The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-11 00:00:00

MR. HUGHES, M.P., ON CO-OPERATION.

Mr. Hughes, M.P., addressed a meeting, at the
Whitechapel Schoolroom, on Saturday night, upon co-
operation. The immediate object of the assembly had
reference to the opening of a co-operative store in Pea-
body's-buildings Spitalfielda. After some general obser-
vations, he said he supposed that all present had heard
how notch co-operation had done for the working people
in several parte of England. He himself had been con-
nected with many such societies for a considerable number
of years. There were a good many things at which per-
sons tried their hands in this complicated state of society.
There were a good many plans which one joined, and prin-
ciples which one believed in at various times, which were
found to be false at a later period of life. He had had
twenty years' practical experience of the co-operative move-
ment, and his faith was increased in it, and not diminished.
(Hear.) He did not mean to say that there had not been
many and considerable failures in 00-operation. There
WWI one such failure in Whitechapel. It was a very sad
blow to the movement, and tended to discourage it. Ile
referred to the failure of the great engineering establish-
ment. However, it was easy for any one who was ac-
quainted with the principle to account for such break-
downs. It was invariably seen that they had failed through
want of earnestness in the movement on the part of those
who conducted such stores, and not from the weakness or
failure of the principle upon which these societies were
founded. The longer he lived, and the more lie saw the
developments of the movement, the more thoroughly was
he convinced that, above every other movement at present
known in England, it was enabling the working classes to
take that position which it was good for them and the
country they should. (Hear.) They were beginning here,
as it was quite right they should, with the very AB C of
the movement. There were many developments of the prin-
ciple, but the simplest was that of the co-operative store.
He believed they were all pretty well acquainted with
the main outlines of this plan. They became their own
shopkeepers and customers, and the more they spent the
greater return they got. In past years there had been
great difficulty in finding good investments for the small
savings of the working chores. There were the savings
banks, which offered excellent mediums, but they did not
give very large returns. Besides the savings hanks there
were building societies, which were no doubt profitable in-
vestments, and perhaps as good as could be found in any
class of society. But still the persons for whom co-opera-
tire stores were most useful were those who, perhaps,
could not afford to save sufficient to become members and
hold shares in building societies. There was no invest-
ment so good for working people, so advantageous, in
which they could place their money, as co-operative
stores. They would, of course take care to purchase the
host goods, and sell them at such prices as they might
arrange. The profits which were derived from the
sales would be divided pro rata. A sufficient margin
must be left for incidental expenses. He knew two or
three small stores which had been started in neighbour-
hoods which were not so good for a store as this—and
London, he would observe, was behind other parts of Eng-
land in this movement—and at the end of the half-year a
bonus was declared of Is. in the pound upon all purchases.
The result was that the purchasers not only had better
articles than they could get elsewhere, at the most reason-
able prices, but at the end of the period he named they
got the prufit stated. He trusted that all present would
join the movement which WWI now prepared. The prin-
ciple had spread through all the towns of loncishire,
Yorkshire, and other parts of the north. There was not a
town or village there in which they would not find a
flourishing co-operative store. In the north there bad been
but few failures. (Hear, hear.) His opinion was that it re-
quired a considerable amount of ingenious blundering
and folly to get a properly established store into the wrong
groove. The more shareholders and customers the better
and more profitable would be the concern. The particular
store which they were met to advance was situate in Pea-
body's-buildings, where he should imagine a number of
persons lived who would become good customers. Resolu-
tions were then passed in fsvour of such institutions, and
this one in particular. In conclusion, the hon. member
spoke upon the necessity of the working classes in the re-
ceipt of good wages saving something. He was a dishonest
man and a bad member of society who did not do so.
(Hear, hear.) A cordial vote of thanks was given to Mr.
Hughes for taking the chair. In reply, he expressed his
belief that the movement was to do more for England than
any other known. He was only too glad to render them
any assistance. There was no part of England where it was
more needed than in the east end of London, nor any part
where it ought to do so well if they supported it.

THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS.—Thu nomination
for Andover will take place to-day, for Northamptonshire
on Wednesday, for East Suffolk on Friday, and for Dublin
University on Tuesday.'
A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP ON COMPULSORY
EDUCATION.--Dr. Goss, the Roman catholic bishop of
Liverpool, attended the annual meeting of the Liverpool
Catholic Reformatory Association on Thursday, and ex-
pressed his views on compulsory education, and what he
termed " omr.pulsory reformation." He regretted the
enactment of the reformatoq laws, because they " took
away the freedom " of children who had not legally
transgressed, but were without any means of obtaining a
livelihood. He also thought that the government ought
to defray the entire cost of reformatories, and that it
should not be thrown on the particular body of religionists
to which the criminals belonged. With respect to com-
pulsory education, he said such a procesa would be
trampling on the rights of parents, and interfering
with the liberty of the subject ; and be hoped the catholic
body would endeavour to prevent it. His views did not
meet with any expression of assent, but, on the contrary,
were freely dissented from, especially with regard to go-
vernment support of reformatories, by the Rev- Father
Nugent. The latter gentleman did not enter the room
until after Dr. Goes had concluded his speech, and his ex-
pression of such dissimilar views caused much amusement.
Kr. John Yates also upheld the present mode of support-
ing reformatories.
SERIOUS EFERCTS Or THE LATE GALE ON THE
THAVVI.—The fearful gale which burst forth front the
westward in the early part of Wednesday morning has
occasioned a serious lees of life anal property on the
Gravesend section of the river. The wind at times
blew in awful gusts, and there was as much sea on as is to
be found in the Channel in rough weather. The ferry
steamers in making their way across the Thames rolled
and laboured fearfully. The shipping which brought up
in the several reaches had a very trying time of it, and se-
veral fatal catastrophes have occurred. During the height
of the dorm on Wednesday morning, before daybreak,
the brims Fanny, of Whitby, coal laden, which had
anchored in the Lower Hope, a few miles below Gravesend,
parted rum her moorings, or rather the windlass was torn
out of her by the terrific violence of the gale. The brig
was then driven athwart-hawse of a large barque called
the Warrior, of Swansea, which was also at anchor ; and
so great W.IS the force with which the collier was dashed
against the barque that she immediately began to fill and
went down, anal it is believed that Captain Falconer, the
master, the mate, and a seaman, perished with the ill-fated
vessel. The survivors got on board the barque. On
Thursday. about noon. the sailing barque John, of Ayles-
ford, bound to the Medway, was going down Long Reach,
when a fretful gust of wind threw the barque over, and she
sunk, and two of the hands are reported to have been
drowned. Several other disasters are reported.
Ozeirraf. PALACH. HALF-A-CROWN DAT.
SATVIDAT, 9.—Admissions on payment, 1,025.5; ditto
by season tickets, 6,638: total visitors, 7,893. The great
bird show continued this week will remain open until seven
o'clock this evening.
HOSPITAL FOR DISEASES OF THE CREST, VICTORIA-
PARR. —The number of patients relieved at this institution
during last week was 1,281, of which 323 were new cases.

THE DISTRESS AT THE EAST END 01PLONDON.

I.ITUTATION TO MK LIM OF DIUT.

On Saturday afternoon a deputation from the
London Working Men's Association waited by appoint-
ment on Lord Derby, at his official residence in Downing-
street, for the purpose of bringing under the notice of
government the distress now prevailing amongst the
skilled artisans and labourers usually employed in the
shipbuilding yards of the river Thames, and to suggest the
adoption of immediate measures by the government for
alleviating that distress. The deputation consisted of Mr•
G. Troup, treasurer ; Mr. Potter, chairman of the associa-
tion ; and Messrs. Bolt, shipwright ; Sweeting, iron ship-
builder ; Dawson, ditto ; R. Upshell, joiner; Connolly,
mason ; Bryen, joiner ; and A. A. Walton, architect.
The deputation was accompanied by Mr. John Hughes, the
manager of the Stillwell Iron Works.

Mr. G. Teoep introduced the deputation, and explained
the reasons which had induced them to apply to the head
of the government.

