The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-05 00:00:00

He may work or be idle as he thinks fit, but he
must not force others to be idle with him. Most
lamentable and inconsistent it is, that the
workers, who so lustily call out on occasions
against monopolies of the other classes, should
themselves set an example of endeavouring
to maintain an odious and injurious mono-
poly—the monopoly of work. In an open
market, wages must be a free arrangement
between the parties concerned. Neither must
dictate to the other. If the terms are not satis-
factory, let each quietly separate, and try to
make better arrangements elsewhere. This is
the simple remedy and the sound political
economy of the matter. Intelligent working
men are quite aware of this, and they need no
prophet to reveal to them that the amount of
wages which can be offered does not depend on
the will of either masters or men, but on natural
lays which man did not make and cannot unmake,

We write not as partisans, either for or
against the working classes, We were glad to
hear that peaceful counsels had prevailed, and
the regular sounds of industry were again heard
in the Birkenhead Docks. Hunger is a mighty
queller. In cases of difference between employers
and employed, it would always ba better if the
parties could meet, and come to some friendly
understanding, like men, instead of recurring to
the club-law of monkeys. The traveller in the
fable laid aside his cloak, yielding to the gentle
heat of the sun what he had refused to the surly
winds as they blew against him. Surely we
ought to have learned by this time that all differ-
ences between man and man, and nation and
nation, had better be settled by the calm dic-
tates of reason than by violence and bloodshed.
It may be urged that the fear of a strike is a
wholesome check on the employers, preventing
the too great reduction of wages. Now sup-
posing this to be true to some extent, still the
question may be, whether other and better modes
could not be found for attaining the same end.
Instead of threatening, and terrifying, and mal-
treating each other, would it.not be better for the
men to appeal by deputation to the justice and
humanity of the masters. The representations
of the men would be far the most part considered
in a fair spirit. We have commonly found the
men to be in the wrong in the case of strikes,
and the masters to be in the right ; and the men
themselves have discovered this in the end, or at
least they have found that they could not hope
to continue the contest on equal terms. In
nineteen cases out of twenty the men have
succumbed, and gone in at the same, or even
at lower, wages than were offered before the
strike began. Those who lead strikes are pro-
bably not much given to deep thinking ; but it
is so obvious that strikes are ruinous to all parties
that the wonder is that this bungling and
passionate mode of settling matters has not long
since been superseded by something more. in
harmony with the reputed rationality of man.
Some military reinforcement had been sent to
Birkenhead, but happily their services were not
required. The men were subdued by the logic
of hung and we are glad to report that " order
" reign 4 at Birkenhead. There would be a
milak9.l4 the other side if employers have
undefialten a contract at a price so indis-
creetly inadequate that they are compelled
to screw down-the wages of the men to the lowest
point. This would be an error of the contractors,
but whether this be the fact in the present case
we do not pronounce. Supposing, however,
that it were so—if men can be found to do the
work at the offered prices, it shows that some are
in greater neei than those that had thrown up
their work. Now, we ask the operatives, can it
be right forcibly to prevent from working those
more needy than the strikers ? to say nothing of
the injury to the capitalist.

A lieutenant of the -United States Navy has invented an
instrument which, when applied to the keel of a vessel,
gives the deepth of water near shore or upon shoals,
without the use of the lead, wherever the depth does not
exceed two fathoms. A board of naval officers having
reported favourably of it, the invention was about to be
applied to a Government vessel.

DEATH OF SERJHANT WILKINS.—We regret to anounce
tha death, yesterday forenoon, of Mr. Serjeant Wilkins,
at his chambers, 8, Queen's Bench walk, Temple. The
deceased serjeant had been suffering for some weeks past.
During the last few days anxious inquiries were made by
barristers, solicitors, and all others connected with the
Temple. The Temple Church bell tolled shortly after his
demise, and the event, upon being known, was received with
deep regret.

CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT IN IRELAND.—At the
Tipperary banquet, in honour of Captain Jocelyn Otway,
by his tenantry, on his return from the Black Sea, the
Protestant rector, Mr. Jordan, exchanged compliments
with the celebrated Father Kenyon, of the Irish famine
period. In responding, Father Kenyon said that he had
a difficult duty to discharge—to propose the health of the
Rev. Mr. MiDonnell—(Hear)—and of the Protestant
clergy of this and surrounding districts, and indeed of the
country—he might go further, and say the entire country.
(Cheers.) With respect to the object of the toast, he
laboured under the disadvantage of not having the pleasure
of his acquaintance, so that he could not say anything of his
private qualities or virtues ; all he could say was that he had
never heard anything bad of him—(hear)—and that was
saying a good deal. He (the Rev. Mr. Kenyon) would rather
treat him as the representative of his order and for the
purpose of exemplifying the subject. As long as be (the
rev. speaker) had had the power of reasoning, and before it
—at all events, as long as he could recollect, he had been
at a loss to understand why a Catholic clergyman Could
not rejoice in the health of a Protestant minister. (Cheers.)
He did not know the reason why they should be sparring
and boxing instead of living in amity and goodwill.
(Cheers.) If it were a Jewish or a Turkish priest, he could
see no cause for their going to loggerheads. (Hear.) S )
far as he recollected what he had read, even the heathen
could afford to live on terms of friendship, and why should
those who had all the benefits of Christianity be violating
the principles of Christian charity, forbearance and love ?
(Cheers. Though this state of things might go on for a
time it must ultimately come to an end—.(hear)—for mutual
toleration must prevail. (Cheers.) Bigotry was too revolting
to the feelings of the human heart to he perpetuated.
(Cheers ) They lived there in a retired region, no doubt,
but it was a' beautiful region, and though small, yet being
central, from that meeting would go forth, east, west, north,
and south, the wholesome principles of toleration and goo
feeling—(cheers)—and others, seeing the happy effects,
might " go and do likewise."