The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-27 00:00:00

The Sheffield Trade Outrages.

MEETING OF TRADES' DELEGATES.
Last evening a numerously attended meeting of
delegates from the London trades was held at the
" Sussex" Hotel, Bouverie-street, for the purpose of
considering the atrocities which had recently been
brought to light by the commissioners at present
sitting in Sheffield, and of adopting resolutions
thereanent.

Mr. G. POTTER, chairman of the London Work-
ing Men's Association, having been voted to the
chair, stated that they had assembled under some-
what painful circumstances. They were aware that'
at the trades conference which took place at St.
Martin's Hall last March, a committee was ap-
pointed to watch over the proceedings of the special
commission which was then about to be issued.
They were also no doubt aware of the terrible re-
velations which had during the past few days been
brought out by that commission. These revelations
were of the most disgracetul character. They had
caused trades unions to be looked down upon, and
in fact they had been the means of causing a trades
unionist to be looked upon as worse than a Fenian.
They had therefore met that night to denounce
these proceedings and the men who had been guilty
of such atrocities. He could say for himself
that in the hottest periods of trades disputes he had
always condemned having recourse to anything
like intimidation and if there was any consola-
tion to be derived out of the present circumstances,
it was that these outrages were confined to Sheffield,
and that the trades unions throughout the country
denounced and condemned them. _ _ .

Mr. CONOLLY (mason) then moved the first reso-
lution, which was in effect that while it had long
been notorious that the management of, and con-
duct pursued by, certain of the Sheffield trades
unions in the grinding trades were such as could
neither be approved nor • sanctioned by trades
unionists generally, more especially the system called
" rattening," the delegates of the London trades
deeply regretted that the commissioners felt it neces-
sary in the discharge of their duty to examine
Broadhead as a witness, thus enabling so great a
criminal to escape the punishment he merited.
Mr. SELF (the Secretary of the Compositors' So -
ciety) seconded the resolution, which was supported
by Mr. DREW (dyer) and Mr. LANG (baker), and
unanimously adopted.
Mr. LEICESTER (glassmaker) next moved the
second resolution, to the effect that they entered
their solemn protest against the attempts now being
industriously made by the opponents -of trades
unions generally to connect them with these out-
rages.

Mr. DUNNING (secretary of the Bookbinders' So-
ciety) seconded the resolution, which was supported
by Mr. BENGIES (brushmaker) and others, and
adopted unanimously. _ _

Mr. SHIPTON (painter) moved the third resolu-
tion,which was that the meeting was of opinion that
all trade societies in Sheffield whose secretaries or
office-bearers have been concerned in any of these
outrages, or who were suspected or tainted with
participation in any- even of the minor crimes dis-
closed before the commissioners in that town, should
be immediately reconstructed ; and that until that
was done no trades union or individual trades
unionist should transact any business or hold any
communication with the societies in question.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. PROUDFOOT,
of Glasgow, was supported by Mr. LEE, compositor,
and adopted.
The last resolution was proposed by Mr. FAIRBAN,
and was in effect that under the trying circumstance
in which trades societies are now placed, the meet-
ing was of opinion that it was the duty of everyreal
trades unionist to rally round and render every
moral support to the executives of the various
unions, and to show to the Government, the Press,
and the public their determination not to allow
these useful and necessary combinations to be made
a scapegoat to suffer for the exceptional crimes per-
petrated by a few evil men in a provincial town.
Mr. WasoN (shipwright) seconded the resolu-
tion. He could not help thinking that if the mem-
bers of the Saw-grinders' Society had looked after
Broadhead as they ought to have done, he would
not have been in a position to accomplish the crimes
he did.

The resolution was adopted, and the proceedings,
which were most unanimous throughout, termicatod
with a vote of thanks to tilt) chairman.

The Late Riots in Birmingham.

-The Recorder for Birmingham (Mr. Arthur
Robt,srts Adams) in his charge to the grand jury
on MoQday, at the opening of the quarter sessions,
said :—Since the time when I last presided here
circumstances of a most deplorable nature have
occurred in this borough. It appears that a cer-
tain persons who considers it to be his duty to
give lectures in various towns on points of belief
held by a large number of our fellow-country-
men, he s, whilst delivering such lectures, made
use .of expressions which have exasperated
to a high degree many of those who hold a diffe-
rent faith, and in some of the neighbouring towns
the Queen's peace bad been actually disturbed,
and. in others it has only been preserved by extra-
ordinary precautions. Now, I hold that the right
of free discussion of all subjects is one most dear
and most to be cherished by us all, and I should
be very sorry to say one word that would seem
to militate against that doctrine, or curtail that
right in any degree ; but, whilst claiming a
right to free discussion, all persons are
bound so to conduct themselves as not to turn
freedom into licentiousness ; and in my judgment
violent attacks, of a personal character, whether upon
individuals or bodies of men, are beyond the legiti-
mate use of freedom of speech, and I deeply deplore
that at the present time men can be found who can
make nse of language which has been stigmatised
by the present Home Secretary as such as could only
be applied to the worst of mankind. Nor do I think
that the object of the lecture is promoted by the use
of intemperate or exciting language, as it is surely
more convincing to a man of reasonable mind to hear
discussion conducted in a sober manner rather than
in a high state of excitement. Yet it does not follow
but that the acts of others have been perfectly un-
justifiable. I hold that no language, however
strong, can justify the use of personal violence, and
still less the demolition of property by bands of
men organised for that purpose. You will have
some bills sent up to you wherein persons are charged
with rioting. Now, the law on the subject is as
follows :—Ti a number of persons congregate to
do any act, and mutually to assist each other,
and they do so in a manner which excites terror in
the minds of reasonable people, they are guilty of a
riot. The learned Recorder, having detailed the
facts of the riot, said—lt is impossible to doubt that
these acts amount to a riot. The inhabitants of the
borough had to submit to the always unwelcome
sight of an armed force bivouacked in the streets.
No language that can have been uttered offers the
least justification for these tumults, and it is neces-
sary that such riotous proceedings should be re-
strained by the strong arm of the law. We must all
feel that this town has been lowered in the eyes of
mankind by these disgraceful proceedings, and we
must all regret that the civil force was unable to
cope with the rioters, and that it was necessary to
call in the military ; but I am glad to find that
it was not required to fire upon the
people, and that in most instances the
simple pretence of the troops was sufficient
to cause order to be restored. It is also deeply
to be lamented that theological discussions cannot
be conducted without using. terms of opprobrium,

and that to confute arguments or assertions stones
should be thrown at, and violence used towards,
opponents. The cause of neither is promoted by
such acts ; but when will people learn the duty of
living in charity with their neighbours? I regret
also to learn that during the time when the police
were engaged in suppressing the disturbances men
banded themselves together apparently with the ob-
ject of assisting the civil force, but, in reality, with
greater effect to carry out a most nefarious design.
I find that shops have been attacked and plundered,
and houses ransacked, their owners having been
driven out by violence. Such acts strike at the very

rootsof society, and it is not to be believed that they
arose from religious hatred, but rather that persons
who live by plunder seized that opportunity of
carrying on their nefarious trade. The learned Re-
cord:r, in reply to Mr. Yeatman, who is engaged to
defend in the case of the rioters, said he would not
proceed with the trials before Wednesday.