The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-27 00:00:00

THE SUN,

for which, however, it was obvious that they had to
thank the union alone.—(Hear.)
Mr. H. GRISiELL briefly seconded the resolution,
which was 'carried unanimously.
Mr. J. SEAWARD, in moving the second resolu-
tion, observed that there was little novelty in a
scheme which was imported from the other side of
the herring pond, and had Louis Blanc for its author.
—(Hear, hear.) In point of fact, the requisitions to
which they were called to submit were just a sort of
machine for enabling busy meddlers to sponge upon
the resources of their fellow-workmen.--(Cheers.)
They were called upon, in justice to themselves, and
by their duty to society, to meet these encroachments
resolution, and he therefore had
with firmness and
pleasure in moving—" That the dependence of the
public prosperity upon the steady and uninterrupted
mechanical industry renders it essential
successful development of practical engineering
pursuit r
thes ui ts
uocfce
enterprise, to the protection of the community from
extortionate prices, of the capitalist from becoming
the slave of his own hands, and of the steady and able
workman from encroachment upon his independent
rights of labour, that the threats conveyed in the
foregoing manifesto of dictation to employers and
tyranny over the employed should be promptly and
peremptorily resisted.'
Mr. BRYAN DONEIN, jun., seconded the resolution,
which was also unanimously adopted.
Mr. R. RAVENHILL said he should have no difficulty
in prevailing on the meeting to assent to the obvious
but important propositions involved in the resolution
he would now read :—" That while the division of
labour, which is essential to the profitable prosecution
of mechanical enterprise, renders the employment of
one denomination of workmen dependent upon the
co-operation of those engaged in other departments,
the threatened strike of the Amalgamated Society, by
withdrawing certain classes of artisens from the fac-
tory, must have the effect of throwing their fallow-
workmen out of employment, by compelling masters
to close their establishments until the combinations of
.killed labour, interrupted by the secession of the
members of the union, can be supplied." The best
character he could give to the persons in his employ-
ment was the great length of time they had belonged
to his establishment, not a few having numbered
fifteen, twenty, and even five-and twenty years in
the service of his firnt.—(Loud. cheers.) But
that was an evidence also that little ground
existed to complain of employers. He could say
that they had alwevs done their best to promote the
comfort and elevate the position of their hands. They
had uniformly listened with willingness to their re-
presentations of grievance, and had never hesitated to
adopt aey reasonable suggestions for their welfare.—
(Hear.) But, in truth, if any men on earth were
without title to complain, it was the persons in the
position of those belonging to this union.—(Cheers.)
The British were the best paid artisans in the world—
(11„0—and these of London the best paid of the
Britiso.—(Erasers.) It was said that when a man
wax.d fat he kicked—(Laughtel)—end it might be
generally observed, that those woo had least reason to
inurraur were the most eloquent of grumblers.—
(Laughter.) Oa the occasion of the .former strike,
masters failed from that absence of combination which
' was necessary to their protection, and which he hoped
would not be wanting on the present occasion.—
(Hear.) He must not, however, forget that on the
occasion of a former turn-out an agreement was made
-between the masters and the men, to which the latter
solemnly pledged themselves to adhere so long as it
was observed by the former. The masters had strictly
and honourably fulfilled all its conditions, and their
reward was the present dictation by the executive
council of the operatives.
Mr. JOEL SPILLER seconded the resolution, and re-
marked that there was a point of concession for the
sake of peace beyond which it was unwise to go, and
that was when good-natured compliance only pro-
duced a fresh stimulus to the spirit of unreasonable
exaction. Although it was perfectly true that no ar-
tisans in the world were so highly paid and so consi-
derately treated as those of London, there was no
locality where concessions had been more unreason-
ably pressed, or, in his opinion, so weakly complied
with as to court further aggressions. He earnestly
desired to disclaim all dictation to the workmen, and
to repeat the regret which had been so properly ex-
pressed, that the misguided men, who were driving
things to an extremity, were visiting the consequences
of their own folly upon their innocent brethren. He
hoped it was not too late by determined opposition, to
induce the union to retreat from an untenable posi-
tion ; but, forewarned, forearmed, they could only
meet the extremity they were called upon to encounter
by the prompt and strong measures recommended by
the committee —(Cheers.)
Mr. T. MAUDSLAT said he now came to what
might be called the point of action, in which was to
be embodied the practical conclusion to be drawn
from the previous resolutions, and that he thought
was very logically deduced from the following very
plain but very effective propositions—That while this
