The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-25 00:00:00

COLLIERS' COMBINATIONS.

[From the Glasgow Chroolek.]
Another striking instance of the injury done to business by the,'
colliers' combination has just occurred. The proprietor of Cid-
lead iron.works has foe some tir,te back been subjected to the
samiLinconvenience and loss, by the refractory conduct of the coos.
blnedcolliers in his employment, as was experienced by Mr. Dun.
lop,
.As trade was flat, and the proprietor did not wish to be any
fartlitty troubled, he made a short seulerneot of the matter by Ma&
chargant every collier from his pits, amounting to several
The rause of free labour Is proceeding in the mow auspicious and
gratifYptivnitnner at I lyds iron=work.. `The new hands are doing,
remarkably well, and are already sending up coals to the hills. All,
the unaasociated colliers accepted of we engaged for one year, to
work propir hours, end to have no connexion whatever with any
combination against free labour. Workmen we continuing to
flock to the works hoot all parts of the country, in quest of ent.
ploymfht; soul furnish a melancholy proof of the severity of the.
distress occasioned by the re.ac.ion of the small note currency. It
is pleasing to observe the gratitude displayed in the countenanced'
of the men who have been so fortunate as to obtain employment.
One poor fellow had not partaken of food from Sabbath till Tues.
day. Tli new hands all declare they like their employment ex-.
tremely well, and assure the manager they will soon furnish tbe'
requisite supply of coals. Mr. Dunlop's treatment of hie well.
doing workmen has always been distinguished for humanity.
When his men became unable to work from old age or iliwaaa,
he furnished them with a house and coals, and a weekly allowsnee,
and would see none of them in want.

The entices' houses are the hest constructed in Scotland, and-tor
• root. 16 feet square thereat was only yid. a-week. Mr. Dunlop'
recently established a library among his workmen, and gave a do..
nation of the Encyclopaedia Britannia, in 16 volumes, worth 214
He also provided a erhoolmaster to instruct the colliers' childeett.
There were 190 at school. A trifle was deducted from each collier
to supw.rt the school. Marty of the old colliers continue to loiter
about without any prospect of employment, and ate regretting the
misery brought on their families by their unfortunate connexiert
with the coin nation. Yesterday the new hands began to display
their energies. In the Glen pit, between 60 and 70 of the new
workmen hid an out-pat of fifty carts of coliTs, from six o'clock Li
the morning till four in the afternoon. In she Brandywine. &nil
other pits, the out-put was equally promfsing. The workmen,
labour under considerable disadvantages from the scarcity of irn •
plernents; but the smiths are supplying their wants as quickly re
possible. Some of the new hands, who h.a never handled a pick
before, had an out-put yesterday of a cart of coals each. /Ben who
had former', been colliers, and resumed it on the present occasion.
hid an out-put of coals to the amount of 41. ad. each h.tiat• Two
of the new hands also, yesterday, managed 2 carte and O cwt. The
hill-men are surprised at the rapid progress of the frees labourer/;
and in a week or two expect the usual stock at the bilis. About 411,
of the old L'olli'ers had the mortification to witness, from the oppo-
site road, the peaceful workmen ascending the Glen pit, after • day
spent in honest industry ; and many of the combined were so rolled
that they went away, nut being able to stand the scene that pun
an extinction to theiv foolish projezt of keeping the well-
. informed workmen out of such a lucrative trade. The Ha.
trillion Farm pit is to be opened next week with new hands.
Yesterday morning, Mr. Dunlop's pit at Cainlachie re.corn.
menred working with new hatips. The weavers itr the village came
forward elf muse, and put down their names to enter Mr. Dunlop's
service. About 60 of them will be employed as soon as imp's.,
ments are ready. Mr. Dunlop offered them a guard for their pro.
section ; Um the weavers oecltned it, stating that the Camlachie
free labour volunteers were able to protect themselves. Thus are
the suffering weavers laudably breaking through the mischievous
monopoly attempted to be kept up. by the plate gentry. Let theta
persevere in the same spirited course, and they will soon better their
condition in a much more effectual manner than could have
been done for them by the trumpery clerks, secretary, &c., who for
some time presided over and profited by the delusion. Thus is the
liberty of man in this country, to sell hie labour to the best advan-
tage, coming fairly into operation ; and there is no friend to toy'
welfare and happiness of the working classes but will wish to see
universally extended.