The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-26 00:00:00

HEALTH COMMITTEE.-YESTERDAY

A special meeting of this body was held yesterday, for the
completion of business- previous to the termination of the
municipal year. The first part of the business of the meet-
ing was of a routine character, being altogether confined to
the consideration of some contracta which it was necessary to
complete. Smno angry words passed between the chairman
and Mr. Alderman Langsdale, and Mr. Newlands, the borough
engineer, but we are unable to give a detailed report of the
proceenings, no- intimation that a special inLeinig woum Uo
held, having reached our office, although such a notificati on
was forwarded to some of our contemporaries. Before the
conclusion of the proceedings, an interchange of words o c
curred between the chairman and Mr. Beckwith.

BANKRUPTS.
(From the London Gazette of Last Night.)
Stephen Crate, Liverpool, slater and plasterer. Nov. 14
and 28. Court of Bankruptcy, Liverpool.
William Brook, Manchester, stuff-merchant. Nov. 19
and 13. Court of Bankruptcy Manchester.
Benjamin Nunnington Dood, Hetton-le-Hole, Durham,
grocer and draper
George Bennett, Birmingham, licensed-victualler.
George Gillard, London, boot and shoemaker.
Henry Braun, London, general agent.
Joseph Matthew, Little Waltham, Pssex, grocer and
draper.
Thomas Pye, Timber Merchant, Chelsea.
andpecember 19, Basinghall-street.
John Dawson, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, Surgeon.
Charles Sampter Morris, Joham, ironmonger
Dec. 10, Basinghall-street.

. WORTHLESSNESS OF REFORM CLUB DEBENTURES.—.
Monday, an action was brought in the Westminster County
Court, by Mr. Featherstone, against Sir Benjamin Hall,
Bart., M. P., as one of the general committee of the Reform,
to recover five and a half year's interest on' a debenture for
£5O, issued by the Reform Club. Mr. Hawkins, 'who
appeared as council for the defendant objected, as the present
application was a " chose in action," and therefore not
maintainable at law. The jury concurred in this view, and
the plaintiff was nonsuited. The case excited considerable
interest, and the result seems clearly to prove that, if the
payment of a Reform Club debenture be resisted, • such an
instruthent is utterly worthless to the holder.
CONGREGATIONAL UNION OF ENGLAND AND WALES.
—The Autumnal Meetings of this Union com-
menced in the city of Manchester, on Monday,
when devotional meetings were held in Rusholme
Road Chapel, and in the Hope Chapel, Salford.
Last (Tuesday) night a public meeting was held
in Cavendish Street Chapel, for the Exposition
and Enforcement of Congregational principles,
and advocacy of i3xitish Missions.

FIRE, THIS MORNS,IO, IN THE 4 'S
DOCK, AND
~ S OF MIT
About three o'clock tl
_..41: orniug au a1ai.,,1 i s
given that a fire had -4/'ol:en out on 1)6!;;=.• I. e
.g dam
Tug tug Dreadnought, elo,,gi to the ;.. am
r
Tug Company, which was nag,algrgsiote tkerpier
of the King's Dock. ,tti.,,,i,,Ariv..EVN.J.
. N. '1 `; IT 1, lo ka'
\
The engines belonging to tie fire brigade -Were
quickly on the spot, and on their arrival it was
found that the whole of the hold was on fire, and.
the entire destruction of the steamer was threatened.
In a short time, however, the flames were subdued,
but not Before considerable damage had been done
to the vessel.

We regret to say that, whilst engaged in extin-
guishing the fire, one of the brigade was drowned,
and two others received considerable injuries by
falling into the hold of the steamer.
The unfortunate man who lost his life was direct-
ing the hose on the edge of the•pier, and whilst so
engaged a portion of the hose caught his feet, and
losing his balance, he fell into the water, and was
drowned. Every exertion was made to save him,
but to no purpose, as he was never once seen after
falling into the water.

The name of the deceased did not transpire, but
his hat was afterwards found floating on the
surface of the water, and on examining it No.
415 was printed on it. The men in attendance
dragged for the body, but had not been able to
discover it up to the time of going to press.
It is somewhat singular, that the Dreadnought
had been fitted out for sea, and was intended to
have been despatched this morning, to assist in
laying down the Sub-Marine Telegraph botvrcuU
Portpatriok find Donaglizttlee.

