The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-17 00:00:00

TILE TRADE UNION BILL.

The Home Secretary's Bill on Trades Unions
defines the term "Trade Union" in such a manner
that it includes casual and temporary combinations,
and thus affords protection to non-unionists who
may join in a trade combination, and to masters
as well as workmen. One section of the criminal
provisions refers to the offence of coercion. All
acts which constitute " violence," " intimidation,"
and "threats" are strictly defined, and not left vague
as in former statutes. This clause is so far special
that it makes some acts criminal that are done for
the purpose of coercing in trade, which
would not be criminal under other circum-
stances. The civil provisions of the bill
abrogate the rule now in force preventing any
court of justice from enforcing agreements relative
to trade unions, on the ground that agreements
respecting restraints of trade are illegal themselves.
Some exceptions are made to this rule, as no
person is to be compelled to fulfil a contract
not to work or to employ; and no benefits
can be sued for which are promised
by contract with a tra le union. With regard to
registration, the trades unions are to deposit copies
of their rules and an abstract of accounts once a year
with the registrar, who is authorised to demand
further particulars in case of necessity. The registra-
tion is voluntary, not compulsory. The Board of
• Trade is the registrar.

IRISH MARRIAGES.
No apology is given by the Registrar-General in
Ireland for the tardy way in which the statistics in
reference to births, marriages, and deaths each year
are furnished to Parliament. This present week there
has been issued the report for the year 1807, and it
must be evident to all who give a thought
to the subject, that the information afforded is con-
siderably deteriorated in value by being three years
at least behind time. Next year we shall all be
eagerly on the watch to find out how the new
Marriage Act and the Church Act of 1871 will affect
Ireland and its marriages. But it is probable we shall
notonly be left in the dark when we expect light, but for
some years after that light should have come. Glancing
at the report now before us, we find that, in 1867,
20,742 marriages were solomnised in Ireland, and
the fact is noticeable that, comparing this number
with the estimated population, the marriages in the
sister island were in the proportion of one to every 187
persons, while in the same year in England, they were
in the ratio of one in 113 persons, while in Scotlanl
the ratio was one in 140 persons. In the Irish mar-
riages mentioned 755 of the men and 4,357 of the
women entered the bonds of wedlock before
they had attained their twenty-first year. Of
widowers, 3,029, and of widows, 1,627, were remar-
ried. 350 bachelors were married to widows,
and of these 188 of the, widows and 170 of
the bachelors married between 25 and 35
years of age. The largest number of widowers on
their remarriages ranged between 30 and 45 years
of age. Of widowers and widows married there
were 302 couples. An important fact made known
is that of the total number of marriages registered
(29,742) 20,977 were celebrated by Roman Catholic
clergymen.

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THE ELECTIONS IN ALSACE AND LORRAINE .
The election of deputies to the National Assembly
from the provinces of France, which are now under
German rule, is one of the most remarkable
features of the present crisis. The people, how-
eNwr are not abashed by their misfortunes. At
Nancy an electoral assembly nominated a list of
candidates, all of them Republicans, and a manifesto
has been issued by a Republican committee,
in which, in strong but temperate lan-
guage, the people are exhorted to uphold the
Republic by electing tried and n,o,lerate men who
have been known for years to have ardent and sin-
cere convictions. "In this land of Lorraine" (so
runs the proclamation) "so French in its manners,
so French in heart, whose union with our be-
loved France has so often been cemented
with the blood of our fathers, the crisis is
decisive." It was the man of Sedan who plunged
the country into a war with empty arsenals. The
people, hail they been masters of their own affairs,
would not have directed them in so senseless a
fashion. Mr. Capper, who has been exerting himself
!or the relief of the unemployed in those districts,
bears testimony to the resolution and patriotism of
these simplecitiZellS, who, like the Roman senators,
refuse to despair of their country.