The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-09 00:00:00

PRICES OF

LEATHER

Per lb. d. to d. .., _...
Per lb d. to d.
Crop Hides, 30 to 401 h each IN 13 I Horse Hides, German lO 21
-- 40 50 - Spanish • 12 24
50 60 ... ...... 13 :7 I CalfSkins,3o to 401 b. (doz )*I4 18
dull Hides
Butts, Vitriol
17 -- 50 6C .16 21
- English ......... ........ 14 24 7O 100 . •14 `..-8
- Foreign
Foreign Hides lO 12 ------ small 2O 21
Dressing Hides IN 14 Kips
Shaved ... 12 15 1 Buds 7 12
Best Saddlers Hides
Horse Hides, English ...... 9 13 I Shoulders 7 12
• If rounded 2d. to 4d per lb more
____

MEETING OF THE CARPENTERS

AND JOINERS OF LONDON.

List night there was a numerous meeting of the above
body assembled in the Theatre of the Mech ides' Ins!itu-
tion. The chair was not taken until half-past eight o'clock.
We, however, cannot prudently attempt to give even a
meagre report of the transactions.
The placards by which the meeting was convened were
varied in expression. We give the following as specimens:—
" Labour and live I—To the carpenters and joiners of
Londen.—A public meeting of the trade will be held on
Monday eveuieg, January 8, 1838, at the Mechanics' lu-
stitution, Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lime, to take
ido consideration the extremely oppressive circumstances
un !er which the ca-pent,rs of Glasgow are now suffe! ing—
namely, that the employers have attempted to reduce their
wages six shillings per week—in resistance of which they
have now been out eight weeks, and also to adopt measures
for their assistance. The chair will be taken at eight
o'clock precisely: Cirpenters of London ! the men of
Glasgow are at present the parties marked for oppression.
Assist them and they will succeed—neglect them and they
will be defeated. Recollect, you know not how soon you
may be similarly circumstanced.—N. B.—Working men
in general are respectfully invited to attend."
" Fellow Workmen—The frequent attacks of em-
ployers and capitalists on the rights of industry, and which
have been publcly encouraged or privately connived at by
the governing powers, indicate the arrival of the time when
working men must vindicate the truth of their principles
and the rectitude of their practices—must assert their right
to an honourable existence, to a fair equivalent for their
labour—or at once surrender themselves a sacrifice to the
most cruel and rapacious despotiim that ever tramrled on
the sacred rights of man."
Mr. BLEWETT, a carpenter, was unanimously called to
Vie Chair. He commenced to address the meeting on the
nature of the cause which they had assembled to take un-
der consideration. He lamented that the labourers should
be so much oppressed by the capitalists. He hoped that
the meeting.would all be unanimous in coming forward to
assist their brother workmen in Glasgow. The country
generally had responded freely to the call that had been
made upon them. The operatives of Glasgow were de-
termined to stand out as long as they had a shot in the
locker ; and he hoped the workmen of London would ne-
ver allow them to be without a shot.

The Secretary of the Association read the correspond-
ence that hadtaken place throughout the transaction, which
comprised the history of the union of the workmen and the
counter combination that was entered upon by the masters.
He stated that the rules and regulations of the Workmen
had worked well for two seasons, but the masters finding
that the calls upon the funds of the operative Association
were so heavy, and as business was becoming scarce, they
had conceived the idea of making a push, and would cut
down the men's wages during the winter months Gs. per
week. The masters had refused to meet them, and come
to an amicable arrangement, but the terms the workmen

had to propose were to submit to a reduction of 3s. per
week during the winter months. The application appealed
strongly to the operatives of London to prevent any one
coming to Glasgow to supplant them ; but on the contrary,
that they would lend them every assistance in their power,
and they, the Glasgowegians, would hold out to the last.
He recounted several circumstances which had come to their
knowledge which argued favourably to their cause if they
were supported only for a short time.
Mr. SHARPE, a carpenter, rose to move the first resolu-
tion. He complained that masters should ask to reduce the
wages of men Gs. per week, as he said if they had sought an
increase of 6s. per week, it would be made greund of re-
probation, and used as a pretext for putting down all the
Unions in the kingdom. He was convinced that the object
of the masters was to strike at the root of the Union. He
said it was not merely a question concerning the interests
of carpenters, but it was one that affected labourers of every
description in Great Britain. He severely censured Mr.
O'Connell for the opinion he had expressed in Dublin on
the subject of Trades' Unions, and more particularly as Mr.
O'Connell had acknowledged, that all the information he
had received was from masters. He contended that la-
bourers had a right to all that they earned, for it was
labour that made every thing ; they ought not to be
put off with a small pittance called wages, while their
grand oppressors retained enormous sums, which they were
pleased to call profit. He denounced the Tories and Whigs as
mere factions, and he feared that Radicals were no better.
The Government had from their policy forced Canada into
revolt, and they would shortly force this country into revolu-
tion. Heintended to join theCommunityAssociation, and he
would recommendevery one to do the same, and if the object
of that Association did not succeed he would have the satis-
faction to know that the experiment had been tried. It
mattered little how a man died at last, for as it was life in
this country was already scarcely worth having. The
conduct of their oppressors would drive them to desperation
and violence. He deprecated, as the most baneful to the
working man, the system of inequality of wages. He con-
cluded with moving the first resolution, which was in sub-
stance as follows :--
" That this Meeting regard the attempted reduction of
the wages of the carpenters of Glasgow from 20s. to 14s.
per week as part and parcel of a deep-laid scheme, now
gradually developing itself, the tendency of which shall be
such a universal impoverishment and degradation of the
working population as shall inevitably lead to a broken-spi-
rited submission to a moneymongering despotism, more
cruel, grinding, and oppressive than has ever before cursed
the happiness, or blighted the prosperity of any people."
Mr. PRYOR seconded the resolution. He said the ques-
tion was capital against labour, and was in fact a deep-lai7l
conspiracy to undermine every Association of the working
classes in Britain. He at great length vilified the Whigs
for their conduct towards the Glasgow cotton-spinners, and
gave it as his opinion that they entertained the same inten-
tions towards the carpenters. He made a strong appeal to
his fellow-workmen to come forward with unanimity and
liberality. Any man among them who did not feel the pro-
per sympathy on the subject deserved the.execration of the
whole world. He reminded them, that if the men of Glas-
gow should be compelled to come to London and take em-
ployment at reduced wages, it would cost them more ulti-
mately than it would do to support them now in their
struggle with their masters. It was only by union and
perseverance that the oppressed could set themselves free.
The first resolution was carried.
A number of speakers addressed the meeting, and a
string of resolutions were passed, for the purpose of carry-
ing the object of the meeting into effect.