The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-13 00:00:00

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[PRICE SD.

,OPOSED SUS. P te 0,17
_,ABOUR IN COTTON FAC tI
(From the Manchester Guardia -
The allowing letter from Mr.. Mark Philips, in .•
herence to the proposed snipe' ision of labour, h •
anded to us; and as we presttEme it was int e. for
publication, if considered desirable by the parties to
whom it was virtually addressed, we do not hesitate
to give it insertion in our columns, believing, with.
Mr. Philips, that the public discussion of the question,
is highly desirable, and that, -whether the plan pro—
posed be practicable or other wise, good must result
from a careful and dispassionate consideration of it by
all the parties whose interests are most immediately
involved in it :
Snitterfield, Stratford-oal-Avon, Sept. 7, 1847.
Sir,—Your letter of the :3d instant has been for-
warded to me here, inclosing• a copy of the resolutions
passed at a special delegate meeting of the operative
cotton spinners of Lancashire and the neighbouring
counties, with reference to the present depression in
the cotton spinning trade.
I have long been of opicnion myself that nothing
short of a discontinuance of work in the cotton-
spinning factories, until the raw material could accu-
mulate to such an extent as to form a stock equal to
the average quantity left on hand, until the result of
the crop of 1847 could be ascertained, and began to
come forward, could place the trade in a safe position
prospectively.
The delegates appear to take the same view as I
have done, but cannot, any more than myself, be
blind to the great difficulty of accomplishing such an
object. _

_/

The first great consideration -with me has been the
suffering which the entire stoppag e of the mills would
instantly occasion to the unfortunate operatives them-
selves ; suffering aggravated so intensely by the re-
cent enormous price of bread. Tb is consideration has
doubtless been foremost, likewise, in the minds of the
millowners; and I rejoice to find that the operatives
have appreciated their motives, an d tender them their
thanks for having reduced the period of work, instead
of reducing wages merely. I know instances myself
where the losses of millowners, this :year, have exceeded
5001. per week, by continuing theix operations. Ruin
would be the result of such operations in a short time,
and capital sunk is only the destruction of the means
of future employment
The employer and the employed have each of late
been placed in a position of great suffering and mental
anxiety—a position which I can only too painfully
understand, having myself, at no very remote period,
been taught it by experience.
Another great difficulty which presented itself,
some months ago, to the adoption of the course now
recommended by the operatives was, that many mill-
owners had been enabled to secure a stock of cotton at
so early a period as to place them in a position still to
secure some advantage from their operations, or, at
all events, to protect themselves from positive loss.
They could not be expected to consent to stop their
mills, and throw their operatives out of work, to save
others from loss, who had not, like themselves, secured
a stock of cotton beforehand. Again, contracts had
been entered into, and no doubt contracts exist, too,
at the moment we are discussing this subject, which
must be fulfilled before the millowner could close his
mill.

Neither can I shut my eyes to the fact, that the
cessation of the operations of the cottons mills must in-
stantly affect a large body of labour beyond the mere
factory hands. The weaver, the dyer, the printer, the
bleacher, &c., must partake, more or less, in the sus-
pension of labour. The experiment is so bold, that it
requires more consideration than I can give it here,
without the advantage of personal communication
with employers and employed, before:l would venture
to affirm that the remedy would be less formidable
than the disease.

I would observe, however, that the millowners have
now waited many months in expectation of an im-
provement, which has failed to manifest itself; that
these stocks of cotton, bought at an early period, have
now probably very greatly diminished, or, in the
case of many, may now be entirely consumed, which
places all millowners much more on an equality, and
leaves them more nearly in that relative position to-
wardsleach other, both as regards cotton and ma-
chinery which they maintain under ordinary circum-
stances.

Providence has blessed us with an abundant har-
vest ; the price of provisions is falling, or certainly
ought to fall, rapidly to rates at which man can live
in comfort upon honest industry; reckless speculation
in grain has met with its reward. The operative is,
therefore, in a position undoubtedly to take his share
in the experiment with less intensity of suffering than
when provisions were at a famine price.
You wish me, in conjunction with friends whom
you have named, to endeavour to obtain the opinion
of the millowners upon the course proposed by you.
I observe that the Manchester papers have taken up
the subject, and lam glad they have done so. Is it
your opinion that, as an humble individual, no longer
connected with cotton spinning, I can, in any man-
ner, induce the millowners to consider your proposal
with greater readiness than at this moment they are
inclined to do ? Will not the publicity given to the
question through the newspapers effect your object ?
I wish it to be discussed, I recommend it to be dis-
cussed, and I cannot conclude my hasty letter with-
out expressing to you the satisfaction with which I
regard the tone and temper of your resolutions ;
which, whilst they painfully excite my sympathy for
the sufferings of the operative, prove to me that his
intelligence is now teaching him to study the real
cause of his suffering, and to take a comprehensive
view of his position in strict connexion with that of
his employer.
Perhaps you will write to me, and say whether any
steps have been taken in this matter, as your letter,
not having been addressed to me here, has been de-
layed several days before coming into my hands.—l
remain, sir, yours faithfully,
Mr. Thos. Brindle, Bolton.'

