The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-20 00:00:00

Combinations and Strikes.

At the second ordinary meeting of the Statistical
Society for the present session on Tuesday evening
—Col. Sykes, M.P., one of the vice-presidents of
the society, in the chair—there was a pretty nume-
lons attendance of fellows. Several gentlemen
having been elected fellows of the society, and other
business having been disposed of, Mr. Jacob Waley,
M.A., read a paper " On Combinations and Strikes,
with reference to the Rate of Wages." The lec-
turer in the first instance considered the question
whether strikes were in any case economically jus-
tifiable, and laid down the principle that unless by
this means the workmen could obtain any important
advantage, or any advantage which could not be
more readily and beneficially obtained by other
means, strikes could not be economically justified.
Upon this point there existed the greatest difference
of opinion. Some persons who were enabled to
speak with authority upon the subject had asserted
that strikes were never attended with advantage to
the workmen, while the investigations of the Social
Science Association and the authority of other
writers tended to an opposite conclusion. The in-
fluence of a strike depended a goad deal upon the
condition of a trade. In some instances, no doubt,
demands for the increase of wages might prevent
the profitable carrying on of a trade ; but in the in-
stance of the building trades, the iron and coal
trades, the ceramic manufactures, and the cotton
manufacture, there had been, notwithstanding the
disturbing influence of strikes, a constant increase
of production. There was also a good deal of doubt
as to whether Wages were ever increased or the hours
of labour diminished except through the influence
of strikes; and the balance of evidence citqd by Mr.
Waley appeared to be that such increas3 of wages
or diminution of hours of labour were generally ob-
tained as the result of strikes. Strikes against the
introduction of.tnachinery were always unjustifiable,
and could not be too strongly condemned, and,
therefore, it was not necessary to consider them
minutely in reference to this question. In order to
deduce some inferences as to the real influence of
strikes, the lecturer briefly narrated the circum-
stances of several important strikes. Among these
were the engineers' strike in 1832, the Preston
strike in 1853-54, that in the building trades in
London, 1859-60 ; the flint-glass makers' strike in

JI
' 18.58-59 ;* that of the Staffordshire iron trade in
1865 ; the recent strike and lock-out in the Potte-
ries, which terminated last November ; the strike in
the northern iron trades, which terminated on the
23d of the same month. The more these great
strikes were considered the more, he said, was one
impressed with the loss and misery which they oc-
casioned to both masters and workmen. They might
well be compared to war, and it should not be for-
gotten that the prize for which both sides were con-
tending might be borne off for the benefit of a third
party. The frequency of strikes •argned some un-
soundness in the relations between masters and
workmen, in which the blame was not all on one
side; and the magnitude of the evil bad naturally
excited a desire to find some remedy for it. At one
time great importance was attached to the establish-
ment of courts of conciliation, on the model of the
French conseils des prnd'hommes, but after further
consideration it was found that these tribunals had
no judicial authority, and it was recognised that
the establishment of tribunals of arbitration, which
should fix rates of wages or hours of labour, would
be incompatible with the freedom of bargaining
between employers and employed. At present
some attempts were being made to obviate the
evils of strikes by allowing workmen to
participate with their employers in the busi-
ness which they were mutually engaged in
carrying on ; and, although there had not yet
been sufficient experience to show how this system
would operate, it was possible that in some form of
combination of the sort the solution of the question
might be found. Upon the whole, the conclusions at
which the lecturer arrived were that strikes might
be justifiable, or even necessary, and that, to pre-
veht their occurrence or mitigate their evils, greater
forbearance than had hitherto been exhibited should
be shown to each other by both masters and work-
men, and that trades' unions should avoid meddling
and'officiou.s interference between them. The read-
ing of the paper was followed by a discussion, in
which the views of the lecturer were pretty gene-
rally accepted as sound, and the proceedings termi-
nated with the usual vote of thanks.

The Institution of Civil Engineers.

-- -+ -

The annual meeting of this institution was held
on Tuesday-111r. Charles 11. Gregory, vice-presi-
dent, in the chair.

