The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-19 00:00:00

bleeding badly. They then started of throwingdown
walls of bricks. The walls were 100 yards long and
10ft. high. Two men held him whilethe othersthrew
down the bricks. They were machine-made bricks.
As they left he was struck across the back with
something, and he felt the effects now. They said,
" Kill the beggar," and knocked him Against the
cabin door. He was in the doctor's hands afterwards
six weeks, and could not work for 16 weeks. They
killed the dog. Mr. Armitage was building a new
mill, and they were using machine-made bricks.

John Warburton said be was the contractor for
Mr. Benjamin Armitage's new mill when the walls
of the new weaving shed were knocked down, several
hundred yards long. Should say it would take 20
or 30 men. Had never been threatened before this.
He went on afterwards and rebuilt the walls with
machine made Wicks. He left the job when half
finished because of the clerk of the works, who said
the work was not good enough. Was sure that he
was never threatened, and never beard that his men
were. Never said so. Was to be paid by the yard,
but had never been paid yet. The work had never
been measured. Had been in partnership with his
brother, but had dissolved partnership. Had to stop
work once because of the supply of bricks being
stopped. James Kay had him fined £5 for using
machine-made bricks before they would let him have
hand-made bricks. Paid the fine.

By Mr. Barstow—Could not say which were the
cheapest. Did not know whether he was stopped
on behalf of the masters' Union or the men's. James
Kay stopped him.
James Tinsley, sworn—ls an excavator at Pendle-
ton. Remembered the attack on Armitage's watch-
man. Remembered on the Sunday after an ex-
cavator named Smith telling him he killed the dog.
Smith told him Robert Rigby and a man called
Larry were there.

Mr. Benjamin Armitage said he was a cotton
manufacturer at Pendleton, and contracted with
Warburton to build a new mill. Remembered 300
or 400 yards of the walls being thrown down in
May, 1864. Knew a mill had been built before by
machine bricks, and did not anticipate any objection
so much to himself using them as against the makers.
Had to employ carters to cart the bricks, who were
often molested. Had to employ two men armed all
the time to watch, and it cost him £lOO. He was
armed himself. Was never threatened personally,
but understood there was danger. Constantly
saw hand-made brickmakers sneaking about the
premises, but they never would face him. Altogether
the damage to the walls and other losses incidental
to the interference was from £3OO to £4OO. Any
man that was honest would my machine bricks were
better, heavier, and cheaper than the hand-made.
They could be set better, and could be made all the
year round. Determined to finish his mill with
machine bricks and did. Warburton did his work
in a workmanlike manner, and he was sorry he
parted with him.

John Clifford sworn—ls a labourer. In 1864 was
a master brickmaker at Stalybridge, employing nine
men, two women, and two boys. At Whitsuntide
between Friday and Saturday had 7,000 bricks
spoilt because he employed non-Union men. Two
Union men came before that, and said he was
paying too little. They wished him to employ
a gang of their men, but he would not. In Novem-
ber his shed was destroyed by fire, and a valuable
dog was killed. They also spoilt about 2,000 bricks.
Could not form any notion of the number of men
who did it. At the latter end of the same Novem-
ber a bottle was thrown into the room where he
and his wife and four children slept at two minutes
to twelve in the night. The bottle struck a chair
at the window and rebounded into the street, and
there exploded. Another bottle was found buried
in some ashes at Cock Brook, near his place, next
day. It was filled with powder, and had a fuse.
After that employed a watchman. Remained there
till August. Was called " knobstick," and dared
not go through Ashton after dark. Gave up his yard
because he thought it was better than to lose his
life. He was ruined in his business, and was now
a labourer.

The Court adjourned at half-past three o'clock,
n consequence of the absence of a witness for whom
t had waited nearly 20 minutes.

THE EMPEROR OF ABYSSINIA.

The following is a description of Theodore IL,
taken from a book published last year in France by
a gentleman who was for some time French Vice-
Consul at Massowah _ _ _

