The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-13 00:00:00

* NOTE BY THE " DEvth."—" He be blow'd ! Who's he,il
should like to know ? Goes insulting a feller, and then ex-
pects a feller to deliver a message to save him trouble ! Catch
me at it Besides, what do people know about
' long-
primer' and leading ?' How's a party not connected with a
printing-office to know that long-primer' is a large sort of
type, and ' leading' means putting bits of metal between the
lines, to put 'em further apart ? Some people call themselves
authors— But it don't matter. If he thinks I'm going to
help him to get through his column, he's mistaken !"

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

PRESTON, DEC. 12.

Although this is what is termed " the little week,"
the amount placed at the disposal of the weavers' com-
mittee is 2,250/. This would enable them to increase
their payments from 4s. to ss. per head, but, in an-
ticipation of Christmas week, it has been deemed ex-
pedient to adhere to the former sum. From the re-
ports of the delegates at their meeting yesterday, it
appeared that the fund reserved for Christmas week
already amounted, in the aggregate, to 1,0001., Black-
burn alone having 2471. in hand.
At noon to-day the usual weekly meeting was held
in the Orchard, and was numerously attended. Mr. IC.
Smith occupied the chair. _ _

The CHAIRMAN congratulated the assembly on the
fact that though this was " the little week," their sub-
scription was actually larger than ever. The delegates
stated yesterday that if the struggle lasted until March
they would continue to provide the operatives with
funds for their support. It was now only a question
of time. The manufacturers acknowledged they were
beaten, but they could not yet for shame name the
day when they would give the 10 per cent. (Cheers.)
Mr. G. COWELL said, that from the commencement
of this agitation up to the present period, it had
ever been his wish, his aim, and his desire to bring
this unfortunate dispute to an amicable settlement ;
but be it understood that he would never abandon
the condition he had so often enunciated- -viz., 10
per cent., and no surrender. (Great cheering.) That
was the starting point, and that should be the end, so
far as he was concerned ; and, should the operatives be
defeated in this agitation, he for one would promise that
his name should be "Walker" out of Preston. How-
ever, he was happy to tell them that his anticipations
were wholly in- favour of the achievement of their ob-
ject. For once he believed the proud masters of Preston
would have to succumb, and give the hands a their fair
and legitimate right—namely, alO per cent. Could he
be persuaded that the manufacturers were not in a posi-
tion to give the 10 per cent., he would at once withdraw
from the field ; but he was convinced that they were in
a position to pay it. (Hear, hear.) This was their
" little week," as it had been called ; and, had it not
been for Christmas, the weavers of Preston would have
had their wages 'advanced is. per head. He had often
told them that the subscriptions for the weavers alone
would reach the large sum of 3,0001., and that prediction
would have been realised this week had it not been
for the approach of Christmas. According to the
statements delivered by the delegates yesterday—and he
took down the items as they were mentioned—there
was nearly 1,000(. in reserve, and that money would
have been forthcoming this week had it not been that
they wished the Preston operatives to have a good
Christmas.day's dinner. (Cheers.) The committee had
yester adyreceived a very encouraging letter from Paris,
and they might depend upon it that, if this strike
should last much longer, the brave sons of France
would be sending contributions to assist the operatives
of Preston. (Cheers.) Referring to the returns of the
Board of Trade, the speaker said, he found that in
the export of cotton goods the increase during the last
month had been 103,3081. over the corresponding month
of 1852. Comparing 10 months of this year with the
corresponding 10 months of last year, there had been an
increase in the exports of cotton goods--the goods pro.
duced in Preston, Blackburn, &c.,—to the amount of
2,297,8211. That was " bad trade 1" (Laughter.) It
was alleged, however, that a deal of those goods had
gone to China, and were lying there unsold. Now, he
begged to remind them, that on the accession of the
Derby Ministry The Times, the Daily News, and all the
free trade papers, quoted the exports to prove that free
trade was preferable to Protection. They said nothing
about the goods going to China and elsewhere, and lying
there unsold. If our exports might then be taken as an
indication of our prosperity, the same argument held
good now ; and, if upwards of two millions' worth more
cotton goods had been sent abroad this year than last,
why were not the operative classes to participate in this
prosperity ? (Hear, hear.) He anticipated that by next
March there would be such a sweeping trade as England
had
able
tnee vt
take
kr
eyferte im
3t,noeosos edte.
oBoloa cinkebruer nw
ewa
voeurlsd,
atnhde nt h
ebye
could be sent from Preston at a small cost. One argu-
ment of the free trade school was this—" If you are not
satisfied with your present masters, sell your labour
where you can get more for it." Now he begged
to tell those cold-hearted gentlemen that there were
thousands in Preston at the present time who would
sell their labour in America if they had the means to go
there ; but they had not. When the operatives were
reduced to so low a state of poverty that they had not
the means to transport themselves where good wages
were to be had—when they were nailed to the spot, as
it were, and could not move, they were told, "If you
are dissatisfied, go and sell your labour where you can
get more for it !" (Hear, hear.) After announcing that
1001. had this week been received from Glasgow, and
501. from Sheffield—places that had not contributed
previously—Mr. Cowell concludedn by exhorting his au-
ditory to persevere until they obtained an unconditional
10 per cent. (Cheers.)

Mr. RHODES and Mr. GEIMSUAW having addressed
the meeting,

Thanks were voted to the Sheffield delegate, who was
present. The motion was carried with three cheers.
The DELEGATE responded, stating that 501. had been
subscribed among the file-cutters alone. (Cheers.) He
had been that morning at the weavers' pay-table in the
Temperance-hall, and, instead of seeing a poor, disaf-
fected, half-starved set of people, as he had anticipated
from what he had read in the papers, he found them
well clad, apparently well fed, well conducted, and full
of confidence in their leaders. (Cheers.)
Three cheers were then given for Glasgow and three
for the 10 per cent., after which the meeting separated.

THE BIRMINGHAM CATTLE SHOW.—The choice pen of
three pigs of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, No.
281, which obtained the gold medal at the Smithfield
Club Show, have been sent for exhibition to Birmingham
by the Prince, having been sold to Mr. Wall with those
conditions. The Prince will also exhibit at this show a
fine Hereford ox and two pens of Bramah Pootra fowls.
There were several pens of this beautiful new species of
fowls at the Surrey Zoological Gardens Poultry Show,
last week, the prize for which was obtained by Mrs. G.
Cannon, Great Marlow, Bucks.
BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES CATTLE SHOW.
—BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY.—This show opens to-mor-
row. The judges went round to-day and awarded the
prizes. The stock exhibited possesses the very highest
merit both as regards quality and excellence. The gold
medal for the best ox or steer in the yard was awared
to Mr. W. Heath, of Ludham-hall, Norfolk, for his
Hereford steer.

GREA.T NUGGETS.—The gold-digging news is rather
more encouraging. On the 13th of September the cor-
respondent of the Melbourne Argus thus writes from
Bendigo :—" A nugget, weighing 171 b., was found in
Robinson Crusoe's Gully last week, and another, now
in the possession of Dr. Ladbury, of View Point, was
taken oat of Myer Flat, of . 501 b. some ounces. The
weather for the last week has been wet. The roads are
in a fearful state. Thousands are leaving Bendigo for
Ballarat and other diggings, and a few are making for
Melbourne."