The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-12 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

PRESTON, May 11.--It appears from the- weavers'
balance-sheet, issued to-day, that the week's income
from the various districts only amounted to 3011. 14s.

14d.
The following were the chief contributions :-Preston,
1541. lls. 91d.; Blackburn, 301.; Over Darwen, 251.;
Bolton, 151.; Staleybridge, 101.; Church Parish, 81.;
Burnley, 71. Os. 71d.; Compstall Bridge, 61.; Glossop,
51. 10s.; Littleborough weavers, 51.; Derby Ribbon-
weavers' Association, 51.; Chorley, 51.; Enfield, 3/. 18s.
ld.; Heywood, 3/. 10s.; Haslingden, 31. Bs. s&d.
The expenditure, including an allowance of ls. per
head to 3,967 weavers, was 2881. 3s. 101 d., leaving a
balance on hand of 131. 10s. 3d.
The annexed report accompanies the balance-sheet :-
" Friends and Fellow Operatives-The amount of con-
tributions received this week from the whole of the dis-
tricts convinces us that the fActory workers of the man-
ufacturing districts have at last fallen headlong into the
snare laid by the employers for their destruction. For
nearly forty weeks have the manufacturers of Preston
and their colleagues throughout the country, aided by
their agents, been trying to destroy the subscriptions, and
at last they have succeeded ; you have ceased to pay ;
you have destroyed yourselves and the Preston operatives
a thing which the combined employers have long been
trying to do, and for which they have spent thousands
of pounds, and were prepared to spend still more had
you not succumb to their infernal machinations. Last
week we told you in the reports and through the dele-
gates, that in consequence of the spinners not resuming
work, a large number of the weavers would still be de-
pendent upon you for food ; yet, strange to say, you
have not sent funds to support them in this their hour
of trial and difficulty-for on Sunday last a mere frac-
tion was received towards paying the suffering people of
Preston. How is this ? What have the brave men and
women, lads and lasses of Preston done, that you should
desert them at a time when more than ever they need
your friendly council and assistance to conduct them
with honour to the end, as it has been their companion
from the first hour of their campaign ? A mere trifle
from each weaver would put all things to right ; would
support the operatives until they resume work, and pay
off the 1,0001. which the executive have borrowed of
good friends for the benefit of the movement ; yet this
trifle has not been forthcoming. The persons who
have advanced the money are not independent of the
world, to disclose their names would therefore do
them much harm without conferring any benefit upon
the operatives ; we therefore, at their request, agreed
not to mention to the world the names of our good bene-
factors. They want their money, and if not repaid, and
soon too, the honour and integrity of every power-
loom weaver in this country will be tarnished with
disgrace. The 3,000 weavers who cannot resume work
are many of them in the greatest distress. How can
they be otherwise, when, for more than thirty-six weeks,
a mere trifle has been given them to provide food of the
highest price during the most inclement weather in the
memory of man. To desert the people of Preston now
would be the greatest act of cowardice and cruelty ever
perpetrated even by the employers towards their work-
people. We call upon you to redeem your pledge and
character ; all along you have sworn to support the
people of Preston to the end, and when you can sup-
port them no longer, it is your duty to give them timely
warning to cease your contributions, so that they may
look out for work. You have given them no notice
of your intentions to withdraw from the contest ; the
Preston operatives therefore justly depended upon you,
and have a right to look to you for support. if you are
weary of paying, act like men and women, make one
or two good subscriptions, send them to Preston, and
say they are the last. This would enable the Preston
people to retire from the contest with honour, as it
would enable them to pay off all debts and give some-
thing to each of the starving operatives until work can
be resumed. This week, at any rate, you must do
your duty. All of you must pay, or you will stand in
the eyes of the world a disgraced class of men and wo-
men, for deserting those whom you have encouraged
and taught to depend and rely upon you.
To work, then, and collect enough of money to pay
off all accounts and support the people of Preston until
they are enabled to resume work. We rely upon each
weaver in each district doing his or her duty, and great
will be the responsibility of those who fail at this critical
juncture. In order that no one may do more than his
or her share of this good work, the central committee
carried the following resolution at their last meeting.
Resolved,-That the levy be, for this week, twopence
per loom in every district, and that all weavers do their
duty. Now, weavers, the work is before you. This
week will try your mettle. If you fail, never engage
in another struggle, for the world will not place confi-
dence in you. But we rely upon you, now that you have
time to reflect, and see how cunning the employers have
been in creating dissension amongst you. You will rec-
tify the wrong, and repair the injury, and convince the
world, and let the weavers of Preston feel, that you are
still their friends, and are prepared to standby them to the
last. Remember the amount of subscriptions on Sunday
next will prove the amount of your sympathy. Once
more, before we conclude, we beg and implore every
power-loom weaver in the country to respond to this
appeal. The poor people of Preston are starving.
Hundreds of them know not where to get meat or live
another week. They cannot go to work until the spin-
ners do. They must therefore suffer the greatest want,
starvation and misery, if you do not come to their aid.
Perhaps if you do not at once respond to this appeal
demon hunger will hurry its victims to a premature
grave.-Murphy's Temperance Hotel, Chapel Walks,
Preston, May 10th, 1854. N.B. The following are the
liabilities of the executive committee :-
From a private friend, Preston, 500/. ; Black-
burn, 10001. ; Hyde, 631. 10s. ; Stockport,
90/. ; Friends in Preston, 2961. 10s., 5501.
owing for balance-sheets, including this re-
port, 2101.
g 1,260 0 0
'aid to Stockport, 90/. ; do. to Blackburn,
100/. ; do. to Hyde, 631. 10s.
---.

_
Still owing £1,006 10 0

NEW YoßK.—The advises from New York to-day are
rather more satisfactory as regards the state of the
money-market, although there was little alteration
in thene
prices of stocks. Some large arrivals of gold h tak
place from California, and the accounts of the produc-
tion at the mines, which is now facilitated by the cheap-
ness of all articles of consumption, are apparently Iwtter
than at any former period. The San Francisco mint
was to commence operations on the 3rd of April. From
the various agricultural States of the Union the reports
regarding the prospects of the next harvest are all favour-
able. The attention of cultivators is being directed to
the growth of articles hitherto supplied by Russia. The
amount of hemp at present raised in the Western States
is estimated at 29,000 tons per annum, and it is alleged
that they could produce 200,000 tons. In relation to
the treaty with Mexico for the purchase of the Mesilla
Valley some uncertainty still prevailed as to the terms
on which it had been ratified. It was generally under-
stood, however, that the sum to be paid to Mexico had
been fixed at 2,000,0001., an unexpectedly favourable
result for that country, since, after the original amount
of 3,000,0001. bad been attempted to be cut down to
brought
1,400,0001., the Senate had refused to ratify it even on
those conditions, and almost the entire press had de-
1t clared that there was no prospect of its being ough
to any satisfactory end.