meeting would, lathe spirit of candour and efrlaucUy
remonstrance, admonish the authors of the manifesto
of the pernicious consequences of its enforcement to
their own order, the employers here present, and such
others as shall adhere to these resolutions, take this
earliest opportunity of announcing that solely as a
measure of self defence and a protection to their in-
dependent workmen, they will, in the event of the
hands of any establishment in London, Manchester,
or elsewhere, going out on strike, or otherwise enforc-
ing the demands of the Amalgamated Society on the
31st December, 1851, or at any subsequent period,
entirely close their establishments on the 10th day of
January, 1852, or within one week after such other
period respectively, until the causes which have ren-
dered this step necessary shall have been removed to the
satisfaction of the executive committee to be here-
inafter named. Like his partner the Chairman, he
was no great hand at a speech, as he would very soon
convince them.—(a. laugh.) That was of less con-
sequence, as the resolution spoke for itself. These
strikes and demands about piece-work, and overtime,
and so forth, had already, es they all knew to their
cost, made it but too difficult for masters to support
the competition against which they had to contend.—
(Hear, hear.) By these overbearing combinations,
first the printing trade had gone, then the silk-weav-
ing, then one, then another, until now at last the en-
gineering and machine business was following the
rest, and leaving London—(Loud cries of " Hear,
hear")—to go to places where labour was cheaper and
matters were masters, and not the slaves of their men.
—(Hear, hear.) As an employer of a considerable
number of hands, no one could more regret than he
did the serious responsibility which devolved upon
those whose rash acts and dictation were in the course
of throwing so many out of the means of livelihood ;
but acute diseases required sharp remedies—and he
for one had made up his mind to the conviction that,
by entirely closing their works, they would all the
sooner open them in peace and at liberty.—(Cheers.)
Mr. GEORGE BOTILL, in seconding the resolution,
observed that it was the main point of their labours.
—(Hear, hear.) He was convinced that if the work-
men were allowed to beat them in detail, there would
be no end to their difficulties ; and that if they sub-
mitted now to the dictation which was attempted to
be practised upon them, they may as well shut up
shop altogether.—(Loud cheers.) It was a fact that
it was no use shutting their eyes to, that the en-
gineering trade of London, by the extension of these
trades unions and the weakness of masters, was leav-
ing it.—(Hear, hear.) Without orders to the masters,
what would becomestif the men?—(Hear, hear.) And
if the men went on in this way, how could they be
able to execute orders ?—(Loud cheers.) To save
their men, they must save their trade; to save their
trade, they must protect themselves from terms which
masters in smaller places and other countries were not
subjected to, and to protect themselves from these
terms they must close their works at once.—(Loud
cheers.) That was the plain fact.
Mr. HoDGE approved most heartily of the reso-
lution. Men were driving the work away from
London altogether; he had been sixteen years in
establishments in America, and it was notorious to all
masters there that the troublesome men were uni-
formly traced from the old country. The Americans
were intelligent enough to trace evils to their source,
and they abominated these unions from the hardships
they had entailed on the workmen. He had seen
men in the States working without the least jealousy
beside others who were earning double their wages,
because their superior skill enabled them to do so.
He had observed in London that when men joined the
amalgamated Society their productive energy rapidly
fell
n, so that they did not give within thirty per
°I the same work for the same wages.—(Hear,
had reason to know that the independent
ahnedar.peac
of t4orkmen complained bitterly of the
otY4yrantrioYbe firm IA holdin
ion: and believed that they had
to the resolution, in order
to stifle the combination
on m its birth.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. JOHN PENN
his rm belief that if
w.
once
etatendd
thcelonseec:sietiyr
Leh had been made,
o home at
theyth e y submitted
hadett
better
ro
go
deumws
toatthewvheircyh theyexist-
books.—(Hear.)
Mr. JOEL SPILLER, while he re
which forced them to the conclusion
had arrived, felt that it was essential
ence of their business.
Mr. MAUDSLAY was very certain that there
was no
compromise betwixt the cordial adoption of the rest,_
lution and the entire prostration of the masters.
Mr. RAVENHILL WaS of the same opinion ; they
must be unanimous and they must be decisive.
Mr. WHITWORTH, who had entertained great doubts
of the propriety of the steps recommended, was now
completely convinced that no other course was open
to them.
Mr. SAAIUDA asked whether acme line could not
be adopted which, while it enabled them to resist
members of the union, by dismissing them while nen-
members were retained, would avert the consequences
of this foolish movement from the independent work-
man.

Mr. PLATT explained that at a turn. out at Leethi,