The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-11 00:00:00

MR. CL.IDSTO.VE AND TRADES' U.V/O.NS.

We find the following report in the Biriningham
of :
The late decision of the Court of Queen's Bench,
de-
I•ncing the funds of trades' unions of all legal protection,
mg produced the greatest surprise and apprehension
.1 consequences in the minds of associated workmen, a
dquitation upon the subject wax received on Thursday,
iy Mr. Gladstone, at 11, Carlton House-terrace.
The deputation h*l been appointed at a conference of
amalgamated engineers, tic., iron-moulders amalgamated
r‘rpenteni, vellum-hinders, and others • and included Mr.
A Allan. secretary of the Amolgamated Society of Engineers,
; Mr. Dancer, president of the London Trades' Coun-
cil ; Mr. Odger, secretary of the same body ; and Mr.
Applegarth, secretary of the Amalgamated Carpenters'
Society.
Mr. Gladstone having received these representatives
with the greatest courtesy,
Mr. AI,I.AN sail—lt will he in your recollection, sir, that
io Isg4 Mr. Danter and I waited upon you, with regard to
our societT depositing their funds in the roet-otlice savings
hanks. lou then granted our request, giving us permit,-
shm to bank in them to any extent. We have since then
deposited a very considerable stun of money in those
banks. But the late decision of the Court of Queen's
Leech has placed us in an awkward position, for default-
Mg trustees may now rob us with impunity.
Mr. GLAINTONE indeed, a very awkward position.
Mr. ALI.AN—We placed our money to the great extent
we have done in consequence of the arrangements made
with you, as Chancellor of the Exchequer. We thought
we were acting in accordance with law, and certain of legal
protection ; and more especially so as, in answer to your
questions, we stated all the purposes to which those funds
were collected and might be applied—that amongst others
we paid men when out of work, having refused to accept a
lower rate of wages.
Mr. GualwroNe having given a general assent to the
remarks, asked if the rules were registered.
Mr. ALLAN—We have deposited a copy of them.
Mr. Guns-rose—Yes, deposited a copy of them. I re-
garded it as a sort of friendly society. Of worse it was
not for me to determine what was legal or illegal. My
in psasion wax that you had complied with the regula-
tions of the law. lam as
much surprised at this decision
..s anybody can be. I cannot understand it. Do you know
on what precise point the judgment turns ?
Mr. I/Arran—Simply that we support men when out on
strike.

Mr. Am. us handed to Mr. Gladstone the opinion of the
Lord Chief Justice, when Attorney-General, as to the
rules on which the judgment turned.
Mr. A PPLEG A RTH directed the right hon. gentleman's at-
tention to the rules now declared by the late judgment of
the Court of Queen'. Bench as operating in restraint of
trade.
Mr. Gi..trimrortn—You have not the exact terms of the
judanent ? I have never seen the exact judgment.
Ati.c.—" Operate in restraint of trade" were the
exact terms of the judgment.
Mr. GLAI osTome said restraint of trade was a very large
phruie. He referred to a rule which at one time existed
amongst wholesale publishers of hooks as to the terms
of discount upon which alone they would consent to
supply the retailer. It had been given up, but at the
time it might bare been regarded as in restraint of
trade. If one of those retailers had refused to pay for
a panel of books, was the wholesale publisher to be
itch:toiled because the books had been delivered under
a rule in re.traint of trade! A man might devote his
land to purposes perfectly legal, but which might be in
nstrnint of trade. He confessed he did not know where
that was to stop. The question before him in HMI was
whether& legal society might be permitted to bank to
any extent in the Post-office savings banks. He then
understood they had complied with the regulation which
made it a legal society, namely, by depositing the rules,
:ad that they could not deposit rules which contained
anything illegal.
Mr. ALLAN— Mr. Tidd Pratt says he has nothing to do
with seeing whether the rules are legal or not.
Mr. GLAbeSt•NE—SO that an illegal society might deposit
its rules.

Mr. DAN-rxx-The act gives him power, and he examines
the rules to see whether they are legal or not.
Mr. Ciat.sroNE- So I thought.
Mr. AI.LAN—The society I represent has deposited
upwards of 40,000 f. iu those banks.
Mr. (4.Ansroer: -The question before me at the time
was, whether you might not be allowed to bank as a
friendly society. Well, why are you not a friendly society?
Mr. ALLAN—We have tried it, and ascertained that we
must be registered in Scotland and Ireland, as well as
iv England, and then we would be three different societies.
Mr. t.:i.tirsrnmr-What is there in point of law which
mikes you otherwise than a friendly society?
Mr. ALLAN-We are a corresponding society, going
through various countries.
Mr. f:iallreroNE- I want to know whether there is any
legal impediment to your becoming a friendly society.
W ould that rule about supporting men when on strike
prevent you?
Mr. ina:Ert explained that the judgment was to that
effect.
Mr. APPLE,: ART -Take our societies as a whole, they
are for the purpose of assisting our members to take their
labour to the best market. Now, that embraces the sup-
porting them when on strike or when locked out. Bat
alon.: with that we have many benevolent objects. We
lieveil as you did, sir, that Mr. Tirld Pratt would not
registered our society if it had nut been a legal one.
Mr. ALLAN oil they believed they could not be wrong
in .., tin;; upon the legal opinion of the Attorney-General
of England.
Mr. ;LA I 'STONE asked the porportion that the amount
I id to men on strike bore to the expenditure of the
5..... ties for benevolent purposes, during the past 10 years.
Mr. ALLAN said not one-tenth, be believed, was paid to
...ai strike.
Mr. I,‘STER thought not one-twentieth part.
Mi..tvisir then explained that the 'levitation did not
auk Mr. rardstone to ordertake to remedy the grievance
c.....1.!..ined of, but that he would be kind enough to
Tomb,. his most valuable assistancu generally, so far as
to Mr. Neat..., in earning the bill he had intro-
through parliament, that temporary protection
:gilt be obtained for their funds pending the permanent
a'ttivment .1 the matter.
Mr. lltatliNTONF said the principles of combination were
eery great importance. Whatever was permitted by
".right to entail no legal grievance. lie was completely
per led by the matter as it then stood before him, and
r-plested to be furnish, 1 with a copy of the judgment of
'oiirt of Queen's Bench, which the deputation ro-
-1,....1 to send. It was, be mid, a very interesting matter,
vie I be would give it his hest attention.
T.., deputation then thanked Mr. Gladstone for his
and withdrew.

The " Pan-Anglican Synod," which occupied so
r.•ieh of the recent seledon of Convocation. is summoned
IT the Archbishop of Canterbury for the 14th of Septem-
-1.,r u,xt. It is to include all bishops who choose to
Itr,lo, of churches in connection with or who have de-
❑v,.d their orders from the church of England. The
`sued will, therefore, comprise representatives of the
churchr, ~f Scotland. Ireland, the United States.
4..01a, and the coleniei. It is supposed that upwards of
l's) prelates will utey the summons.