The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-02 00:00:00

SHORT TIME MOVEMENT BY TEE EMPLOYERS.

The millowners find that, owing to the depression in trade,
there is such a decrease of demand as to make it desirable,
in some cases, as a financial question, to close their mills,
but this is not generally the case' and a system of short
time, if extensively acted upon, will better meet the objects
of the majority. Actuated by this feelimg, some of the em-
ployers at Burnley, who have been really distressed at wit-
nessing the sufferings of the operatives on strike, opened
their mills on Monday to such of the workpeople as might
present themselves for four days per week, with the reduc-
tion of the 10 per cent. advance from the weavers, but con-
tinuing it to the spinners and cardroom hands, in conse-
quence of the better position of spinnings in the market.
The same course has been adopted at Padiham, and the ex-
periment has succeeded beyond expectation. One employer
states that there was a perfect rush among his workpeople
to enter the mill. Some of the employers have taken ad-
vantage of the opportunity afforded by the strike to intro-
duce new machinery, and, these alterations not being all
completed when the hands returned to work, their disap-
pointment was great at finding that this would prevent
them resuming work for some time longer.
Out of 57 firms at Burnley, and at Padiham, which is the
total number in the union of masters, nearly all have re-
sumed work four days per week. The number of opera-
tives has been estimated at 12,000 to 15,000. At Ashton,
Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Newton, Hyde, and Glossop the
number of mills gone upon four days' work per week is.
from 90 to 100. Instead of 40,000, the number at which
the looms were estimated in a recent statement, intelligent
and well-informed manufacturers are of opinion that
50,000 would be nearer the truth. The estimated con-
sumption of 9,000 to 10,000 bags of cotton spun per week
would be correct; but the total number of operatives is
said to be nearer 60,000 than the lesser number at which
they were calculated in the statement referred to. The
number of persons employed at the looms is estimated at
25,000 ; and, though the balance of 35,000 is a large
number to be employed in spinning and its preparatory
processes, for the consumption of 10,000 bags of cotton,
it is explained by the fact that a large proportion of the
spinning is a very fine counts of yarn, in which the quan-
tity of the raw material used is always comparatively small
and the labour comparatively large.
At Stockport there has been a meeting of the masters, at
which a resolution was passed that notice be given to the
operatives to go upon short time (or 40 hours per week)
from Monday week next until Christmas." No attempt is
to be made at present to reduce wages, although it was
complained that the market would not support the rates
now giving for weaving. By this movement 20,000 opera-
tives and, upwards, chiefly engaged upon long cloths, T
cloths, and other fabrics, a large proportion of which are
exported to India, will be affected.
From the above statements, it will be apparent that in
the Ashton district about 60,000 hands, and at Stockport
20,000, will be thrown partially out of employment, in ad-
dition to the 50,000 or ,60,000 at Preston, Burnley, and
other places, who have been wholly out of employment, but
of whom a considerable proportion at Burnley have been
allowed to resume work for four days per week.
The consumption of cotton has largely increased since
1850, but the proportions of each district will probably still
hold good and taking the entire consumption at 36,000 bales
per week, and deducting 61 per cent. of the whole for Pres-
ton, where the mills are idle, and one-third of the other
30t for short time in the other places, there is total of
nearly 17 per cent. as the decrease of consumption of the
raw material, and the same figures will give a tolerable
idea of the extent to which the wages fund of the entire
manufacturing district will be effected.

A meeting of the working classes of Birmingham, con-
wgened by placard at a short notice, was held in the public
office of Birmingham, on Monday night, for the purpose of
adopting measures in support of the cotton-spinners and
colliers at present or lately on strike in various parts of Lan-
cashire. An artisan named Hawkesford occupied the chair,
and Mr. Ernest Jones attended to advocate the claims of
the turn-outs ; but there was a miserably thin assembly, of
operatives. Out of the many thousands of workmen em-
ployed in Birmingham and the neighbourhood, the meeting,
when fullest, did not consist of more than 80 persons.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said, from
communications received, he believed that numbers of the
spinners gof Preston and other places were absolutely
starving, in consequence of the closing of the mills ; and he
contended that if the masters had the right to close their
establishments, the land ought to be thrown open for the
support of the people. (Cheers). He read a letter from
Wigan, calling upon the artisans of the town and country
to help the struggling operatives of that locality. (Cheers).
R. CROWE, a working man, denied the right of the master
cotton-spinners to close their mills; they had no right to
interfere with labour, which was the property of the work-
man. The speaker concluded by moving a resolution to the
effect :