The man on whose head now rests the lot of
Abyssinia is forty-six years of age. He is of average
stature, of an imposing carriage, and of an open and
sympathetic physiognomy. His features, less regular
than those of most Abyssinians, are expressive and
changeable, and have none of that borrowed dignity
which marks certain Oriental faces with solemn
insignificance. The look is lively and piercing ; the
distinct lines of the profile well express the firm will
which has enthralled the freest and least docile
people of the East. Rigorous towards others in
matters of etiquette, the Negus has emancipated
himself in matters of costume, and affects a negli-
gence which, however, never becomes bad taste.
A simple soldier's coat, a pair of trousers, and a belt
from which hang pistols and an English sword, and
over all a chania, or embroidered toga—this is his
habitual costume. It has sometimes happened that
Europeans presented to him have hesitated among
the crowd of silk pourpoints (balakantis) which sur-
round him, and committed mistakes which have
much diverted him. This disdain of all luxury go-
verns all his acts. The furniture of his tent is of the
simplest, while his residences at Magdala and Debra
Tabor are encumbered with silks and stuffs from
France and India. In the field he wears the coarse
black infantry buckler, while by his side trots the
page charged with his state shield, covered with
blue velvet scattered with imperial lilies. That which
at first is the most striking in Theodore is a happy
combination of suppleness and force—especially of
force. Born proud, violent, and inclined to pleasure,
he commands his passions in this sense—that they
never make him overstep the limits he has marked
out for himself. He has been unjustly accused of
drunkenness, and on this subject the late French
Consul has collected some information. lie is very
sober, eats little, drinks more, but never up to any
marked over excitement, far less to coarse drunken-
ness more worthy of a yolof or Mandingo king than
of a sovereign of Christian Abyssinia. As to women
they have never had the least influence on his public
life, excepting his first wife, the good and regretted
Tzoobedje, for whom he had always a sort of wor-
ship. She had been, however, the faithful com-
panion of his days of trial, and when he lost her 7
or 8 years ago he saw in this death a chastisement
which Heaven inflicted on him for having burned a
woman alive at Godjam. Tzoobedje had kept him
in the simple life and pious practices of an Abys-
sinian of the old time.

A marriage of ambition has been the indirect
cause of the irregularities he has since made public.
To put an end, by a kind of fusion, to the preten-
sions of the family of Oubie, he married, about six
years ago, the daughter of the latter, the young
Toroneche, who had throughout Abyssinia the repu-
tation of an accomplished princess. Witty, accom-
plished, charming, she had scarcely any defect but
the obstinate pride which is a very general draw-
back with Abyssinians of a certain rank. For two
or three years the most perfect union reigned in
this household. Theodore had for his graceful
partner a tenderness in which pride had no small
part, and when she had given him a son he assembled
all the grandees at a theatrical file and showed
them the new-born, saying, " Behold him who will
reign over you." It is doubtful whether the guests
took seriously an observation against which the
elder SODS of the Negus had the right to protest.
One day, on the occasion of the Easter fetes, itegh6
Toroneche asked her husband for the pardon of
some Tigrian chiefs, kept in irons for their
attachment to Oubie. This legitimate demand
excited in the highest degree the suspicions
of the irritable Negus. " what do you
mean ?" he asked. " Do you prefer your father to
me ?" " Perhaps I do," answered the haughty
princess. She had scarcely spoken when a violent
blow fell on her cheek. Bell, who wished to inter-
vene, received another. Oubie, who since the mar-
riage bad been restored to favour, was placed in

it ons, and has not since recovered his liberty.
Moreover, the Negus, to inflict a deadly blow on
:his wife, at once took four favourites from the
lowest ranks. This first explosion over, he dis-
missed them all except one woman of the Yedjo-
Gallas, who has none of the physical or moral
charms of the itegh6, but who skilfully retains her
capricious lover by a number of cares and atten-
tions which the proud Toronecl&e has the impru-
dence to despise. What shows the abasement of
the national character is that those who surround
the Negus have taken his part in the scandal. The
church alone protests by the voice of some venturous
priests. At Easter, Theodore being obliged by
decorum to communicate obtains absolution only
on the condition of promising to change his con-
duct. He then goes to see the itegh6, who still
exercises a certain ascendancy over him—for he is
proud to be the husband of a woman so admired.
He passes an hour in listening to the most biting
and hardest truths, and if he occasionally rages and
threatens, the iteghe reminds him coldly that no
Negus has ever killed his wife, and that she knows
well he will not dare to begin. Theodore then re-
turns somewhat ashamed to his little court, makes
a public confession, declares " that he is really the
most scandalous sinner in Ethiopia—that he is in
spite of himself ; that it is a victory of the devil—
a victory which should make us feel our weakness
and nothingness. Finally, he promises to try and
do better, and dismisses the favourite. Easter over,
he takes her back again, and sometimes adds a
second. In these freaks all with the Negus is cal-
culated for effect. He is theatrical, fakerer, as say
the Abyssinians. It is just the shade which the
great Latin comic writer renders by gloriosus.
When he gives audience to strangers, to chiefs who
come to make submission, he leans negligently on
two magnificent tame lions, while two others roll,
gape, or stretch at his feet; and he enjoys like a
child the emotion which this formidable living deco-
ration inspires in the visitor.

THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMEN7.