The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

CLOSING OF THE PRESTON MILLS.

TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PERSONS OUT
OF EMPLOYMENT.
(From the Ncr:hent Daily Times.)
On Saturday afternoon the various mills in Preston
and its vicinity, in which the notices to the hands had
expired, were closed, and upwards of 15,000 additional
persons are thus left without employment. On Friday
and Saturday, no less than 36 mills were closed, and if
we add the number closed for a few weeks previously
(10), we have a grand total of 46 mills now absolutely
closed, and in which there is an entire suspension of
manufacturing operations. There are yet running four
mills, which are under notice to close, so that in a few
days the number of mills closed will be upwards of 50,
only eight mills in the whole district continuing opera-
tions. The number of mill hands at Preston is estimated
at about 30,000, and the number who are now walking
about the streets of Preston without employment is set
down at from 20,000 to 25,000 persons. The amount of
wa Teo paid weekly at the various mills now closed is
stated to have been from 12,0001. to 13,0001.
The immediate withdrawal of so large an amount
must operate very injuriously on the trade and general
business of the town. To enable the large number of
human beings who a:e now without employment to exist,
the committee of the op.,erative union proposes to pay
them weekly a sum of 4,0%.,1°1-7 and they allege their
funds are sufficiently strong to M: able them to continue
this payment for some weeks. In t::`."3 meantime dele-
gates are to be deputed to visit all the pTincipal towns
in the kingdom, to solicit assistance from the operative
classes of those towns, to enable those of Pil'eten
to prolong their struggle with their employers anj
to compel them, if possible, to yield the 10 per cent.
on present prices. Thus far we have indications of
an obstinate and ruinous struggle, rendered less likely
to be brought to an amicable or speedy conclusion by
a strong belief on the part of the hands that the mas-
ters cannot long afford to keep their mills closed, and
a feeling on the part of the masters, amounting almost '
to a certainty, that the necessities of the hands, when
without employment for a few weeks, will bring them
to their senses, and induce them to submit not only
to the terms which they now propose, but to any which
they_ may then think fit to insist upon.
This is the present position of the unfortunate mis-
understanding, which has arisen between the employers
and the employed at Preston, and until either party
succumb, or some arrangement is come to, even supposing
the union is enabled to continue the payment of 4,0001.
per week, the business operations of the town must
suffer to the extent of 8,0001. per week, or in the ratio of
the very large sum of 400,0001. per annum. The pro-
spective loss of this sum and the difficulties in which
it must involve shopkeepers and others have necessarily
caused a great deal of excitement amongst persons in
business, and they are not slow to attach blame to
all parties who have taken any part in producing the
present crisis. The general feeling, however, seems to
be that, if some slight concessions on immaterial points
on the part of the masters and men were made, the
strike, or rather " lock out," as it is now called, might
be speedily terminated, and busiuess allowed to resume
its usual course. On the other hand, the operative
classes, not alone of Preston, but of several towns in
Lancashire, Cheshire, &c., are favourable to the course
taken by the " lock-outs," and have determined to
support them to the last. So far as the trade of
Preston is concerned, this was clearly exemplified on
Friday evening, when a meeting was held at the Far-
mers' Arms, at which 15 trades were represented, com-
prising steam-engine-makers, boiler-makers, mechanics,
tin-plate workers, stonemasons, bricklayers, joiners,
naggers, slaters, &o. An unanimous resolution come to
was, to support the lock-outs to the best of the ability
of the various trades, and a form of placard was drawn
up, announcing to the public the determination of va-
rious trades to do so.

After the closing of the mills on Saturday, owing to
the extreme wetness of the day, no demonstration on
the part of the " lock-out " hands took place, but in
the afternoon the bell-man was sent round, who an-
nounced that a meeting of the weavers would be held at
the Temperance Hall at four o'clock. Should this morn-
ing, however, prove fine, a monster meeting is to be
held on the Marsh, Preston. The • amount of steam
power now idle exceeds 2,000 horses, and the dispute is
stated to have resulted from a difference relative to the
payment of 11. per week in a small mill.