THE RECORDER OF LONDON ON 'STRIKES
AND 00111-RTNATIONS.
On Monday last, in his charge to tho Grand
Jury, at the Central Criminal Court, the Recorder
of London brought the subject of strikes, and com-
binations amongst workmen, prominently forward.
He said : " The next case to which he should
direct their attention was one of considerable im-
portance It was a charge against certain workmen
of conspiring together, to prevent another work-
man from being employed in the same establish-
ment with them. At the present moment, when
so many strikes existed, and the struggle between
capital and labour was attracting so much atten-
tion, cases of this nature became of the greatest
possible public importance. It was not for him,
sitting in that place, to make any observations
with regard to strikes of workmen, but he might
be pardoned for expressing his regret at such prO-
eeedings, when the ruinous loss they entailed, both
upon masters and workmen, were considered. He
saw that a calculation had been made, that in one
limited manufacturing district, wages to the amount
of 1:20,000 a week had been lost, thereby occa-
sioning most serious injury both to masters and
workmen, to the tradesmen of the district, to the
revenue, and also; no doubt, tending seriously, to
derange and disturb the commerce of the country.
He could not refrain, therefore, from expressing
his regret that some means could not be devised to
reconcile these unfortunate differences. It was
not for him to say more upon this part of the
question, and it only remained for him to state
what was the law upon the subject of combiluv
tions of this description. Formerly every combi-
nation among workmen for the purpose of raising
wages was illegal, and rendered the parties liable
to a misdemeanour; but as it was felt that this
was a. hardship, and was in some cases productive
of. injustice, in 182 A an Act of Parliament was
passed which changed that state of the law and
legalised combinations either of masters, to lower
the rates of wages, or of workmen, for the pur-
pose of getting them raised. While, however, this
Act of Parliament gave both to the employers and
the employed the privilege of holding meetings
and takiugproceedings to regulate the rate of wages,
it at the same time'expressly prohibited workmen
iv N 1 G v Gll4 uulinuy CI IS
from taking into their service any persons they
pleased, or to prevent any persons from accepting
such employment. The question was one of such
• very great importance that the grand jury would
probably excuse him for calling their attention to
some observations made by a late learned judge
(Sir N. Tindal) upon the occasion of a trial of a
similar kind which took place a few years ago at
Stafford. Having read the learned judge's remarks,
the RECORDER said—ln the case that will be laid
before them it would appear that the parties were
accused of combining together to prevent a person
being employed in the same establishment with
them, or rather to procure his dismissal from that
establishment. It appeared that a person named
Spence, who had formerly been employed at an
eminent printing establishment in the city of Lon-
don, that of Messrs. Talks, had left that establish-
to another gentlemen named Jackson,
ment and gone to another of the same character,
belonginghe had been in that service about a week
received a notice to quit from the foreman, and
it appeared
that this notice would not have been
ri
ven, but for the proceedings of the other men en-
gaged e in the establishmet, and against these per-
sons present indictment was preferred. The
d cee in the case would go to show that these
laellinviid,en ne,
hadafter held what was called in the trade a chapel,
and that they came to the determination to insist
upon the discharge of the man referred to. The
depositions were not very clear, but he gathered
from them that the men had come to the resolution
that they would not associate with this man, and if
the grand jury should believe they intended to go
to the extent of not permitting the man to work in
the establishment, it appeared to him that it would
support the charge of conspiracy. If, however,
they should think .that this object was not made
out, and that it was probably only the intention of
the parties not to have any communication with
. their fellow-workman, or, as it was commonly
termed, send him to Coventry, this would not be
sufficient to support the charge, and they ought to
ignore the bill. It was very important that the
law upon this subject should be understood, par-
ticularly as he believed an impression prevailed in
the minds of the workmen that they were justified
in procuring the dismissal of one of their fellows,
and refusing to work with him, by any means short
of aotual violence, This was a delusion; and it
should be understood that even if the most harm-
less means were employed for the purn,%--
king any person he
pre-
venting an employer frt... 4„.
pleased into his service, it was a breach of the law
for which they would hp grnpreihle to punishment."
.