The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-09 00:00:00

MEETING OP THE U.VEdfPLOYEA

During $ portion of last week the walla of London
were placarded with bills eaMag upon the unemployed to
assemble in St. James's-hall. Piccadilly, on Saturday *Ooz-
ing, at seven o'clock, " for the perpose of suggesting mea-
sures for the temporary relief of the unemplsyed, home-
less, and starving people, and to consider what are the
causes for the existing stagnation in trade, and coasequent
want of employment" At the appointed hour but a very
few of the elan that had been thus appealed to were in
attendance, and the peat St. James's-ball, in which the
meeting was to be bald, presented a somewhat miserable
appearance. When the proceedings were at last com-
menced there were not above two hundred people present,
many of these being wretched-looking females, some of
whom bad babies in their arms, and had also brought
older children with them. On the pliteform there weer
only some balf-desen persons, and the meeting, in fact,
appeared to have been got up, and was, at all events, ten-
anted by, two parsons suns--the chairman, a Mr.
Roberts, and the mover of the first resolution, Mr. Thomas
O'llz It was stated that a number of "influential"
gth had promised to attend, bet at the last moment
they failed to put in an appearance. Who these
"ins (al ^ gemtleness vee did esellaiesekte.
The CRAIRMAX said the meeting was essentially for the
unemployed, and every man present might come forward
and express his views on the subject of the stagnation
which was now prevalent in trade. It had been sail that
the stagnation was caused by the working cleaves of Eng-
land demanding toe high • rate of wages ; bet if the work-
ing men of some continental towns weld work for 7ad.
a day, it was an impossibility for the Eogliab workman to
do the same. (Hear, bear) Others said that the stagna-
tion was caused by the late panic in the City ; but he did
not think that had much to do with It, because, let him
ask, bad not the panic itself had • cause? Same permits
said that the British workman wanted technical educa-
tion. (Hear, hoar.) Well, that was tantamount to
telling an Englishman that he did not know his own bug-
nem. whereas it was well known that British workmen
were most pre-eminently excellent in all their manufactures.
Then E it was admitted that they were so excellent, what
did they want with technical education at all? (Hear.)
Mr. Mundell* had taken men from England to work at hie
factory la Saxony. Other people said the Maratha in trade
was the result of over production ; but it could not be the
over production of England, became the British workman
had nothing to do. (Hear, bear.) The fast was that it
was the over production of the whole world, and the injury
to British trade at the present moment was caused by the
competitioe it had to contend with from foreign countries.
It waeimpossible au English workman could have 'niftiest
employment if foreign countries were allowed to interfere
with his labour in the manner in which they did. (Hear,
hear.) In the shipping interest there were thirty trades
engaged, yet so many foreign vessel. came into our ports
that the English shipbuilder had no work to do, sad it
was impossible for the English shipbuilder to build at the
mime pit* foreign nations did. The watchmaken'trade was
in a bail condition, solely in consequence of foreign com-
petitio• ; and the same remark applied to a vast number
of other trades. In Maceledield In 1859 there were
fifty-five factories, employing 14,000 men; new there
were only thirty-one factories, giving employment t,
3,000 tam, and there were nearly 2,000 empty helmet
in the town. Machinery was now sent from Belgium to
Preston 0415 per cent. lees than it could be made for in this
country, yet formerly machinery used to go from Presto.
into Belgium. When they knew such facts as these could
thebe surprised that the British workman bad nothing
to do? (Beer. hem.) Mr. Mundella, a few evenings ago,
appeared an this very platform and asked bow were the
condition and employment of the British workman to be
improved, and this was actually the gentleman who had
t rented a manufactory in Saxony In order to import goods
into this country. (Cheers.) The chairman enumerated
• et artiolee which were formerly witaufealtared is
this _ _ , and IMO emporia& weessi,--hne.nehisioano.

now chiefly made on the continent and imported into Eng.
land, and he said " the English of it all" was that the
British workman was no longer wanted—they must go
abroad for every thing. (Hear, hear.) Why did not foreign
countries when they took all our trade pay a portion of our
mution, or at all events give us the same amount of reci-
procity as we gave them. (Rear, hear.) If they
,were
utonished at the present Usti of things, he candidly con-
fessed he wu not. Would it not he better even to pay
dearly for their bread than have no money whatever with
which to purchase food! (Hear, hear.) But, of course,
if they had no work at all, they could get neither food nor
MOW.
A workbag man here interrupted the chairman, and
said be was wandering from the subject. Ths question
they had come here to-night to settle was, how were they
to get more employment ? Whims.)
The CHAIRMAN said the man must either be bereft of
his senses or he was himself. (Laughter.) If England
could not prodoes enough food to support her own popula-
tion, why she must neeesurily import from al•rosil ; but
he contended that the manufutaters of England ought not
to be destroyed by those of other countries. In conclu-
sion, he. begged to call upon Mr. Thomas O'Brien to more
the first resolution.