Mr. G. Ponta said his lordship was no doubt painfully
aware of the existing distress amongst the artisans and
labourers connected with the numerous shipbuilding yards
and ironworks at the east end of London, a distress that
was becoming more aggravated every day, and a distress
for which the men were in no way responsible, although
attempts had been perseveringly made by interested and
ignorant parties to throw that responsibility upon them.
The immediate object, therefore, of the deputation now
present was to ask his lordship, as the head of the govern-
ment, whether it was not possible at once to place in hand
some of the intended contracts for vessels of war which
they contemplated building, and to give these contracts to
the shipbuilders of the River Thames. This, he would
respectfully suggest, would be a practical way of removing
some portion of the existing distress by giving immediate
employment to several thousand men.
Lord DERBY—I think, gentlemen, you have not made
your application in the proper quarter. The suggestion is
one which would more properly have been made to Sir
John Pakington as the head of the Admiralty, whose de-
partment has the giving out those contracts to which you
allude. I may, however, observe that the Admiralty, in
giving out these contracts, are bound to do so with a due
regard to the public interests. I will bring the subject
under the immediate notice of my colleague.
Mr. HUGHES (manager of the Millwall Iron Works) said
he attended the deputation quite unconnected with the
Work) n$ Men's Association, hut as a practical man, living
in the district where the distress existed, and usnahy em-
ploying many thousand workmen, to matte a practical sug-
gestion. In the first place, he could assure his lordship
the public were not aware of the amount of distress
that really did exist ; they only heard of that prevailing
amongst the very poor; those who, deprived of their work,
had no other resource than poor-law relief, or the aid
given by the local relief committees. To his own know-
ledge, there were thousands of skilled artisans who would
suffer any amount of misery rather than pauperise them-
selves by accepting parish relief, and who had an almost
equal repugnance to seek or receive aid from time relief
couunittees or the soup kitchens. These men and their
families for months past had been living on their own re-
source,' until at last their small savings, their household
furniture and clothing, had all disappeared, and the scenes
of misery and destitution he was daily witnessing amongst
the class of men he had alluded to were really shocking.
These men would endure anything rather than lose their
self respect by accepting parish relief or public charity.
Lord DERHT—I hail considerable experience of the class
of men you are speaking about during the time of the Lan-
cashire distress. The relief committee always took care to
impress upon the men they relieved that they were not
relieved as paupers' and it was wonderful how little loss of
self-respect had been engendered amongst those thus
relieved.
Mr. HUGHES said he had now a practical suggention to
make. The company he repewnted were in the habit of
receiving on the let of April, at the close of the financial
year, from 9,000 to 10,000 tons of iron to be manufactured
into guns and gun carriages. Now, if the government
would at once give out that iron the company would imme-
diately take on 1,000 workmen, which would be equivalent
to removing 4,000 persons out of their present distress,
and he would further undertake that the company would
not require from the government any payment for the
work done until after the close of the next financial year.
There were no doubt other firms in the district prepared
to meet the government in the same manner, and thus at
once mitigate the distress. He had prepared a paper con-
taining the above suggestions and proposals, with other
details, which he would take the liberty of placing in his
lordship's hands.
11r. DAws're (iron shipbuilder) said he bail been out of
employ for twenty-one weeks, during which time be had
maintained himself and family from his own resources,
with the allowance from his trade society. His means
were now exhausted. Thousands of his fellow-workmen
were in the same position.
Mr. BOLT (shipwright ) desired to explain to his lordship
a questionconnected with his society, about which there had
been much misrepresentation. It had been asserted that the
shipwrights had refused to work for less than 7s. a da)-,and
that in consequence the Thames Iron Company had lost a
large contract. This was the real truth of the case. The
shipwrights usually undertske their work by contract at a
rate which made the standard wages 7s. per day. The
Thames Company asked the men to undertake a contract
at a lower rate than usual, which would yield but 6a. W.
per day. The men mid "No ; but we will undertake the
contract at 10 per cent. under our usual prices, making up
the deficiency by working harder, and we will draw on
account only the exact sum earned per day, whether it be
55., ss. 6.1., or GB. 61., but in no case to exceed Is. This
arrangement would really have resulted in a greater re-
duction to the company than they had asked the men in
the first place to accept, but it would have prevented any
violation of the standard rate of 7s. per day, which might
have been drawn into a precedent for reduction at another
time. The whole number of ehipwrights that would have
been employed on the contract would have been under 50.
Lord DElter—l would rather not enter upon that sub-
ject, for, after all, it is but an isolated case, having nothing
really to do with the subject of the deputation. A
cabinet council will assemble in an hour from the present
time, and I will lay before Sir John Pakington the sugges-
tion of Mr. Potter, and before General Peel the proposal
and paper of Mr. Hughes and I have no doubt thosegen-
tlemen will take into their serious consideration whether
anything can be done in the matter under the circum-
stances. The question belongs entirely to the departments
over which they preside.
After some further remarks between his lordship and
some members of the deputation respecting the general
distress and the working of the Mansion-house and local
committees, which were generally approved, the deputa-
tion retired, thanking his lordship for the courtesy of his
reception.

