The Express.
London, England, 1850-06-20 00:00:00

STAFFORDSHIRE CO:

AY DISTRICT.
Thrien/I, Jona 18.
The agitation nisei Dome two or three month
alma, for the purpose of putting down the nook or tommy
optima, has rather Increased than diminished sine* I last
wets you on the subject, so much so, that the entire
district from Wolverhampton to West Bromwich, and from
Waken across the country to Btonrbrldge, is kept in • com-
plete ferment by the large meetiage of workmen which Wks
phew almost ; it unfortunately happens, too, that
notwithstanding all the convictions that have taken place,
and all the fair promises that have been made by the masters,
" truck " is in full operation in one shape or other, and with
wry little probability of it. being abolished. To save them-
selves from the enormous penalties consequent on repeated
munietiem, some of the greatest offenders gave pledges that
the men should be paid fortnightly, and in cash, without
any r.etrictkn whatever; to show how little disposition there
was, however, to carry out thin fullest spirit the compromise
entered into, the men at some of the largest works have
already received a hint, that unless they expend their money
at a particular shop their serene, will not be required. The
iron trade is very bad, too, just now, so that the truck mas-
ters are able to exert their power to • fuller extent than
they could do under other circumstances. Still the struggle
goes on, in fact, they are just beginning spin with re-
newed viper.
Hower when the present hasten of matters will terminate
nobody can tell; the evil of the tommy system is bad enough
assuredly, although it is not altogether unmitigated, locking
at the improvident set of people upon whom it operates ; but
there is an evil much greater perhape, and that is, a continu-
ance of the present state of thing., which has the effect of cre-
ating the worst possible feeling between the employers and the
employed : the men look on and speak of their masters in a
gloomy bitterness of spirit, and the latter seem only to be
bent on keeping their men down, disregarding all their social
comforts or rights as workmen, and treating them gene-
rally in a very tyrannies and oppressive fashion.
They have studded the district with churches,
and have a population ignorant, dissipated, and brutal;
neither sensible of nor capable el awning their own rights
as men, or of appreciating the duties which they we to their
empioyeri.
1 lie nailmakers bine been on strike and at war with their
masters these two months, and the poor gun-lock filers of
Darlaston, to the number of ail or seven hundred, are in the
same unfortunate circumstances, although there is a heavy go-
vernment order on hard which nquins to he executed early.
This town has been the centre of the agitation which hoe
been going on : yesterday a large meeting took place in the
open air, at which deputations from most of the neighbour-
ing anti-track associations were present. Mr. George Daw-
son, the lecturer, who had been specially invited, also
attended. and addressed the meeting, the tenor of his
observations being very properly directed to convey to the
men a sense of their duty to themselves, pointing out to them
ofth labour,
The that would result from a wise combination
The meeting was presided over by Mr. CHARM Lesnnt,
a retail shopkeeper; and Mr. Romani SERGEANT suavest
the first resolution, which was to the effect that the meet-
ing pledged itself to nee its utmost exertions to suppress the
,ruck system. The speaker pointed out how much the
success of the conflict in which ehey were engaged depended
upon the assistance and the information they received
from the workitie men; out of 70 informations already laid,
they had succeeded in upwards of 60—a hot alone, in his
mind, of sufficient importance to induce them to persevere
in putting down • system that was oppressive alike to the
working man and to the retail tradesman. He pointed out
how some of the principal firms had violated their pledges
. to put a stop to the track system in their establishment...
and said that the association had now determined on exertit g
a stronger power—that of proceeding against the "tommy
masters" in the county court for the recovery of the wage*
in money which had been einjurly paid to the men in
truck. The men had shown every disposition to be concilia-
tory towards their employen; but they having faded, end
the fairest promises having been broke n, they were deter-
mined sever to relax their exertions aced every tommy stop
was closed.
Mr. LINNET, one of the most active meraten of the
association in this town, gave an account of the efforts now
being made in Sc eland to put dime) the tommy system at
the c-dlieriee there. He described the various devices
practised for evading the penalties of the law,
where the act is violated, and said that at the
present time there were from 12,000 to 16,000
men standing idle, determined never again to go to work
until the "tommy system" was put an end to at the works
where they were employed. In many irstancea the masters
had already pivot is, and he hoped that before very long an
end would be put to this iniquitous system : unless the law
as it stood was sufficient for the purpose, they were deter-
mined to seek redress at the hands of parliament. The
"tommy masters" had resorted to the most scandalous ex-
pedients; they had violated every pledge sokmnly given
beta.: the magistra're, and bribed witnesses in support of
the informationW Toe truck ab;litionis:s were not to be
deterred; they were determined to go on until victory
ex seined their efforts.
Mr. Jones, a gun-lock filer, of Darlastoo, spoke is sup-
port of the resolution. lie said that by the working nu n
alone the " truck system" had been put an end to in
his parish. They subscribed 17.3. for the purpose of car-
rying on the war, and had received upwards of 801 from
fines on conviction of " tommy masters." The sgita'ion
t, id at last worked one good—it had caused some of the
" truck-meatus" to reduce the price of their goods ; in oae
instance he knew that cheese had been reduced from yd. to
61. per lb. It was scarcely to be wondered at, Vowever,
that the system was persisted in, seeing that a principal at
one of the works aid confessed that they netted by it lid.
in the shilling—a sum equal to 3,2001. a year upon the
amount of weg:s they pail,
The resolution was carried unanimously as was also a
subs quent one to the effect that is consequence of the
bad faith of many of the " tommy masters," who have
made pl_dges before the rr.agistrges to close their shops, it
was necessary that this association should continue its
labours until all the " tommy 'hops " ate cloud.
