The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-22 00:00:00

THE THREATENED STRIKE OF ENGINE
DRIVERS.

A large meeting of the members of the Engine
Drivers and Firemen's United Society (about WU) wan
held in Exeter-hall last evening ; Mr. Edwards in the
chair. The object of the meeting was to consider the pre-
sent negotiations pending with various boards of directors,
as reported in the papers from time to time. The chair-
! man. in opening the proceedings, and other speakers,
specially disclaimed any spirit of hostility to boards of
directors or railway managers. The first resolution sub-
patted to the meeting was the following :—" That this
meeting urges upon the deputations to the various boards
of directors the importance of adhering to the memorial .
for ten herrn a day, the mileage and the scale of wages
as agreed upon at the conference in November last."
This motion was moved by an engine driver of 2.5 years'
experience, and seconded also by an engine driver, and was
carried unanimously. Other resolutions were passed re-
ferring to matters of detail, but the chief was the follow-
ing : That this meeting disclaims on behalf of the
engine driven of England any intention, by their present
movement, of embarrassing directors or inconveniencing
the public; but having endeavoured, in various ways,
during the last five years, to get their grievances adjusted,
they think that the concessions which they ask should
now be granted." During the speeches of the even-
ing, which were singularly temperate and sensible,
it was indicated that there was no appearance
yet of • settlement of the question in dis-
pute on the part of the directors. Several men stated
that they had been in the habit of working 12, 15, 18, and
in one case 72 hours a day, under severe regulations, that
prevented their obtaining proper refreshment. It was
stated there was an organisation of 13,000 engine men and
firemen throughout the country, firmly and quietly re-
solved to have their grievances redressed. This union it
was said had been absotutely forced upon them, sad they
regretted its necessity. For five years, it appeared, me-
morials have been addressed to various railway compa-
nies, asking for more reasonable hours and more adequate'
pay, and that in some instances the memorials hail not
even been acknowledged. One of the speakers attributed
this to the utter ignorance of seine of the directors of all
details of railway work. The entire proceedings were most
enthusiastic, intelligent, and quiet.
The directors of the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway have issued a circular to the engine-drivers and
firemen in their service, in which they state that they
are anxious to arrive at • settlement of the question, just
and satisfactory to the proprietors, the men, arid the
constituting •
day's work, the beard are able to meet the request of the
men on the basis of 60 hours per week of six working
days. all time beyond to be paid for at the rate of eight
hours per week-day. Arrangements will he made to ob-
viate any ground of dissatisfaction as to the payment for
extra time and the working out of detail. The number of
engine-men receiving the maximum rate of we., 7a. lid.
a day, will be steadily increased. A correspon&ng num-
ber of firemen will be maintained at a rate of pay and
on terms generally at least as favourable as may prevail cm
any railway in the kingdom. As evidence of the desire
manifested by the board to deal liberally with their men,
'this company ham established and maintained, without
contributions from the men, a special fund to provide for
the superannuation of incapacitated or old and faithful
servants, at the credit of which fond there is now 22,8531.
available for that purpose. An overcoat will be supplied
to the men each year, and they will be allowed to retain
the old one, as requested in the memorial. On all occa-
sions when men are sent on duty rendering it necessary
for them to reside away from their homes, they will be
paid `2.. lid, per day for their expenses. As a rule, engine-
drivers and firemen are to have nine hours clear off duty
before being called upon again, as requested in the memo-
rial. Time and a half will continue to be allowed for all
Sunday duty, as requested in the memorial. The directors
are willing to leave to the settlement of a public board---•
say the Board of Trade—any question which from time
to time they may be unable to adjust.

