The Express.
London, England, 1847-05-19 00:00:00

NATIONAL SCHOOLS,

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE moved that an humble address be
presented to htr Majesty for annual returns, alphabetically
arranged, of every school to which aid had been voted in the
preceding year, distinguishing Church of England from dis.
senting schools, showing the amount granted in each case,
and specifying the items; of the names, date of appointment,
and salaries of inspectors; and of the !schools making applica-
tion, distinguishing those refused, and stating the grounds of
retinal.
Lord J. RUSSELL had no objection to the returns
if they were limited to next session of parliament in the first
instance. _ . .

Motion agreed tn. Returns ordered.
TRADES UNIONS IN SHEFFIELD.

Mr. T. DUNCuMBE rose to call the attention of the
house to the petition of the inhabitants of the borough of '
Sheffield (presented May 13), complaining of the magisterial
conduct of Wilson Overend, Esq., and to more for papers I
relating thereto. He said that it was only to one portion of I
the petition he meant to draw attention on the pr sent occa- •
sion, namely, that which prayed for returns of the convic-
tions which had taken place under the combination act since
Mr. Overend's appointment as • magistrate. He moved that
that portion of the petition be weeded to. It appeared •
that this gentleman was a member of the medical profession,
in great practice, in the town of Sheffield. All he (Mr. Dun-
combo) could say was, that he hoped his physic was better
than his law, for it appeared that in every case in which he
had been called on to act between employer and employed,
lie had invariably decided agiinst the latter. The petition
to which he referred related to the case of three men who
had waited on a saw manufacturer, telling him that if he
did not discharge certain men, all the rest would be with-
drawn from his employment. It was admitted, that on this
occasion the men behaved most civilly. Mr. Overend was
applied to, and be sentenced the three men to three months'
imprisonment and bard labour. The decision was appealed
against and quashed, as indeed was generally the case with
Mr. Overend's decisions. The first thought of the aggrieved
parties had been to petition government for Mr. Overend's
dismissal, but subsequently it was considered that the beat
coursewould be to call the attention of parliament to the subject.
The men asked for inquiry, and they thought that a necessary
preliminary would be to have the particulars of Mr.
Overend's convictions. The case was one of great hardship,
arising out of those unions which within proper limits were
exceedingly beneficial to working men, and perfectly legal,
but which, he trusted, would never be abused by violent'
or intimidation. In his opinion, the best step the govern,
meat could take would be to appoint a stipendiary magis-
trate in Sheffield, a man without local prejudices, and who
would decide fairly in those disputes who'll occurred so fre-
quently between masters and men.
Sir 0. GREY had no objection to the motion, but he was
at the same time bound to say that recent communications
be had received from Sheffield led him to conclude that the
relations existing there between marten and men were very
far from what they ought to be. He was glad to
hear the honourable member's opinion respecting trades
unions, for he was afraid that there was a frightful
of intimidation going en under their direction.
shad not received a single representation in condemnation
of Mr. Overend ; on the contrary, they were all in high
esammendation of that gentleman ; ;wither could he tell why
so many of his decisions had been qumhed. In this parti-
cular ease he was assured that Mr. Overend had aced under
the beet advice. The notice respecting the petition had
mined several memorials commendatory of that gentle
mss, and he thought it but fair that they should be added to
tshejare moved for by the hon. member for Finsbury.
l
that
addition he should consent to the motion.
Mr. S. DRNIBON here testimony to the high character
et Mr. °versed as a magistrate. He was sorry to say that
the sombinatiams existing among the workmen of Sheffield
had orloodi abated the prosperity of the town. He had
no
rim= to the motion, but would beg to add as an
the notice which he had placed on the paper
for mini of tho memorials which had been presented to
govorousoot from the various public bodies of Sheffield,
Mr. Overend's magisterial conduct.
ANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it must
be resdhated that a magistrate acting in Sheffield between
modem sad was had no very easy task to pertorm. He be-
lieved hr. Overload to hr an exceedingly active and zealous
'IVAHe had no objection the return.
. to
WORTLEY felt boned to add his testimony to
the high character of Mr. Overend, than whom he believed
there was not • better megistrwe in the West Riding.
(Hear, hear.) The reason why Mr. Overend was so fre-
quently called upon to decide on these combination questions
was, that be was unconnected with the trade of Sheffield;
persons so connected being excluded by a provision
in the mt. The ground. on which the conviction
in this ease had been quashed, were, that the magi-
strate 'moved with him in the decision was a
merchant trading in scissors, and, therefore, one connected
' with the trade. It was, in fact, quashed on a mere informs- •
lity. The present state of Sheffield was frightful, and so
prevalent had a certain clam of offences become—namely,
• the destruction of property by gunpowder—that one of the
Wt acts of the late secretary of state was to bring in a
statute for its prevention. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr.
Wortley) had in his poem...ion a placard offering 1,0001. re-
d ward for the discovery of some perperators of these offences.
• He trusted that the hon. member for Finsbury would use his
great influence with the working men of Sheffield to induce
them to refrain from courses whisk most lead to the deetroe-
I lion of their trade and of themselves. In the case to which
r the petition referred, the men named called on • rasanfae.
t aver, telling him to dismiss a man named John Cooper.
t The starter objected, when they added, " You had better,
there may be tome unpleasantness." The master replied,
, "Do you menu to say you are going to blow mono," showing
his impression that the word " unpleasantness" implied a
threat. The men no doubt spoke civilly, but they took all
• his men away. This state of things had produced the most
I deplorable consequences. He had hoard dew manufroturer
who, having proposed establishing a vailway mottos fretory
I. Sheffield, was induced to abandon hie intention in moa-
t quence of the ruinous system of combination prevailing
mere. He did not disapprove of trades unions to a certain
extent; but when they took upon themselves to costes the
masters they injured the tr ale and brought down rain en
themselves.