MARK PHILIPS.

ELOPEMENT.—During Friday and Saturday much
interest and conversation was occasioned throughout the
neighbourhood of the rural and hitherto quiet village of
Acton, five miles from town on the Uxbridge-road, in
consequence of an elopement which took place on the
morning of the former day. The young lady in question
is one of the eleven children (eight daughters and three
sons) of a wealthy gentleman, residing in a spacious
mansion, with extensive garden grounds, on the side of
the high road at the western end of the village, and who
also carries on a lucrative business in the neighbourhood
of Charing-cross. Miss Georgians is about twenty
years of age, and is a young lady of considerable personal
charms, and engaging figure. It appears that during
the present summer she has, on several occasions, taken
a morning ride by the London and High Wycombe
coach, which for some years has been driven by the pro-
prietor, Mr. Hart, past her father's residence, to which
no objection was made by her parents, it appearing to
improve her health, and up to Friday last not the slight-
est suspicion was entertained by any member of the fa-
mily that she had formed an intimacy of a tender nature
with any individual, either of their acquaintance or other-
wise. On that morning she was found, however, to be
missing from the house, without any person knowing
how or when she left, or being able to account for her
absence. Inquiries were, in consequence, instituted by
her family in the neighbourhood, and it was eventually
ascertained that she had been seen about eight o'clock
proceeding to the lower end of the village, through
which the high road passes, where a fly was drawn up,
into which she was handed by a gentlemanly dressed in-
dividual, who is believed to have been Mr. Hart, and
the vehicle was immediately driven off in the direction
of town. Saturday it was currently stated at Acton
that the fugitives had been married at one of the metro-
litan parish churches, but where they have retired to
spend the honey-moon has not transpired. The bride-
groom is believed to be fifteen years the lady's senior.
The departure of Lord Minto for the continent,
briefly notified in the Court Circular,
to interest others besides the mere amateurso
is an evfenfat
slhillioe
nly_
able intelligence. His Lordship,
believe, is on his
indicativer ter s w ort worthy
at the Court of Pius IX. We
way to Rome, to assume the postaowrfel3croitnifishrmAemdbianssatdnoasrt
quarters
of credit, and by various circumstances,. _
opinion both by positive testimony fro m
inconvenient position in which we have
Roman hitherto stood with regard to the
the intention of our Government to abandon the absurd
and highly
Sovereign.--
Atlas.
The Good Service Pension of twenty-five shillings
per diem has been bestowed upon Major-General Thomas
Hunter Blair, C.B. This distinguished officer served on
the staff in Portugal and Spain in 1808 and 1809, and
was engaged at Roleia, Vimiera, and Corunna. lle re
•
turned home and afterwards proceeded to the Peninsula
in August, 1809, and was present at the capture of
Oporto, the affair of Salamonde, and the battle of Tala-
vera, in which last desperate encounter he was severely
wounded and made prisoner. He subsequently served
the campaign of 1815, and was severely wounded at
Waterloo. Soon after the withdrawal of the allied army
from France he accompanied his friend, Sir Charles Col-
ville, to India, who was then appointed to the command
of the Bombay army, as military secretary. Upon Sir
Charles Colville's return to England, Lieutenant-Colonel
Blair joined his regiment in Burmah, and was appointed
to the command of a brigade. He much distinguished
himself at Ava, and was present at the capture of Mel-
loon.—United Service Gazette.
BRISTOL, SUGAR MARKET, SEPT. 10.—A large
business has been transacted in our Sugar market this
week, at rather improved rates. The demand for re-
fined goods is increasing. Treacle rather dearer.—
Bristol Mercury.
SIGNS or THE TIMES.—The curate of Morpeth,
under the Hon. and Rev. F. Grey, Las circulated a note
earnestly recommending persons to apply to the parish
priest for Absolution. This has been answered by a
Tract, entitled " a Few more Words and Plainer," in
which the author says, it were better for those who
hold such opinions to cast of the name and wages of the
Church they ostensibly belong to, and to assume that
of another, for which their belief is fitted.
CUSTOMS APPOINTIRE.NT.—Her Majesty's Commis-
sioners of Cu.toms have appointed Mr. Luscombe, of the
Custom House, Plymouth, permanent landing-waiter at
Devonport, to be attached to the bonded warehouses at
Muttou Cove.