The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-03 00:00:00

;;Eiil. :VG OF L;NEND 471: RS.

. .
[ Yes!'mlay eveninft a Meeting of the Linendespes, pr cod tam
and Mane%dashers, of the metropolis and its vicinity, was held it
the London Coffee-house, for the purpose of reeeivlni the Rcpprt
of the deputation appointed to procure the signatores of the uade
to the Resolutions adopted at a previous meeting, relative Is the
hours of closing their shops iii future.
At seven o'clock 70 or 80 individuals being then present, Mr.
Wititliman was called to the Chair.
The Cu.:mired expressed his regret that the meeting was WA.
more numerously attended; end also that the; had not selected a
person more competent to conduct the business of the evening Oars
lie was. lie Understood Ulrike found that souse diffiesslties weal&
exist in carrying the regulations adopted at their previous nicutlagl
into effect ; sod with the view of rendering their resolutions smis.
factory to all parties, it was intended to modify seem part of Lbws'
in the way that wound be amf•rl to the Meeting k gentlemen.
more able to discharge the task than himself. lle Wilted:it to be
understood that he had personally little interest in the result of du its
proceedings, however they might terminate: his only abject being
to effect such in orringcment as all could approve, and jils 111014
anxious wish to do nothing *lnch should be considered compebroryr,
upon aSHny.
111 r. oor.hann, of Totteoham-court-tatd, said it lied beers
unanimously agreed that closing their shops at an earlier hour then
that now in use, would form au important insProVement inehs mood
of conducting business in the metropolis. pertain hones had beer
named for discontinuing business in future, and genderaeLE
pointed for the purpose of ascerfeintng the feelings of der
upon the subject. They founil thdt the hours of eight o'elleth
closing in the winter half-year, and nine in the summer, were pre-
ferred to those originally proposed, which were Keen in. winter:,
eight in spring and autumn, and nine in summer. The deputation,
had made it their business to ascertain the opionins elf the IntOority
of tl.e trade on the subject, and procured 400 sighSlbrUi,
proving of the hours now prposed to be adopted as those for di
continuing business in future, which it was thouyjn.weeld "rove
• more convenient for the public, and likely to mesteWgrasesil
concurrence.
Mr. WHITE, of Bleckftiars-road, moved a Resoftition to the
effect—that it appeared that the hours proposed at tint, meeting of
the 19th August required alteration, in order to meet dm uniusimatow
concurrence of the trade. . •
The resolutios having been seconded, was put and carried lintel-
mustily.
Mr. PEARCE moved that the hours for closing shops 61 119.4&4.
fdion Saptesenee to Irebreerry, sad 9 frews_Mareis us.4ssiestri- •
sire, and on balurdaye one hourlater. nose regolsansit W cm 6;
mence from the 12th of September.
Mr. :lanais tinderstmod that considerable diftculty was felt as
to the hours of closing on Saturdays. Hik own opinion was in fa-
vour of the resolution as it now s toes, natiibly, 1 hour hurt on Sa-
turday evening, br 9 in winter, and 10 in summer ; but as, front
what he had heard, he was disposed to believe that proposal would
not meet with general approbatior, in order to secure unanimity
to all their proceedings, he should propose, as an arnendtnent,.that
the time for discontinuing business on Saturday nights, be 2 heeds
later than on ordinary nights, that was, 10 in winter, *sod 11 id
summer.

......
Dlr. illsuntira approved of this amendment, and was desirous
of hearing the opinions of other Gentlemen, in order that unanimity
might be secured by discussion, and a mutual understanding of t►e •
subject.
Mr. DAV is, haberdasher of Chirwell-street, thought It Mould be
impossible to close earlier than II o'clock on Saturdays all the year
round. Other persons could keep their shops open till 14, but ho
was content to give up an hour, and close at However, in s
shorter time than that, it was not his opinion, that business could
be done, more particularly as working people, who were the prin.
cipel customers on these occasions, did not remise their warp' tins
late hour of the evening, and consequently could not MOM twir
purchases at an earlier period than that he had trentionetb
Dar. liana's thought the Gentleman who spoke last alietald re-
flect that if all the tradesmen in his neighbourhood shut up Lbw
shops at an earlier hour, his business could not possibly sustain
any injury front following their example. His customers must
continue to come and buy fmm him; but at an earlier hour, and
consequently the masters must pay thelr men earlier in order to
enable them to do so.

Mr. Suoot-nnEn thought it was dear, if they all shut earlis,
their customers must come earlier, as they could not be accommo-
dated elsewhere. lie would agree to the amendment with respect
to the two hours on Saturdays, as it seemed to be the general wish
that ten and eleven should be the times appointed for discontinuing
business on those nights, although for his part he was determined
always to shut his shop.at nine and ten on Saturday, or one hour
later than on other nights of the week.
hlr. Davis was anxious to do all the business he could.
Mr. SHOOLARE6 was equally anxious on that subject ; but he
was also anxious to consult hii convenience as far as that was com-
patible with his pecuniary interests, and he could not see that they
opposed each other here.
Mr. RE DMA Y rex, of Bond-street, uid, they were met to stud]
their own comfort and that of their young men, is far as was pros-
ticable, and consistent with the proper execution of business. The
present system of late bouts bad grown into a disgraceful abuse,
and fixed a stigma on their otherwise respectable trade. It was
their duty, as men of humanity and Christians, to adopt the pro-
posed alterations, winch would be decided improvements in the sys-
tern now in use.

