The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-09 00:00:00

THE ENGINEERS' DISPUTE.

PROPOSED METHOD OF ARBITRATION.
The following communication from Lord Ingestrie,
relative to a settlement of the points in dispute between
the operative engineers and their employers, was yester-
day received by Mr. Allan, secretary to tlelga-
ma,:esdirS,o—ciletwy::. Regent's-park Barrack, Jan. 8, 1852.
applied to on the 6th of January by
some gentlemen to endeavour, as far as was in my power,
to arrange the differences of opinion between the masters
and the operatives.
" The parties applying to me (believing that the
masters would not consent to arbitration) were anxious
that I should be one of the trustees of a fund to enable
the workmen to set up for themselves. My reply was
this, that I felt the importance of the question, and that
I would do my best to bring matters to a settlement.
I ventured to suggest that the three parties, viz., the
masters, the operatives, and the unbiassed party, the
aristocracy and gentry, should each delegate four people
to form a jury; that one of the judges of the land should
be invited to preside; and that an eminent lawyer, pro-
perly selected by the jury, should examine the witnesses
of both parties. The verdict to be final. Full liberty
for the press, and access to the public, as in a court of
justice.
" This, perhaps, might show the necessity of a per-
manent board to settle future disputes, but time alone
would prove this.
" I would suggest that, as a preliminary measure,
twenty gentlemen, ten nominated by masters, and ten by
the operatives, should nominate one nobleman or gentle-
man, one master, and one operative, to form a committee
to decide upon what sort of a tribunal should be fixed
upon, as to mode of examining witnesses, length of time
of trial—in fact, all preliminary measures; and, perhaps,
that they should nominate the jury.
" I would say that I decline to be a trustee for a fund
to enable workmen to set up for themselves, feeling that
this matter must, of necessity, owing to the good sense
and honesty of Englishmen, be settled by fair arbitra-
tion. If either party should decline to settle this ques-
tion by this means-, I think of necessity the other two
would unite to quench monopoly. I have been induced
to write this letter as I have been told that I have the
credit of wishing to be fair in matters brought before my
notice. I can honestly say, I have no bias for either
party; but, for the sake of peace, wish to see what is
right predominate. Furthermore, I fell it my duty, as
well of those of the upper classes, to; interfere in this
matter.

I have forwarded a copy of this letter to the se-
cretary of the Masters' Association as well as to yourself;
and pray make what use of it you like. My apology
for troubling you must be my wish to assist both parties.
" I have the honour to remain your obedient servant,
" 1N57 T
Littler E ,
AS ulibe.:sLt
ri Sub.-Lieut. ue tt: lws t
tief
oe
haGuards.;el
" Mr. Allan, 25,
This letter was submitted to the consideration of the
council last night, but no definite conclusion was arrived
at upon the subject to which it referred.
The other business of the evening was confined to re-
ceiving the reports of deputations.
It was stated that efforts were being made by a
number of men belonging to the establishment of Messrs.
Easton and Amos, Borough, to raise capital and engage
premises, so as to start in business for their own employ-
ment, in the course of next week. Also that the mon
belonging to another shop on the Surrey side of the
water, about forty in number, have subscribed 51. each,
and taken premises for a similar purpose, having already
obtained orders to a considerable amount—one being
for the construction of a 16-horse power steam-engine.
Some misconception, it was stated, is abroad as to the
number of hands likely to be actually thrown out of
employ by the closing of the establishments noticed to
that effect for Saturday next, and which has been gene-
rally stated as high as 30,000 men, including members
of the Amalgamated Society, about 12,000 men, and
other mechanics and labourers employed in connexion
with them. The mistake appears to have arisen from a
supposition that the whole of the members of the society
would be thrown out; whereas not more than about
5,000 members belong to establishments included in the
employers' determination. Of these, 3,000 are about
equally divided between London and Manchester, 400
at Bolton, 50 at Stockport, 40 at Newton near Warring-
ton, 90 at Ipswich, 20 at Southampton, and 600 at Old-
ham. The secretary of the Amalgamated Society has
no information of notices to close having been given at
any other places, and is calculated that the whole
number of hands working in the shops to be closed
amounts to about 12,000. In the metropolis some large
establishments will remain open; among others, that of
Mr. J. Apsley, Cornwall-road, Lambeth; whilst in Man-
chester, on the contrary, work will be stopped at every
shop in which members of the Amalgamated Society are
employed. The works of Messrs. Ransoms and May, it
is understood, will be only nominally closed, as they will
be re-opened on Monday morning for the admission of
all who may choose to return under the old system. It
has been stated that the metropolitan employers will re-
open at the expiration of a month upon the same terms,
but no public pledge to that effect has yet been given.
The " Moulders," hitherto a distinct society from the
Amalgamated Engineers, seem likely to become an active
party in the dispute, as they have conveyed an intima-
tion to several employers that, in the event of their
losing work through the realization of the threat to close
the establishments, although they have not hitherto in-
terfered in any way with the matter, they will only re-
turn to their shops upon the same terms as are now de-
manded by the Amalgamated Society.