It,. UMW O'BRIEN, in a langthesed speech, then pro-
ceeded to move the following resolution .—" That this
meeting believes that a bums proportion of those who
cannot get work in their respective trades are thrown out
of employment by the essouragement given to
the introduction without restristion from (*mime
countries of manufactured articles which could
be made in this country to an unlimited extent."
He said that the English porta being open, and those of
the rest of the world closed, the Englishman had to tight
a one-sided battle. Though we had opened our owa ports
we hal as yet failed to convince the world that it was
proper for them to follow our example. (Hear, hoar.) Con-
sequeetly, from steam-engines down to saucepans, they
were subject to foreign competition upon most unequal
terms. This was an age of expedissey, and the "merle
England" of former years was fast gaming away. To give
the workmen better wages would be a greet deal more
practical than building model lodging-houses, which were
for tho most part inhabited by persons who could afford
to live elsewhere, thus excludieg the class for whom the
bonus were designed. (Hear, hear.) A great deal was
talked about how much the people were at fee% and how
unwilling they were to be educated. He did not think
that a oompnlaory eduction would alter the present state
of things, bet when they got a parliament charged with a
keener, fresher, and more domestic element, let theta ask
their rulers to give back to the poor ththedthatios which was
intended for them, the grants for which were sow named
by people who drove about in their carriages. (Cheers.)
I* was a libel upon Christ that the rich should rob the
poor of what was intended for them. (Beer.) What wield
they eth toe system which told spoor starving =dub/tasted
man that be must break a certain number rig stones before
be could have a au* of bread. Commerce was sew
tented isto gambling, sad that Ise feeling which used to
amid betimes employers sad employed so looser existed.
There were no such strikes on the continent as there
were In England because a kinder and tenderer feeling
existed between the master and his men. Whoa Masse
'Jelled a mesa or his family the foreign employer of labour
was net schemed to visit the risk bous•—(hear, bear)—but
id Ba• (lath. if a men through illness absented himself
from Ms work for • day or two, he was not believed. It
was put down to drunkenness, although the master him-
self might have been drunk at his club the night before.
(Cheers.) The well-intentioned is of Mr. Peabody
were be beetaired in • wrens &reetio•—(ebsen)—ead
kbe continent sear exhibited nab • state of litinp as was
now to be seen at Bethnal-green. (Hear.) Theytalked about
free trade, and the treaty with Frame, but how bad they
turned oat? Richard Cobden was animated by the best of
motives, bet the reciprocity was " confoundedly " on
the aide. We gave them cods and iron, and in return
they let us have a vast quantity of " griping" sour wise
which had killed more people than all the wars of Fraser.
(Mimes.) There was no reciprocity in that—(hear, hear)
widths resew they set themselves about inaugurating •
new stale of affairs the better. (Hear, Peer.)Mr. Heaver, • plasterer, seconded the resolution width
bad been moved.

Kr. Balm said Mr. O'Brien bad male • statement
which it would be very dialed& to substantiate. Ha bad
said that the people and families fee whoa Milli* Ail.
table institutions were formed did not obtain the relief
which was intended for them, and he bad alluded to
Bethnal-green. Ho (the spftker) bad silted that part of
the metropolis on behalf of • west-end charitable society,
and be could fay that the worn cases were all visited, in-
quired into, and attended to. (Loud cries of " No.")
Kr. Titomms O'Beimr—l said upon the continent the
employers and employed lived in that mutual state of goad
fellowship that when a labourer or any of his family were
taken ill he went and visited them.
fir. Bases—l say that en English master would do the
IMO thing. (Orli of "No," and confusion.)
Mr. AItHLET, • plumber—That's not the coesior.
Though I mu not out of work I wish to say a few words.
(Cries of "Order.")
The CHAISIIAN—We want to bear V cge who are un-
employed, not people who have got pkat, to do. (" Hear,
hear," and ch•&:..)
Mr. Asian—We have come her. for fret discussion. an