The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-24 00:00:00

Anglo-French Working Class Exhibition.

Last evening, by permission of the council, a meeting,
convened at the request of the committee who are organis-
ing this laudable movement, was held in the great room of
the Society of Arts, John-street, Adelphi, to discuss the
steps that should be taken to give effect to the desire of the
workmen of France and England to meet in friendly com-
petition. Mr. Hawes, the president of the society, occu-
pied the chair, and expressed the gratification he felt at
doing so. There must ever bo a rivalry between the opera-
tives and workpeople of the two nations ; but it was im-
portant that the rivalry should be a friendly one, and
nothing was more calculated to promote this end than this
movement. This was the 50th year of the peace, and after
the great results obtained from trade there could be no
doubt that such an exhibition as that which was now pro-
posed must be productive of vast advantages both to France
and England. The Society of Arts was therefore dis-
posed to offer it every encouragement.—Mr. Coningsbyl
the secretary of the committee, gave a brief history of the
movement as far as it had gone. A committee of 40 work-
men who were dissatisfied with the results of the Amateur
Exhibition at the Agricultural-hall had conceived the
idea of having such au exhibition as that now:suggested
and five of their body had been deputed to go over
to Paris to invite the co-operation of the workmen of
that capital. They were most favourably received
by the members of the society of Credit et Travail, who
represented the working men of France. That society
heartily entered into the proposal and appointed a
committee of co-operation, with M. Potonier for secre-
tary, and several Parisian editors amongst its personnel.
That committee was now engaged in making the necessary
preparations in Franco, while the committee of 40 at home
wore busy in canvassing the British, workmen and the
press to insure the success of the exhibition which it was
intended to hold in the course of the ensuing summer. Mr.
Whiting moved the following resolution—" That this
mooting, having heard the statement of Mr. Coningsby in
reference to the proposed Anglo-French exhibition, recog-
nises in this movement an evidence of the gradual extinc-
tion of national prejudices, and of the groat advance which
has been made by the workmen of both countries in the
knowledge and application of the true principles on which
the material prosperity and moral progress of nations de-
pend." Mr. Willis having seconded the motion, Mr. Lucraft
offered some objection to the movement on the score of
time. It was much too short, and ho was afraid England
would suffer from the competition-2 view which was con-
troverted by Mr. Anson, Mr. Buck, a workman, and Mr.
Pearson, secretary to the London Mechanics' Institution—
who pointed out that if the exhibition were delayed be-
yond the present year it would lose the.poetical idea of the
peace jubilee involved in it ; and Mr. Winkworth, who
approved the principle of the resolution, but reserved his
opinion as to what would be the proper period for holding
the exhibition. The resolution was then put and carried;
after which Mr. Lock proposed a second resolution, approv-
ing of the object of the proposed undertaking, and pledging
the meeting to do all in its power to support it, which was
seconded by Mr. Maynard, and, like the former, was unani-
mously assented to. A vote of thanks was passed to the
society and the chairman for the assistance they had ren-
dered the committee, and in acknowledging the compli-
ment Mr. Hawes, believing the exhibition would bo a great
success, renewed his promises of support.

Working Men's Club and Institute Union,

4--

The second meeting suggested by this institution for
the purpose of affording working men and persons of
higher social position, or eminent in various ways, an op-
portunity of friendly intercourse upon subjects of national
interest, took place last evening at Exeter-hall, Strand—
Lord Lyttolton in the chair. The subject for discussion was
"Co-operation and Partnership between Masters and Men
in a Yorkshire Colliery and Factory ;" and this was brought
'forward by the Rev. Mr. Solly, the secretary, who read a
series of letters and documents which had been received from
various quarters, with a view to show tht present condition
of affairs between the employer and the employed, and he
proceeded to state that the number of strikes and lock-outs
which now existed, or had just been concluded, proved that
the civil war between masters and workmen had been on
the increase of late years. He argued, upon the authority
of Mr. John Stuart Mill, and other writers on political eco-
nomy—French and English—that the cause was as im-
portant to the employer as to the employed, and that the
admission of workmen to a reasonable share in the profits
of their labour was calculated to be advantageous to all
parties concerned. Professor Fawcett had also expressed
himself to a similar effect, saying that, according to his
opinion, as published in the Westminster Review four
years ago, the only remedy for the differences arising
from the present state of affairs, in regard to masters
and workmen, was the establishment of a co-partnership
between capital and labour. 11. Louis Blanc had given
utterance to a corresponding opinion, and many other
high authorities upon the subject had declared themselves
to be supporters of the principle. Tho majority of these
opinions were based upon a prospectus which had
been issued by Messrs. Briggs, the proprietors of the Whit-
wood and Methley Colliery, near Normanton, Yorkshire.
These gentlemen had made their plant into a limited com-
pany, reserving to themselves two-thirds of the shares, and
allowing their own workmen the preference in the re-
mainder, and providing that, whenever the profits
should exceed ten per cent. on the capital embarked,
all those employed by the company, whether as managers
or agents, at fixed salaries, or as workpeople, should receive
one-half of such excess profit, as a bonus, to be distributed
amongst them in proportion to their respective earnings
during the year. A similar proposal has been put forward
by the Messrs. Crossley of Halifax ; but in the instance of
that eminent firm it was not suggested that a bonus should
be given, as in the case of the Messrs. Briggs, the former
gentlemen being restrained in that particular by the want of
that partnership law which it was now sought to bring into
operation. . There were many other existing proofs that a
very strong feeling was beginning to prevail in favour of
Messrs. Briggs's view of the subject; and the most satisfac-
tory argument in support of it was that, if properly carried
out, it would be proportionately beneficial to both the em-
ployers and the employed. Mr. Bainbridge. Mr. Holyoako,
Mr. Mitchell, and others, chiefly working men, addressed
the meeting, and the general opinion gathered from their
observations was to the effect that the establishment of the
new doctrine would, by producing a community of interest,
be much more profitable than was the existing state of
things, as it would give to the labourer substantial reasons
for economising time and labour, and thus by causing hirr.
to study his OYU benefit enable him to promote that of the

employer. Mr. John Abel Smith, M.P., expressed himself
strongly in favour of the principle of co-operation, and he
trusted that it would ere long spread and prosper through-
out the country. After some further discussion, the result
of which indicated that upon the main point in view the
various speakers were of ono accord—viz., that co-opera-
was the great moral and characteristic principle of the pre-
sent age—Mr. Wilfrid Lawson, M.P., proposed a vote of
thanks to the chairman and Mr. Solly. The compliment
having been duly acknowledged, the business terminated.