The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-28 00:00:00

WORK AND TVAGES.

With the view of avoiding a disastrous conflict in the
buildirg tra(le, an appeal is about to be issued by the Earl of
I:chileld, Mr. Hughes, M.P.,Mr. Mundella, M.P., Mr.llupert
Kettle, and others who have interested themselves in labour
questions, suggesting that the points in dispute should
be submitted to a court of arbitratioh in which masters and
men will be equally represented. It is much to be hoped
that this appeal will be successful.

A meeting of miners, held at Tinsley Park Colliery, pos-
sesses (says the SheCeld Independent) peculiar significance. A
number of colliers employed in the various pits belonging to Mr.
Huntsman are on strike. The meeting to which we now
refer was a meeting of the men who have refused to Join in
the strike, and who have continued to work in the pits.
They assembled for the two-told purpose of express-
ing their entire confidence in and satisfaction with
the treatment they have received from Mr. Hunts-
man and his manager, Mr. Chambers, and of considering
the propriety of establishing in connection with the col-
lieries a free labour society. About fifteen men ad-
dressed the meeting, who were unanimous in expressing
their satisfaction with the treatment and remuneration
they received from Mr. Huntsman. It was ultimately re-
solved with like unanimity that a deputation should be
chosen to meet Mr. Huntsman and Mr. Chambers and solicit
them to make Tinsley Park Colliery a free labour colliery,
the men employed there to have no connection with
the South Yorkshire Miners' Association. Tho movement
thus initiated is similar to the non-union movement which
took place at Stavcley during the colliers' strike in North
Derbyshire, and which resulted in crushing out the union
movement altogether.

PARLIAMENTARY AND MUAICIPAL

ELECTIONS.

The Select Committee of the House of Commas on
Parliamentary and Municipal Elections reassembled on
Tuesday, the Marquis of Hartington in the chair. The
Mayor of Ashton was the first witness called. He desired
to contradict the statement made by a former wit-
ness from Ashton—Mr. Thompson—that the treating
at the parliamentary election was all on the
side of the Liberals. On the contrary, the Conservative
party engaged all the public-houses as committee-rooms
except two, which were engaged by the Liberals. He
also denied that it was true that the electors were
intimidated by the officials of the Town Council.
Treating was very rife in the borough of Ashton. The
witness went on to state that the amounts returned at the
last election for hired rooms were—on the Conservative
side, £172 12s. 2d., and on the Liberal side, £33 Bs. 2d.
llc desired to give utterance to a very strong opinion
that it would be a good thing if measures of any kind
could be adopted to put an end to treating, which at
municipal elections prevailed on both sides.
By Mr. Locke : The amount of 2172 12s. 2d. spent by
the Conservatives for hired rooms was almost entirely for
public-houses and beerhouses. There were a few rooms
of another kind used. Upon all the public-houses engaged
bills were put, stating that they were committee-rooms.
The majority over Mr. Milner Gibson was rather over
200. About 4,000 persons were polled.

To Mr. Cross the witness said that it was difficult to
prosecute persons guilty of corrupt practices at elections.
There ought to be a public prosecutor.
By Mr. Whitbread : Would be glad to have a law passed
by which a candidate who could prove corrupt practices
against his opponent might take the scat. This would con-
duce to the detection and overthrow of corruption.
The price charged for the use of committee-rooms at
public-houses was 12s. 6d. per day at houses of a rental of
50 per annum. This was so exorbitant a sum, seeing
that it was possible to hire a room at an hotel for an hour
for rs. for professional purposes, that the witness could
not help feeling that it was merely colourable to say that
the public-houses were engaged as committee-rooms.

By Mr. Brand : The corrupt practices in the past were
allowed to go by without any attempt being made to
punish them. Had Len heard the magistrates, both
Liberal and Cone: vative, compla'n cf tl e corrupt
practices. The town was tired of the ii p per proceed-
ings which prevailed at elections.