" That, in consequence of the millowners of Preston,
Blackburn, Wigan, and other towns in Lancashire, having
closed their establishments, 70,000 persons were thrown
out of employment, and some of them in an actual state of
alai v ation aua that the meeting denounced in the strongest
terms the conduct of the millowners."

WILLIAM JACKSON, a shoemaker, seconded the resolution,
which was carried unanimously.
W. DALZELL, an operative, who on former occasions has
appeared as a " turn-out " advocate, moved:—
" That, while deeply sympathising with the operatives of
Lancashire in their present sufferings, they, the operatives
of Birmingham, pledged themselves to render them all the
moral and pecuniary assistance in their power." (Cheers).
In the course of his address the speaker said,—Suppose
a man started in business with 1,0001. and in the course
of 20 years he made 20,0001., living all the whole time
in luxury and splendour, I beg to ask what was the con-
dition of the working men by whom that fortune was
made during and at the close of that period ? They were in
the same position as they were 20 years before. (Cheers).
Now, I contend that 19,0001. of that 20,000/. ought to be
divided as profits among the working men: (Load cheers.)
A man named Goucu seconded the resolution.
Mr. ERNEST Joriss, the chartist barrister, then came for-
ward to support the motion. He commenced observing that
they were met at a time when, under the blessing of free
trade, they were promised an abundant trade, cheap bread,
and high wages. It was singular, however, that under such
circumstances there should have been more strikes than ever
before had occurred at one time in the kingdom. It was
the men of the Manchester school who had given them the
pledges to which he referred, although they were cautioned
at the time that they woura prove all illusory. Their mis-
sion that night was to organise a resistance to the conspiracy
then existing in the kingdom of capital against labour, and
that was to be done by uniting together for the establishment
of a labour parliament. Free trade, he said, had caused
agriculturists to go into the manufacturing d.stricts, and
there compete with the manufacturers. The master cotton-
spinners said the men had no business with the profits only
when it suited them ; but when trade was dull, profits small,
and competition great, they at once said they must reduce
wages. So that it was not the law of supply and demand
which regulated the price of labour, but it was dear cotton
and small profits which regulated their wages. (Cheers.)
Therefore, if a master had a right to reduce wages because
profits were lower, he (Mr. Jones) contended that the work-
ing man had a right to demand an increase of wages when
profits were larger. (Cheers.) The manufacturers during
a period of brisk trade, robbed foreign nations, and, in a
period of dull trade robbed the working- classes at home.
(Cheers.) They (the operatives) did not want confiscation,
nor to inspect the books of their employers, but such wages
as would enable the working classes, not only to earn enough
to keep them respectably while at work, but to maintain
them in comfort in their old age. (Cheers.) There were
iNce% capitals, money and labour; and if money had a right
to profits, sl has labour -*hr. more so, because labour made
the money, and not money the labour. (cue...) These
manufacturers said they could not afford to concede 10 per
emit ~ban " - jc..o
nave been doubled, and made them 100 per cent. (Cheers.)
The speaker condemned the present isolated support rendered
to the " turn-outs " in Lancashire, and which, in the case
of Wigan, if not remedied must lead to failure. He urged
the necessity of a labour parliament.
The motion being seconded and carried, the meeting
shortly afterwards broke up.
The collection at the door exhibited "a beggarly account
of empty boxes."

OBJECTS OF THE POST OFFICE INQUIRY.—A committee
is now sitting at the treasury for the purpose of inquiring
into certain matters connected with the establishment of the
General Post-Office. They are engaged upon a revision
of the system of appointments and promotions, the scales of
salary, the numbers of officers, and the distribution of busi-
ness in the Post-Office; but they do not enter into ques-
tions connected with the general postal system of the coun-
try, except in so far as such questions bear upon that of the
establishment.