Mr. HENLEY di approved of the sondest of government
in granting this return. He thought that that house was
not the peeper place to settle disputes between masters and
workmen.
Mr. WARD concurred in many of the observations which
ma Miss from the hon. member opposite, respecting the I
drafty of dealing with trades unions amid the strong
teener and faults which prevailed on both sides. (Hear, ,
' hear.) He was of opinion that trades unions might be of
great benefit to the working classes when kept within cer-
tain limits; but when theyproceed,d to threats and violence
they were destructive to all parties concerned.
Mr. PARKER roes merely to express his regret at those
outbreaks to which the formation of trades union, had led in
Sheffield. lie hoped his hon. friend would impress upon these
on whose behalf he had brought forward this subject, that all
combinations having for their object to prevent men by
threats or otherwise from employing their labour for their
own advantage, must entail un the working aliases irre-
parable mischief.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE observed that the best way to put
down illegal combinations, was to administer the law limper.
tinily. Th. difficulty of which his bon. friend had spoken
in getting persons to act as jintices in Owes like Sheffield,
proved the necessity of appointing a stipendiary magistrate.
He would suggest that course in every town having a popu-
lation of more than 8,000 or 10,000. Ile had no objection
to the addition proposed.
The motion, with the addition proposed by Mr. B. Den-
ison, was then agreed to.
FEES IN LAW AND EQUITY COURTS.
On the motion of Mr. B. Eacarr, on behalf of Mr.
Warsox, the following members were nominated as the com-
mittee on this subject Mr. Watson, Sir J. Graham, the
Attornev-General, the Solicitor-General, Sir F. Thesiger,
Mr. S. Wortley, Mr. Romilly. Mr. Walpole, Mr. B. Escott,
Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Parker, Mr. Hume, Sir
J. Harmer, and Mr. Ewart.
RAILWAY BILLS. . .

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in moving
for the appointment of • " Select committee, to consider
whether it Is expedient that any measures should be adapted
for suspending further proceedings in all or eery of the rail-
road bills in the prevent session, and for enabling the parties,
under certain conditions, to proceed with the Fame in a future
session of parliament ; and also whether it is advisable that
any further provisions should be made in the standing orders
of this house relative to bills for the construction of railroads;
and to report their opinion thereupon to the house from time
to time," said that this motion was made with the view
of carrying out what appeared to be the almost unanimous
feeling of the house in the discussion of • previous evening.
And as it bad been brought forward after consultation
with those who were most intimately connected with rail-
ways, and would, he believed, be unopposed, he would
not trouble the house with any statement. As the
motion was worded, the committee would have full
power to consider whether it would be advisable to
suspend the progress of any of the various bills now before
parliament during the present session, and the conditions
under which the parties should be permitted to proceed with
them in a future year. It would be also competent for them
to inquire into and suggest such alterations as might be ne-
cessary in the existing regulations as to the payment of de-
posits, subscription contracts, and other such like points, and
also as to what check should be put upon the prosecution of
schemes brought forward not with the bona fide intention of
being carried out by their promoters, but with the view of
obtaining the sanction of parliament in order to sell them to
other partial.
Mr. H. HINDE complained of the motion being made
without sufficient notice. He wished it to be permissive to
the companire to suspend their works if they wished, and
complained that the motion was not so worded as to require
the c-mmittee to make • recommendation to that effect. He

would move an amendment so to alts r the motion as that
the committee should inquire whether it would be expedient
that any restriction* should be imposed on the construction
of railways, proceeding in the present session, so as to pre-
vent the sheorption of an inconvenient amount of capital in
those undertakings.
Mr. HODOSON seconded the amendment.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought
the hon. gentleman had not understood the motion. Ait it
stood it would allow the works to be suspended if the parties
should be willing to suspend them. He thought the house
should not prescribe to the committee what recommenda-
tion they should make, but give them the opportunity
of reporting as they thought proper.
The amendment having been withdrawn, the motion was
agreed to, and the following members nominated an members
of the committee : The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir J.
Graham, Mr. Hume, Mr. Hudson, Sir 0 Clerk, Mr. C.
Russell, Mr Strutt, Mr. Chaplin, and Mr. Ellice; Lord
Seymour and Mr. Mattison to be added, on notice, in the
room of Mr. Baring and Mr. J. A. Smith, who had been
named, but ore unable to attend.
POOR LAWS ADMINISTRATION BILL.—AD-