The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-09 00:00:00

THE PRICE OF WAGES AND THE

PRICE OF BREAD.
(From the TViltshire Independent.)
The popular argument that has been made use of by
the bread-taxers, in support of their monopoly, is, that
cheap bread would be of no avail to those who had no
money to buy with ; and that, wages rising and falling
with the price of food, the labouring man must be better
off with high wages and dear bread, than with low
wages and cheap bread. Now we do not intend to dis-
pute the first position ; it is a truism, bat not applicable
to the question at issue. The second is a fallacy,
which has been so often and to thoroughly dis-
posed of that we do not intend' to waste time or
;pace in its refutation. We will, however, simply point
the attention of those who are most vitally concerned in
the operation of the Corn-laws—the labourers—to the
relative position which the price of wages bears to
the price of bread at the present time, and to. the
relative position which they bore to each other only a
month ago, and then ask them whether the whole
clique of bread-taxers have not proved' themselves, if
not blind leaders, something much worse, namely, wilful
deluder and deceivers, men unscrupulous enough to fill
their pockets by Starving the poor, and mean enough to
justify their nefarious conduct by resorting to the false-
hood of telling their victims that it is done for their par-
ticular and especial benefit.
A month ago the general rate of wages in this neigh-
bourhood for the best able-bodied labourers was 9s.
a-week, and the price of the 81b. loaf was 13d. Now
the 81b. loaf istharged 17d., but no increase has taken
place in wages ; nay, on the contrary, in some instances
the 9s. have been reduced to 85. Where, then, is the
proof that wages rise with the price of food ? Where,
indeed ! Let the labourers ask their masters. But who
is benefited by the' advance which is now taking place in
the price of wheat ! Not the labourer, truly, for if his
wages were really dependent on the price of wheat, and
if those gentlemen who, at their convivial meetings, de-
clare that his welfare is the object they seek in uphold-
ing the Corn-laws, were sincere, he would now be re-
ceiving twelve shillings a-week instead of nine, and even
then if he had a large family he would be worse off than
he was a month ago with wages at nine shillings and
bread at 13d.
We have stated the general rate of wages in this
neighbourhood to be nine shillings a week ; in the South-
ern division it would seem they are not so high, for in a
Tory paper, published at Salisbury on Saturday last, we
find the following :

•f 1 SOIiTII WILTS PETTY SESSIONS.
Present—W. Wyndham, Esq. M.P., J. H. Jacob,
.0-Fort, H. Hetley, and E. liinxman, Esqrs.
CAUTION TO FARM SERVANTS.—J. Small, under-
carter, was charged by his master, Mr. Read, of Charl-
ton, with having left his employment contrary to agree-
ment, he being engaged until Michaelmas next. The
agreement being proved, the Bench ordered Small to pay
his master the amount of one week's wages, 65., with the
expenses, and return to his work."
Again, in another number of the same paper, published
on the 17th ult., we read thus :

" SOUTH WILTS PETTY SESSIONS.

" Present—Wadham Wyndham, Esq. M.P., G. Mat-
cham, J. H. Jacob, G. Lawrence, and H. Hetley,
Esqrs.
" CAUTION TO FARM LABOURERS.—Thomas Blake
was summoned by Mr. J. Lush for leaving his service
on Saturday, July 10th. Mr. Lush deposed that he
agreed with defendant, from Michaelmas last, at ss. 6d.
per week, and 525. at the end of the year, and that on
Saturday last he left his employ, and had not returned
to work since. Blake said Mr. Lush agreed to find him
lodgings, and ho had never done so ; and he did not
like to sleep in the hay loft, without pulling his clothes
off, which he had been compelled to do. Mr. Lush said
he gave him 6d. per week more than he agreed for, be-
cause he would not have anything to do with his lodg-
ings. The Benoh ordered Blake to return to Mr. Lush's
ou re
of
r—
service and fulfil his agreement."
Talk of the Polish serf, indeed ! Here is a pretty
6. 6
specimens
a
weekoft in
the Corn-law-protected
harvest,w-protee
tcl
sleeping in a hay loft with his clothes on week after
week, for 52 mortal weeks ! How this man must suffer
from a repeal of the Corn-laws !
eanEdngthliesh privilege lab

