The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-29 00:00:00

The Colliers' Strike.

Yesterday the 19 colliers were again brought up at a special
sessions in Bilston. Mr Spooner again presided as the sti-
pendiary magistrate. Lord Lichfield, the Lord Lieutenant
of Staffordshire, was again upon the bench, as also were
Captains Paley and Barnett, of the 12th Huasars.
Sergeant O'Brien, of the Midland Circuit, assisted by
Mr Motteram, of the Oxford Circuit, continued the prose-
cution ; and Mr Kenealy, of the Oxford Circuit, instructed
by Mr Roberts, solicitor, of Manchester, defended the pri-
soners.

Superintendent Orwell deposed to the commencement o

the riot. Ho said that a considerable force of between 3,030
and 4,000 were approaching the part of the road upon
which lay the coal pits of the Earl of Dudley, and had
declined to cease beating their drums, by which the men
going to work were intimidated, when Major M`linight,
the acting chief constable of the county, who had boon
walking with a body of police alongside ct the
mob, threw a number of his men across the road just
where a street branched out of it. As he (The superinten-
dent) was standing in the road in front of his men, one of
the mob rushed up to him and violently pushed him. He
pushed him back; but ha again ran at him, and, swearing
that the police should not stop him, kicked him with great
violence on the shin, occasioning a wound. At the same
time there was a cry raised to attack the police and force a
way, and Major M`Knight gave orders for the drums to be
seized. Sticks were flourished and a general attack was
then commenced on the police, to which the latter replied,
the front rank drawing their truncheons and the rear rank
their sabres, but the latter to be used only to preserve the
prisoners from rescue.

A policeman confirmed this evidence, and further testi-
mony of the riotous nature of the assembly and the concert
with which the men were acting was given.
Mr Kenealy then made a powerful speech on behalf of
the prisoners. Ho contended that they were all law-
fully engaged when they were stopped upon the high road
by the police. They had a right by persuasion or example
to endeavour to induce their fellow-men to pursue the same
course they were pursuing, so long as they did so peaceably.
That they were doing 80 peaceably was shown from their
using drums and fifes, as did Odd Fellows and others when
they made a peaceful demonstration. They were out try-
ing to show that they were not in the starving condition
some people supposed, and were also trying to inspirit their
fellows to hope for success; but they were not out for any
illegal purpose. At what other hour could they hope to
bring their arguments to bear upon their follow workmen
than at an early hour in the morning, when they were
going to work ? After that hour all access to the men would
be cut off, for they would be down in the pits, No better
evidence of the impression the men had that they were act-
ing legally could be found than was furnished in their say-
ing they would consult their leaders, and if they decided
that they were to leave off their processions they would
leave off. He knew of no law which would prevent such
assemblies.

The Stipendiary said that as the question had been raised
he had no alternative but to commit the prisoners for trial,
for the state of things which had recently prevailed could
be no longer allowed. if the law did not prohibit such
meetings, then an act of Parliament must bo passed making
them illegal, or the people would rise up and demand such
a law; for he could assure Mr Kenealy that such had been
the state of that district recently that a perfect _reign of
terror had prevailed. Persons had come and made com-
plaints to him personally; and they had made those com-
plaints upon the express condition that the source of the
complaints should not be made known, so great was their
fear of the consequences.
After this expression of opinion from the Bench, Mr
Kenealy would not proceed any further.
Mr Sergeant O'Lrien, on the special request of the Sti-
pendiary, made a brief reply upon the law. He ridiculed
the notion that there had not been conspiracy, and regretted
greatly that a gentleman in the position of his learned friend
should have given tho weight of his opinion to such a
statement in that district at that time.

The Stipendiary said that if his extended experience had
taught him, and if he had learned anything from muchfread-
ing in his profession, it was to be assured that these meet-
ings were as illegal as illegal could be. There was clear
prima facie evidence before him which would warrant him
in committing them for trial for illegal assembling, frr
us.:aultiug the policy in the etcution of their duty, for con-