The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-21 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

PRESTON, March 20.—Speculation was rife on Satur-
day night with respect to the movements of the borough
magistrates, who were sitting for some hours with closed
doors. The meeting did not take place in the Town-
hail, where the petty sessions are held, but in the adja-
cent council-chamber ; and it was observed that during
the proceedings a number of recently arrived immigrants
were brought up in a cab and ushered into the presence
of the bench. As yet nothing definite has transpired,
but it is currently reported, and generally believed, that
the conference had reference to the contemplated appre-
hension of some of the operatives' leaders for conspiracy,
in removing hands imported by the Masters' Association.
The income of the power loom weavers yesterday
amounted to about 2,100/., the chief subscriptions being
as follow :—Blackburn, 660/. ; Stockport, 255/. ; Pres-
ton, about 170/. ; Over Darwen, 124/. ; Ashton-under-
line, 1201. ; Hyde, 1161. ; Oldham, 100/. ; Church
Parish, 561. ; Staleybridge, 53/. ; Accrington, 31/. ;. Bol-
ton, 301. ; Burnley, 28/. ; Heywood, 261.
Owing to the inclemency of the weather the camp
meeting at Droylsden yesterday was not so largely
attended as had been anticipated. Mr. Luke Wood, of
Stockport, presided, and addresses were delivered by
Messrs. Walton, Brocklehurst, Grimshaw, Smith,
Cowell, Aitkin (of Ashton under-Lyne), and Graham (of
Gorton-hall). The following resolution was passed :
" The people of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire,
in public meeting assembled, hereby declare their unalter-
able resolve never to cease agitation until a full, fair, and
unconditional 10 per cent. be conceded to the factory ope-
ratives of Preston; and this meeting pledges itself to rea-
der all the assistance in its power, pecuniary or otherwise,
until success crowns their efforts."

This morning an innkeeper at the outskirts of the town
offered the use of a field adjacent to his house for a meet-
ing. Several thousands had assembled at noon, when
Mr. Cowell announced, that "in consequence of the
pressure from without," the innkeeper had been reluc-
tantly compelled to revoke his offer, and the meeting could
not be held there. Mr. Cowell added—" It will be high
time for us, when we resume work, to look to our own
interests, and not be beholden to those men who own all
the property, and who deny us the right to meet for the
discussion of our grievances. I hope the working classes
will take a hint from these things, and hereafter provide
a meeting place of their own." In dismissing the peo-
ple, Mr. Cowell said, " I hope you will, each and all,
mind what you say and what you do, for the police
are out in plain clothes to entrap those who are
not on their guard. I understand, also, that the
authorities are trying to get up some charge of con-
spiracy against myself and a few others. Well, they
may do so ; I don't say that they cannot do it. But
they can't imprison us before next Auguet, and by that
time, I hope, we shall have our 10 per cent. and be
peaceably at work. Let us go quietly on, as we have
done hitherto, and you may depend upon it we shall be
able to live as long as the manufacturers can afford to
let their machinery stand."
The crowd then dispered.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAI'II.]
PRESTON, MONDAY EVENING.—CoweII, Grimshaw, and
Waddington, leaders of the strike, have just been appre-
hended. The charge against them is not yet known, but
it is supposed to be for conspiracy.
The people at present are not aware of their arrest.

DEATH IN NZWGATE.-Mr. Frederick de Molyns,
formerly a member of Parliament for the county of
Kerry, and nephew of an Irish peer, died suddenly in
Newgate on Friday night last. It will be recollected
that he was committed to that prison by the Lord
Mayor from the Mansion-house, on the charge of having
uttered a forged power of attorney, and obtaining
thereon the amount of 1,500/. stock, &c., in the Bank
of England, belonging to a person of the name of Simp-
son. Mrs. Lucy De Molyns, his wife, was likewise
arrested, and committed on the same charge, but, pro-
viding the necessary bail for her appearance at the next
Central Criminal Court sessions, she was liberated. Mr.
De Molyns was unable to procure the extent of bail de-
manded (4,000/.), and was in consequence conveyed to
Newgate. An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon
by Mr. Payne, the coroner, on the body of the deceased,
when a verdict of "Natural death" was recorded.
FAILURE.--The failure was announced yesterday of
Messrs. Benjamin Elkin and Sons, a very old and re-
spectable mercantile firm, chiefly engaged with the West
Indies and Australia. Their liabilities amount to
140,000/., and the disaster is the result of large advances
to correspondents in Demerara., Jamaica, &c., and not
of any losses in their Australian business, which is un-
derstood to have been good. The nominal assets are
ample, taking the debts duo to the housa at their full
amount ; but it is feared that the value of these is very
doubtful, and that the ultimate settlement will therefore
prove vilife,yeurablo.