Mr. Davis, publisher, of Cheltenhatr, was the next
witness examined. There were, he said, five wards in the
borough for municipal purposes, and six for parliamentary
purpOses. Cheltenham was governed by town commis-
sioners, in connection with whose election during the
last six or seven years there had been a good
deal of corruption in vogue, which was carried
on by means of beer-tickets. This practice
existed chiefly amongst the lower class of the people.
The custom originally was to give a ticket to a
voter, on the production of which he was supplied at a
public-house with a quart of beer. Latterly, the quantity
which the tickets represented had risen to two
or three quarts, and at the last election a ticket
was worth a couple of shillings. It did not
always happen that the persons having the tickets got the
beer, for they would frequently part with them to other
people. Ladies were allowed to vote for the election of
commissioners, and experienced great difficulty in doing
so, in consequence of the noisy behaviour preva-
lent in 'some of the wards. The voting was
conducting by means of voting-papers, which had to be
handed in personally. A good deal of political feeling
was exhibited at these elections, and they materially
Affected the parliamentary elections which followed.
tVituess strongly advocated the appointment of a
public prosecutor to correct corrupt practices at elections.
The municipal and parliamentary constituencies ought,
he thought, to be coextensive. Was opposed to open
nominations, believing that this gave rise to much
expenso and corruption. Candidates ought to be nomi-
nated a month, or at all events a fortnight, prior to
election. Did not object to a public declaration of the
poll.

The Solicitor-General for Scotland has been
appointed a member of the Scotch Law Courts Com-
mission.

There were no fewer than 230 prisoners entered
in the books of the Liverpool Pollee-court on Monday
morning, nearly 180 of whom were drunk when appre-
hended.

The Suffolk magistrates have resolved to con-
centrate the police forces of the county under one single
administration. With this object a chief constable
will be appointed next month for the whole county.
The Liberals of Cheltenham have formed a
registration society in order to keep the representation of
that city in the hanls of the Libzra.l party. It is stated
that in the course of a few days the prospectus will be
issued of a similar organisation for East Gloucestershire,
whereby it is hoped to wrest one of the seats from its Tory
occupant.

DR. RALEIGH AND HIS CONGREGATION. The
Rev. Dr. Raleigh, of Hare-court Chapel, has made an
arrangement with his church, whereby he may be relieved
from conducting more thali one service in the same place
of worship upon the Sabbath. This object is to be carried
out in a manner not commonly pursued. There are two
mission stations supported by the church, both of which
are flourishing. For the immediate future Dr. Raleigh
will carry on the service in one of these stations, in con-
junction with a coadjutor to be appointed, but who has
not yet been selected. To afford the permanent relief
required, the congregation has determined to erect another
chapel in a suitable locality in London (hereafter to be
chosen), capable of accommodating 1,6J0 persons. By the
erection of this chapel, a sufficient revenue, it is expected,
will be obtained to meet the increased expense of sup-
prting a coadjutor of suitable ability. When the new
chapel is completed, the smaller mission stations will be
carried on by their own superintendents.
THE YEAR 176 i). —Apropos of thio centenary
celebration in France of the birth of Napoleon 1., Mr.
Frederick J. Jeffery, of Liverpool, made a suggestion to
the members of one of the learned societies in that town
the other evening that a festival in commemoration of
Wellington and a host of other eminent British subjects,
who were born in the year, ehauhl be held. In such an
event English literature might be represented by Mrs.
Opie and Mrs. Marcett ; architecture by Welby P ugin ;
painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence, R.A.; and mechanics
by James Watt, the younger. Our military power would
l'e with the Iron Duke, and our prowess at sea with
Hardy, Nelson's captain at Trafalgar. In 1769 were also
born Forsyth, who invented the percussion cap ; Lord
Abinger, Chief Justice of England; the Rev. William
Jay; Matthice, the philologist ; and Sir M. J. Brunel, the
designer of the Great Eastern. The suggestion was very
eavourably received, - • -