The Express.
London, England, 1859-08-11 00:00:00

NESTING 017 MASONS.

Yodeler meet* elf the Meenuflleeisty wu held at
Wtkoakee Arembly Boom% Weetznater-road, for the
pupae el MY, the optnian of the widely with regard to
4kallunnr ar " pledge" whteit the argue require to
elgeed or taken betty they adult ally mu to work in
111.1 r fria=tartl; " zrotarr' JOKY I,II2OIIALD In the
their. woe a very nernerose attordasoe.

na CNAllUllat sail r hal ti doubt they were ell ewers
of the purpose he white the aastAigg bed tam °Wed. They
were met to damns that melees " document" which the
wasters had so kiadly pad t. them for dais epeeist
Dodos and their sigueture. The wiestiag was one at arose
slow. sad be trussed that if say pm who was riot • meson
was recant ha would ream (liar, her.)
• --

Brothar W. POZNAN roofed the ileflowing meolistin
" That it h the opinion of thm mes Nag that the document pre-
sented to the mucus of Louden for their acquire:once either
verbally or Ly writing, is digualteg and handling, mad that
the muter builders by this act ham shown great inconaietency
by deuotiating combination on the part of the workmen
whilst promoting the same Hue of casette themselves ; and
demanding that all the workmen in their employment shall
virtually coastituts themselves sieves to their dictatioa; and
this startles Wedges Itself that it wilt mot witame work m-
eant on the uneoediHonal withdrawal of *Torridity in the
chaps of • document, promise, or egrestosot." (Cheers.)
I am prod, fellow workmen, be mid, to see such • goodly
gathering upon the momentous question that calls us to-
gether. 1 hope it I. not merely an endows of the excite-
ment of the moment, beta proof that you am determined
sever to nom» employment until that obuoikehe "docu-
ment" is withdrawn unconditionally. (Hear.) It is not
our intention to dwell on the nine hours gumbos; we leave
that lo the hands ot those who are so nobly conducting
and 1 have no hesitation in saying that they wall beteg it to
anucoesaful Mane. (Cotters.) I sat, ia there a man bete
willing to put his signature to that "document?" (" No.")
It appears that your eaployers do sot now ask you to sign
It yourselves., but your futesed or timekeeper may do it for
you ; but to authorise soothe, maa to sign for you is the
mom thing as minium youreshee. (Hear, der.) I have
well studied this matter, and I am wholly dlegaend
that any employer Magid have the milliner to
place ouch • document before any body of me
thanks—calling upon as. who from their infancy have
beta struggling to suppart then society to withdraw from it
la shier old ego. (Cheers.) lam persuaded that you will
stand arm end feat, end that you will never relinquish the
peelent contest until this " document" la wholly withdrawn.
What ociaclimion can we come to as to what the employees
have in view ? The press tells us clearly enough what the
reel object of the employers is in presenting toot precious
document to us. It is merely to cremator/ your well-esta-
blished society ; for the employers well know that if they
succeed to that they can the more easily ride roaghehad over
you sad extract any amount of labour from your blood,
bones, and sinews, and pay you what they phase for it.
(Choirs.) The society of which we are proud to be mambos
has been in existence a great number of yew. Oar fore-
fathers founded sad eapperted it, end It le your duty to
maintain it, seeing the object It heels vlsw—support-
lag us in sickness and mischame, and moddlog Amtrak
whoa we die. In the ism three yews dr sealed
alone has expended no hem than 4.9871. in sick elicersaces,
1,4110/ la relief of &oddest', and 2,2221. in funerals. Is there
a man mammt you who wand pledge known to @Madan •
society of that demription No, before 1 would give my
signature to stech:e document or promise, I would suffer say
amount of deprivation. (Cheers.) They talk about looking
us out, but they have not locked our tools out, and if they
don't open:their doors we know what we have before us—sot
the weekhouss, but • nobler prospect ; we can take our leder
to another market sad sell it as we have done before; we eau
dispose of our labour elsewhere if not in London, trod say
me who looks forward to the workhouse in struggling for
his independence is not worthy of the same of man. (Cheers.)
Let us, then, support our society, which is ennobled by assay
victories and oonmeratml by many samillore which w• have
made to mahatma it. (Clasen.)
Brother 0. 0•1110 D seid—The meeting has been called
for the purpose of °pondering the "document," and we
should cosine ourselves to that. Our dquismeame in that
&cement, either verbally or by signature, would be both de-
grading end insulting, end 1 me sure them is not one amongst
you who does sot spas its that. (Cholla) TM distinction
hemmed "signing' • document and •tagreeim" to it is •
diotinctiow without • difference, and I believe the masons of
London will consent neither to document nor declaration.
(Cheers) The waivers have shown great inoonsisteac) in this
matter, for whilst desouucing combination on our part they are
doing the very thing themselves. The toasters are supposed
to be higher in the intellectual male than we are—they are
t all events richer men; but I think they have shown thme
selves per below us in point of sbelity in carrying out the
movement. (Hear.) I Lope thus is net • man Mee who
would ever think of signing a thing of this kind, or agreeing
to it in any shape or form. If we only suck to the rejection
of the document, depend upon it that its withdrawal
will b, the forerunner to • satisfactory settlement of our dig-
ferment As soon as that le withdrawn, it will be our duty,
I presume, to go to work, Isaving the nine hours question
in the hands of those who sre now conducting at. The
employers haven* right doer working hours to dictate to me
or to you what society we shall belong to. What would they
say, it we dictated to them what society they should belong
to! (Hear, beer.) Let it., however, show them that we
" know our rights, and knowing, dere maintain them."
Brother J. Tat: aura supported the resolution. There wee
an old proverb, "That what was good for the goose was good
for th• gander ;" bet their employers thought chikeeatty, purr
while they associated thmtielvee, they thought it right to
prevent them from doing so. It was a Mete of sudsclty
on their part to require from them a pledge that they would
not haloes to any association, or support myth* of the
kind. But if his labour wee his capital, had he not the
same right to protect it es the employee had to protect his
capital k In 1853 a body of men, he Wined the
were locked out, and a meeting was Lela at the
endety of Arts, at which it was discussed whether
combustions were just end fair es between employers and
employed. It was decided almost unanimously that they
were. Why should they give up • soinety that did so mach
WWere they to beams common slaves to oblige the
iden? Which of the matters would give hie wife 601. lf he
met with an &oddest, or his family 100/. ie the event of his
death ? Each man amongst them must dee to this con-
clusion, " I will not do it." (Chaste.) He behoved that the
cures of their owe offspring would fall upon them if they
did, seed theism' vss is such • manner. They would doom to
be trampled under foot—thmwoulddeeerve thecuressofthoes
that followed them if they signed this document. He hoped
they had too much geed mom sad too great • love of free-
dom to aid or agree to each a document. It was like
siding away their birthright for a mw of pottage, and for
his part he would rather take • Neon sod sweep • street-
crossing than do so. They had es moth beads as the mas-
ted, if they bad not as much money, sad they could go else-
where. He did not believe that any mu there would so
lower and degrade himself as to may, "I dies; toad society,
nod MU not support so and to." Is weeiLdthrown out aa
of a tort feeler. The orders *odd be to led them
reeking an uproar, but bkeyed they conduct them-
selves in a plsis, sober, businsee-Ithe meaner, as mechanic..
Let them maintais en indepeedeat patios, and he hoped they
wool! cotes out victorious. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then called on the meeting to etymon
their opinion of the resolution by raising up the right hand.
Remy Kiehl hoed was insenediatesy held up in it. favour, and
the resolation was declared to he carried amidst loud cheers.
The committee, which called the meeting, we. then re-
appointed, to watch over the interests of the body.