Mr. DA wSON, M.A., next addressed the meeting. He
Paid: As I have co immediate cognation with the work-
ing of the truck system, my appearing at this meeting
may need explanation. I have come at the invitation of
the committee of the Anti-Truck Assoeiatioo, who, contd.
derine justly that in this struggle the workmen are not
evenly matched with the muter., feel justified in seeking
any aid to secure the overthrow of that system which the
law has so denounced. A quaint old proverb says " the
lower millstone grinds as well as the upper "—a raying to
which we assent at ewe, but which is continually forgotten in
pro ice. All Europe has been engaged of late in ressserting
this proverb. Mark the upper millstone "capital," and the
lower " labour," and it expresses not the bare fact only, but
implies that the share of the lower stone is disproportioned
to the amount of the Wooer done by it. The upper stones
are sadly apt to forget that, were the lower stone temoved,
they might still turn, but grinding of thin air would be the
only result. Ido not think that labour receives its dee. I
do think that the relations of capital and labour want re-
adj usui g. Mr. 1) oncluded by expressiag his willingness
to aid in putting down the present truck system.
8, octal other Newels addressed the meeting, and a Cone •
bination amongst the workmen at each pit was suggested as
a means of putting a stop to the existing evil. Tomorrow
there is to be a meeting at Sedgley fee a similar purpose.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S-INN ROAD.—
Yesterday the anniversary festival of this institution took
place at the London Tavern, Bishopegate street, the Hon.
E. H. Stanley, M.P., in the chair. About 350 gentlemen
sat down to dinner,. and amongst the guests at the cross
table were T. Greene, Eui., M.P., J. Manners, Sutton,El'l.,
Id.P., J. A. Roebuck, Esq , M.P., the Rev. .7. Hammond
Fisk, the Rev. Dr. Benson, the Rev. Dr. Rice. The
chairman, in proposing the toast of the evening, '• Prosperity
to the Royal Free Hospital," pointed out the numerous
benefits which were derived from the institution, and drew
attention to a variety of facts showing the past and present
condition of the hospital. The report, which was embodied
in the speech of the honourable gentleman, stated that the
committee had, on this occasion, almost nomiogled pleasure
in reporting the progress of the Royal Free Hospital during
the put year. Whether they looked to the improvement of
its financial condition, or to the increase of its usefulness.
they found much ground fur thankfulness to the benevolent
public, and for congratulation to the friends of the institution.
117 rescuing to the medical report it would be perceived that
the number of out-patients was only a little below that of the
previous year, being 27.339; while the in-patients, in some
respects owe important and certainly more costly, had in-
creased by 184, and amounted to 851 ; making a total of
28,190 buffeters relieved in the customary manner during the
last twelvemonth. From this brief account or what had been
done in the hospital, the committee turned with mush grati-
tude to en acknowledgment of what its benefactors had done
for it. The receipts in the peat year amounted in the whole
to upwards of 5,5001. ; exceeding those of 1848 by more than
9001. This munificence had enabled the committee to that
the task undertaken by their predecessor., of discharging
all liabilities incurred by the institution before 1848, -end
also to pay by far the greater part of the ar-
rears accruing during that year. These disburse-
ments amounted to above 1,9001. And being convinced
that the finances were at length established upon& satisfactory
footing, they had gladly reopened the Gurney Ward con-
taining fitly beds, which had been sawed for a time, end
had thus been enabled to restore that classification of
patients, of which the temporary but unavoidable suspension
was always &subject of regret. These particulars having been
detailed by the honourable chairman, and an appeal having
been made to the sympathies of the company, with a
view to promote the interests of the society, the west was
drunk with the utmost enthusiasm.—Mr. Roebuck then
gave the health of the ohaiernan, and the toast was warmly
responded to. Various ether toasts having immediate refer-
ence to the institution, and to the laudable conduct of its
officers were suooessively disposed of, end subscriptions
wets ultimately announced amounting to about 1,34:10L
FATAL ACClDENT.—Yeaterday an inquest was held
at the North Briton, New North-road, Holton, on view of
the body of Emma Mary Lemington, aged 11 years, the
daughter of the late Mr. Destitution, civil engineer, No. I,
Grantham•terrace, adjoining. It appeared that on Saturday
evening last the mother of the download esteemed home with
a parasol, which the had bought for her. Deceased, de-
lighted with her present, being in the drawintroom, ran
from there into the balcony, for the purpose of showing it to
• playmate in the next hones. She had no sooner put her
weight upon it than it gave way, and she was precipitated
on to the spikes of the railing attached to the burial ground
of St. John's Church, Honton. Some of the spit
her leR side. and upon being removed
Vesely from the wounds. She was taken in Aka
flat, and attended by Mr. Amides, surgeosk :Ohs . •
in four boon, in great agony, from the
Verdict, " Accidental death, ' and at the rag the
the landlord, who was present, cossented the -
conies of the several houses la the terrace
were found to be in an Wenn NM*.
Cfi
1 CM