The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-09 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

Charles Hornsby, of No. 1, Carpenter's-buildings, Lon•
don-wall, was summoned for throwing soil down a grating

of the common sewer.
Henry Parsons said he was one of the sanitary inspectors
under the Commissioners of Sewers. On the 30th of
October, about half-past ten in the morning, he was walk-
ing down London-wall, and when he came within about
twenty yards of Carpenter's-buildings, he detected a great
stench. He waited a few minutes and saw the defendant
come to the grating and throw a pailful of soil down it.
lie went to the house where the defendant brought it
from, in Carpenter's-buildings, and found that the drain
was stopped, and they were trying to open it, and this
was some of the soil that would not run through it.
The defendant said they were opening a dram, and the
bricklayer told him to throw it down the grating. He did
not know better, and never thought he was doing wrong.
Alderman Wilson fined him Ms. and costs.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Yesterday a deputation, composed of an equal number
of master and journeymen bakers, waited on Mr. Knox,
for the purpose of stating their views on the question of
working at their trade on Sundays. The proceedings took
their rise from the circumstance of a number of sum-
monses against master bakers having been heard at this
court, and from Mr. Knox having expressed a wish to be
informed whether there was any vindictive feeling between
journeymen and masters with reference to the question of
working on Sundays.
Mr. Knox told the deputation he was glad to see
them at the court. He did not propose to speak with them
as a magistrate, but as summonses were taken out day
after day, if he could make peace he would readily do so.
Mr. Pidgeon, on behalf of the journeymen bakers, said
before the act was passed journeyman bakers were obliged
to work lft hours on week days, and nearly as long on Sun-
days. For some time after the passing of the act the
journeymen found themselves in a tolerably good position
as regarded toil ; but since the year 1859 the act had re-
mained in abeyance, and things had been falling back on
the old system. Journeymen were required to work on
Sundays, and sometimes for 36 hours at a stretch. In fact
the cause of the present movement was because employers
appeared to be getting into the system of baking bread on
Sundays. The breakers of the law bad been summoned
before magistrates at Lambeth, Westminster, Southwark,
and Woolwich, who bad carried out the law in Its in-
tegrity, and the result was that in those districts the
system had dropped, and journeymen were enabled to
enjoy some portion of their Sunday. At the Mansion-
hoese Alderman Lusk had inflicted a fine of only 21. fid. ;
but had stated that if fresh cases were brought before him
he would inflict the full penalty. Now. on the part
of the journeymen, he begged to say that the object
was not vindictiveness towards employers, or any wish
to punish them for wrong-doing, but as the men
worked hard for six days in the week, to get for
them as much leisure as possible on the seventh
day. He did not wish to make any remarks about
Sunday takings. Lord Brougham and others considered
that the system of baking dinners on Sundays relieved •
great many poor people from the necessity of cooking, but
he wished, and the body of journeymen wished, to prevent
bread being baked on Sundays—a serious matter, as it com-
pelled journeymen to work on Saturday nights as well as
Sunda.
Mr. Knox wished to know what would be the effect of
not baking bread on Sundays.
Mr. Pidgeon—The journeymen would have one day to
themselves. They would get away on Saturday night,
some on Saturday afternoon, and would be able to go to
their homes and beds.
Mr. Knox thought that the journeymen did not seek to
attain anything that was irrational.
Mr. Mackintosh said that although • master he was per-
suaded the men had no vindictive feeling towards the mas-
ters generally, and he would go further, and say that the
masters wished for the same object as the journeymen were
seeking. The whole trade, with the exception of five or six
masters, desired to see the system of Sunday trading done
away with altogether. The old system, which it was hoped
had been done away with, was now again reviving, and
would become established if not checked. A master baker
bad recently lost a very good customer because he would
not amply him with hot bread on Sundays. The customer
went to a French baker, who agreed to furnish hot bread
without making any demur. He might say that the greater
part of the masters and the whole body of men were desi-
rous of getting Sunday trading done away with.
Mr. Blackmore, formerly president of the Journeymen
Bakers' Association, said the French bakers established in
London were the obstacle,
for they bad no scruples in
selling bread on Sundays, to the injury of the English
bakers. The masters were favourable to the Sunday
closing movement. but their difficulties were as great as
those of the josznamea. Ile was side to say there was