The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-27 00:00:00

MOLENA.

But if the Grand Duke of Tuscany is fairly de-
posed after having abandoned his States, and left
them without any organised executive, much more
has the fugitive Grand Duke of Modena forfeited
all his rights to reign over the Modenese provinces.
The Dukes of Este reigned by the will of the free
municipalities, who stipulated for their ancient
rights and privileges. The Grand Dukes broke
faith with these corporate bodies until the French
Revolution swept them away; the provinces of Mo-
dena made part of the kingdom of Italy under the
ffrst Napoleon, and were not dissatisfied; but after
the fall of that Emperor Modena and its States were
handed over as spoil to an Austrian Prince who
was the son of the late heiress of the house of Este.
The reign of Francisco IV., whose first act was to
abolish the Codo Napoleon and all the new regula-
tions, was marked throughout by imprisonments,
deaths, confiscations, and proscriptions in the name
of religion or State policy. The son and successor,
Francesco V., like his father, governed by the aid
of Austrian bayonets, and was the declared enemy
of all change and improvement ; he was carried
away in the storm of 1848, brought back by Aus-
trian soldiers, and promised the people free institu-
tions ; but, like his brother of Tuscany, he revoked
his solemn pledges. He fought against Piedmont in
the War of Independence with the 4,000 volunteers
which the people supplied him with to fight for the
liberties of their common country. At the first re-
port of the defeat of Austria at Montebello he fled,
and took with him out of the public treasury 690,000
livres, and left the public demands for others to meet.
He took away with him the gold, the silver, and the
jewels of the Crown, the gems and medals of the
museums, the valuable codices and most precious
manuscripts of the libraries. Thus equipped, he
repaired to the Austrian camp—not to fight,
but in time to witness the discomfiture at Sol-
ferino. In the face of Europe it is not
possible that this Prince should be restored
by force from without to the throne he has forsaken
and the people ho has wronged. 90,000 votes of the
people, being almost universal suffrage, have closed
I the gates of Modena against the House of Este for
I ever.

THE CHAINMAKERS' STRIKE.

On Monday last, at the Borough Police Court,
Wolverhampton, five chainmakers, in the employ
of Messrs. Bayliss and Co., of Monnnre Green,
named Watts, Trowman, Talbot, Tipton, and
James, were summoned for haVing, on Friday,
October 14, unlawfully neglected their work with-
out,lawful excuse, a2d before the expiration of their
contract.

The case had reference to the impending chain-
makers' strike, and had been adjourned from the
previous Monday, when another workman, named
Dunn, summoned on .a similar charge, consented
to return to his work and pay expenses.
Mr. 11. Underhill appeared for Messrs. Bayliss
and Co., and Mr, John Smith, of Birmingham, for
the defendants.

It appeared from Mr. Underhill's statement that
the men were engaged with the understanding that
before a separation took place between themselves
and their masters they should give or receive four-
teen days' Rotice. They were paid at so much per
cwt. for the chains they made, " best" work being
paid for a higher rate than " common" work. On
the day in question Dunn was engaged in doing
common work, but seeing ."r.P.K. best" on the
iron he was using he at once jumped to the conclu-
sion that he was entitled to the best price. His error
was explained to him, but not being satisfied he
" struck." However, he returned on Saturday and
found a summons out against him, and on Monday
consented, to pay expenses and return to work, but
the others refused to pay expenses. They never-
theless returned to work. But the defendants could
have no reason for striking, inasmuch as when Dunn
struck they were making common chains with iron
the mark on which could not have deceived them
into the notion that they were doing best work.
However, they struck work on Friday, and went
to Dudley to consult the secretary to the Trades
Union. They returned on Saturday, when they
found they had been summoned for their con-
duct. Re (Mr. Underhill) would not ask the
bench to impose any punishment on the defen-
dants, the simple question being whether they
could neglect the service of their masters when they
chose, and to obtain an order for the payment of
the costs in the case, _

Mr. Smith suggested that as the summonses had
been issued hastily against the defendants, and in
order that no breach might be opened between the
men and their masters, he should not ask for the
costs.

