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 end Barnett, of the 12th Iruasars.
Sergeant O'Brien, of the Midlead Circuit, assisted by
Mr Mott ram, of the Oxford Circuit, continued the prose-
cution; and Mr lienealy, of the Oxford Circuit, instructed
by Mr Roberts, solicitor, of Manchester, defended the pri-
soners.

Superintendent 0 iwell deposed to the commencement of
the riot. Ho said that a considerable force of between 3,000
and 4,000 were approaching the part of the road upon
which lay tho et,al pits of the irl of Dudley, and had
declined to cease beating their drums, by which the men
going to Mork were intimidated, when Major M'Knight,
the acting chief constable of the county, who had been
walking with a body of police alongside of 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, ono of
the mob rushed up to him and violently pushed him. He
pushed him back; but he 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'linight 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. He 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 so peaceably was shown from their
using drums and fifes, as did Odd Follows and others when
they made a peaceful demonstration. They were out try-
ing to show that they were not in tho 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 fellow 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 put 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 loaders, and if they decided
that they were to leave off their processions they would
leave off. Ho knew of no law which would prevent such
assemblies.
The Stipendiary said that as the question had been raised
ho had no alternative but to commit the prisoners for trial,
for the state of things which had recently prevailed could
bo no longer allowed, It 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; fur he could aesure Mr Keuealy 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 ay, had made those coin-
plaints upon the express condition that the source of the
complaints should not be made known, so great wag their
fear of the consequences.

After this expre9sion of opinion from the Bencb, Mr
Kenealy would rot proceed any further.
Mr Sergeant o'l3rien, on the special request of the Sti-
pendiary, made a brief reply upon the law. lle 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 the 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 !earned anything from inueldread-
it% in his protessiun, it was to be assured that these meet-
ings were as illegal as illegal could be. There was clear
piano fa(' io evidence before hint which would warrant L:m
in committing them fur trial for illeg 1 ascrablin,,, for
assaulting the police in the execution of their duty, fur eon-

spiracy to intimidate mon from going to work, and also for
riot.
Earlier in the proceedings the Stipendiary had intimated
that ho should commit for riot, and Mr Kenealy objected
that there had been no charge of riot. Bat the Stipendiary
said that if riot was proved before him he was bound 10
commit upon it. His worship now expressed his deepest
and very strongest regret that he had to commit upon such
charges men who had hitherto borne respectable characters,
and some of whom he doubted not were the dupes of their
leaders. If those leaders had any spark of manliness about
them they would now use all their influence to prevent their
followers from imperilling themselves in so lamentable a
manner. The law had been violated, and it must take its

course.
Mr Kenealy then asked that bail might be accepted.
The Stipendiary declined to grant the application, because
he could not look upon the riot on the morning of the 20th
as other than an organised attack upon the police.