The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-12 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

The millowners at Preston maintain that unswerving
determination to vindicate the indispensable rights of
employers which they have exhibited from the com-
mencement of the contest in that town. They firmly de-
cline the applications for employment, at the advanced
rate, which have been made at their respective establish-
ments. They stand immovable upon their own conditions.
And, feelingfprofoundly convinced that, if the manage;
ment of their own property, and the regulation of
wages according to the natural law of supply and
demand, are not to be perpetually and ruinously inter-
fered with, by a knot of delegates, who are the ty-
rants of the operatives, as they would fain be of the
capitalists also, the latter are coming forward in all parts
of the district to join the subscription for defraying the
current expenses of those who are bearing the brunt
of the battle. It is to be hoped that there will be no
hanging back at this crisis. Even the merchants and
home-trade dealers feel that they are deeply interested
ineetisiary cauaseid;. arTidh,eifmnaecestesrssaryh,avweillbceeon lomefrocred t
forward
co. p .
bine in self-defence. They must, then, break the power
of that organised despotism which has driven them into
a position as unnatural as it is distasteful to them ; and,
having done that, they will of course dissolve their own
league. At this moment great surprise and indignation
hatav
e Wigan,been excited by the inexplicable conduct of a firm
who, after being among the first and most
resolute in urging the other millowners to close their
works rather than yield to an unjust dictation, have
now gratuitously, and in the face of unmistakeable signs
of weakness on the other side, thrown open their factory
at an advance. It seems that some of those in authority
among the hands, seeing in the measure now adopted
against them the certain defeat of their usurpation, are"
of opinion that the time is come for prudently securing
to themselves as large a share as possible of the
mammon of unrighteousness" yet at their command.
We happen to know that a gentleman in the north of
the county, lately read to his people a circular inviting
him to join in the subscription to the Preston masters.
He said, however, that he did not like to enter into any.
thing of the kind, and proposed that if they would cease
supporting the workpeople's combination, he would not
begin to support that of the masters. Time was re-
quested by a delegate to take this proposal into con-
sideration. Meanwhile, though it was not his week
for collecting subscriptions, he induced the person
whose turn it was to give place to himself ; and;
having got together about 1601,, he has absconded there'
with. Other malpractices are coming out. For in•
stance, it has been discovered that persons who bad left
Preston, and got employment elsewhere, have gone over
regularly to that place for their weekly allowance.
These things betoken the end as near at hand. What
consolation will there be left for the honest and unwill-
ing victims of a tyranny from which they have suffered
and must suffer incalculable privations ? The committee
of the "Master Spinners' and Manufacturers' Defence
Fund" met this afternoon, and resolved, to request the
trade to continue their subscriptions on the scale fixed
at the last general meeting, as nothing has occurred to
render it advisable to slacken the effect to render assist-
ance to the Preston masters.---Manchester Guardian of
yesterday.

131aVt t°a°l flown', C Hw' bele When 11
i t 1 IC; En joined aph
head.
l'•
ROYAL ARTILLZII7YtiI
Romer's company
quarters here yesterday evening from Portsmouth, on
being landed from the Simoom steam troop-ship, only
mustered 35 gunners, the remainder of the men of the
company having volunteered to serve in the other cons.
panies at the Cape, or purchased their discharges for the
purpose of settling in the colony.