The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-27 00:00:00

its very commencement? What the motive could be, Clod
knew, villein it was to reduce wages.
THOMAS STOCKTON, of Birmingham, said, many mui
had been • great number of years upon the Northern divi-
aloe. They Led u asked for an strum of wog... and if
there had been any little =tithe of dispute, they had a:weys
arranged it coosfurtaliy, and he asked whether eleven or
twelve years of faithful servitude was not • sufficient
guarantee fur the directors, without wanting to insist upon
the three months' notice. They considered that the system
proposed was calculated to do a serious amount of evil to the
! general body, and they had, therehre, made a serious sp.
' peal agah.st it. At last, wheu they did get a decided *Lower
—he fancied it was in the pre-, before the run revived it.
He naked was that justice to the men ? They had not the
sltghteet inclination to enter into • paper war with their
superiors. That was far from their intention. They, on
their part, wanted to settle the thing amicably and
quietly, whilst, on the other band, the enginemen bad been
represented most unjustly. He had noticed a paragraph in
the Morning Herald, which, for the honour of Birmingham,
he was bound to contradict. The managing committee of
the locomotive eaginemea and firemen met in Birmingham,
and in the paragreph he referred to it was stated that there
were a few dictating epirite in Birmingham who bed the sole
control of the matter. It was added that they bad sustained
• heavy blow in the recant struggles un the North British
and the Eastern Comities, and It went on to say that in order
to retrieve their loot laurels they had determined to carry
out • general strike upon the first line that would not sub-
mit to their dictation. Now, he denied that the managing
committee of Birmingham had anything to do with the strike
upon those two liner In fact, they ned a Dun com-
municated with or consulted upon the matter.
Mr. HARRIS, one of thy late teapot/is of the Eastern
Counties, observed that when they spoke of eciebinationa,
they existed as much amongst the masters ea amongst the
men; for wherever he had gone to seek employment, he
had been diet with the charge that De had struck against
Mr. Gooch. He mslotained that all the men that were out

on the Eistiorn Counties were " still staunch."
Mr. MELBOURNE (of Wolverton station) —I want to
know, Mr. Chairman, before I say anything, whetter it wan
your intention to make a strike ?
Th•CIILIRMAN—Do you mean a sudden one, or send-
ing in a lentil notice ?
Mr. MELBOURNE—Is it a threatened strike ?

.______________
The CHAIRMAN said he did not know what authority
either the directors or the pram had to say they wanted to
make a sud.ten strike.

Mr. MELBOURNE—I want to know from you, as
representative of the men on the northern diernon, what it
your determination to do. Then we shall be able to knew
how to proceed
The CHAIRMAN—If in cue the thing is not settled
amicably between the masters sad the mer, I believe toel
will be ready to resign their eituations ; but it this meeting
con lama a better plan for working the line, or meeting
the CireCton in any way, I am no advocate for strikes or
anything of the sort ; bat it is very bard to be tampered
with.
Mr. MELBOURNE—That's not a final answer.

CHAIRMAN—WaII, in cue it is not arranged, they are
waiting for the decision of this meeting. They are fully bent
on not smodion to the three mouths' notice.
Mr. MELBOURNE—Do you, fellow-workmen in tho
northern dirwon, expect that the men in tne southern
atilloll wilt turn out along with you in clue of a torn out
The CHAIRMAN-1 rosily believe they are labouring
under that idea.
. .

Mr. MELBOURNE—Then now we know how to work. I
can say, as one individual sent up this evening so a delegate
from Woiverton, that I em instructed to tell you that they
would not turn out et the present time along with the men
of the northern division; but whenever a three m inthe
notice is issued out on the southern division they will naske
an objection to it. That is the opinion of the men at
Wolver.on; so it is at Banbury. It behove you, men of
Camden, to come to some understandir.g whether you will
stand out or go on. I should like to know whether theta
are delegates from Birmingham, Rugby, Peterborough,
and Northampton? I have looked round the room, but
cut see none.