The total amount reoeived for the Mansion-house fund
for the relief of the distress now prevailing in the eastern
districts of London was 12,147/. up to Saturday evening,
and of that sum 7,435/. has been granted to nearly forty
local committees.

DEATH FROM STARVATION.—Mr. Humphreys
held an inquiry on Saturday at the Prince of Wales
Tavern, Victoria-perk, touching the death from want of
Frederick Dick, aged 9 years. Jane Dick, 3, Satchwells-
rents, Bethnal-green, said that she was the wife of a horse
hair curler, but as he had met with an accident at his
work that ilisabled him, she had to support the family b
what she could ern. She made 4s. a week, out of which
she laid :is. rent, and the parish allowed her 2s. lid. a
week in money, and tea, sugar, Lc. Her husband was in
the workhouse infirmary. The deceased had had meat only
three times since Christmas last, but though the whole
family lived very hard, yet the deceased had enough of
bread and butter to live an. Last Monday he was taken
ill ; but she had to leave him to go out to work ut wash-
ing, &c. On Wednesday she was fetched home, and found
him dead. She could not account for his death. Mr. C.
C. Richards, surgeon, said that he was called to the
deceased after death. The body was excessively ema-
ciated. The post-mortem examination showed that the
stomach and Mtestines were nearly empty ; the blood was
palei and watery ; and there was not a trace of fat in the
body. Death resulted from effusion of serum on the brain
from want of food and other necessaries. The jury re-
turned a verdict—" That deceased was found dead from
effusion of serum on the brain, arising from want of food."
The coroner and jury subscribed 11. 14s. for the mother of
tho deceased. _

IMPROVED INDUSTRIAL DwEi.urroit Costralay.—
The report of the Improved Industrial Dwellings Com-
pany, to thane
thhaelf-
held at the lietehrl"eeiratestethbaet
since June last 18,2001. additional capital has been sub-
scribed, and that the total now amounts to 63,775/. All
the dwellings of the company are fully occupied, and ap-
plications for vacant tenements are still largely in excess
of the number available. A contract has been signed for
the erection of ax blocks of dwellings, comprising 108
tenements, opposite the company's present buildings at
King's-cross-road. Four of these will be on the same plan
as Palmerston-builtlings, in the City-toail, and two have
been designed with the view of providing single room tene•
ments. The directors are dextrous of treating for other
plots of land in populous neighbourhoods. The linnriaiona
of the act passed last Nay for advances to enterprises of
this kind have not yet come into force. It is hoped, how-
ever, in the course of a few weeks to obtain under it a
lean of ROAM. or 00,00 W. A large pro portion of Palmer-
ston-buildings was not completed and fully occupied until
September last, but the directors are enabled to declare
the usual dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum,
and at the same time to reiterate the conviction expressed
in their original prospectus, that the enterprise is to be
recommended, not only on the ground of its usefulness,
but also on account of its being a safe and profitable
investment. _

Do B~aay'B DELICIOUS RIVALINTA ARADICA
FOOD cares dyspepsia, indigestloo, cough, asthma, consuniptlon,
debility, conitipation, diarrhum, palpitation. nerfous, bilious,
User, and stonsacheo-uplaints. Cure No. (41,41 F —" Rome, July
21, 1866.—The hoalth of the Holy Father is excellent, tally
since, abandoning all other remedies, be has oonnued U
entirely to Du Barry's FondJ and his Holiness cannot praise
this szoellent food too highly.—Omettedu Midi. Do Barry and
Co., No. 77, Begentetreet, Loudon, W. In tins, at la. lit;
1114. Es. 9d. 112b5., labs.. iils.—(lldverdminentl