The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-01 00:00:00

charged from their employment.
The harmony of the meeting was, however, obstructed
by George Crabtree, a printer, of radical notoriety, who, a
short time before the commencement, requested permission
to advocate the cause of the combers and weavers. He
had, however, scarcely commenced his address, when he
departed from the object of the meeting, and attacked the
Government. The Chairman called him to order; and,
by a vote of the meeting, poor Crabtree, having more zeal
than craft, was unceremoniously expelled from the plat-
form, and the proceedings continued.
On Saturday last, there was a numerous meeting of the
worsted spinners and manufacturers of Halifax, held at the
Old Cock Inn, in that town, Jonathan Akroyd, Esq. in
the chair, when they resolved—
" That, in consequence of a considerable portion of combers and
weavers having retained their work under a verbal promise to die_
continue their support to the Union, and having nevertheless
afforded assistance through the medium of some other members of
their family, this meeting consider it absolutely necessary to re-
quire the signatures of all whom they retain in their employ, to
the form annexed. That we also engage not to employ any work-
man, unless he does at the same time show a written discharge
from his late employer, certifying that he is not connected with the
Union."

In ensequence an Address to the Operatives in the
worsted trade was published in Halifax, on Tuesday last,
in which they declare " they cannot view the conduct of
the masters without surprise and indignation ;" and that it
is " no part of their duty to submit to such unprincipled
opprexsion." They add, that they are " resolved not to be
their absolute slaves, or to stiffer themselves, their wives,
and children, to remain in the abject and degraded condi-
tion of irrational animals, but to enjoy that share of hap-
, piness and mental improvement designed for them by that
gracious Providence, which has placed them here as proba-
tioners for another and a better world."

The Address proceeds to implore them to support the
Union, and " not abandon that noble resolution of their
ancestors, that :Britons never shall be slaves either to fo-
reign or domestic tyrants." It tells them to " beware" of
giving their names, and after some mysterious expressions
about " commerce introducing fraud, and want, misery,
often sin," it thus significantly concludes—" N.B. to those
of our fellow workmen who are desired by their employers
to sign, we would have you to consider well what may be
the result, that you may not have hereafter to repent ; per-
adventure the preamble which you sign may appear before
you in a stamped form, and who will then be able to rescue
you from the iron hand of your oppressors?"

COMBINATION is BARNSI.EY.—The state of the trade
in this town is worthy of remark. The weavers, soon after
the passing of the Combination Bill, formed an Union, a
Committee of which regulated all their movements. For
more than the last four months, they have been urging an
advance of wages ; but as the masters are divided in opinion
upon its expediency, some being favourable and others ad-
verse, the weavers arc trying the experiment of abetting
them by piece-meal. One of the principal manufacturers,
who was the first singled out, having at length yielded to
some compromise, they have now declared against another,
but what will be theresult cannot yet he ascertained. Be it
what it may, however, it is come satisfaction to reflect, that
the trade of the town still goes on, without any one (ex-
cepting the party against whom the opposition is directed)
being at all sensible that so formidable a phalanx exists,
whose whole force is levelled against a single house. It
cannot be concealed, that considerable injury must be there
experienced, and every well-wisher of the town must
lament that some general steps arc not taken to put an end
to a division, which, to one not immediately involved, does
not seem of that desperate character in Barnsley, which
might be admitted in other quarters.

ComBINATIow.—In the course of the last few days se-
veral spinners of Megan. Flint°if, of Manchester, in open
defiance of the agreement entered into by them with their
masters, came to the resolution of turning out for an ad-
vance of wages. Their masters, however, very properly
cited them before the Magistrates of the New Bailey, and
I three out of ten proving refractory were committed.