The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-22 00:00:00

ROYAL PRINCESS'S -THEATRE.

THIg EVENING, at 7, AFTER DARK: MrVining. Followed
by THE STR S OF LONDON: Mr Vining; Messrs Philips,
Ashley, Stuart, Rignold, Taylor, Lseson, Eburne ; Mesdames
Barnett, Stoker, Brewer.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, at 7.30, AMONG TIIE BREAKERS: Mr
Clarke. With THE TOODLES. And INO. Concluding with
THY CHOPS OF THE CHANNEL.

CHRISTY MINSTRELS, St. James's Hail, Every Night, at 8
Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 3 and 8 all the year round.

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, Regent's-pack, OPEN daily (ex-
cept Sundays). Admission. is.; on Mondays, 6d. Children
under twelve. ed.

ROYAL ALHAMBRA PALACE. THREE BALLETS
Promenade Concert. Band of 60. Begin at 8. ls. Box-office
open fromll to 4.

4 • -7:019.
'I7A

LONDOJ.V, SATURDAY, JAN. 22, 1870.

an. STAFFORD .NORTHCOTE deserves a word of
praise for administering the coup de grdce to the
reciprocity agitation. His speech on the subject was
marked by no special depth of argurhent, but he spoke
in the full consciousness that his disclaimer
must have important consequences, and yet party
considerations did not deter him from pronouncing
for the truth. As a leading Conservative statesman
Sir STAFFORD has declared in unmistaekable language
that he will have no hand in any attempt
to revive a policy which so long ago proved
disastrous to his party. One point in the
discourse before the Exeter Chamber of Com-
merce is very noticeable ; Sir STAFFORD NommtcoTE
observed that too high expectations had been formed
of the effect of free trade, and the present reaction, in a
time of distress, was perhaps the natural result of dis-
appointment. Such appears to have been the case.
It was thought that free trade, like international
exhibitions, and other new things, would regenerate
the world, whereas it has done no more than give
a great impetus to legitimate commerce. And
thus it happens that those persons who anticipated
the greater result are inclined to deny to free trade
the merit of the lesser, and to complain that
the present commercial depression is solely
owing to our tariff reforms. These reasoners
never consider that the Treaty of 1860 benefited both
countries alike, and that nevertheless a certain
party in each remains dissatisfied. Not only did
French exports to England rise from £16,870,000
in 1859 to £33,740,000 in 1867, but
English exports to France increased in the
same period from £9,560,000 to £23,022,000.
There has been a huge advance on each side, and
the proportionate increase is greater in English
than in French exports. Will the men of
reciprocity kindly shew how an increase in the trade
of both countries could have injured either ? If the
gain had been one-sided there might have been room
for complaint ; but here we have a treaty which has
doubled• the exports of France, and more than
doubled those of England, and yet both Englishmen
avid Frenchmen cry out that they are ruined. Well
may such men as Lord DERBY and Sir STAFFORD
NORTHCOTE shrinkfrom a policy into which Mr. NEW-
DEGATE and Mr. STAVELEY HILL SO presumptuously
rush. Surely the reciprocity leaders wl.d be satisfied
now, and will content themselves with a
legitimate and laudable occupation, which
affords every scope for their energies—
obtaining better free trade bargains from our
neighbours. The Treaty with Franco is capable of
great improvement, though it was infinitely better
than none.

THE doings at the Thorncliffe Collieries must be
considered too much even in these days of high-handed
proceedings on the part of the sovereign people. The
circumstances which have led to open war between
the authorities and a number of unionist workmen
are very peculiar. Messrs. NEWTON and CHAMBERS,
of the Thorneliffe Collieries, growing weary of
trade society interference and dictation, gave all
their men notice to quit some ten months ago. It
does not appear that there was any dispute between
masters and men ; there was no strike impend-
ing, nor had any demands been made on the
part of the employed. But the employers had
suffered from the proceedings of the South
Yorkshire Union, which had on a previous occasion
forced up the rate of wages, and gained a practical
control over the affairs of the firm. In
order to recover the full power of managing
their own concern, and with the view, it is not
denied, of reducing the rate of wages, Messrs. NEW-
TON and CHA3II3ERS turned out all their hands, and
offered to re-engage them on terms which would have
rendered the Union influence of no avail. The
results have been disastrous. The colliers refused
to re-engage on such terms. The employers sought
assistance in other quarters, and the unionists
resolved they should not have it. Some three hundred
non-unionist men were engaged, and the discharged
colliers, who refused to quit the district, straightway
proceeded to make war upon them. For some time
past law and order have been suspended in the
parish of Chapeltown. The unemployed unionists assail
the men at work incessantly, annoy their wives and
children, and outrage the dead on their way to inter-
ment. A guard of police is required by a non-unionist
or any of his family on the most trifling mission.
Organised attacks in great force are quite common.
A little military law, or law of some sort, is a clear
necessity in this region. Nothing that Messrs.
NEWTON and CHAMBERS can have done can justify
these attacks upon men in pursuit of their
daily work. The act of the proprietors
or lesaees looks extreme; but though the full nature
of the Union interference of which they complain
has not been made known, the plain facts
are that they wished to be relieved from
it, and had a right to seek relief if
they chose. Dismissing an entire staff' of workmen
seems harsh ; but if the employed claims the right
to strike—a privilege which must be conceded—
the employer has an equal right to adopt
the expedient of a lock-out. Moreover these
men all had the alternative of re-engaging on
different conditions, if they chose to do so. Their
position could not justify, in any case, an attack
upon the masters. Their conduct to the non-
unionist men is an outrage which the public at
large has as much interest in repressing
a 3 a Penian outbreak. A few more such occurrences
woul l. not facilitate the passage of the labour combi-
nation measure next session, for whilst the men
demi to do as they please with their labour, they
practically testify that the masters have no similar
right.

So intense is the TROPPMANN mania in France
that our excitable neighbours cannot make up their
minds to part with their hero even now. They
watched his minutest actions, and analysed
Lis most indifferent remarks during life; and
they are not less interested in trying to
divine how he felt after death. Did he immediately
die at all ? Is the punishment of the guillotine such
a speedy and painless mode of taking life as is
commonly supposed ? These are the questions which