The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-20 00:00:00

THE WORKMEN'S STRIKE AND RIOT AT
ROUBAIX.

A letter from Roubaix, written on Sunday, gives
the following details of the disturbances which took plate
there on the previous day, and have been already alluded
to by the cif miterr :—" This town was yesterday afflicted
by a mast serious riot. For some time past the prin.
cipel manufacturers bad resolved, as already an.
nounced, on introducing into their factories (cloth) the
modification of one workman managing two weaving.
machines in the making of cheap goods. MM. Delattre,
father and son, had taken the initiative in this measure,
which is entirely to the advantage of the workman, As it
increases his wages, and is indispensable to resist
English competition. The step, when adopted some
days back by MM. Delattre, had already produced
a certain agitation amongst the men, and had
been followed by a temporary strike, after which work had
been resumed as before. The greater number of the menu.
factures, finding the plan a good one, came to an agreement
to make it general. They decide.) that a new set of regula-
tions, comprising several other changes, should be posted
up at the same time in the various establishments en
Saturday. This simultaneous neele of proceeding was COO*
aidered by many persons to be injudicious, as the work.
men inferred from it that an understanding had been de.
cided on to preudice their interests ; and that idea
natural) caused amongst them a much greater irri-
tation than they would have felt had each master
acted at his own time and singly. The simultaneous
character of the execution of these measures had the ire
evitable effect of creating a strike in all the houses on the
same day ; in other words, throwing into the streets from
12,000 to 13,000 workmen. These persons yesterday began
their demonstrations by smashing the window.. of •
MM. Delattre's insnufactory with stones and brick.
bats. In the afternoon they nicked the house
of the concierge, breaking all the furniture and
throwing it out of doors. Towards the evening the die
turbence, encouraged by impunity- inasmuch as we have
here only a police altogether insufficient in a country
where the working-class forms threemuorters of the whole
population—the situation, I repeat, becaine most critical.
Bands of malefactors directed their course in succession to
the factories of MM. Richani Ifimousseauft, Dillies
(father). Philippe Scanis, Louis ficrepel, and Henri
Roussel, sacking and destroying the machines, the raw
material, and the made-up tissues, attacking also the
private residence of M. Philippe Scamps, which
was contiguous to his working 'itemises, breaking'
the furniture, tearing down the hangings, and
effecting, in a word, a complete devastation. Not con-
tent with that, and as if the work of destruction did
not go on quickly enough, they had recourse to fire. and
the establishment of M. Delon isacaus was very near be-
coming a prey to the tames, but fortunately the fire was
subdued before it could spread to any considerable extent.
Lastly, at about 10 in the evening, troops arrived from
Lisle, and the disorders immediately ceased, without any
effusion of bloo.L The daniage done is estimated at up-
wards of a million of francs. Numerous arrests have
been made."

The Near Free Press of Vienna announces that
the directors of railways, in a conference at Munich, have
decided on reducing by 2.1 per cent. the fares for travellers
going to the Paris Exhibition, and by 10 per cent those
for societies composed of at least 300 persona.
THE MARTYRS Or POLAND.—According to a
manifesto called for by the representatives of Pastel is
Prussia the number of Poles tent to Siberia knee January,
1863, amounts to 18,682, among whom 164 are women and
114 priests. All were transported for political delinquen-
cies, and, accenting to the offence imputed, are sentenced
either to forced labour in the mines, ooloniisition in the
villages, or mere residence in villages or towns. In addi-
tion to theme, 33,780 persons were banished to the stepper
of the Ural, as severe a punishment as removal to Siberia,
but nearer home. Furthermore, 12,556 persons, among
them 218 women and 163 priests, were forcibly made to
leave their homes anal accept a compulsory abode in the
interior of European Russia ; 2,416 were placed in the ranks
of the army, 31,500 in houses of correction ithe greater part
of whom were subsequently removed to Siberia), and 620 is
the churchyards of divers penitentiaries, having die.l be.
fore trial. On the battlefields of the rebellion, as Residua
computations show, 33,800 were buried. As 1.468 more
were hung or shot by the courts-martial, and 7,060 forted
to meek refuge in foreign countries, the total of the maw-
choly list is swelled to 141,882.. Resides these, Poland has
furnished 2 per cent. of her male population as recruits.
NEGRoF.B VOTING IN VIRGINl4.—ColGtimd wen
have voted at last in the Old Dominion. Virginia, must
suffer thi, justice whether she will or not, for it is 1,11,. to
argue violently against the stern logic of such hard things
as events. The voting done by negroes at Alexandria
yesterday was the shadow of a good thing so much
like the substance that we scarcely are to re*
cognise the difference. It is true their votes
tea
not to be counted in by the election commissioners.
but it is nevertheless true that they had polls of their
own, and voted peacefully and manfully. The fennel
question has arisen as to whether these votes shall now
be counted ; but the question is a Virginian one.
black men have shown their perfect ability to estitneft
themselves as well as their votes, anal the solution is
tually reached. The 'mad jury of the country have de'
I tided their perfect eligibility, anal it only remains foe
them to take poesession of their ...it. We hail the event,
—pew York rnbuse, Muth 6.