INDIA LAW COMMISSION.—The Master of the Rolls ;
the Chief Justice of thp Common Pleas ; the Right Hon
Sir Edward Ryan, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
Calcutta from 1838 to 1842 ; Charles Hay Cameron, Esq.
(who succeeded Mr. Macaulay and Mr. Amos as fourth or
legal member of the Supreme Council of India, and as
President of the Law Commission at Calcutta) ; John
M‘Pherson M'Leod, Esq. (who served as secretary to the
government of Madras under Sir Thomas Munro, and as
a member of the Law Commission at Calcutta) ; John
Abraham- Francis Hawkins, Esq. (who was ten years re-
gistrar and two years a judge of the Sudder Court of Ben-
gal) ; Thomas Flower Ellis, Esq. and Robert Lowe, Esq.;
have been appointed commissioners to consider and report
upon the reform of the judical establishments, judical pro-
cedure, and laws of India, under the 28th sec. of the Go-
vernment of India Act. Frederic Millet, Esq. (who was
employed in 1833 to revise the civil regulations of the Ben-
gal code, and afterwards filled the offices of secretary to the
Law Commission at Calcutta, and member to the Supreme
Council of India), has been appointed secretary to the com-
missioners ; and we understand that the services of Neil B.
E. Baillie, Esq., who has practised for many years in the
Sudder Court at Calcutta as yakeel (a profession which in-
cludes the duties of barrister and attorney with us), and
who is well known as the author of some valuable treaties
on Mahonietan law, has been secured as assistant sme-
ary.

THE COMBINED FLEETS OF FRANCE AND

ENGLAND.

A letter from Malta, Of Nov. 22nd, says :—The main
body of the English fleet left the Dardanelles on the morn-
ing of the 9th of November, in a quasi calm ; but early on
the following day (the 10th), getting a fair wind, they
reached Beikos Bay, in the Bosphorus, during the same
forenoon, the Sans Pareil, Britannia, and Bellerophon fol-
lowing each other pretty closely. The Trafalgar came up
during the evening; subsequently, the Rodney and Arethusa
(which had been aground), accompanied by the Retribution
and Niger; and on the 14th, the Leander (from England
and Malta), towed up by the Sampson. The Arethusa was
being towed up by the Fury ; but after passing Galipoli, it
came on to blow so hard that the latter, unable to go ahead,
cast off, when the frigate, in making for an anchorage, on
the northern shore, about an hour after, very thick weather
prevailing, struck on the same sunken rock which the Fu-
rious had been on a few days previously, whilst conveying
Vice-Admiral Dundas to Constantinople, and when, as has
been already announced, he shifted his flag to the Tiger.
The Fury, seeing the disaster, soon lashed herself alongside
the Arethusa, and took out all her upper deck guns, but she
was not got off before the following morning. A diver has
examined her since this second disaster, but reports no
other damage than the rubbing off of a few sheets of her
copper sheathing. On the 14th, the Capudan Pacha, having
in his suite the prinicpal officers of the Ottoman and Egyp-
tian fleets, paid a visit of ceremony to the British and French
admirals, under a salute of 19 guns from the respective
flag-ships.
In the upward progress of the van division of the com-
bined fleets of England and Fance, it had been arranged
that the two British and two French line-of-battle ships,
with their attendant steamers, should enter the Bosphorus
together ; and that, although the French ships, which hav-
ing been favoured by the wind in getting an earlier start,
had actually reached the Seraglio Point nearly two days be-
fore their English consorts, still they refrained from enter-
ing the straits without them. When, however, the Albion
joined, in tow of two steamers, without coming to, or holding
any communication with the French ships, she pushed on to
her destination ; and these latter, requiring some little pre-
paration, oil getting under weigh with only one steamer to
each ship, found the wind and tide too strong, and being
thus compelled to anchor again, did not eventually reach
their destination until one day after the Albion and Ven-
geance. It could matter but very little whether the ships
came into the Bosphorus together, or which of them pre-
ceeded : but when once an arrangement or engagement is
entered into or made with parties who show a disposition to
maintain it, the same should be most scrupulously and
faithfully observed and fulfilled. •
Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond Lyons, second in command in
the Mediterranean, arrived at Malta in the Terrible, from
Plymouth, early on the morning of the 18th, and left for the
Bosphorus on the morning of the 19th. The Queen, three-
decker, reached Malta at noon on the 22nd, and would im-
mediately leave for the Bosphorus. The Ardent, with the
London mail of the Bth of November, only left Malta for
Constantinople on the 16th, having been in dock when the
mails and dispatches arrived. The Caton, French war-
steamer, from Constantinople, arrived at Malta on the 14th
and left for Toulon on the 15th. The Modeste returned to
Malta from Corfu on the 19th. The Balbec, screw-merchant