The Eastern London branch ot the Amalgamated So-
ciety of Engineers held a meeting last evening at the
Pt unix Tavern, Ratcliff-cross, for the purpose of taking
ing into consideration the resolutions adopted by the
executive of the Masters' Association on Tuesday last,
and also to consider the propriety of empowering the
executive council of the Amalgamated Scciety to appro-
priate 10,0001. of the society'. funds to the opening ot an
establishment for self-employment, without the interven-
tion of the masters. Upwards of 300 members of the
district association were present.
Mr. JOHN EGLIN having been called to the char,
briefly explained the objects of the meeting, and
adif 1 t_n
called upon Mr. Newton to lay before them any
-
inrefencee
to thel information
iswsuheichbethweeehnad
employed. t
hree
employers ve d
and th
Mr. NEWTON stated that although the present meeting
was very numerously attended, yet he believed due notice
had not been given to all the members, and therefore he
did not think it right to come to any vote now on the
subjects which they had met to consider. It was quite
right, however, that those subjects should be discussed,
and that another meeting should be called, to Which
the members should be duly summoned. Ile believeda
the executive council had acted not only
with prompt-
ness, but discretion, because the masters were going to
Close their establishments on the
10th,
throw the workmen on the world. It should neveran
complained because theto masters wanted
to oin
whether they
re
tthoem enliked to do so or not. The employers
con-
tinueworck,thbeupetworkmen under the regulations whichfused
adopted since the Ist of January. The employers had
taken very curious notions of the. duties of workmen.
twhoerkmt_ eenmselves had been pledged to
to come individually to treat
with them,
They wantewdhtihlee
act in accordance with the
the combined masters. The proposition of the
osit
workmen into fractions, ientomasjitypolirtthoef
and deal with them in detail,
came with an ill grace from a body of men who were
acting in a collective capacity.—(Hear.) It was well
known that amonot, . t
of persons
who he engineers there were thousands
could speak to their employers with the
same plainness and firmness as to men of their own
order. A considerable number of the emyloyers in-
tended to keep the best of the men attached to their es-
tablishments by sending them to jobwork in different
places; but these men would surely not allow themselves
to be made a catspaw of, to the injury of their follow-
workmen. Forty workmen had already put down 51.
each, making 2001. for the purpose of opening a working-
man'e establishment, and they were now negotiating for
suitable premise 7, and were about engaging a manager
to conduct the works. A large quantity of tools has also
been contributed.—(Hear, hear.) There was no doubt
of their commencing immediately, as they had promises
of several jobs already.—(Loud cheers.) Those men
had last night asked the advice of the executive council
on the subject, and they were told to proceed with the
undertaking, but that when other workshops were esta-
blished on a similar principle, they should be all brought
under some central control, so that one shop should not
be altogether idle while the others were fully occupied.
—(Cheers.) The society had received promises of sup-
port from several noblemen, who were willing to become
trustees of those new establishments, and that circum-
stance would carry away a great deal of unjust suspicion
that might otherwise attach itself to the movement. One
trade bad informed the council that 2,000 members had
agreed to pay out of their earnings five shillings a week
each to support the engineers in this struggle.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Newton then proceeded to vindicate the society
from the charge of desiring to exclude the labourers. He
thought it was their duty to assist the labourers, the
isammermen, the gatekeepers, and every class of persons

