The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-17 00:00:00

the ervrefo.

TO COREMSPONDENTS,
Advertticananta intended for " The Fspreta," London livening
must be at the Office, 10, Bouvartwatrent, by Two
tilt on the day of publication.

DRURY LAYS.
TIM ETmaad, FAUST. Mr. Phelps. Mears. E. Phelps, W.
Harrison. H. Yandenholl, sod J. Jon:Maas Mn Herman
Veda and Miss Poole.—And KATHERINE AND PETRUCHIO.
Mr. T. Swlnbuarae and Miss Label Adams.

MAYILUIRET.
Tim in 111110, OIIR MAZY ANNE. Mr. Howe, and Mr.
Clark; MIN C. Hill.—A DANGEROUS FRIEND. Messrs. C.
Mather, Howe, Kendal, dm ; Mesdames C. Mathews, =o-
da* Moore, Am —GAD UP.--And A LUIS IN. THE D
-

rumors.
1111 Emma', BAINABY BUDGE Maim S. CaMaass,
7. YI J.G. Siam te.: Mn John Wood, War daHugt&
Thorson and Katharine Nowa, Mr& H. Maim and Mn C.
Hormaaa.—To coodttide wtda QUIET LODGINGS.

LICELiIL
Thai E►nmra. BEITTUS AND MAR. lees Ilrairsde.—And
THE LONG STRUCK Menra Emery, Widdiresb, Cowper, Fitz-
patrick. Reynolds, and Moreland ; Miss.—e--.4isiUng
with TWUDLITONI3 TAIL COAT. —Communeat I.

STRAND.
Tam E'vrents, NEIGHBOURS. Messrs. Parsed., Belford,
and Murray ; Mesdames Swanborough, Johnstone, and Hughes.
—DAR ERRISCHUTZ; OR ♦ 000 D OAST FOR ♦ PLBUE.
—And BOOTS AT TUB SWAN,

HOLBORN.
THIS ZYNXIINI, at 7, LARKIN'S LOVE LETTERS. Mr. BM-
more and MIN C. Saunders.—And FLYING SCUD. Mews.
Neellle, Belmore, Blake, Yollalre, Be. ; Madames F. 1u
C. Saunders. plait* Fool& Fiddle, Lennox, Bakunood, to.

isixrAreiLL
Teal Immo. WHAT IS IT i—Mr. "Hauling Mai" Bryan:
Mita H. Garatoue : Paul Dean Matter Gana Perko—TOE
OLD CHERRY TELL Mra. Lane.—Concluithig with MARY
LIVINGSTON&

NIGH WATER AT LONDON INLDON
TIM Dee —Morning. Ih. 47m Afternoon. Oh. Eten.
TO4LOSZOlf—lfornlng, 1011. Om Afternoon, 10h. Atm.

