The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-12 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE MEN.

At nine o'clock on Saturday night a large meeting of
the engineers and machinists took place at the Phu nix
Tavern, Ratcliffe, for the purpose of learning the move-
ments of the trade during the day. The large room was
densely crowded.
Mr. G. Eoarar was called to the chair. He said that
they were called together not so much to consider what
stops they should adopt, as to receive information con-
cerning their position. They were now a set of inde-
pendent men. The gates of labour had been locked
against them—the masters had struck, and now was the
time for them to go to work and do the best they could
to benefit themselves,—(Cheers.)
Mr. ALLAN, the secretary of the society, having been
called upon by the chairman to address the meeting,
stated that he had little to inform them of beyond what
they had already learned. Every man had got his
wages, and they were now left to exercise their labour
as they deemed most fit. It seemed that it was left to
London and Manchester to contest and settle the great
question between capital and labour.—(Hear.) At Bol-
ton there had been an inclination to meet the fair de-
mands of the men; and at Bristol a large and eminent
firm had made such arrangements as would enable their
hands to resume employment.—(Cheers.) From all he
could hear all the shops had closed. In the course of
the afternoon he learned that Mr. Horn, of Whitechapel,
had desired his men to resume their labours on Monday
morning in accordance with the society's terms, and in
order to be satisfied of the fact he personnally made in-
quiries, and he found it to be a correct statement.—
(Hear.) It was his belief that by Monday or Tuesday
they would find a number of the smaller masters giving
way, and in the event of their not doing so they would
find that the men were prepared to do the work them-
selves, and would compete with them for it.—(Loud
cheers.) They had offered all the terms to the em-
ployers that could be honourably made, and ho believed
the Council of the Amalgamated Society had the con-
fidence of the whole body of men.—(Applause.) They
had endeavoured, in the must fair terms with the em-
ployers, to bring the matter in dispute to an honourable
adjustment; they had made every concession, but all
had been refused.—(Licar, hear.) If any of the
masters thought that when they opened their works on
Monday morning they would find several of them coming
back—(A laugh)—they would be sadly mistaken. It was
thought that the independent man, the man who did not
belong to the society, would be found returning; but
they would learn that he was a character who had some
regard for his position, and was anxious to secure and
maintain it. They had asked of the masters nothing
unfair; they only wished that when their day's labour was
over, th' y might be allowed to leave their labour and em-
ploy themselves in the improvement of their minds, and
other matters necessary to promote their comfort and
happiness.--(Cheers.) If that privilege were not allowed
them, the time had arrived for them to du something for
themselves; and recollecting the advice of that lamented
statesman, Sir Robert Peel, to the working classes, that
if they wanted anything to bo done they must do it
themselves, ho was fully justified in telling the meeting
that if they were desirous of accomplishing their ends,
they were right in taking it into their own hands.—
(Cheers.) Ile was satisfied that if they had confidence
amongst themselves they must succeed. They had the
sympathy of most classes.
Mr. NawTote then came forward, and was received with
much applause. Ho said that he had very few words to
offer, as ho left it for the meeting on Monday to develop
their plans. however, would observe that their
position bore a wide difference to all previous matters of
the kind.—(Hear.) They were not the parties who had
taken aggressive measures.—(Cheers.) Both fur their
sake, his own, and, what was more, the public, he trusted
that they would exhibit every moderation of feeling in
the struggle. They relied upon reason, and he hoped
that if they saw any strange workmen entering the shops
they would abstain from unpleasant remarks. He knew
that the movement would be the cause of many being
thrown out of work ; but ho felt certain that in the end
they would feel greatly the advantages of it.—(Hear.)
They would find that they were dependent upon the
consumer, and that they could do without a third party
between the consumer and producer.—(Cheers.) Any
one of them would know that a situation was scarcely
worth a month's wages, as far as regarded the period ho
might be kept in it; indeed ho might say that there was
scarcely a man who would. not be prepared to sell his
place for 5/. He felt confident that whatever they might
suffer for the time, if they remained firm in their action,
they would benefit to an extent which would amply re-
ward them for the suffering they had undergone.
If there was a man present who differed with them in
the course they lied pursued, who might charge them
with a want of discretion, and had been induced to throw
himself on the world out of employment, let him have no
hesitation in coming forward and expressing his opinion.
He believed, however, that there could not be found a
man entertaining such an impression. They were de-
sirous of laying their case fairly before the public, and
to be judged accordingly. If it could be shown that they,
were acting in error, they would gladly revoke their de-
cision, and rely upon their owls individual resources.—
(Hoar, hear.) But they had not done so. They bad in-
fringed no law, violated no contract, and therefore they
were justified in what they wore doing.—(Cheers.) Ile
again hoped they would not exhibit any display of feel-
ing is the coming struggle, for in the peculiarities of
the law an act of one might be strained into lithe act
measures they had against the
of all.—(Applause.) lie believed that many of the
employers now thought that they were doing very
g iell.lt
the
imposition and other practices they
wrung
workmen—that
me
been adopting—
laLt
cheatedintoby
joining the combination of masters.
employers who had joined that com-
bination,pledged themselves to the resolution
passed 'Thera wb
by
andret
hmebaandy
council,
who would now gladly revoke
what they had done, did not their doing so involve a
breach of faith with their other employers.—(Applause.)
The success of their workshops, and the system of self-
employment, would alter materially the relationship be-
tween the employers and the employed; and he did hope
they would be in a position to tender a useful example
to the world.—(Hear, hear.) He had heard that the
boiler makers, like the moulders, who had been turned
from their employment by their masters closing their
yards, had inquired for themselves, and were prepared to
co-operate and make common cause with thorn in seeing
justice done. Having expressed his desire that the men
would do all they could to alleviate the condition of the
labourers out of employment by the suspension of labour
at the shops by appealing to their friends, and raising
subscriptions in their behalf, he concluded by trusting
that they would continue firm and united in their drone,
and he had no doubt of their success.

Other speeches having been made, the meeting bruit° up,

At Limehouso and other parts of the East-end, the
boiler makers and others assembled to consider the
movement of the masters and tho engineers, and it was
resolved to support the latter in the movoinent.
During the past week the Phcenix Tavern, Stepney,
where the men are in the baba of assembling for the
transaction of their business, has been continually under
surveillance by the police, two constables being con-
tinually present in the house, as they assert, by direction
from their superiors. A few nights back they demanded
entrance into a private trade meeting, and a special vote
allowed them admission.
The operatives assembled in great force on Saturday
night, and bAsaved with perfect propriety and decorum.
On Saturday night the executive council adopted the
following address:—

- -
,4 r Rom THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE AMALGAMATED
SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS, &C.
" Fellow Memberie—Lo, coneeqvuee of the determiu.