THE PUNISHMENT OF GREEDINESS.—Some
years ago an opulent farmer at Kingston, in Surrey, had
a great quantity of wheat ; his friends and neighbours
advised him to send it to market and sell it, but he al-
ways objected to it, saying the price was not high enough.
At last he determined to sell it ; but how great was his
disappointment when he. found a great number of rats
had devoured the grain, and nothing but the husks left!
It had such an effect on his avaricious mind, that he
went and hanged himself.
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT DEVONPORT
DOCKYARD.—WEDNESDAY, AUG. 4.---This afternoon, as
a number of persons were examining the machinery in
the engine-room, Mrs. Hancock, the wife of a superan-
nuated quarterman, incautiously stood too near the per-
pendicular revolving shaft, when the light portions of
her shawl were caught by the shaft (through the dried
oil on it), and the remainder of her clothing being soon
entangled by the same means, she was taken up by the
shaft, and flung round with frightful rapidity. One of
the engine-men, in his anxiety, unfortunately turned off
the machinery from being worked by the power, and
this, of course, allowed the shaft to work with still
greater swiftness. It was three minutes before the en-
gine was stopped. Both Mrs. Hancock's thighs were
broken, one leg, and one arm. She was carried to the
surgery in the yard, and from thence home, where she
expired. Mrs. Quintral, her sister-in-law, very nearly
shared her fate, in her endeavours to save Mrs. Hancock.
She was also taken up by the shaft, and flung round, but
escaped with a sew bruises. The machinery is used for
various purposes, such as drilling holes, grinding, turn-
ing, &c., and is very powerful. The shaft is about 20
feet high, and about six inches diameter, and ought to
have been long since protected by a guard of some kind.
INSULT OFFERED HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
PRINCE ALBERT.-Our readers have probably, from the
perusal of Court movements, for some weeks past ob-
served that his Royal Highness Prince Albert has been
accustomed to bathe near the Weir, in the river at Wind-
sor. The piece of water resorted to for this purpose is
a college bathing-place, and under the care of a water-
man named Cannon, employed by certain authorities at
Eton, and whoso engagement for many years past has
from
Royalh
perceiving
with the season and terminated in October.
One would naturally have conceived that the gentlemen
in question would have felt antrions to have afforded his
c-••;ey accommodation, and we are satis •
s.Cannon,
however,
fled we shall not only excite the surprise but disgust of
all rational men, when we state that the reverse has
been the fact, and the Waterman has been dismissed
s
ohivynmiensegsn
ttt,hoe doubtlessdisdiscontinue
drift, nnawsuievt he
hisr3 wisely continued the v
impression
its that
h
the inconvenience would annoy the Prince, and induce
his
on duty, and the circumstance having come to the know-
ledge of the Prince, Cannon was sent
fir to the Castle
on Tuesday last, when his Royal Highness personally
made him a handsome present, and in addition
his private secretary, Mr. 0-. E. Anson, to requested ta,
take down
his name and residence, that he might not be forgotten.
—Sunday Times.

NEW WORK EDITED BY Boz. _.We are re-
quested to state that the new work announced under the
title of " The Pic Nic Papers, by Various Hand-,"
in 3 vols. post Bvo, edited by Charles Dickens, Esq.
(Boz), author of " Nicholas Nickleby," " Pickwick,"
&c., with illustrations by George Cruikshank and Phiz,
will certainly be published to-morrow by Mr. Colburn
of Great Marlborough-street. Immediate orders should
be given' to prevent disappointment on the day Of pub-
lication. Agents : for Scotland, Messrs. Bell and Brad-
fete, Edinburgh ; for Ireland, Mr. John Cumming, Dub-
lin. To be had also of all respectable booksellers, and
at all the libraries throughout the kingdom.
NORMANDY.—Now that so many persons are
tempted to visit this most interesting part of France, by
reason of the surpassingly cheap fares from Southampton
to Havre, the present moment certainly mems most op-
portune for the appearance of the promised " Excursions
in'Normandy," under the editorship of F. Schoberl, Esq.,
the popular and well known editor of the " Forget-me-
Not. "This work will, it is understood, give a most
accurate and authentic description of this part of France,
its state of society,commerce, manufactures, &c., from the
Journal of a Recent Traveller, as well as lively sketches
of its inhabitants, their manners, customs, &c., render-
ing it altogether a most acceptable book for the tourist,
in search either of pleasure, or of channels for commer-
cial intercourse. The adjoining provinces having been
recently well described in Trollope's "Summer in Brit-
tany," Tolfrey's " Sportsman in France," and Trollope's
„ westarn France," the English public may now congra-
tulate themselves on possessing such agreeable and in-
structive companions over a very extensive and hitherto
little known tract of the French territories.
Fl
Highness the Duchess of Kent was
expected
ive in this country previously to the en-
suing week t Royal
suing week ; but we learn, that owing to the unsettled
state of the weather, it is probable her Royal Highness
may prolong her stay on the Continent a short time
longer. At the date of the last letters we rejoice to state
her Royal Highness continued in the enjoyment of ex-
cellent holth.—Observer,