The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-27 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

The Standard recurs again to the Preston strike,
and again condemns it. Our contemporary points out
that thousands will have to pay the costs of
this strike who have nothing whatever to do
with it. Thus, those who work the steam
machinery must stop when the weavers
stop. Every man, woman, and child indirectly
engaged in the manufacture, yet not exactly con-
fleeted with the trade, is thrown out when the
factory is compulsorily closed. This being true,
the operatives are creating pauperism, other than
their own, in Preston. They are ready to endure.
We have every sympathy with them. Doubtless
they will receive help in that which they regard as a
righteous struggle from their fellow-labourers in the
same field, and the prevalence of a common senti-
ment among those who are employed in the same
industry is highly creditable. But where are the
" conciliators ?" Where are the men to teach these
people the true economy of their lives ? Who will
argue with them that, if cotton be dear, prices in the
raw markets high, demand in the manufactured
market depressed, business everywhere depressed,
and profits at zero, it is better for them to float upon
the level of affairs than to wilfully sink down towards
the workhouse ?

Pauperism still occupies a certain amount of atten-
tion. At a meeting of delegates from the several
vestries and district boards of the metropolis, held
on Thursday, in the: St. Pancras Vestry Hall, a dis-
cussion took place on the increase of pauperism in
the metropolis ; and with the view of exercising a
more strict supervision over the expenditure, it was
resolved that a Standing Metropolitan Vestry Com-
mittee should be formed to watch the proceedings in
Parliament of those public bodies which have the
control of the taxation, and to report the results of
their labours from time to time to their several
boards and vestries.

" CONSPIRACY" IN FRANCE.

The new law of public meeting in France is admirably
calculated to develop the Government's powers of " repres-
sion." Its provisions give opportunity for license, and are
yet far from rising to the standard of liberty as recognised
in England. The law allows public meetings to be con-
vened freely, but no politics must be discussed, and a com-
missioner of police must be present. This functionary
has power to dissolve the meeting whenever politics are
infringed upon, or it becomes in any way dangerous to
public order. The result has not been satisfactory.
Possibly it would not have been safe to have conceded
full liberty to discuss political affairs, but this half-
measure has decidedly given rise to abuses. The speakers
trench upon the domain of politics at every possible oppor-
tunity; every chance is embraced of casting odium upon
the Government, and the Emperor and his family are con-
stantly alluded to by innuendo. The most violent Socialist
speeches have been made. The law at length promises to
bring matters to a crisis of some kind, for of the
various meetings which have been convened in Paris
during the last few days, a large majority have
been dissolved. Finally, three persons were arrested on
Wednesday charged with delivering seditious speeches ;
and one journal even hints that the arrests were made in
consequence of the "discovery of a conspiracy against the
State." This looks rather ominous.