil, and obliges them to submit to the
coercion of his steward. At Dudley, as we shall pre-
sently find, this has gone so far that the constituency
are content to swallow Lord Ward's own agent as
their representative in parliament, a person who rarely
comes amongst them, who does the town no earthly
good, and who is as careless about the fulfilment of
his parliamentary duties as if he was sitting for
Gotten or Old Sarum.
Such, then, to conclude this branch of the subject,
are the circumstances under which the important town
of Dudley is a tore tier°. The explanation
will set at rest all cavil as to the rea-
son why this large manufacturing constituency
should now send a tory to the House of Commons.
We etarted by saying that there was little hope of
improvement—that an extension of the suffrage
would probably have no effect whatever on the re-
turns of this constituency. If the suffrage was house-
hold, it would be extended in Dudley to a lawn class
of " buttys " and "doggies." who are all under the
thumb and immediate influence of the master. If
it was universal, it would be exterded to the mining
labourers, who in their turn are all under the thumb
and immediate influence of the "batty." and the
" doggies." Indeed, the character of this particular
population requires that, tr.fure the euffrege, al other
enlightener should be introduced, in the person
of the schoolmaster. "The old collier of this
district," says the late ,'ear of Dnelley, "is
a heavy, superstitious, gluttonous animal, most
tiarentese and naturally good-natured, werhoue a
spark (ipso:Weal feeling, unless as regards his daily
wages ; all beyond is to nim dreary and unreal." Some
years ego, the Chartists thought they imd made an
impressr n in the coal country ; but it was a mistake.
They were all-powerful in Birmingham, but not in
any way understood in Dudley. ' The Chartists,"
says a working man, "had a room in Dudley, for a
year or more before the strike. Occasionally Leo-
curers would come and lecture there. Not many men
at anytime enrolled their names. I should any SO or
60 might be the most, and they paid Id. a week,
' but the room could not have held that number at
orce." Another working man says: " The men did
not follow the Chartists from any principle, but fled to
them for refuge in the strike, and were glad for any
one to come and instruct them in the prices of iron
and so forth. Political affairs had nothing to do with
us: we had to do with our musters. The chartists
never had no friends in Dudley." A population of this
sort evidently requires instruction in order duly to
examen political privileges.
(D% be continued.)

D.tT OF Tamasornso.—The Lord Mayor hag
directed the fellowlag attics to be extensively circulated In
the City el land= Fastrioown, Mayor, Mansion-
house, 121 k Iloyeatber, 1849. —Her Most Gracious Ma-
i jetty the Gnu* having by her royal proclamation
appointed' and commanded that a general thanka-
giving to Almighty God for the aba intent of the
grievous disease with which many places in this kingdom
lave been lately visited, shall be observed through,,ut Rag-
land and Ireland, on Thursday, the 16th day ol November
instant, the Lord Mayor requests that his fellow-eiusens
will close their shops and abstain from all business on that.
day, in order that it nifty be devoutly and reverently ob-
served by all classes.—By order of the Lord Mayor, S. B.
°Oedema.
THE MEM= POR CARLISLE AND EXTENSION OE
an Surritsom.—Mr. Philip /toward, 11.1'. for Carlisle,
bee addressed a Isitter, of which the following is a copy, to
ope of his conslittunta .—" Corby Castle, Oct. 29, 1849.
Dear Sir—Some little while ago you asked my opinicn and
Intentions respecting the elective franchise and the advis-
ability of extending the suffruge. I regret to have delayed
replying rather longer than I had intended. Two considera-
tions have induced me to refrain from taking a part in that
question immediately situ my re-elation. First, there was
no prospect or probability of a general eke ion : and secondly,
I was unwiling that this country should merely appear to
fellow in the wake of continental movements. At the
end of loot session, however, having left town, I wrote to
acquit my friend, Mr. Aglienby, to place for me
• notice for next session on the orderiatiole of the
Mouse of Commons, of my intention "to trove for
leave to bring in a bill to extend the elective franchise to in-
habitant hosueholdere, resident and rated in every city and
borough for not less than one year." The adjournment of
the home a couple of days earlier than I had anticipated,
prevented that able and Indefatigable member from kindly
complying with the request I had ventured to m .ke to him,
but to you I think it due, with the view of satisfying your
inquiries, to make this communication. In all wittiest
couiderations, fitness of time u well as unity of action
should be duly weigned. Immediately after the general
election, owing to the disturbed state of a great part of
Europe, there was a disinclination to raise, in this and, any
question however remotely tending to politic-I sii:siiun, and
many eager reformers bowed to that feeling, and acquiesced in
its wisdom. Any well-founded alvm of being caroled too
far bye:serail pressure has now, it appears to me, vanished ;
iwd.paart4ei. n: :m
borough,cai pts ft: sfintoovigwanlhdew°;rhiatihytceathe:htheopinetiolodittsoeraye electoral
p anet.7 system
l measurest:tiwiow !lut:
ils:tauhoimeot
flbsebunaeffsksermlir;sesg,icnrcbguo.e.f.
given practical proof of their 'inertia in its welfare ; but
that object secured, by provisions which admit of no evasion,
I think we may is conbilence rely upon the patriotism and
love of order of the householder, who bears his share of the
burdens of general es we'l local tlxatien. Excuse this ra-
ther lengthened explanation. Yours obediently. PHIWP
8. liowLap."

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