STATE OF TRADE.

The accounts of the state of business in the manufac-

Wring towns during the past week show great general
steadiness, the ill-advised strikes of the operatives having
caused a limitation of production at the precise period
when the markets most required a lessening of supplies.
At Manchester transactions have taken place to a fair
extent, and prices are without alteration. The stoppage
of the mills at Preston has excluded nearly 30,000 people
from employment, and the masters at Burnley and
Bacup have given notice of a similar step at those places
on the 28th inst., by which a still larger number will be
thrown out. At Birmingham, although the quarterly
meetings of the iron trade have ended without any
actual advance in prices, the various firms are indis-
posed to take fresh orders at existing rates, the demand
from all quarters being uninterrupted. The position of
the coal trade still remains uncertain, owing to the pre-
valence of strikes, but the masters hold to their deter-
mination not to yield. In the general business of the
town there is undiminished prosperity, and the orders
for machinery and agricultural implements are particu
larly large. Considerable shipments of furnishing iron
mongery have been made to Australia during the week,
but the indiscriminate exports thither have been entirely
checked. From Nottingham the report states the
market to have been well supported by American buyers,
but dull in other respects. Still there is no want of
confidence, and in many departments more hands wouid
be employed if they could be found. The tendency to
strike seems, however, to have subsided. In the woollen
districts there has been no variation. The check given
to exports to the continent from the fear of war, and to
Australia from the tenour of the last accounts, creates
continued flatness, although here, as elsewhere, employ-
ment is abundant, and the feeling regarding the future
perfectly satisfactory. In the Irish markets there has
been a reaction in the price of flax, while linen manu-
factures have remained dull at former quotations.

ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

Yesterday the ordinary quarterly court of the gover-
nors of this institution was held at :the Thatched-house
Tavern, St. James's-street, Vice-Admiral Lord Radstock
in the chair. The court was also attended by Rear-Ad-
miral Sir Watkyn Owen Pell, Captains Richardson and
Dickenson, Commander Marshall, Lieutenants Gardiner
and Bedford, and by several other distinguished officers.
Mr. Skead, the secretary, read the minutes of the last
court, which were duly confirmed.

Captain Richardson then stated that, having been ap-
pointed chairman of the occasional committee, he was
now, from official experience, able to say that nothing
could be more satisfactory than the manner in which
the institution was conducted, and that no officer could
be more painstaking than Mr. Skead, the secretary.
These facts could not fail, he thought, to be highly grati-
fying to all the members of the institution.
The report stated, that the income of the institution
for the last quarter had been 1,2131. 4s. ld., including
4611. 12s. 5d., the balance from the last audit ; 5421.
18s. Bd., interest on investments ; and 2081. 135., the
amount of subscriptions and donations. The expendi-
ture for the same period had been 6461. 75., including
the sum of 5471. expended in grants, leaving in hand a
balance of 5661. 17s. ld. The invested capital amounted
to 36,1951. 12s. 2d.

The report was unanimously agreed to, and a resolu-
tion was passed authorising the payment of a bill of
costs due to the honorary solicitor.
The Chairman then said that since their last meeting
it had pleased Providence to deprive the country of two
distinguished officers, who were also vice presidents of
the institution. The loss of such men as the late Sir G.
Cockburn and the late Sir Charles Adam was a sub-
ject of general regret. Their duty, however, now was
to elect two vice presidents in their place ; and he
thought that it would be advisable to name no gentle-
man for that office without a personal assurance that he
would be willing to serve.
Some discussion here took place with respect to the
necessity of electing a trustee in room of the late Sir
G. Cockburn ; after which,
On the motion of Sir Watkyn Owen Pell, seconded
by Lieutenant Bedford, Rear Admiral llundas was
elected vice president, in lieu of the late Sir Charier
Adam, K.C.B.
A quantity of routine business was then gone through,
after which the memorials of applicants for the relief of
the institution were taken into consideration.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

THE NEW COMMISSION ON BANKRUPTCY.—The first
meeting under the new commission appointed to inquire
into the law of bankruptcy, will be held on the let of
November.