The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-04 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4, 1867.

The Reform Fête and Banquet Committee are
determ:ned not to spare any efforts to render their
undertaking as successful as possible. They have
Solicit ed the aid of Earl-RUSSELL and Mr. GLAD-
STONE, and these distinguished statesmen have
taken advantage of the opportunity thus afforded
to them in their replies to give vent to some of
their feelings of disappointment at the character of
the Reform Bill. Earl RUSSELL will be in Ireland
at the time fixed for the entertainment to take
place, and has, therefore, sufficient reason for re-
fusing the invitation held out to him. The noble
lord goes on to say that he must be candid, and his
feelings are not those of rejoicing. " I must add,
therefore, that I am too uncertain what effect
Lori DERBY'S leap in the dark may produce to be
a fit and enthusiastic companion for Ooze who
wish to celebrate the paising of the
Reform Bill of 1867." This is decisive

at any rate, and very likely is more to the
point than many of the speeches that will be
delivered on the occasion referra to. IVe never
expected that Earl RUSSELL would be pleased if
any IZ,,,form Bill were passed, but we hardly thought
he would be so extreme as this. The noble lord is
no flatterer, far from it ; he speaks his mind in a
downright, 'simple, straightforward fashion, and he
is certainly by no means sanguine respecting the
present Administration. On the contrary, he men-
tions many measures which he deems to be
necessary for the welfare of the country,
and then adds, " Upon all these mea-
sures the present Government will, I conceive,
use the iefluence which they have acquired to resist
and suppress those remedial schemes, which, in my
julguieut, are absolut4 essential for the future
welfare and honour of the United Kingdom." It.
would be easy to say that these are not generous
terms in which to speak of political opponents
when there is no particular question uppermost to
engage attention or to exrAte controversy; but
we can go further, au] sAlanguage
he: that the
he:e used is not just. This time last year, had he
been called upon to speak prophetically, would

The Non-Unionists of Staveley have been hold-
ing festival, and a very large and influcncial meet-
ing was held yesterday at Barrow-hill. The occa-
sion was the presentation of a testimonial to Mr.
Maructiam, the managing director of the Staveley
Coal and Iron Company, as a recognition of his
labours in the popular cause. Both employers and
men have had a good deal to contend against in the
fulfilment of their determination to preserve their
independence, and having so far achieved a
decided victory they have good right to meet
and rejoice together over their successful cham-
pionship of the rights of British industry. It
was not to be supposed that so important a move-
ment would be left unmolested by the Trades'
Unionists, who desire to see every man brought into
subjection to an intangible despotism. Accordingly
last year a great demonstration was made at Chester-
field with the avowed object of forming a Miners'
Union in that part of the country. Great agitation
prevailed at Staveley, and many men left the works.
However, the non-unionists held a meeting and en-
rolled themselves in vindication of what they very
justly called " the freedom of labour." They were
warmly supported by the directors of the company,
who established an accident fund of their own in-
dependent of the men, and promised liberal contri-
butions to the funds of the association. The men
are much gratified with their triumph over the
attempt to dictate to them, and yesterday they pre-
sented a token of their satisfaction to Mr.
MAnKnAm, who has assisted them zealously
throughout, while at the same time they in-
augurated the establishment of a mechanics' insti-
tution. The meeting was a very large one, and
in addition to the actual employers of labour who
were present, many of the principal inhabitants
of the neighbourhood were attracted by the pro-
ceedings. The Duke of DEVONSHIRE, who was
among them, made a sensible and appropriate
speech, which, like the other addresses delivered
both by workmen and masters, was listened to
with great attention. The plain, common sense of
the Staveley speakers ought to have weight with
their fellows in other parts of the country. One
of them named Tuomas HENSIIAW shrewdly said
OM the agitators -of the unions were not
seeking the interests of either side, but
of themselves, and that, while the men
had often gone supperless to bed and found no
breakfast when they got up, the chief delegate was
getting his £3 per week. They had resolved to
break off this tyranny, and, at their own expense,
commenced an agitation for its overthrow. Finding
the hours of labour too long for the lads, they had
gone to the masters and asked for a reduction,
which was granted them. Masters and men thus
meet half way, and the result is equally creditable
and profitable to both. Mr. JACKSON, had a
word of warning well worth listening to. He had