The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-08 00:00:00

THE MANCHESTER STRIKE

An important meeting of the minders and piecers
now on strike was held at half-past seven o'clock on
Wednesday evening, at the People's Institute. The
Chairman, on opening the proceedings, referred to e
deputation fro.n them that had waited on the Han-
over Mill Company, and to a vote of thanks passed at a
previous meeting which, by mistake, was passed to the
deputation instead of to the general body of the men.
The secretary said that the vote of thanks was passed to
the men of this mill generally, for the very honourable
manner in which they had stood forward in this contest.
With respect to their position, they had waded over
twelve weeks of such a struggle as no other town in this
kingdom had ever contended with under such disadvan-
tageous circumstances. They had been charged with
having an organisation, which never had existed, but
which he trusted would exist amongst the working men
of England. The masters not being satisfied with that
misstatement, had stated that they had from time to time
obtained advances in wages from them, and that they (the
masters), had been compelled to organise in self-defence
to take hack from them what they had received. After
telling that tale to the world they came out with their
second, and what they said should be their final, reply,
that they would he glad to open their mills at the
Ashton prices. Well, the men, not being an organised
body, were not aware of those prices ; but, after inquiry,
they found that by the Ashton system they would be at
an advantage, by saving labour, and, in the end, suffer
no loss of wages, and they prepared to go in at the
Ashton prices. After the men had agreed to that, and it
had been published in the press of this town, the masters
refused. They thought they had beaten the men, and
having, as they thought, forced the men into a com-
pliance with their present demands, they Ns ere not then
satisfied, and went a step further. In some mills they
wanted them to mind two pair, and in some three pair.
This was impossible. Birley's mill, too, was not :satis-
fied with their own terms, and had reduced the dinner
hour to three-quarters of an hour, instead of an hour,
and a quarter of an hour instead of half an hour for
breakfast; and, at the same time, would not boil the water
for them. It merely showed that, if they succumbed
to 'their employers, they knew not where it would end.
He urged them to maintain the struggle. Spring was
coming on, and if they could stand the racket for a short
time longer they would have a better chance of success.
The masters had united together, as appeared by report
of the meeting of the factory occupiers, to resist what
they considered an injustice; and let them, the working
men, follow that example. Several operatives exhorted
the meeting to unity of thought and action. A vote of
thanks to the public for the support they had given to
the " operative" ballad singers was passed by acclama-
tion. The meeting then adjourned until next Wednes-
day evening.

COUNTY COURT-YESTERDAY,

(BEFORE JOSEPH POLLOCK, ESQ., JUDGE.
ABRAHAM v. REYNOLDS.—His Honour gave judgment in
' this case, which came before the court some days since.
The circumstances were so,r ewhat singular. The defendant,
in looking over some old papers found among them two £1
notes, one dated Nantwich, 1809, and the other Chester,
1813. The plaintiff changed the notes for the defendant,
who fully believed that they were worth the value they
represented, but when he in turn presented them at Messrs.
Barned's Bank, be was told that they were valueless, the
banks by which they had been issued having failed. He
then brought his action against the defendant. His Honour
held that the defendant, having merely warranted the
notes as " genuine," which they were, and not having done
anything illegal under the statute of 1829, was entitled to
the judgment of the court. Verdict acc-mdingly.
GREGORY U. SAMUELS.—In this ease, Mr. Wm. Gregory,
the agent to the West of England fire office, was the plain-
tiff, and Mr. Israel Samuel, provision dealer. jeweller, and
outfitter, of Great Howard-street, was the defendant. The
amount claimed was £2 19s, 6d. This claim arose under
the following circumstances. On the 21st of February,
1855, the defendant gave instructions to Mr. Barrett to
effect an insurance of his house, stock, and premises, in
Great Howard-street, in the West of England fire office, and
shortly after he was served with a paper containing the par-
ticulars of the insurance, officially signed by the plaintiff.
The defendant having been served with, and received such
paper, the company, should any damage occur to his
stock or premises by fire, would, as sworn by the wit-
ness, have been liable to a claim upon the office, as it was
binding on the company. The policy of the insurance had
callaso bimeede.n mFadare
tohuet ,d tehfeentcost
iatl
was
oas ofwhich
st
argued
aed
thatwas t the
h e amountdefendant
was not liable until the policy had actually been delivered.
His Honour overruled the point argued for the defendant,
n
verdict for the plaintiff, but did not give any
a opiniong
ave '
as to whether he was entitled to the policy.