Mr. Maw urn rose to suggest that this was a meeting of min-
apes, and he trusted if any persons who did not come under that
description were present, whether they were assistants, or individuals
who bad been discarded by the principal*. they would withdraw.
The Citaragast—The meeting had been publicly advertised as
one confined to employers only, and if any persons of the kind
alluded to by the last speaker were present, he trusted they would
feel the propriety of immediately retiring from the room.
Four or five individuals walked out from the bottom of the mots.
Mr. 31a:et:tau said he had been present at a meeting of the
shopkeepers held in the Strand, and on that occasion one of the
gentlemen just gone out of the room, to whom he had more parti-
cularly alluded, had been publicly discarded by that body.
Mr. BLAKEMAN, of Judd-street, New-road, supported the
amendment, and contended that the hours proposed in it were such
as would meet the convenience of all classes of purchaser, as sow
as they were once known to be generally adopted.
The amendment, fixing the hours for closing on Saturdays at ten
and eleven. was then put from the Chair and agreed to.
Mr. 13 LAK It MAN moved that the six winter months, and conse-
quently the period for closing at eight o'clotk, be computed front
the 29th September to the 25th March, instead of from the Is:
September to the let March; and that the summer half-ear, due.
ing which the shops should be shut at nine, be computed from th'e
26th March to 29th September, instead of from the Ist March to
Ist September.
Mr. SHOO LBRED seconded the motion, sad farther proposed
that the Resolutions take effect from the 29th inst.
A long and desultory conversation took place on the subject e,f
the proposed amendment, which was finally withdrawn, and the
original motion agreed
Mr.:MAN/into moved that the Resolutions now entered lefts,
together with the names of those persons who had agreed to them,
be printed, and sent round to every house in the trade.—Agreed to.
slr. Waite moved that tha Gentlemen appointed on the Depu,
tation for the purpose of procering signet Srea to the Resolutions-
be requested to form a Committee to carry them into effect, with
power to add to their numbers.
The following are the names of the Committee t Shool.
bred, Tottenham-court-road ; Mr. White, Blackfriars.road ; Mr.
Collens, Chelsea; Mr. Harvey ; Mr. Manning, Aldgate. •
A greed to.
The Resolutions were then ordered to be inserted inane news-
papers, and a collection made to defray the expenses of publication.
The thanks of the Meeting were given to Mr. Waithman for his
proper conduct in the Chair.
The Meeting appeared about to separate, when their attention
was solicited by Mr. HARR Is, who expressed himself desirous at
making a few observations on the conduct of the shopmen, in call-
ing a meeting, and entering into what he must denominate an ille-
gal combination, inimical to the interestsof their employers.
These observations appearing to excite considerable inteeest, at
the suggestion of some gentlemen present, Mt. Schoolbred was
called to the Chair, but having declined, the Chair was taken by.
111 r. WHITE.

Mr. Mastitis conticued. The assistants had pukilished • pm-
, phlet containing some Resolutions of a very strung descriptioo,
and imposing the punishments of fine and exclusion on any menilier
of their society who should not observe the regolations therein eon-
tained—regnilations which he maintained were most injurious to the
interests of their employers.
Mr. REDMATNI censured the conduct of the 'horning:, who had
formed what lie considered an illegal association. By the regula-
tions they had established every young man dismissed the service
of his employers for observing the rules of the Society with respect
to the hours of discontinuing business, was to be allowed one gui
flea per week while out of employment, at.d all the other assistant.
in the same establishment, who belonged to the body, were required
to leave their employment immediately on the occurrence of such
dismissal. They were required to do this, and strictly observe the
hours appointed for closing shops, on pain of tine and expulsion
from the Society. He trusted no respeztable young man would
connect himself with such a Society, and that when the marked
disapprobation of the masters came to their knowledge, such as had
entered into the combination would discontinue it, as lar at least a.
it harboured an attempt to coerce their employer*. He was at.
enemy to all sorts or combination, and could not wen .d renting hi.
face against it, and expressing his detestation of it in every shape.

311'. HARRIS proposed a resolution expre.•ivt of tt:e strocry; dis.
approbation of the meeting. that while the employers were engaged
in an attempt to promote the comforts of their &umlauts there
should be found Rome of the latter ti:spose.i to enter tom an im-
proper combination tor forcirg thtir masters into measures
would only tend to lil2 injury of all pa.tiel.
41r. SH001.11REI) thought that as soon ss the resolution of the
miters to shut up their shops became known to the assistants the
Society mentioned would fall to the pound.
Some other Gentlemen having expressed a similar eptnion, and
all parties joining in the stroogest reprobation of that conduct of the
persons who had originated the combination._
Mr. HAIR!a said heshoulitconeent to withdraw hie modes, psi.
Ocularly as the object of it hid been gained by, the sxpreiwtrt of
feeling It had given rise to, which be trusted *child go forth to tit*
assistants, and teach sham a proptr 'town.
The meeting then adjourned. .

We perceive that tome of the provincial jourrtatA tave
stated, that the body of an unfortunate female, Mrs. Wyatt,
who lose her life by the accident as mated in ouniast, haft
teen discovered floating in' the river Trent, nt ac Ferry.—
This statement is incorrect, and ate are ',vested to say
the body has not yet been found.—Na. l'aektt.