The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-18 00:00:00

MASONS' STRIKE.

Another adjourned meeting of the masons and the dele-
gates from the various Trade Societies of the Metroplis
was held, last evening, at the head-quarters of the Masons'
Committee, the Craven Head, in Drury-lane, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the future means to
be adopted relative to the late strike at the new Houses of
Parliament, and to receive reports from different societies
of London as to the assistance they purposed lenditig the
masons during their present situation.
Mr. BUTLER took the Chair.

The meeting was called for eight o'clock, but it was
nine before the Chairman took his seat, at which hour
the room was about half full.
The minutes of the last meeting were read, and an
opposition was offered to their confirmation, in conse-
quence of a resolution passed at the last meeting relative
to the Pipe-makers.

A DELEGATE moved that that part of the minutes
should be struck out.

The orizinal minutes were subsequently confirmed.
The CHAIRMAN inquired if ally delegate had any re-
port to make, and
Mr. O'CONNOR, from the United Brothers Society, of
Grosvenor-mews, delivered in 51.

Mr. ° from a society of plasterers, tendered a.,
saidand Ttreyit? would support the masons by a weekly
subscription.
Mr. ALSTON, a delegate from a society of painters in
Great Portland-street, said he had intended to have
brought 101, and their secretary had been instructed to
draw that amount,• but he had been unfortunately taken
ill, and they could net appoint another till next Satur-
day. They would then be able to draw the money,
and after that the society would support the masons
with the sum of 5/. a month.—(Cheers.)
Mr. JACKSON, from a friendly society at the Queen's
Head, Acton-street, Gray's Inn-road, said they had
given 201. last week to the masons, and he begged to
tender 2CI. more.—(Cheers.) He had also instituted a
subscription amongst his
private friends, and had ob-
tained the sum of 41. Is. 6d.—(Cheers,)
Mr. GODDARD, from a stone cutter's society, said they
taken had given 51 to the mayons.
Mr. DUNBAR said he had raised a subscription from a
few private friends to the amount of 2/. 7s. 6d.—(Cheers.)
said AI rihat aRILEY,
strike adhead e
place le
gafromaacebosoolttlble bookbinder's society,
agosocietiyn,
their own trade, which was an expensive one, and had
placed the society up to this time in difficulties. The
masons then assisted them with Act Ile was therefore
not enabled to announce that they could assist the masons,
but they had made.a levy on the members of 2s. 6d. a-
week each, and they would, on Saturday, pay 10/. to-
ward the debt, and the remaining 301 would be paid in
a few weeks. There was no merit in paying a debt, but
though they owed other societies money, they thought
they ought to pay the whole of the masons' debt tirst.
Mr. SIMPSON, from the 13th Branch of the Union of
Carpenters, said that his society was in difficulties at
present, and as a society they were unable to assist the
masons, but they had raised a subscription amongst cer-
tain individuals of the society, amounting to 31.
Mr. RYAN delivered in the sum of 165., which he had
collected from " a few enemies to oppression."
A DELEGATE from a masons' society not on strike,
said that the strike at the Houses of Parliament had
caused a great many masons not employed there to be
out of etnploy; and it was necessary that they should be
supported, in order that they might not take work at
the Houses of Parliament; and, therefore, his society
could not assist the masons on strike. It was very de-
sirable to keep the masons not employed from taking
work at Woolwich. Nelson's Monument, or the Houses
of Parliament.—(Hear, hear.)
A discussion then arose relative to the subscription
papers.
Mr. DUNNING proposed that each paper be numbered,
and sealed, to prevent mistake.
Mr. WORTHINGTON stated that the Committee had re-
cently adopted that plan, and
Mr. DUNNING withdrew his proposition.
Mr. Bum proposed that books should be used instead.
He thought they were much more convenient.
A DELEGATE opposed the motion, on the ground that
the middle leaf might be taken, and thereby the masons
would be Jetted out of four pages of subscription.
This gave rise to some desultory discussion, which at
times was rather uproarious.
The CHAIRMAN rose to speak to and put the motion,
and was met with cries of " Time, time."