steamer on the 19th, and the Brigand on the 20th, arrived
from Liverpool ; the former left for Syra, Constantinople,
and Smyrna, and the latter for Alexandria, on the day of
their arrival.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Vectis
left Malta for Naples, Civita Vecchia, Leghorn, Genoa, and
Marseilles, on the 15th,
whence the Valetta, belonging to
the same company, arrived on the 20th.

OSBORNE, TUESDAY.—His Royal Highness the Duke of
Brabant arrived at Osborne, at half-past 12 o'clock, from
Dover.
LIVERPOOL SHIM'S FOR AUSTRALIA.—LiverpooI excels
every other place in the size and tonnage of the ships dis-
patched to Australia, as the following figures show :—The
average tonnage from Liverpool in 1853 was 538; from
London, 484 ; and from other ports, 2,33.
A matrimonial alliance, we hear, is on the tapis. between
Mr. William Lowther, nephew to the Earl of Lonsdale,
and Miss Parke, daughter of the Right Hon. Baron Parke.
NEW IRISH LANDLORDS.— Lord Charles Pelham Clinton,
brother of the Duke of Newcastle, was the purchaser of the
whole of the Bere estates of the arl of Bantry.
We regret to hear of the severe illness of Major General
the Right Hon. Sir Ger.rge Arthur, Bart. There are but
slight hopes entertained of his recovery. Extreme ill-health
obliged Sir Arthur to return from his last government of
Bombay in 1846.
ENGLISH IRON AND COAL LN FRANCE.—The import of
coal from England into France amounted in 1852 to
664.633 tons of 1,000 kilogrammes, and:that of coke to
2,733 tons. In the same year France received 1,792,155
tons of coal, and 169,398 tons of coke from Belgium. Coal
was also obtained in considerable quantities from Rhenish
Prussia. As regards pig iron, the total amount imported
into France from England in 1852 was 15,002 tons. She
also received 1,841 tons of iron in bars, and 270 tons of
steel from England.
ANOTHER FREE TRADE "SIGN OF TILE TIMES." —Ad-1.
vices from Stockholm states tb at the members of the commercia
union of Stockholm have unanimously agreed upon sending
in a petition to the King for a thorough revision of the
customs laws. The petitioners point out the desirability of
a very low tariff on all raw materials and all articles of
food, of the repeal of all prohibitory laws, and of the in-
troduction of duties according to measure and weight, in-
stead of ad valorem. _

