The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-18 00:00:00

The Engine-Drivers' Strike.

The position of affairs between the directors of
the North-Eastern Railway and the engine-drivers
and firemen on strike remains much the same as it
was on Monday, with the exception, perhaps, that
the company appear to be rapidly surmounting
their difficulties. The applications for the situa-
tions of the drivers, they allege, are exceedingly
numerous, but, of course, selections have tobe made,
and the greater number of the applications have to
be rejected. Not many of the trains now leave the
stations on the line without two extra persons on
the engines, who are being instructed in engine-

driving. The men out on strike have issued an ap-
peal to those who are seeking employment on the
North-Eastern system. They say :--" We are cer-
tain that you are not reflecting sufficiently in seek-
ing or accepting work on the North Eastern Rail-
way during the present crisis. There are 1,500 of
us who have turned out on that line because we
could not:get our grievances redressed, because the
refusal to redress them was conveyed to us with such
heartlessness and insult that any longer submission
became intolerable. In doing this we have been act-
ing in your interests as well as our own. We are
striving to get the perilous business and heavy re-
sponsibilities of engine-driving fairly remunerated,
and we have asked for no more, not even so much,
as other companies have granted. We appeal to you,
therefore, as one working man ought to appeal to
another, is it right that you should seek to supply
our places upon conditions which we found to be
uo longer bearable ? For, rest assured, whatever in-
ducement may be offered to you, it is only to serve

their purposes in conquering us, and your lot will
become as hard as ours has been. Believe us, there-
fore, fellow-workmen, by accepting employment
under such circumstances you are inflicting a deep
and permanent injury on yourselves as well as upon
us, for if the company would not yield to the mode-
rate claims of men who have served them faithfully
for many years, is it likely they will be more consi-
derate to a number of strangers who have come in to
take their places ? We feel very strongly upon this
subject, and we feel sadly about it too. It is sad
to find that when an effort is being made to get a
better recognition of the rights of labour the chief
obstacle to success should come from working men.
We ask you, then, to consider wisely what you are
doing in this matter, and instead of opposing us
lend your assistance to get proper hours of labour
and fairer pay for the English engine-driver."
More of the men in the Newcastle district have ex-
pressed their readiness to return to their empioyment.
But nothing will be done by the managers until they
receive their instructions from the directors, who

would meet at Newcastle-on .Tyne yesterday. In the
meantime the company are rapidly working up to
their ordinary traffic in goods and minerals. A
threat is held out by the men that if terms are not
speedily made with them by the directors, the North
Eastern goods and mineral traffic will be blocked at
York and Knottingly by the Great Northern and
Midland Counties enginemen, who will refuse to

take goods and minerals along their lines which have
come by the North-Eastern. At Shildon, from which
place most of the mineral traffic which passes along
the Stockton and Darlington line is despatched, the
trains are getting away pretty regularly, and a num-
ber of men from the railway shopshave taken charge
of the engines, and all who know the line have to
go with them to pilot them. The month's pay of the
men on the Stockton and Darlington who have
struck work, and which was due last Friday, con-
tinues to be refused by the company. At Middles-
borough there are plenty of engines, and the com-
pany are nearly able to meet the requirements of
the Tees iron district.

REFORM LEAGUE DEMONSTRATION INiIYDE PARK.
—A meeting of the Council and delegates of the various
branches of the Reform League was held last night at the
Sussex Hotel, Bouverie-street, Fleet-street. Mr. Edmond
Betties, who took the chair, addressed the meeting. He
strongly condemned the late proceedings in the House of
Commons, and expressed a decided opinicn that the time
had arrived for another great demonstration in the metro-
polis. After a long discussion, a delegate moved " That
a demonstration of the Reformers of London be held iu
Hyde Park at 6 o'clock in the evening of Monday, the 6th
of May." An amendment was moved to the effect that
the proposed demonstration should be at midnight. After
a protracted and personal discussion the original resolution
was carried by a majority, and was referred to the Execu-
tive Council to carry it out. The routine business being
transacted, a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the
proceedings.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S. Among the numerous
additions to this exhibition is a model, life-size, of the
late lamented Prince Consort, executed with the greatest
possible artistic skill, and illustrative of his Royal High-
ness as being the originator and founder of international
exhibitions. There have been likewise added new por-
trait models, life size, of her Majesty Queen Victoria ; their
Royal Highnesses the Princesses Helena, Louise, and
Beatrice; also the Duke of Cambridge and Princess
Diary.