The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-20 00:00:00

the independent journals in general, have spoken
with well-merited severity on Mr. Johnson's mis-
conduct, but that the Republican, the Administra-
tion, and the philo-negro press has passed the sub-
ject over with discreet and friendly silence. To-day
it is annnunced that Mr. Johnson is still indisposed,
and that he has been unable in consequence to pre-
side over the deliberations of the Senate.
On Saturday evening Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln held
a grand reception at the White House: No invita-
tions were necessary. Everybody, white or black,
civil or military, general or private soldier, man or
woman, master or servant, were welcome ; and the
people, to the number it is computed of fully
20,000, took advantage of the privilege to pour
through the rooms of the Presidential mansion, to
gaze at Mrs. Lincoln and to shake hands with the
Chief Magistrate. Mr. Lincoln bore the infliction
with manly fortitude, and in numerous instances
where he happened to be personally acquainted
with his visitor, or to be specially introduced,
inflicted so hearty a grip of welcome as to bring
tears of pain rather than of gratitude to the eyes
of the recipient. Last night there was a grand
inauguration ball given under the auspices of the
Loyal League, at which Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and
all the wealth and celebrity of Washington were
present. With this event, the inaugural ceremonies
and festivities, as well as what is called the fashion-
' able season at Washington, were brought to a close,
With reference to this ball, it is only of interest to
state that no coloured people were allowed to be pre-
sent. There was during the day considerable appre-
hension that the pertinacity of a negro attorney, re-
cently admitted on the motion of Mr. Chas. Sumner
to practice in the Supreme Court, who insisted on
being present with a coloured lady, and the deter-
mination of several other coloured gentlemen to
bring their ladies to a ball, to which everyone was j
invited who could pay $lO for a ticket, would lead
to unpleasantness, and cause the white belles of
Washington to absent themselves en masse. The
negro attorney, however, was over-persuaded, and'
for the sake of peace, and with a good sense which
did him and his coloured brethren credit, consented
to keep away. Congress may pass what laws it
pleases about the negro race, but fashion and the
ladies are more powerful than the Legislature, and
even the members of the Loyal League, who love
the coloured man so dearly, cannot persuade their
own wives and daughters to tolerate him, except at
a distance from their festivities.

The Lock-out in the Iron Trade,
MIDDLESBOROUGH-ON-TEES, Saturday Night.

Masters and men in this the headquarters of the
northern iron district, in view of the failure of the
York conference yesterday, have arrived at the con-
clusion that the lock-out is not likely to be settled
for a considerable period, and are preparing for the
worst. In fact, affairs are drifting towards a terrible
struggle between capital and labour, and they see
not the end. Middlesborough is entirely dependent
upon the iron trade ; of course, puddling is only one
branch of it ; but it has knocked off nearly 6,000
hands, who have been living in enforced idleness
during the past week, and as a large number of
them are labourers, who are in the enjoyment of
but a moderate wage in the best of times, the out-
lock is not a very agreeable one, especially for
the tradespeople. Since Christmas three of the
largest concerns in Middlesborough—indeed, three
of the largest ironworks in the district—have
been absorbed into a limited liability company, and
as the holders of shares are guaranteed a cer-
tain dividend by the former proprietors of them for
a course of years, these gentlemen have a decided in-
terest in bringing the lock-out to a termination as
early as possible. If the lock-out continues any
time emigration to America upon an extensive scale
may be expected from this district. In fact, 53
puddlers left Bishop Auckland on Thursday, and a
large number yesterday, very many of them bound
to Liverpool, and thence to America. There is also
a complete exodus of labourers and underhands
from the iron districts in search of work. Many
managers of works have tried to keep their hands
together, in hopes that there would have been a
settlement at York yesterday, but to day the men
have been paid their " baff," and have been turned
loose to fend for themselves. The blast furnaces in
this town, and, indeed, throughout the Cleve-
land district, are at full work, and the
demand for "pigs" being so good in the
Midland Counties and Lancashire and York-
shire they are nearly all shipped off as soon
as made, and little are held on warrants. Iron ship-
building is also still going on, so that branches of
trade other than puddling in this district have not
been materially affected as yet by the lock-out. The
ironworkers here have taken up the impressiOn that
the masters were not very unanimous at York yes-
terday ; indeed, it may be stated broadly, wholly
apart from the impressions of the workmen, one way
or the other, that the engagements of some of the
northern masters are such that they would very
readily break away from the association if they
could and resume work. This is known to the men
and gives them confidence. The delegates had not
arrived in the north from York this afternoon. It
is thought that they are concerting measures to
maintain the men that are out of employment. But
it is probable that there will be meetings of the
workmen throughout the district on Monday. All
is quiet at Consett, Witton-park, and Spennymoor.
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Saturday Night.