The resolution was lost.
Mi% ARMSTRONG WALTorr then rose and said that
he would, as far as possible, give them some-
thing like a correct statement of the position in
which they stood at the present time; and he thought
he might say that they were similarly situated as on the
last night they had assembled there. He did not see
that there was much change, as Messrs. Grissell and
Peto had evinced no disposition to investigate the
charges the masons had made or to answer their chal-
lenge. They seemed determined to oppress the men as
far as they possibly could. The same number of men, or
nearly the same, which were at the works last week were
there still. About four had left the works at Wool-
wich, being convinced of their error, and believing them-
selves to be wrong in endeavouring to take up the places
of the men who had struck to support those who had
resisted the tyranny and oppression of Allen. He be-
lieved he might also state that two men had left the
works at Nelson's Monument, actuated by the same
principle. They would see that the masons wen• in the
same position, or nearly so, as they were last week. He
would tell them, of which perhaps they were already per-
fectly convinced, that the object of Messrs. Grissell and
. Pete: was-tosArry.tan.lileir works . with its few 'nen as
possible. -However incompetent the few individuals
they had now, they would make that few do till
after Christmas, and endeavour to starve the masons
out, which was their object—(liear, hear.) From the
notice he had taken of the whole proceedings, he could
plainly see that this was their object. They expected
by these means to drive the masons back to work. They
thought that the trades would slacken their efforts—that
they would not stand by the masons' backs as nobly as
they had hitherto done. But those gentlemen ought to
know, that not only was London adopting the masons'
cause, but the whole country was equally forward in
taking it up; and he had the pleasure to announce that a
large public meeting was held that night in Birmingham
on the subject, and they had requested the attendance of
a delegate from London to give them a full account of
the strike, and a Lull statement of the grievances of the
masons from the commeucement, and their position at
the present time. There was also a Trades' Committee
formed in Bristol similar to the one in London, and they
'had called a meeting of all the delegates in Bristol, for
the purpose of carrying out the present strike. There
was a similar Committee in Leeds, and also one in Man-
chester; and there was one thing which he would sub-
mit to that meeting, that it would be necessary that
the Committee in London should correspond with the
Committee ix the country. There ought to be a proper
mode of communication through the country. He took
the liberty of, suggesting this, although it might seem
out of his province to do so because, unless there was a
proper mode of communication—a proper anal systematic
mode of action, it would tend very materially to destroy
the energy and spirit which at present existed. He
would also tell them that there were several parties in
town, men entirely unconnected with any society, who had
formed a society to last while the Masons' strike existed.
He (Mr. W.) had received an invitation from a gentle,.
man to attend at one of their meetings as a delegate from
the Masons. Their meetings were to ba held at Duke-
street, Grosvenor-square, for the purpose of assisting the
Masons, by entering into voluntary subscriptions. lie
had no further information to communicate; it would be
then left to the meeting to take the steps they thought.
proper. The determination of Grissell and Peto was evi-
dently backed by some party, and that party he believed
to be Government. He thought that if this strike was
put down, it would have the effect of 'destroying
the spirit of union throughout the country.—
(Hear, hear.) He was quite certain that no
means would be spared by their opponents to do so. For
his own part, he could have had jobs plenty, but he felt
the greatest desire to be on this strike, and do all that he
possibly could in endeavouring to make it successful,
and bring it to a speedy issue. Ile had only to add that
the masons were equally determined with Messrs. Gris-
sell and Peto. He would have the subject in the hands
of the meeting, to adopt what measures they thought
proper.—(Cheers.)
A LBLEGATE said that he had heard it reported that
Messrs. Grissell and Peto intended to send Allen to
Malta, upon some Government works that were going
forward thm.

Another D.F.LuoaTE—It was no such thing, as a gen-
tleman of the name of .Martin was going.
A MEMBER of a Trades' Union inquired how many
men were out on strike, and what they received per week.
The SECRETARY stated that there were 230 men on
.strike, and they received 12s. per week each.
A lungtheneddiscussion then arose as to the propriety
of giving the mail 15s:
instead de 12k The Secretary
sa:d they were afraid that the funds would not allow it,
' when it was replied,
that the 4,000 masons N%ho were in
work, and who had a reed to pay 6d. a week would sup-
ply 1001. a week.
It was at length proposed, in the
:Oral of a resolution, that the delegates should, at the
next meeting, state what was the probable amount that
the tociety could
negatived, and it was agreed to refer the subject to the
Conunittee. give the masons each week. This was
The CHAIRMAN then read a note from a society Of
tin-plate workers, in Coldbath-fields, held at the Ben
Jonson, Bath-street, enclosing 201. for the masons.—
(Much cheering.)
Mr. WORTUINCTON then said, that when they last
struck they found that they received the best assistance
from the quarrymen, who refused to cut .the stone, and
therefore it did not matter how many
men they got, if
they had no stone to work. The masons, therefore, in
the present strike, had written to the quarrymen at
Dartmoor, the place where the stone for Grist:ll and
I'eto's works was taken, and they had agreed to strike
if they were supported whilst upon that strike.
The CHAIRMAN then put it to the meeting
as to when
they should meet again, and the meeting adjourned to
Wednesday evening next at the satire hour.

Notago the Puseyite rector of a village
long
matt to inform him that a grocer'
mar Winchester, who recently obtained an unenviable
notoriety for refusing to inter canonically the remains of
with whom he partially
an old Church lady, because some atter friends.were PH-
s:hive Methodists ' called on an lion. and Rev. Gentle-
dealt, encouraged the Ranters, and, in fact, was a Ranter
himself, and ought not to be supported. The clerical
Baronet, full of indignation, sent for the delinquent shop-
keeper, ascertained the truth of the allegation, ordered
his bill, paid the amount, and withdrew his future fa-
vours. soon after, this dignified clergyman and his
dashing family started for tile Contintint, leaving his good
conforming tradesmen to whistle for their debts to the
tune of many thousand pounds. But the Dissenting
grocer was all right, his 1301. in his pocket, through the
intolerant meddling of the aforesaid parson, who, at all
events, has done one good deed in his lifetime, although,
poor wan, ha meant it not.—Arancun formist.