THE WHIG MINISTERIAL CRISIS—MORE
IMPORTAAT REVELATIONS.
(From the Advertiser.)
We are again in a position to make some further im-
portant revelations, respecting the circumtaneee
under which Lord Palmerston was dismissed from
the office of Foreign Secretary ; and these, it will
be seen, when we have laid them before the public, place
the conduct of the Premier in a far more unfavourable
light than that in which it has already been exhibited.
Suppose we put a question or two to the Noble Lord
at the head of the Government, with the view of elicit-
ing one or two astounding facts. Can it then be true—
for the thing would seem incredible—that Lord John
Russell, immediately after informing Lord Palmerston
that he could not, in consequence of his " want of judg-
ment and discretion," be permitted any longer to hold
the seals of the Foreign-office—can i: be true that, in
the plenitude of his anxiety to disarm the future
hostility of the Noble Viscount, he actually of-
fered. to
. appoint him to another important post, and
immediately to raise him to the Peerage? This, we re-
peat, seems so startling, so incredible, that we put it in
the form of a query. And can it also be true that in
refusing ei▪ ther and both the proffered honours, Lord
Palmerston wrote a letter to Lord John Russell, so in-
stinct with scorn and indignation, that it must have
blanched the cheek of the Premier when he read it?
And, further, did Lord Palmerston in that letter, which
will be lai▪ d before Parliament immediately on its re-
assembling, boldly and broadly taunt the Premier with
the inconsistency of his conduct in making such an offer
—adding, with a crushing weight of logic, that if he had
been guilty of "such a want of judgment and discretion"
as Lord John had charged him with, he must be alto-
gether unfit to fill any other post of Importance. Is we
repeat, all this true ? It seems so incredible that it is
with difficulty we can bring ourselves to believe it; and
yet it comes to us in a shape so unquestionable, that
we cannot withhold our credence from it. _

We stated some days since, that Lord John Russell,
in announcing that Lord Palmerston had. resigned his
situation as Foreign Secretiry, did not give his eight
colleagues who were presdnt, the slightest idea of the
reasons why Lord Palmerston had come to the resolu-
tion of ceasing to be a member of the Whig Cabinet.
We are now in a position to add, that this does not un-
fold, to its fall extent, the disingenuousness, to call it by
no harsher name, of which the Premier was guilty on
that occasion. We challenge any of the Ministerial
organs to deny the fact, that Lord John Russell left the
impression on every member of his Cabinet present on
the occasion, that the retirement of Lord Palmerston
was purely spontaneous. We ask those Noble Lords
and Right Hon. Gentlemen who composed that Council
of nine, out of a Cabinet consisting of fifteen members—.
we ask them whether the very words which the Noble
Lord used on the occasion were not these:—" I have
now to make the announcement that Lord Palmer-
ston has withdrawn from the office of Foreign
Secretary, and that Lord Gtanville has agraed
to take his place?" Did not, we further ask,
the countenance of every Cabinet Minister present indi-
cate an utter amazement, mingled with an expression of
disappointment or regret, when the announcement was
made? It was, we happen to know, to the circumstance
of their being so overwhelmed with surprise, that they
scarcely knew where they were or what they were
doing, that the fact is to be attributed, that not one of
them thought of asking a single question of the Premier
relative to the circumstances under which the " with-
drawal" had occurred, when he simply proposed that
Lord Palmerston's resignation be accepted, and Lord
Granville's appointment be approved of.
Then, again, did not Lord John Russell, immediately
on the Cabinet Council breaking up, hurry down to
Windsor and inform her Majesty that Lord Palmerston's
resignation had been accepted at the Cabinet Council
held that. afternoon, without giving his Sovereign the
slightest idea of the circumstances under which the
concurrence of the Cabinet to that resignation had been
obtained?