Mr. Underhill replied that as the desire of the
men was to gain a victory over their masters, and
not simply to save half-a-crown each, he must de-
cline to accede to the suggestion.
Mr. Bayliss then deposed that he engaged the
defendants, and although nothing was said at the
time about notice, there was a general understand-
ing in the trade that notice to leave must be given
on the part of the master or servant desiring to se-
parate from the other. The men had once previous
to the time in question left his service on strike, but
had previously given 14 days notice. The defend-
ants neglected their work on Friday, leaving chains
unfinished that were required.
Cross-examined—The men were paid when the
chains they had made were weighed. He paid
them money on Saturday last. They were paid by
the piece, and worked when they liked. He had
discharged men without notice who had done their
work improperly.
Re-examined—The men said they couldnot stand
six days work a week, and theygenerally " played"
on Mondays. Witness did not allow them to dis-
continue working at any time, except when the
work on which they were engaged was not wanted.
Benjamin Whitmore, the prosecutors' foreman,
said that Trowman told him, in the presence of the
other defendants, on Friday week, that they had
agreed to strike; they (meaning the complainants)
had-been trying to get Dunn to work best iron for
common ; and that they did not xican to work any
more till the matter was decided.
Mr. Smith contended that no contract had been
proved under the statute, and said further that if
there had been an offence committed the complain-
ants had condoned it, by paying the men after the
committal of the alleged offence. Reverting to
the first point, Mr. Smith said that to bring the
offence within the meaning of the clause of the act
under which the proceedings were taken it must be
proved that the defendants were hired servants, for
a specified time, of the complainants, which was not
the fact in this case.
The magistrates, after consulting a short time
said they were of opinion that the defendants were
legally bound to give notice before leaving their
service,, and not having done so thzy were liable to
the consequences of their conduct.
Mr. Underhill hereupon said that the bench hav-
ing deeiCed that the defendants had neglected their
service, and that the complainants were justified in
taking the course they had done, he did not ask
that the defendants should be saddled with any
costs.

Mr. Smith thanked Mr. Underhill for the course
he had pursued, saying that it had saved him the
trouble of carrying the matter further. However,
a case embodying the same points was now before
the Court of Queen's Bench. •
The parties then left the court.

THE COAL MINERS OF SOUTH LANCASHIRE.—
The coal miners of South Lanci.,3ltire are holding
special delegate meetings at stated periods, for the
purpose, as they declare, of taking measures to im-
prove the miners' condition. They feel, they say,
that the want of education is not only a degradation
to them, but it is also a terrible accessory to the
sacrifice of their lives. They find the irregularity
of the hours of labour is detrimental to them, the
long day at one time and the short day at another
havint, a tendency to establish irregularity in their
ellaxactlers and pursuits. This system is therefore
to be repudiated, as the certain precursor of lament-
able results. They also find the great disparity
in the measuring of their coal to be an evil, giving
dissatisfaction to their employers, being the stum-
bling-block to the establishment of an equality of
wages, without which broils, conflicts, and destitu-
tion must ever exist. To obviate the evils that
spring out of ignorance, they ask, in the forthcom-
ing Act for the Regulation of Collieries, for a coin-

pulsory measure of education ; and to thwart the
effects of the irregular and long-hour system
they ask for an Eight Hours Bill. They seek to
have their material weighed, instead of being regu-
lated by unjust measures as at present. They pur-
pose preparing petitions to Parliament to have these
point introduced into the new act.
THE STRIKE OP LOOMERS AND TWISTERS AT
BLACKEURN.—During the past week Messrs. Hop-
wood and Sons arranged to give their loomers,
twisters, &e., at Nova Scotia, who were out on
strike, the advance sought, and consequently they
have resumed work. The same class of operatives
lately in the employ of the same firm, at the Prop-
field Mill, Grimshaw-park, are still out on
strike, as also are those of Messrs. Harrison and
Co., at Highfield Mill, the respective manufacturers
refusing to pay them at the advanced rate. At a
meeting of the operatives, held on Monday night at
the 'Montague Arms Inn, King-street, it was re-
ported that upwards of £l2 had been collected in
support of the turn-outs during the week. It was
also stated that to-morrow the operatives in the
employ of Mr. Carr, Cleaver-street, whose notice
would expire that day, will come out on strike if
Mr. Carr refuses to give the advance of 7 per cent.
solicited. A deputation from Captain Graham's
Mill, Livesey, reported that the notice would ex-
pire this week, and that as their employer declined
to give them the advance they should come out on
strike. The meeting urged them to do so. A levy
was then made in support of the operatives on
strike, and the meeting separated. Mr. Jacob Pea-
cock, the secretary to the Blackburn Operative
Power-loom Weavers' Association, has tendered his
resignation to the board of directors, who have
accepted it.—Manchester Guardian.