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17,

THE two cases of conviction of workmen under
the Masters and Servants Act which came before
the Court of Queen's Bench on Wednesday bear
witness to difficulties in the administration of that
statute which it is to be feared would not be
removed by the adoption of the changes recom-
mended by the Select Committee over which Lord
ELCBO lately presided. WOOD and BARROW were
two workmen in the employ of Mr. BowsoN, a
master builder of Stockport. They were also
respectively President and Secretary of the
United Order of Bricklayers in the same town.
In October all Mr. Bowsow's men stopped work
shortly after BARROW had been seen speaking to
two of their number. Mr. Bowsow asking the
reason of the sudden suspension of labour, Minnow
told him that he could not but be aware that it
was because he had too many apprentices, he
having four at the time. Mr. Bowsow subse-
quently wrote to BARROW asking specifically why
the men had been taken away, and adding—" I Tire New York journals were discussing at the
" should like you to let me know what you require beginning of the present month a scheme for the I
"me to do." In reply to this application a reso- settlement of the Mexican question which they
lution of a meeting of the United Bricklayers was attribute to the Government at Washington. Ac-
forwarded to Mr. BowsoN in BARROW'S hand- cording to these authorities, an agreement has been
writing, to the effect that "No society bricklayer established between the United States, France,
" will work for Mr. BowsoN until he parts with and the Mexican Republic, in which each is to
" some of his apprentices. He will be allowed find its advantage. France, in withdrawing her
" two apprentices, and when his oldest apprentice troops, is to get a kind of guarantee from
" arrives at the last year of his servitude ho will the United States for the payment by the
"be allowed a third ; until then there will be no Government of Jusnez of the claims on account
" society bricklayers to work for him ; and, fur- of which she originally invaded Mexico. The
" ther, there will be so much expenses to pay as United States undertakes to lend its aid in estab-
" well before any society bricklayer will work for hailing a stable Republican Government in that
" Mr. BowsoN." A subsequent correspondence country, obtaining in return the cession of the
took place between the parties as to a sum peninsula of Lower California and a great part
of 18t.—the expenses referred to in the fore- of the States of Chihuahua and Sonora. Finally,
going note—which the society claimed, as J u AREZ accepts the arrangement, undertakes to cede
we can only suppose, to reimburse them the provinces, and pay the legitimate debts of the
for the aid they had given to the workmen during Republic. Such is the plan which is thought prac-
the suspension of labour. The master builders of ticable at Washington. It is admittedly conjec-
Stockport,
learning what was going on, held a tural in some of its details, and we suspect is'
meeting, and ag,ieed that they would discharge all as a whole rather an object than a result of
their men, unless Mr. BOWSON'S men resumed policy, or at most represents a general under-
work, and this resolution they communicated to standing rather than an elaborate scheme. The
the workmen. We assume as probable, although character of the arrangement, however, so well bar-
the report does not state the fact, that the master monisea with the interests and dispositions of the
builders had evidence that the men generally were several governments said to have become parties
making themselves parties to the proceedings of to it, that it is not surprising that it should have
the society against Mr. Bowsow, and so felt jus- been generally accepted in the United States
tified in including the whole body in measures of as a probable representation of the facts. JUAREZ
retaliation. would doubtless think himself fortunate in getting
If the matter had ended here the public would well secured in the possession of twenty States
have heard of it, if at all, only as one of those re- of the Republic on condition of ceding the re-
grettable
local wars between capital and industry maining three ; while the Emperor of the FRENCH,
of which we have had so many of late years. having for the gravest reasons resolved under any
Unfortunately, however, Mr.Bowsow was advised circumstances to withdraw his forces from Mexico,
to take WOOD and BARROW before the magistrates must be well disposed towards a scheme which
under the Masters and Servants Act, in the terms would enable him to declare to France that he had
of which they were convicted " for that attained the original object of his expedition.
" they did by using certain threats force That something has taken place between the
"or endeavour to force their employer Governments of France and the United States to
"to limit the number of his apprentices," enable the latter to give a more direct and open
and were sentenced to a month's imprisonment support to JUAREZ than it has hitherto done, or
with hard labour. Against this sentence the could have done, consistently with its former
workmen appealed ; and the Court of Queen's professions, no one who has watched the recent
Bench had no sooner possessed itself of the facts course of events can doubt. In its correspondence
• than it unanimously quashed the conviction. There with France the Government of the Union has
could be uo doubt that the local magistrates had repeatedly declared its strict neutrality in Mexico,
made a grown if not a culpable mistake. There but in General SHERIDAN'S letter to General
was not the slightest evidence of a threat in the SEDOWICK the abandonment of this policy is
whole case, fur the men's action prior to the openly proclaimed, and the duty of giving a hearty
communication made to Mr. BOWSON began and support to JUAREZ against the " Imperial buc-
ended with themselves, and that communication " cancers," as well as against ORTROA and SANTA
was made to Mr. BowsoN at his own request. I ANNA, is asserted. Any arrangement which pro-
Lord Chief Justice COCKBURN and his colleagues I mixes to give Mexico a government capable of
invited the counsel for the master to point out I protecting life and property must be considered a
any evidence of a threat, but he was unable to do benefit to that country. The French, in advancing
so. As Sir ALEXANDER Cocxerraw said in his upon the city of Mexico four years ago, announced
judgment : "There was no threat. The first •as their aim the overthrow of President JUAREZ ;
"step taken by the men was taken entirely among in so doing they deprived Mexico of the best
" themselves, and the next was taken in cone- chance of obtaining a strong government which it
" quence of and in answer to a communication by had enjoyed for many years. It was
"the master himself, and a demand on his part from the first impossible that they could
" for explanation." He was careful to add, give Mexico a government ; they only gave
and it will be well for workmen to remember, it one faction the more. The millions they have
that "If there had been anything to show that it spent in Mexico are irrecoverably lost. JUAREZ
" was intended really to convey a threat under re-appears as the only practicable ruler of Mexico,