RAGGED SCHOOL TREST.—A 1e number of the
&Edema belonging to the King Edwur Ragged School of
Industry, together with many of the members of the neigh-
bourieg ragged church, were yesterday conveyed by special
train to; that portion of Eppieg) Fore.* in the neighbour-
hood of Suareebrook, to enjoy their annual holiday at the
spates of Mr. H, E. Gurney. The supolme both for
dinner and tea were very bountiful, and evidently much
appreciated both by old and young, whineappetires (judging
from the quantity of aubAantial viand. which dumpy...red)
appeared remarkably sirecirtheeed b the pure air of that
locality. The teachers and their friends dined together
mew a spacious marquee erected for the cecadoe, when
imbue speeches were made ealogisiie of the liberality of
Mr. Gurney end the peinstaking can sad devotedness of
the Boa. Secrivary, Mr. H. R. Williams, who, with the
Mechem was highly complimented for the cosnifeet itnpnra
Mt in the children. The only drawback to the day's
hummer. was occasioned by an accident to • ens little ghl,
who was knocked down and much injured by • berm
belonging to onset the gipeiee who infest these ports, owl
who by their &busies leoguage and the way in which they
ply their vocrithei are feet becoming • great peat to those
who visit the Some foe healthful recreation.
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ASSOCIATION POI PROMOTING THR WTI-TARS OF
TVS HuND.—Thln etesoldlon, width bat mead
a=
suffering and homelessbllrd, sad which at prat
employment to upwards of 70 blind men sad moms at the
Institution in the Idesters-road, is now, owing to the vast to.
crew of the sphere of its operation, much la meat of feeds,
and the Right Ass. the Lord Bishop of Oshrd, to alder to
enable the ooetedttee to render immediate help to If of the
most destitute Itemehos Mud, has liberally aimed to pr eat
• denstion of 201. to the special fond, on conditime
Miters will se erelly cootribute a like moonat. IS eater
=co. of this kind oiler, several benevolent ladies sad gen.
hare added their names I. the list, but the ,guar
number being not yet complete, the conissittse war*
appeal for the farther amount, so that thq may ho is $
position to hip the 20 Mad persons suitonely waiting for
such rtdisf.