THE WATESJoRn ELECTION PETITION.—The
general committee of elections, consiating of Mr. Whit-
bread (chairman), Mr. ('lay, Sir Frederick William
Heygate, the Hon. E. F. Leveson Gower, Mr. Sclater-
Booth, and Sir William Sterling Maxwell, met yestenky
afternoon to appoint a select committee to try and deter-
, mine the matter of the petition of the Hon. Walter Cedl
, Talbot, optima:dieing of an undue return for the county of
Waterford in December last. The members selected were
, Mr. Hugh Adair (chairman), Mr. Richard Arkwright, Mr.
George Cnbitt, Mr. Henry Grenfell, and Mr. Dillwyn.
MIIIIOIIIAL TO TIM LATH WILLIAM COTTON,
• F.R.S.—A proposal is about to he immediately set on foot
. for the purpose of carrying out a memorial to the late Mr.
William Cotton, who was at the time of hi. death a
, director and past governor of the Rank of England, in
which institution he carried out many improvement: ; and
, to his patient ingenuity, the beautiful piece of mechanism
, which attracts all visitors at the Bank—the sovereign
, weighing-machine—dates its origin. Mr. Cotton was, per-
, haps, even better known in the religious world, as the
judicious adviser and friend of the late as well as the
, present Bishop of London, in the largo schemes they sue-
t cessively promoted for the evangelizing the poor of the
I metropolis, by the building of churches, schools,
. He woe, in fact, known in all good works for
. the poor, and to one in particular we may refer—
• the establishment of public baths and washhouses, in
which useful movement he may be regarded as, perhaps,
the premier; and for the ultimate succesa of which he
, expended during his life a large sum of money. Two sug-
gestions as to the form of memorial to Mr. Cotton have
I been privately mooted—both of them having reference to
the decorations of St. Maul's Cathedral, with the com-
mittee for the carrying out of which be was associated as
a member ; one is the filling with painted glass the
window in the north transept, opposite to the great organ,
, and the other, completing the two additional mandrils
under the dome, on each side of the entrance to the choir,
in mosaic, similar to the two that have been already ex-
ecuted by Salviati's process. We believe it is the inten-
tion to limit the amount of individual subscriptions to ten
pounds.—Cdg Pratt.
THE LATE REV. JAMES WILLIAM MARKWELL,
ILA. —Foremost in the ranks of earnest labourers amongst
the squalid poor of this metropolis may be placed the name
of the Rev. James William IlarkWell, M.A. Cambritlge,
recently deceased. His death at the early age of 48 de-
prives the bumbler classes in the poverty-stricken districts
of the Curtain-road and the borough of Finabury of a
sincere and zealous friend. The deceased gentleman
was ordained when very young, and was formerly
of St. Matthew's, Manchester, then of St. Cle-
ment Danes, Strand, London, of Trinity Church, Albany.
street, New-road, Marylebone. and lastly was specially
selected, nearly seventeen years ago, by the late Bishop of
London for clerical service at St. James's, Curtain-nod.
Here his ability, his kindness, and Lis numerous excellent
qualities, were largely appreciated, and quickly rendered
him very popular as a preacher and as a guide. He also
roundest Sunday and national schools which were amongst
the largest in thiiinetropolis. His forethought and bene-
volence for the poor of his own district secured him their
affection, and amongst the moat pleasing of sights were
the many treats which, in the shape of country excursioue,
pie-Meat and other green-field outings, lie was accustomed
to give in the season to the poor, the aged, and the young
of both sexes. His decease has mimed the profoundest
grief amongst his numerous parishioners and a large circle
persoeal friends.
RAILWAY AND °THEM Bala IN PARLIAMENT.—
In the House of Lords' Committees yesterday their lord-
ships threw out the Sirlhowy Railway bill. The Waterloo
and Whitehall (Extension of time), and the Waterloo
and Whitehall (Abandonment) hills, being unopposed, were
referred hock to the chairman of committees. The Fur-
ness, the Mayhems, and the Rbooddee Valley and Hirwain
Junction Railway Hills were further considered. In the
House of Commons' Committees, that presided over by
Sir E. Cokbrooke (Group 1), pascal the 'North London
the Metropolitan, anal the North Western and Charing-
cross Railway bills. Sir Francis Goldandd's Committee
(Group 4) was again engaged iu the further consideration
of the Great F.astern Railway isteambooti Bill, and the
cases of the Midland, and Eastern, Norwich, and Spalding,
Lc., Railways, were proceeded with. The London and
North Western, Buxton (Chapel-en-I_-Frith and Sheffield),
Railway Bill, again occupied the attention of Mr. Schole.
field's Conintittee, without any result. In Mr. W. 0.
Stanley's Committee (Group 10) the Caledonian anti Forth
and Clyde Navigation Bill passed through, and several
other Scotch bills were adjourned. The Newry and
Armagh, the Waterford, New Ross, and Wexford Junc-
tion, being unopposed, werereferred back to the cliainmen
of committees.

FATAL ACCI DENT AT CAMBERW ELL. —Yesterday,
between twelve and one o'clock in the forenoon, an acci-
dent of a fatal character took place in Church-street,
Camberwell, near the Grove. Shortly before the time
mentioned, a person named Alexander was occupied on
the roof of the house, No. 4 Church-street, occupied by
Mr. Seagrire, a tobacconist, for the purpose of clearing the
gutter, and in the course of his operation, haring placed a
pair of steps against the coping, a very large portion of
the stone fell into the street with &terrific cniali, shive:ing
to fragments a large portion of the tlag•way beneath, and
striking two women, two children, and eight men who
were passing at the time. One a the women, after
examination by a surgeon, was pronounced to -be
dead, and woe conveyed to Camberwell Worklionae to
await the earner's inquest. The other wee conveyed to
St. Thoinas'a Hospital, but 011 arriving them she was
found also to be dead, from a severe fracture of the skull.
The first-named has not yet been identified, but the name
of the other is Diana Avery, tt years of age, a none in
the service of Kr. Hooper, of 14, Brunswick•minare. Cam-
berwell. She was walking with the two children referred
to. who were each struck by the stone, but fortunately
only slightly injured.