As the delegates sent to the conference at York
had not reached Gateshead late this afternoon,
nothing has been done upon Tyneside with regard
to the lock-out to-day. It is the impression, how-
ever, here that, as the affairs stand to-night, we may
have an obstinate conflict between masters and men.
The workmen keep quiet and orderly. The iron
shipbuilding trade upon the Tyne and Wear is
busily employed, and the blast furnaces are at full
work. It seems tolerably well understood in com-
mercial circles in this town to-day that the confer-
ence at York yesterday having utterly failed in
bringing about an arrangement between the masters
and the workpeople the lock-out is likely to be a much
more protracted affair than was anticipated in the
early part of the week, and masters and men seem
to have made up their minds as to eventualities. A
meeting of the iron trade was held at York yester-
day before the committee of the Northern Masters'
Association, had an interview with the delegates. It
was strictly private. The following gentlemen were
present:—North of England—Mr. C. M. Palmer,
Jarrow; Mr. John Elliott, Jarrow; Mr. H. T. W.
Bolckow, Mr. J. Vaughan, Mr. T. Vaughan, Mr. D.
Chadwick, and Mr. H. D. Pochin, Bolckow and
Vaughan, Middlesborough ; Mr. T. Bell, Walker ;
Mr. W. R. Innes Hopkins, hon. sec. ; Mr. Whit-
well, Stockton ; Mr. F. Atkinson, Darlington Iron
Company ; Mr. J. Priestman, Consett ; Mr. D.
Hale, Shotley-bridge ; Mr. E. Pease, firm of Pease
and Hutchinson ; Mr. Hutchinson, firm of Pease
and Hutchinson ; Mr. George Dyson, Tudhoe ; Mr.
S. Fox ; Mr. W. Bell (Tyzack and Co). South
Staffordshire.—Mr. W. 0. Foster, M.P., chairman
of the South Staffordshire Masters' Association; Mr.
Walter Williams, Mr. G. T. Barker, Mr. Thomas
Sparrow, Mr. W. H. Dawes, Mr. J. P. Hunt, Mr.
F. Smith (agent for the Earl of Dudley), Mr. Wil-
liam Barrows, Mr. E. J. Gibbs, and Mr. J. T.
Johnson. North Staffordshire.—Mr. W. S. Naylor,
Mr. Robert Heath, Mr. N. J. Roden, Mr. W. Bates,
and Mr. J. Knight. Derbyshire.—Mr. J. J. Alleyne,
Britrly Ironworks.

It is thought that the Brierly-hill Executive acted
under the advice of the trades unions in London in
refusing to put in an appearance at York yesterday.
But of course that is mere conjecture. As the dele-
gates have not returned from York there has not
been a meeting of the Gateshead Executive of iron-
workers. But no doubt one will be held as soon as
they do arrive to decide upon the measures to be
adopted by the association in the present emergency.
Everything has been peaceable and quiet during the
day at Consett, Witton-park, and the other out-
lying iron districts. A number of off-hands and
labourers have received their, " baff " wages at
Walker and other places, and many of them are going
off to other districts in search of employment. There
is likely to be a considerable exodus of puddlers
from the north during the next week—in fact,
it has begun already. Many have already
left the Weardale district, most of them
being bound for either Wales or America. All