The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-12 00:00:00

TO THE TRADES' SOCIETIES OF

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

The Committee of the Lcndon Trades, appointed to
meet the forthcoming enquiry in the Hcuse of Comm( us,
beg to call the attention of the Members of Trades' Sc.
cicties generally to the following lists of questions which
has been exiensively and extlusively circulated by the pro.
posers amougst the manufacturers and authoritiu throuik■
out the country.
__

13y ardor or C• mink tv;
JOHN NEWTON, Sec. pto Ie

'on.-These queries have been so arranged that the An-
swers can generally be placed opposite. to •each question .
in some cases, however, it will be necessary to give tilt 4n.
swer on a separate paper.
1. Name of town nr disttict.
2. Population of ditto,
3. Characteristie.s of tits iv, awl tat' tlikit
1.1 4.4 44 • ,
employ, with refqcno.' the sttike.
t f
o''4 eiretinulttlleeS of the tmtiot
tr. -otherwise, at the time of the etrik6
3. State the occupation of pet set engstetA ill the Stfik* combination, thawing 60 particulst 'class with Ittlieh
originated.
6. What were the aVerage weekly earulll:s immediately be-
fore the strike, and when in full werK; of the class Kith vvhorre
the strike originated ?
7. Were the ePrnitur, or other circumstances of the work-
men, with whom strike originated, inferior to those of per., sons em"loyed in the same branch of manufacture, in the save
Or neighbouring towns or districts ?
8. Were they in any way, and in what way superior ?
9. State the number and description of workmen and other
persons whose employments depended upon those of the per-
sons engaged in the strike, and who were consequently de-
prived of occupation during its continuance.
10. What were the weekly earnings of tho persons last
described?
11.
rendered Stateinactive by th s the estimated
tr value of buildings and
machinery'
ik.
12. State the estimated floating capital,
10.1 manufacturers
and masters rendered inactive, and consreee
cut amount of loss.
Detail the mode in which this estim.dtr.. is made.
13. Did any Trades Union exis' the district before the
strike, or was any formed in coresec
Number and description of luence?
its members-its constitution-
rules for management-reinuneration of officers-its declared
objects-mode of opereee,„‘
14. Were any eeid what compulsory measures taken to
make workmen :join tlre union?
15. Did .ny association of masters exist in the district be-
fore the 'strike, for counteracting the operations of Trades'
Uniens, cr for any other purpose.
16. Did the strike originate in the town or digtrice,., or was
it part of a more extensive plan, and was it fomentrAl by dele-
gates from any other body of workmen ?
17. Was the strike under the direction of a'liy Committee;
and, if so, what was its constitution and mc,de of operation ;
and had that Committee absolute aid secret powers ?
Endeavour to furnish a copy of the rules.
18. What was the ostensile'ie cause of the strike or combi-
nation ; state whether any and what notice was given, either
by the masters or men, as the ease mingit° ht be, of the time of
commencement.
19. Were any and what proposals for accommodation made
by either party for the acceptance of the other ?
Send copies of any papers connected with such proposals.
20. On what day did the strike commence?
21. In how many establishments did the strike prevail ? ln
how many did the workmen continue employed
22. State the number of persons engaged in the strike or
combination, and the number who continued. at work.
23. How were the different descriptior.s of workpeople sup-
ported during the strike? From what source was the fund
derived? What were the rates of weekly allowance at dif-
ferent periods? What the aggregate sum thus distributed ?
How long did the funds last ? What were the expenses of
management ? Send repet's, if any.
24. Was any subscription raised, or money voted from
corporate or other funds, for relieving distressed persons dur-
ing the strike ? \Vhat regulations or limitations were im-
posed in the rlistribution of the money ?
25. Ste're the sums expended for the relief of the poor from
the parish funds, in each week during the strike, and in each
of the twelve weeks thereafter, comparing the same with the
corresponding period in the preceding year.
26, Were any of the workpeople able to resort, and did
they so resort, to any other, and what other, modes of ()carp,
tion, at any time during the continuance of the strike?
27. How otherwise did they pass their time ?
28. Was there any perceptible increase of the class of
street beggars ?
29. Was much sickness or increased mortality observable
during the strike, or consequent upon it?
30. State the number of persons who were admitted into
the several hospitals, or received medical attendance, during
each week of the strike, and for each of the twelve weAs
thereafter. Give weekly
.statements for the correspwading
weeks of the ureeeding year.
31. Was there more than the usual amount of drunkenness
and disorderly conduct witnessed in the streets?
32. Were any, and what acts of violence against persons or
property committed by the discontented workmen, pP.rticularly
with reference to new hands employed or old hanO,s not turn-
ing out?
33. Was it necessary to call in the aid of military power,
or to add to the force of the police, in, order to preserve the
peace ?
34. Can loss of human life be tither directly or indirectly
attributed to the strike?
35. Were any 111 effects visible in the criminal calendar at-
tributable to the strlke ?
Give weekly statements of the number of persons committed
and the nature of their offences, during the continuance of the
strike, and for three months thereafter. Give also statements
of the committals in the corresponding weeks of the preceding
year.
36. Did the people while unemployed contract degrading
habits? Were those habits abandoned or continued beyond
the period of the strike?
37. Was any diminution observed in the attendance at
schools of the children of parties engaged in the strike ?
38. \Vhat was the amount of money in the, Savings; Banks
of the district on the 20th of November in each of the three
years preceding the strike ; and what, was the amount just be-
fore the strike began ?
39. What proportion belonged to the class of discontented
workmen?
40. What was the aggregate amount of deposits when the
strike ended?
41. \Vhat proposition then belonged to the discontented
class?

