The Sun.
London, England, 1824-10-23 00:00:00

COTTON SPINNERS.

SECRET MEETING of DELEGATES in GLASGOW.
(From the Glasgow Chronicle. )
For some time past the cotton-spinners and
clo.h-tappers of this city have been sending circular letters to
the different trades for the purpose of procuring a General
Meeting of the various operative bodies. Monday night was
the one fixed upon, and the Meeting was held in a dancing
hall, in King-street. The hour fixed was eight o'clock, at
whichperiod,scarcely a dozen were assembled. About half-
past eight the number was increased to about 50, and a person,
who appeared to take an active hand in the proceedings, said
that till the Meeting was constituted, and had chosen a presi-
dent for themselves, lie would move that Mr. Reid, who was
chosen President by the cotton-spinners and cloth-lappers, do
take the Chair ad interim, which was accordingly done. The
same active person then raid that lie understood that there
were two reporters from toe Chronicle Office present, and he
wished the Meeting, before proceeding to business, to declare
whether they be allowed to remain or not. One person present,
oa moving that the reporters do retire, said the motion was one
which, he thought should be decided upon without delay, as he
saw they had already proceeded to business. Another
.person
said, as coming from one of the most liberal Journals in this
city, he had no objection to their remaining. He hoped they
would give a fair report; on which another, with great vehe-
tnhe i e n
persons al.c el%l
I'll3lln " Iriereineair kneod
itehat ht efrmoman tareo ppporretsuetniittysituittio One
of of
.. O
t
the Meeting, and their being all strangers to one another,
could nut know who were friendly to the object of the
Meeting, and who were not. There might be some present
who were friendly to the masters, and who came there to be
spies upon their proceedings. Ile thought, therefore, that the
best way would be to call over the roll of the different trades
to whom letters of invitation had been sent s and upon the
trade being called over, the delegates appointed by the re-
spective trades to atteryl would come forward and seat them-
selves beside the President. Several here again vehemently
insisted that before calling over the lists the reporters should
retire. To this it was answered by others, that the Meeting
not being yet constituted, they had no power to make them
go out; fur, till the roll was called they did not know ,who had
a right to be there, and who had not. A well-dresticd man here
rose up and protested, with great indignation, against the very
illiberal feelings which appeared to influence a number of per-
! sons present. He himself came forward, and he expected that
dim with whom he was to meet would have come forward as
independent tradesmen, in a free, open, and candid manner,
willing to let all the world know their proceedings, and not to
act in the clandestine manner which the motion for the exclu-
sion of the reporters implied. The speaker was here rudely
interrupted by demands of who was he, as probably he had no
more right to be there than the persons under consideration.—
The individual, in reply, described himself as president of the
associated tailors, which title lie established to their satisfaction.
After some further conversation, a list of the trades to whom
invitations had been sent was read, when only about one half of
the trades culled answer to their names; and of this moiety
a majority had only come as individuals, and not as delegates.
The Chairman was then about to open the meeting by a written
speech, when one of the delegates again broached the goes-
non of the expulsion of Abe reporters—a question which
they seemed destined to come in like a chorus .to every part
of their proceedings. Several of the delegates said the presence of
reporters would be a great bar to that freedom in expressing their
sentiment* which they wished to be allowed to exercise. The
Chairman said, as their proceedings were legal, lie thought they
need not be afraid of any person being present. They had no
intention of hurting either master or man. As the question•
for the expulsion of the reporters was about being put, the de-
legate from the tailors again., entered his protest against the
measure. What, he asked, Would the public say if' it were.to
go forth to the world that their 'discussions were of such a na-
ture that they were ashamed to let them be known i' The effbct
upon all their future proceedings would be most prejudicial,—
They would henceforth be looked upon with an evil eye. An
indelible stigma would be attached to all their actions,in a col-
lective capacity, and if they pursued this system of secrecy, the
public would not fail to view them as a collection of Jacobies,
or some such body.--( The speaker was here again interrupted
by loud clamours, and when silence was in some degree restored
he asked)--" Is there any here who would wish to say or do
any thing which they would he ashamed to see in the public
prints ?" One of them here said, " Aha, a bird has whistled
in my ear that much mischief might be done by publicity;
it might prejudice them in the minds of their employers."—
The roll of the trades was then called over, when die saw-
yers, weavers, tailors, colliers, tobacco-spinners, and stock..
mg-weavers, voted that the reporters should remain ; and
the calico-printers, cabinet-makers, joiners, carriers, ma-
sons, founders, tin-smiths, blacksmiths, cork-cutters, nailer:4;
brushmakers, coopers, shoemakers, rape-spinners, saddlers,
re=d-makers, and carvers and ',enders, voted that they
should. retire. On the reporters rising to go away, the Chair-
man addressed.them, and said, " Perhaps when our society is
better organized, we will be happy to see you at our meeting.
In the mean time, I hope you will speak as favourably of us
as possible." To this one of the reporters answered, thatahey,
always reported as faithfully as they could. As to saying any'
thing to their prejudice, in:biseopinion, nothing that they could
say could have a worse efl'ect than :to state the eunple fact that
they had been expelled. To which thedelegate from the moo_
.
elated tailors replied, " You are perfectly right:" The report
term then withdrew at half-past nine o'clock, leaving the presi-
dent of the tailors continuing Ida protest against tile step the
meeting had taken. W"underetand that the meeting separat-
ed without coming.to any resolutions, with the intention of
meeting again on that day fortnight, when no person was to be
ciated,bodies who had sent-them delegates.
allowed to be present but those who had tickets from the assn.
It may be pro-
per to mention, that the weavers were represented on this occa-
eion by two persons belonging to their body, who stated that
they appeared there
information. When therote was called for upon the question
for the only on their own account, and merely foret
turning out of the reporters, Mr. Lockerbie, one of the
g,
delegates for Anderston to the Weavers' Association, and who
had formerly refused to seat himself among the delegates at the
present meetin rose up and
protested against the vote of the
two persons,who had gone there to vote for the weavers, in
direct opposition to the decision ofthe association on Saturday
night. The chairman ordered Mr. Lockerbie to keep silence,
andadded, that if lie was not pleased with the proceedings, he
might go out. In an early part oldie proceedings a resolution
was proposed,which moved that this multifarious meeting lie
called " the Meeting of Associated Trades," but owing to the
interruptions mentioned above, the reporters had retired before
any name was adopted.

Nati T !CAL Dt PATCX.— The Jessie,of Dumfries, Capt,
Aliiroy, sailed on Thursday last for St. John's, Now Bruns-
wick, being her third voyage during the season,