The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-16 00:00:00

THE BUILDER, BMICZ-PROPOSAL FOR
A SETTLEMENT.

The attention of the members of the strike com-
edttees of the messes and b 'Malayan was on Saturday
theme to a letter signed "PeWleola,“ and is supposed to
have emanated from an eminent architect. The letter sug-
gests a plan, which the writer believes would at once settle
the dispute, without enabling either party to claim a victory.
The opinion entertainedvby the men is that the letter has
been pot forth as a " feeler," and has emanated indirectly
from the employers.
The plan proposed in the letter is as follows :—" 1. That
the labour of the skilled workman shall be paid at 7il.
per hour. 2. That the working bourn shall be on the Bret
five days of the week from 6 a.m. to 5,31) p.m., or • working
day of 10 hours, deducting the eseessary time for meal*.
3. That the hours of leaving work as Saturday, which is
now granted by the masters at one, sad demanded by the
men to be at twelve, shall be settled by arbitration. 4.
That all hours of work beyond lOperday shall bee:moldered
overtime, and paid far as such, according to
the weal custom of the trade. 5. That no
man shall be discharged without a day's notice, or its (Milli.
valeot in money. 6. That all theold privileges of the trade
shall be preaen-ed.” It appeared to be the grimed opinion
among the men that there proposals, if made in good faith,
might form the basis of as anneal& settlement, inasmuch
as they include nearly all that the men have been contend-
jog for—a recognised number of hours as a day's work, and
extra payment for overtime. It is not the mere
payment of their labour at so ranch per hour
that is so objectionable to the men, but the condition
hitherto attached to it by the employers, by insisting upon
engagement, as well as payment, lay the hour ; by refusing
to recognise a certain number of hours as a day's work ;
and, as a consequence, the abolition of any extra payment
for overtime. These points agreed neon, the time of Matrix%
work on Saturday would be emy of solution. The meesay they
will not take the initiative, all their advances havmg up to
the present been contemptuously declined ; but they would
be willing to entertain any proposition, based on the seg•
gestioos of the above letter coming directly from the
eniployers.
In the meantime, the reentry jobs are being deserted.
The whole of the masons esupbsyall by Mr. Myers at the
New College at York Mirk taut landlinret, sal at the
convict astahllatirnest at Minssinssr, as well as those em-
ployed by Mr. Smith, at Wirier and at Uxbridge, oilseed
working on Saturday.

THE A IDISTIBONO Guns as ?Aril% —The experi-
manta on Cookie) Coles's cupola shield have been brought to
a sudden stop by the successive smashing of no less than six
vent. pieces io fee day from the Annstroog gum in use on board
the Trusty. This really is • moat serious order, the more
so as it is not exceptional, having occurred in various other
places ; and it mainly destroys our confidence in the present
rifled guns adopted for the we of the English Artillery.
Nor is die mateer ameliorated by the reflection that the
vest-lime cismionally Ohms in the chamber, so as to pre-
vent its replacement with another and similar substitute.
It leaser that as wit stand at preset no dependeoce tun he
placed on continuous Lim from the Armstrong ;
sod it is of die aliment Isepertasee that the *Wages
• the is
Oeuniteee ebeehi be thaveaghly
awakemei, either te the eemplete sway of the trnlN at
the abuideaseat et the preen. eyehole of breech-loading
• lasttercee.—./rsey and Nary Gtesettt.