42. Give silnilar statements for any Friendly or other Be-
nefit or Loan Societies?
43. Did the workpeople contract debts, and to what amount,
when unemployed ?
44. Have they since been able to pay off' their debts ?
45. Did the manufacturers arid masters have recourso to
any, and what means, for supplying the places of discontented
workmen ?
In particular, were any mechanical inventions newly in-
troduced to that end ?

46. How far were those measures successful ?
47. State the day on which the strike ended. How many
weeks were the workmen unemployed ?
48. How many, when willing to work, were able again to
find employment ?
49. By what means wL re they induced to resume work?
50. Upon what terms did they return to work ?
51. State the number of new hands who were permanently
retained by the masters •!,iter the strike ?
52. What rate of •;:ages did they pay to new bands, com-
pared to 'hat bad before been paid to workmen similarly em-
ployed ?

5,1, What number or proportion left the district, or conti-
nued in it unemployed, or employed in occupations different
or inferior in emolument to those they had previously filled ?
54. Has there been any difference observable in the mode
of living, and in the personal and family comforts enjoyed by
the operatives before and since the strike?
55. Have any of the master manufacturers been induced by
the consequences of the strike to quit business or to remove to
other localities, or have any of the masters failed in conse-
quence of the strike?

56. Estimate the pecuniary loss to the town or district oc-
casioned by the strike, and distinguish the proportions of that
loss borne by the workmen, the manufacturers or masters, the
shopkeepers, and other classes respectively ?
57. What has heel' the effect of the strike on the trade of
the town or district ?

By a Parliamentary Paper just published, it ap-
pears that the number of beer-houses licensed to sell beer by
retail in England and \Vales during the year ending 31st of
December, 1837, is as follows :-13eerhouses licer,sed to con-
sume the beer on the premises, 40,102 ; not to consume the
beer on the premises, 5,292. Total 45,304
- SINGULAR FUNERAL.-Abort your o'clock on
Wednesday afternoon the inhabitants of the Waterloo-road, as
well as those living in its vicinity, we.re surprised at beholding
the fire-engine belonging to the Yr?est of England Assurance
Company proceeding along at -.3. very slow rate, having upon
its top a coffin, over which (I:epended the Union Jack half-staff
high. It appeared that the coffin contained the remains of
Benjamin Cole, who 'dad for many years filled the situation of
foreman to the, engine belonging to the establishment. Upon
rite deceased expressed a wish to be conveyed to
I,l,itshdaetab.tlori-,..bicnd
e from whence no traveller returns" on the engine
which ne used to love so well. This wish was complied with
11:f the Board of Directors ; and accordingly the engine was
placed in proper order, and at the appointed hour the coffin
was placed on it, over which was placed the coat and badge of
the deceased, while the driver and eight of the firemen, dressed
in the costume of the office, each having a crape band, fol-
lowed the corpse as mourner, and in this urder they proFeeded.
to the New Church, Kennington common. On its arrival at
g
the church toe procession was joined by tne family of the de-
ceased. The singularity of the scene drew together a great
concourse of people.
On the arrival of one of the Charenton omnibuF,es
Paris on
remainedS u iida ycinurioertillyi morning,
seated
~
iicithe corner
asfouildt
of the vehicle,
and had shown no symptoms of being that
passe.e er
was corpse.
who hohd a
Ile had died unperceived ; an
.hp
nod y being taken to the
Morgue, was soon after claire,-,dby his friends.
The wife of the "eostmaster at Boulogne-sur-Mer,
who was recently
condemned to three months' imprisonment
for adulter-
ana who had been allowed to retire to her uncle's
roid once iv, days before the term of her penalty expired,
-
I committed suicide a few days ago, by hanging herself iilher
apartaieut.—Galtunant.