And now a word or two as to the influences which
have operated on Lord John Russell in the deliberate
sacrifice he has made of Lord Palmerston. We affirm,
in the most confident manner, that the primo mover in
the matter has been Prince Schwartzenberg, in whose
person the entire Government of Austria is centred. It
was he who, for several months, refused to send any
Austrian Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, as-,
signing as the reason, when asked for it, that Lord Pal-
merston was still at the head of Foreign affairs. And it
was he who refused to receive Lord Westmoreland,
our Ambassador at Vienna, still assigning as the sole
reason that Lord Palmerston was Secretary for For-
reign Affairs. Russia is also implicated in the
cabals against Lord Palmerston; but her inter-
ference, in opposition to the Noble Lord, has not been
so open and above board as that of Austria. Still it
was made sufficiently apparent to those who pay attention
to the movements of the diplomatic world, from the fact
that, though Baron Brunow did not pay a single visit
to Lord Palmerston since his return, two months pre-
viously, from St. Petersburgh, the Noble Lord had no
sooner been ejected from Downing-street, than the
Russian Ambassador found his way to the Foreign-
office, to pay his respects to Lord Granville. Lord John
Russell, therefore, has but become the instrument of
giving effect to the intrigues of Prince Schwartzenberg
and his continental co-conspirators. Lord Palmerston
has thus been sacrificed to the absolute Courts, and the
party by whom the disgraceful transaction has been
managed is no other than Lord John Russell,

ROTAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE,
OXFORD-STREET.
Under the Management of Mr. CHARLES KEAN.
This Evening, Friday, Jan. 9, this Theatre will be CLOSED, in
consequence of the Royal Performance at Windsor Castle.
TO-MORROW
Shakspere's Comedy of TWELFTH NIGHT will be repeated. as
played at Windsor Castle, by Royal Command, including,Mr. Bart-
ley as Sir Toby Belch.

CHRISTMAS AMUSEMENT FOR THE JUVENILES.
HU N GE RF ORD-HALL, S TR AND-
UNRIVALLED COMBINATION OF ATTRACTION'S.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM.—SOIREES LASSAIGNE ever/ Eve-
ning (except Saturday) at Eight o'clock. Admission is., 25,.,
and 4s. Stalls and Reserved' Seats may be secured at Mr. Sams s
Royal Library, St. James's-street; at Mr. Ebers's, Booxseller to h
Majesty, 27, Old Bond-street; and at the Manager's Oaks. Huner
ger-

THEATRE of OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.
somrEs MYSTERIEUSES," Juvenile Amusements' by M.
and Madame Langlois, of Paris, and the celebrated Indian Juggler,
Dialma, with Dissolving Views, cheematrope,
,Bcc.. at Seven
clock. Aumlssiou is., is. 6d., and 2s. gd-
DlORA3fA.—Every Day, from Twelve to Three. Prices of Ad-
mission is. 6.1., is., and gd.
BAZAARS—Open daily from Ten A.M. to Ten Y.M. Admission Free.
MAGI ETOID CURRENTS and the MAUNETOSCOPE. Dr.
Leger's Philosophical and Experimental Lectures every Saturday
lAg,at Eight. Admission Is. and 2a.
_

• - -
THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.
This -National Establishment, having undergone the most costly
repairs and decorations throughout, a aeries of snperb embellish-
ments having been introduced, a new gas apparatus laid down, and
a new centre chandelier suspended, is OPEN for the SEASON'.