QUARANTINE REGULATIONS AT GIBRALTAR.-All vessels
arriving from Great Britain and the northern ports, with
clean bills of health and health on board, be admitted to
free pratique ; that all vessels with touched bills of health,
but which have had no sickness on board during. the passage,
be subjected to a quarantine of observation of seven days;
that all vessels arriving with any cases of epedemic or con-
tagious disease on board, be subjected to a strict quarantine,
with a guard boat astern, until the inspector of health
reports to the Board of Health, which will decide on the
duration of the quarantine or destination.
Tax EXPENSE OF MAKING A BARON.-Yesterday, a re-
turn of Mr. Hume's was printed, showing how 4501.,
charged in the civil contingencies of last year, was expended
in creating General Lord Fitzroy Somerset a baron of the
United Kingdom. - The Crown-office charges were
3901. 15s. 4d., and the Patent-office charges 291. 18s. 6d.
The expenses are remarkahle. To the Stamp-office,
1501. 2s. ; Lord Chancellor, great seal fee, 21. 6s. Bd. ;
clerk of the Hanaper, 241. 13s. 4d. ; deputy ditto, 11. ls. ;
Lord Chancellor's purse bearer, Si. ss. ; porter to great seal,
11. ls.; gentleman to ditto, 6/. ; sealer, 1/. 2s. 6d. ; deputy
ditto, 10s. 6d. ; chaff wax, 1/. 2s. 6d. ; deputy ditto,
10s. 6d. ; royal household, 1041. 6s. 10d.; principal usher
of Scotland, 61. 13s. 6d. ; Scotch heralds, 16/. ; English
ditto, 36/. ; earl marshal, 51.; garter king at arms, 20/. ' •
gold emblazoned skin and boxes to hold patent and seal, 91.
Of the Crown-office charges 201. went to the attorney-
general, and 71: 7s. 6d. to the clerk of the patent to the
attorney-general, and 11 10s. the stamp duty on warrant.
To the engrossing clerk, 1/ ls. for engrossing the warrant
and for parchment. Thus was spent 4201. in making a
member of the house of peers. The authority is " ancient
usage."
CONSECRATION or BISROPS-On yesterday morning the
ceremony of consecrating the newly-appointed bishops of
Natal and Graham's Town, took place in St. Mary's, Lam-
beth. The officiating prelates were the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of Ox-
ford. The church was crowded, although admission was
obtained only by tickets. Long before the hour appointed
for the ceremony the bells rang a merry peal, and the church
organ played appropriate and solemn music. The
reverend divines elevated were the Rev. Dr. John William
Colenso, of St. John's, Cambridge, and the Rev. Dr. John
Armstrong, of Lincoln's College, Oxford ; the former nomi-
nated to the bishopric of Natal, and the lattar to the
bishoptio of Graham's Town Tlivine service was performed
1,7 *I.. Bolt Marlos Dalton, the rector, assisted by the Rev.
Messrs James, Ensom, and Gregory; after which the Bishop
of Oxford ascended die pulpit and delivered a most appro-
priate and impressive sermon. After the service the new
bishops were duly admitted to their sacred office by the
imposition of hands. The proceedings occupied several
hours.
TWO HUNDRED AND FrETY LIVES LOST BY SHIPWRECK.
-It is our painful duty to record the details of another
fearful catastrophe at sea, the wreck of the British ship
Lady Evelyn, Captain M'Clellan, commander while on a
voyage from Hong-Kong to San Francisco, and the loss of
no fewer than 25lives. The ill-fated ship-a Quebec built
a vessel of 875 tons-left Hong-Kong on the 29th June with
a cargo of merchandise, having also on board 230 Chinese
emigrants and some other passengers, amongst whom were
an English gentleman named Sutton, Major Poore, of the
American service, and two Portuguese merchants. Soon
after leaving port she encountered bad weather, in conse-
quence of which she was compelled to put into Amoy to
refit. She left Amoy on the.l6th of July. On the 19th, a
violent storm came on ; and, notwithstanding all the efforts
of her crew, she struck, about four o'clock on the following
day, on a reef known as Richard's rocks, off the south-east
end of the island of Typaisan, lat. 24. 42 N., long. 125,
26 E. Such was the force with which she struck, that she
parted immediately just abaft the mainmast, the after part of
the ship drifting away, loaded as it was with human beings,
not one of whom escaped. The longboat having been de-
stroyed by the fall of the mainmast, which killed several
persons who were standing around it, Mr. M'Rae, the second
mate, one or two of the cabin passengers, and about 30 other
persons, took to the fore-rigging. There they remained
until tu e'se o'clock the followin,rday, when they made an
attempt to reach the shore. Whether all succeeded is not
known, but amongst those who did were Mr. M'Rae, the
steward, M‘Gee ; three able seamen, named Purdy, Peter
Josephs, and Benjamin Tucker ; one of the Portuguese pas-
seitgers, two females, and 22 Chinamen. One of the Chinese
women was also safely carried ashore on a spar. The survi-
vors of this fearful catastrophe, who were most kindly treated
by the natives, remained on the island two months and four
days, until they were taken off by her Majesty's steamer
Hermes, which had been sent in search of them.
[We published an account of the lamentable loss
of this vessel so far back as the 31st October; but
as the above contains more full details, and as all
the London journals record them now, we, too,
place them before our readers.]