The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-24 00:00:00

TRADES UNION LEGISLATION.

The Trades Union meeting held in Exeter Hall on
Wednesday was attended by several members of Parlia-
ment. Besides Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., in the chair,
and Mr. Thomas Hughes, M.P,, who addressed the
meeting on behalf of his measure, there were present Mr.
Carter, M.P., Mr. H. Palmer, M.P., Mr. Anderson, Sir
H. Hoare, M.P., Mr. Mundella, M.P., and also Mr. E.
Denison, the Hon. Auberon Herbert, Mr. F. Harrison,
Mr. Vernon Lushington, the Rev. 11. Solly, Mr. Beales,
M.A., Sir George Young, Mr. G. Lushington, Q-0..
Professor Be.;ly, Mr. George rotter, OLC.

A letter was read from Mr. Mill, giving his views on
the subject. The following passage provoked loud
cheers :—" I have been happy to observe that
the indiscriminate prejudice against trades unions
which had been so much stimulated by the atro•
cious crimes brought home to the officers of a few
of them by the inquiries of the royal commis-
sion has been greatly corrected by the general
results of those inquiries, and that the report of the
minority of the commission has been especially useful in
promoting sound views on the subject. I am entirely of
opinion, with the authors of the report, that whatever
still remains objectionable in the rules or practices of any
of the unions may be left to public opinion and to the
general laws of the country, and constitutes no reason
whatever why trades unions should be outlawed, or
denied any of the legal facilities enjoyed by other assn.
ciations established for inoffensive or useful purposes."
Mr. MORLEY, in his opening address, announced his
adhesion to the principle of the measure, though he thought
it wanted amendments. While he was ready, however,
to give unionists their rights, he did not forget that the
non-unionists also had rights. If the unionists were
prepared to receive the assistance of others to
acquire their rights, they must remember that
there were others in their trade who held views
opposed to the unionists, and these had rights too.
Now, for himself, he was ready in all honesty to help the
unionists ; but if 500 in a trade desired to carry out a
certain course, and 50 differed from the 500, the majority
had no right to break the Leads of the minority, and the
unionists must accept the principle that those who
differed from them should be free to differ. This must be
clearly understood, but the principle of converting an
opponent by throwing into his house the means of destroy-
ing life and property must not be allowed, nor must a
man's free rights be interfered with. Every man must be
at perfect liberty to act as he thought lit. Mr. Morley
also warned his hearers to accept the principles that ruled
trade. In many instances unions had restricted trade.
Just now, when foreign competition is so very strong,
conflicts between masters and men were most disastrous.
He, therefore, counselled that the two should come
together and endeavour to agree in general principles.
Nottingham used to be ever harrassed by strikes, but con-
ciliation had now done its work. Mutual co-operation
would always work well.

The first resolution, moved by Mr. WILLIAM NEWTON
and seconded by Mr. DHUITT, condemned the legal checks
to the combinations of workmen.—Mr. THOMAS HUGHES
eulogised the measure which he has framed, and declared
that he would push the measure through the House
of Commons, if possible. "If the bill," he said, " had
been a one-sided, an unjust bill, there would have been
more excitement about the matter ; but as it was only a
moderate measure, good men had supported it, as they only
wanted justice, and every inquiry that had been held
pointed to the same conclusion—from the inquiry of thirty
years ago to the last royal commission—and that conclu-
sion was that the laws in restraint of trade should be
abolished."

The second motion, proposed by Mr. GEORGE POTTER,
approved the bill of Mr. Hughes, and declared that
the meeting would use every effort to obtain the pas-
sage of the measure or a similar one. Among the speakers
to the resolution were Professor Beesly and Sir H. Hoare.

Some disturbance was caused by a working man objecting
to a clause in the bill. The meeting absolutely refused to
hear him.

The subscriptions in Sunderland, York, 'Whitby,
and Newcastle for Mr. Hudson, the ex-railway king, have
reached £2,500.

The one hundredth annual asociation of the New
Connexion of General Baptists is being held this week in
Sheffield. The annual address was delivered on Tues-
day, in Cemetery-road Chapel, by the Rev. J. Salis.
Lury, M.A., President, who said the association now met for
the first time i❑ this town. The rev. gentleman descanted
at great length on the various fields of operation which call rd
for Christian work, and the Lc( essity for every memb, r of
the Church engaging in the work for which ho is best
adapted.
VANDALISM. THE GRAVE OF " JEANIE
DEANS."—As most of our readers are aware, the author of
" Waverley " • erected a handsotne tomb: one in the
romantic churchyard of Irongrey over the grave of Helee
Walker, the prototype of the imaginary Jeanie Deans in
perhaps one of the greatest of his fictions, " The Heart of
Mid-Lothian." We were sorry to hear—and so late as
Saturday last to see—that the bases of the uprights or
supporting pillars at either end of the tombstone have
been ruthlessly chipped and broken (the pieces being taken
away), evidently by some selfish and soulless relic-limiters,
who may have visited the grave of the humble heroine.- -
piEnfrics courier„