We beg to recommend that the cargo ports should be
entirely closed, and plated up to correspond with the rest
of the ship's sides, and that all loose rivets should be cut
out and replaced, and butts of plates examined; and
caulked where found necessary.
We also recommend, in order to remove all doubt as, tio
the strength of the vessel, that she should be fitted with as
iron stringer, wrought on each side between the main and
spar deeks, extending at least three-fourths of the ship's;
length. This stringer to be two feet six inches deep and(
five feet eight inches thick, with an angle-iron, three by'
two and a halt, rivetted to the upper and lower edges, and'
fastened to a reverse angle-iron on each of the frames.
We recommend that all the pumps should be overhauled
and put in good order, and wash plates fitted on each side
under the floor plates of the engine-room, to prevent them
being washed up; also, that the hold and 'twixt - deck
pillars be properly secured at top and bottom to the
beams. The step of mainmast should also be more securely
fastened and supported on the top of the tunnel.
The furnaces of the defective boiler must be repaired
and made good, and the cracked blade of the propeller
efficiently repaired.
Having given a general outline of the principal defects
which have been detected, things of minor importance may
arise during the progress of the work.
We are, Gentlemen, your obedient servants,
(Signed)
JOUN RONALDS, 1 Shipwright Surveyors to
G. P. RIMIE, f the Board of Trade.
W. A.:Summzus, Engineer and Iron Ship-
Southampton. builder.

The Southampton correspondent of the Morning Herald,.
in relation to this vessel, and certain statements published'.
in the Times, says ; In order to make the public'
thoroughly acquainted with the full particulars of the
Belgique, and the endeavour that has been made to retard
the progress of this new company, and to prejudice it in
public opinion, we consider it our duty to insert in this
morning's Herald an expoie of the origin of a letter which
appeared in the Times of Feb. 2, and which it was. sup-
posed had originated from some of the passengers of the
Belgique. In this morning's Herald we stated that thee°
of the six signatures attached to this letter were ActitiouS,
This day we are informed that a fourth—Aug. Vanier (an
actual passenger)—was not even aware of the existence of '
such a letter until he saw it in the Times, and he then, with
the utmost indignation, in the presence of the captain of
the Belgique and the directors of the company, protested
against bearing testimony to the statements therein con-
tained ; for, unfortunately for the concocters of this un-
principled scheme, the ;passenger Aug. Vanier had pre-
viously written a letter to the directors of the company,
expressing sentiments of a purely different character from
those which appear in the letter of the Tim's. We were
somewhat surprised at the invidious attacks which have
been made in the Times against this company, evidently
with a view to its injury ; and, although, in common with
nearly all the inhabitants of this town, we repotted that
want of principle and fair play which ought to characterise
the reports of a great, and, what may be styled a leadiflt
journal, nevertheless we were quite unprepared for this
latter glaring and unprincipled act of using fictitious names,
and attaching them to statements which tended to give a
colouring to their enormities. 'We fear that we are too well
informed on this subject to have made any mistake respect-
ing it; and we therefore wait with some curiosity to see the
next movement that will be played. We may here state,
that thirty-three of the passengers by the Belgique, whose
passage money amounted in the aggregate to £366, received
from the shipping agent the sum of £524 63, being £l5B
6s over and above their passage money.

HURRICANE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

DISASTERS TO SHIPS

On Wednesday night, about nine o'clock, this town and
neighbourhood were visited by a violent hurricane, which%
lasted up to an early hour Thursday morning, and for
fierceness, it has not been surpassed for some years. The
weather for some days previous had been very variable,
and on Wednesday morning a heavy fall of rain set in,
followed by a light breeze. At an early hour, a nautical
friend (Captain Smith) told us that there would be a ter-
rific storm in the coming night, and his prophecy was
more than fulfilled, though at the time we paid but little
attention to the prediction. The storm came on, as the
saying is, almost as " quick as lightning." and from the
onset to its close, it continued to blow with the same vio-
lence. It stopped as suddenly as it began—instantly, and
the transition, both at the commencement and the close,
was not the least remarkable feature connected with it-
There was another characteristic about it also—it blew,•
as it were, in one continued sheet of wind ; there were no
heavy gushes, nor puffs with short intervals ; nor wag
there the least cessation from the onset to the termination.
The point from whence the storm came was S.S. Iv. chiefly',
but varying now and then to a point S.W.
We fear that when the reports from the out-districts of
the coast come to hand, that many and serious disastert;
will be recorded. At present, locally, we are glad to sal
that we have not heard of any loss of life, but a good deal
of damage has been done in the river and at out the shores
farther down. The following are amongst the accidents
at present known:—