Mr. SIMPSON, engine driver on the Great Western—
Fellow workmen, I can see the inconvenience azia.ng from
the three months' notice ; but particularly so it it should be
signed by the parties, and the "neater. willingly agree, if the
men get bona /ids employment, to quit them at a week or •
fortnight if they wish. As lam informed—it the nice will
propose for a month's notice on each cede, it would be s,ilita
tiug the difference—meeting them Loll way ; and I t:duk
actually they would agree to it. To come to the conclusion
to adv.icate strikes is only to advocate a rod for our own
back., and must prove • great disadvontage to the whole
body of enginensea. We have had evidence of this
throughout, and I believe the Eastern Counties strike might
have been pro yeuted if they had adhered to wise and good
counsel. The more strikes there are the wore for ou iiiii es,
' for we always find • certain set of men who have no charac-
ter whilst things are straight, but who are taken on to sup-
ply the places ul honest men it • strike occurs. A strike,
therefore, throws respectable men out of situations, and I.
know many men who, though insufficient, are depending on
whet they think our overtutficiency. Had it out been for
a few men on the Eastern Counties, whom I know to be as
god men as acy in England, I would not have given •
teething to their support, and I know that they were dic-
tated to and led away by bad counsel, and by the advice of
men who ought not to be relied upon. It you take bad
counsel here, I fear you will fall into the same dilemma—
you will throw men on our benevolence again, and we can't
afford to support them out of our pockets. I believe strikes
can always be avoided if proper precautions ore used. When-
ever we have had • grievance on the Great West, rn we have
made our appeal to Mr. Stephen Goods, and we have
either bed it redressed, or partiy so. Then, again, look at
this—Last May twelvemonths we had certain men out of
(=Vela:lent, and we had to ktep them upwards of
12 months out of our own pockets. I, for one, will
never advocate a stroke, because I thick things an be
amicably settled without it. I am sure, if a mouth's notice
were proposed to the directors, that they would sympathise
with you, and agree to it. I don't believe there is • man on
the Great Western who would advocate a irr.ke if he could
possibly getout of it.
Mr. HARRIS, atter vindicating the course token by the
men of the Eastern Countirs, awed that, as regarded meet-
ing the directors half way, es proposed by Mr. &mpion, he
should be happy to se* the thing effected Bit could be car-
ried out.
Mr. SIMPSON said he had been 11 or 12 yeses on the
Great Western. A months' notice had always been the rule
there. It had worked uncommonly well, and there was
never any fault found with it as far es he knew.
Mr. HALL, of Camden Town Station and others, having
stated that they also should be happy to meet the directors
ball way, so as to mend the differences betweeu the directors
and the men,
Mr. SIMPSON asked if there was not a letter tar: Alive
of the opinion of the men on the North Wes.eru hoe at
Bedford.
The CHAIRMAN said there was such a letter in the
room. It was as lotion :

.. Dee. 26.

"Fellow-workmen,—We received your letter this morn-
ing, requiring the attendance of one of the men from Bed-
lord at your meeti. g this evening, but it will be impossible
for any one of us to attend, as we are all at work together.
With your permission, we will give you our opinion upon
this very urious and important matter. In the brat place,
it will revues all the wisdom and forethought which it is
possible to bring to bear upon the matter before you take
any der:este* steps. Look well at your position ; know
whether you are weakest or strongest; do not run hastily
into trouble, without first knowing the power you have to
meet; look at the consequent* of losing, and the ruinous
result of a defeae to so many families, and we think you will
us how desirable it is that the matter should be amicably
arranged, without such a desperate struggle as see had be-
fore. We know well how determined men in the psi-
lion of directives are not to be beaten by those ut.der
them, and they can better afford to lose than we cm. Mr.
Carr Olyn has always been favourably disposed towards us,
and we think that with mild measures we shall best support
and assist oar fellow-men on the northern division. Let the
men on the southern division act as mediators on behalf of
the northern men. Ton must take into consideration the
great number of new firemen that have been put on lately
and upon whom you cannot depend. itemember the power
the directors have to stop a great number of the
trains, the assistance they can get from the guards, and the
twat important fact that the press and public opinion are on
their side. Take all these things into your consideration
before coming to a decision. The men must not be deserted,
bat let us endeavour to support them in such a way as to
secure the inter re of all. We remain, yours faithfully,
Tax ENOINTMEN AND FIDINLN AT BIDPOND STATION.
Mr. HALL (moved and Mr. STOCILTON, of Birmingham,
seceaded the following etiolation :
"That this meeting knowing the desire the enginemes
and firemen engaged on the London and North Western
Itsilway hen to keep on friendly terms with their employers,
and to avoid the inconvenience to the company and the
public freak sodden strikes, do recommend to their fellow-
workmen throughout the line to consent to the establishment
of a month's notice instead of a fortnight es hitherto,
if the direeton, in acoordemes with their expressed intention
of not interfering with the present rates of wages, will he
pleased to pose a minute of the board guaranteeing the men
now employed, or to he employed during three yens from
this time, from say reduction of wages, or turns, in their
daily labour. And that this meeting be adjourned to obtain
the opinion of the men of the reruns districts on this pro-
positioes."
Toe renelestiost was carried unanimously, and the proceed-
Inge ferdtlMed at a late hour.

A YAMS !PIOT DT KW SON HEAR BRISTOL.—.A
palatal matialidn was treated yesterday at Bristol is con-
sequence of listatoosaing known that Mr. Wooles, thb land.
lord of the Bias Bowl lan, near that city, had been shot by
his son. 'The. rumour turned out to be too Mae, slthougk
the cireumataams under which the melancholy ostastrophe
occurred have not sufficiently transpired to warrant us is
stating the nature of the fatal occurrence. The police seem
to think that the homicide was unintentional, the young
man by whom It was committed net having been aware that
the fowling-pies wi h which it was perpetrated was loaded.
o:her statements, however, represent that the parties bed
been havit g words about some parties who had bees loathed
to the house by the son, and of whom She rather disapproved.
The old khan received the charge in 'hie bowels, but lived
from Aid O'clock • in ties evening till tin at
tbe night, Marla,
which interval he mid. his Idll...usultliteciid din:twat 01
his affairs. Information ltas bent flint SO R. Uphill, Esq.,
coroner firethe cisW3f of 'Bossolissr: wed of blif”lt Mt-
mowed, at width the real feels of the ere will. dasibtlai
transpire It is right to add that the penes hors sot
thought it 'medium to hold the son in custody.