The Clangregor, from Calcutta to this port, was driven
ashore at Crosby Point, and had her rudder unshipped
and stern-post damaged. She was greatly shaken by the
violence of the gale and the shock. She is much strained
and making water, but is expected to be got off.
The Ocean Rover, from Charleston fo Liverpool, wag
driven ashore at Little Broughton, Waterloo. She struck
heavily, and made water. She is also expected to be got
off, but is, however, much shaken.
Two ships, or barques, were seen ashore, from Holy'
head, near per chart No. 9, at half-past-nine in the morn'
ing. A steam-tug was near to them.
The Henry Platt, Emery, from Mobile, for this port,
came on shore about five o'clock this morning at Forth'
neigwl, near Pwllheli, in a heavy gale from W.S.W., and
remains, with masts cut away.
The Commerce, of and for Conway, from St. Helens,
with a cargo of coals, was towed into Mostyn, in a yell
leaky state, by the Point of Ayr life-boat. She has lost
her mainmast, and sustained considerable damage to her
rigging.
The Columbia, from New York, which was safe!!
moored in the river, dragged her anchors during the
severest part of the gale. She was unable to bring LIP,
and was ultimately driven on shore near the Huskissoll
Dock wall. She has since been got off, and is not stir
posed to have sustained much damage.
The Ann Baldwin was at Mizen Head with loss of tor
masts.
Considerable alarm was felt through town about the
Australian ship Salem that sailed on Wednesday fet
Melbourne with a valuable general cargo and 13',,;
respectable passengers. We understand, however, that
every inquiry has been made about her, and nothl
unfavourable has been heard, so the hope is strong that
she is all safe; for, had anything happened to her, 1t
would have been known before this time. For the satis'
faction of the friends of the passengers we give the fol-
lowing particulars. At five o'clock on Wednesday
evening the ship was left by the tug-boat off Ornle'g
Head. All was then safe, and as Captain Flynn saw there
was a gale coming on he had the ship made, what is called,
snug," so that he would be prepared for it.
The Warbler, that sailed on the 4th for Messina, put
back damaged.
These are all the facts we could learn of the result of
the great gale of Wednesday evening.

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS,-0a Wednesday, a return iv°
issued of the number and nature of the accidents which bal
occurred on all the railways open for traffic in England to
Wales, Scotland and Ireland, respectively, from the Ist ;
July to the 31st of December, 1855. From this return,
,;
appears that seven persons were killed, and 204 injure;."
from causes beyond their own control. In the correspon,u,
ing half of 1854, the numbers. were 9 killed and 259 gito
jured. Eleven persons were killed and 15 injured owing
their own misconduct. or want of caution, as against 1,
killed and 12 injured in 1854. There were passengert
making a total of 18 killed and 219 injured, as against
killed and 271 injured in 1854. Ten servants of comPal3l6
or contractors were killed and 20 injured, from causes beci
pond
.their own control, as against '2O killed and 37 injure
in 1854; while 32 were killed and 35 were injured. orvina.
ii
to their own misconduct or want of caution,
as apainstd killed and 11 injured in 1854. Twenty
per'sons were killed
and four injured through crossing at level crossings ; !11„ocre
ed
were three suicides, and two persons killed and one inJTr
from miscellaneous causes. The grand totals were
England and Wales, 115 killed and 224 injured ; Scotland'
8 killed and 56 injured; for Ireland, 10 killed and 6 '„5
jured; making together, 133 killed and 286 injure], of
against 123 killed and 334 injured in 18.54. The length
railway opened on the 31st December, 1855, was 6.218
miles in England and Wales, 1,087 in Scotland, and 95°,„r
Ireland, making together, 8,293 miles, as against 8,054 for
he corresponding half of 1854,