In submitting a report upon the present state of
the institution, the council commented upon the in-
creased interest manifested in the meetings by the
members of all classes, from which it was inferred
that the subjects selected for consideration had met
with approval. Although, from the length to which
the discussions had been extended, it had only been
possible to bring forward a limited number of papers,
yet it was but fair to the authors to state that others
-of equal merit had been thin unavoidably postponed.
There had been 24 ordinary general meetings, when
10 papers were read, all of which had been deemed
worthy of reward. It was remarked that, as a rule,
the communications, both written and oral, were ac-
companied by an elaboration of detail, and by a
profuseness of illustration, testifying at once to the
care with which they had been prepared, and to the
desire to sustain the character of the proceedings.
During the recess all the volumes of the minutes of
proceedings that were in armar, as wellasthevolumes
for the last session, had been issued to the members.
These volumes together contained 2,325 pages of let-
terpress. and 90 plates, besides numerous woodcuts.
Since the last annual meeting there bad also been
printed and circulated to the members a new cata-
logue of the library, in itself an Bvo. volume of 412
pages. With regard to a resolution passed at the last
annual general meeting, the council stated that they
had still under their earnest consideration the ques-
tion of the best and most feasible means for provid-
ing additional accommodation for the meetings and
for the other uses of the members of the institution,
and that they were engaged in the investigation of
the various plans which had been suggested for that
purpose—but they were of opinion that it would be
premature to enunciate any definite views in the
temporary absence of the president, of whose fur-
ther advice the assistance the council were anxious
to avail themselves. The council had much pleasure
in complying with a request made by the Lords of
the Committee of Council on Education, to allot
to the intending exhibitors of machinery in the
British section of the Paris Universal Exhibition of
1867 the space sot abut by the imperial commission
for that purpose. The council regretted that, as
the actual net area available for division was only
one-tenth of that asked for, 'they were unable to
laccede to a larger number of the applications, and
that they were obliged greatly to limit the space
assigned in other cases. In order to show the pro-
gress of the institution during the latter half of its
existence, extending over a period of 241 years, or
from June 30, 1842, to November 3), 1866, two
tables had been compiled, from which it ap-
peared that at the former date the total number
of memberi of all classes was 525, as against
1,339 at the 30th November - last, showing an
actual increase of 814, or 155.2 per cent. The
annual increase per cent. during the past six years
had been 1.61, 5.81, 1.00, 5.99, 9.86, and 11.39
respectively. During the same period the honorary
members had been relatively diminished from 6.6
to I's per cent., and the graduates from 12,9 to
0.5 per cent. ; while the number of members had
been increased from 34.5 to 40.4 per cent., and of
associates from 45.9 to 57.6 per cent. Or, in ether
words, taking the honorary members and the gra-
duates together,
they bad, at the first date re-
ferred to, amounted to nearly one-fifth of the
whole number of members, whereas at the present
time they only constituted the one-fiftieth part of
that number. Nearly one-half of the members and
associates were readent in London and its vicinity,
I one-third in the other parts of the United King-
Idom, and the remainder' in British possessions
abroad and in foreign countries.- An analysis of the
statement of receipts and expenditure for the year
ending Nov. 30, 1866, showed that there had been
received, including in each case dividends on invest-
ments, £4,945 on the general account, £994 in re-
spect of the building fund, and £360 on trust funds,
making together £6,299. The expenditure had been
£4,153 on the general account, and £l3l for pre-
mium under trust, while £2,971 had been invested,
on different accounts, in Consols, and in debenture
stocks of the Great Northern, the North Eastern,
and the London and North Western Railway Com-
panies. This showed an excess of disbursements
over receipts of £956, by which amount the avail-
able balance at the bankers had been reduced. The
nominal value of the different funds now belonging
to the corporation together amounted to £26,709
11s. 2d. as against £24,983 ls. 6d. at the date of the
last 'report.
After the reading of the report Telford medals
and Telford premiums of books were presented to
Messrs. R. Price Williams, J. Grant, and E. Clark ;
a Telford medal to Sir C. T. Bright, M.P. ; a Tel-
ford medal and the Manby premium in books to Mr.
R. Manning; and Telford premiums of books to
Messrs. W. Humber, G. R. Burnell, W. Ridley,
T. A. Rochussen, and AV. H. Mills.
The thanks of the institution were unanimously
voted to the president for his attention to the duties
of his office ; to the vice-presidents" and the other
members and associates of council for their co-ope-
ration with the president, and their constant atten •
dance at the meetings ; to Mr. C. Manby, honorary
secretary, and to Mr. J. Forrest, secretary, for the
manner in which they hal performed the duties of
their offices ; as also to the-auditors of the accounts
and the scrutineers of the ballot for their services.
The fullowing gentlemen were elected to fill the
several oflices on. the council for the ensuing year :
John Fowler, president ; Joseph Cubits,
Gregory, Thomas 1-1 --awksley, and John C. nu. ton
Scott Rus-
sell, vice-presidents; James Abernethy, Witham
Henry Barlow, John Frederic Bateman, Nathaniel
Beardmore, JameS Brunlees, Thomas Elliot Har-
rison, George Willoughby Hemans, John Murray,
George Robert Stephenson, and Charles Vignoles,
members ; and the Lord Richard Grosvenor, M.P.,
and Charles Lucas, associates.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—It has been
arranged that the oration in honour of the memory of the
late John Hunter shall be delivered on the 14th of February
next by Professor Hilton, F.R.S. Henceforth an oration
will be delivered in alternate years.

HEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET, dicator of the rights of the House, as Mr. Lo WE
T
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Buckstone, undoubtedly is, for hitherto the demagopies
Tins EVENING, A GAME OF SPECULATION.
Messrs. C. Mathews, Chippendale, Kendal,Rogers,. Clark,
have had nearly all the say on their side
I;ra.id &a. ; Mesdames I. R Wright,ll,zwtlliam, Laws, Sidney.
during the recess, and if not contradicted they
Followed by ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Mr. Chas.
mainewp, Mr. Compton, Mr. hogers, lir Clark, &c. ; Mes-
dames C. Mathews, Hill, Wright, Colman, Sidney, &c. get more and more extreme and excited in their
assertions and comments. Mr. LowE declared that
To conclude with FISII OU T OF WATER. Mr. Compton
Commence at Seven. the challenge he had given had never been replied
to, for all he asked for the House of Commons was
that people should point out, in a definite manner,
what were the faults that existed in it, and state
what improvements they wanted. We certainly
concur in this expression of the right lion.
gentleman. "In my humble judgment,
the house of Commons has not during
the recess received that treatment from as-
sembled Englishmen to which its glorious past and
its most useful and industriou3 present fairly entitle
it." The style which many speakers have adopted
has been indeed most reprehensible, and it seems
strange that their exaggerated remarks should have
met with approval ; but when people get excited
upon any topic they are apt to let prejudice run
away with their judgment, and so it has been in this
instance in a very conspicuous manner.
Mr. LowE continued to find a good deal to say
in favour of that assembly which has been so
fled and misrepresented in certain quarters. In the
first place, it is an eminently intelligent assembly; in
the next it is eminently business-like ; and it is also
an orderly assembly. It contrives to preserve due
decorum " without the necessity of ringing a
bell, or of suspending its sittings for half
an hour every now and then." " I will say,"
continued the right hon. gentleman, " that as a
body we are pure, our hands are clean, no ' wire-
pullers,' no lobbyers frequent our lobbies to induce
us to prostitute our high offices for the purpose of
individual gain." It is certainly safer to be too
slow than too fast in making comprehensive changes,
and it is better to be too sparing of criticism than
to deal in sweeping censure and wholesale abuse.
If anything more than another has re-
tarded the rerult of Reform it has been the
senseless clamour raised by those who have gone
such lengths in their words that cautious folks dread
their acts. As Mr. LowE said, "If you injure the
House of Commons, you injure every department of
the public service, from the highest to the lowest ;
and it is of great consequence to consider not only
the evil thus directly occasioned, but also the grea
amount of indirect mischief that would be wrough
by having inconsiderate changes."

_Ai R. SOTHERN.—On BOXING NIGEIT, in
_ a New Comedy, "A LESSON FOR LIFE," by Tom
Taylor, Eayrr,arket Theatre.

HEATRE• ROYAL ADELPHL
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
:NILS EVENING, 1-,t Seven precisely, TILE BARON'
r
ABROAD. Miss Roden.
Aitcr which. at Eight, A SISTER'S PENANCE. Miss
Rate Tt'rry, Miss Itughes, Miss Emily Pitt, Mr. Herman
Vain ; Billington, Ashley, J. A. Shaw, Stephenson,
.3,burne, an..l R. /tom, r.
To conclwi,'' with A PAS DE FASCINA.TIOI. Miss
Furtado. Miss Emily I'ltt. Messrs. Eburne, Abiltly, Romer,
C. J. Smith.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE,
New Manavment —Boxing Night.
MR. AND AIRS. C tiARLES AIATHEWS.

OYAL STRAND THEATRE
Itbole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Swanborough.
THIS ENING, NEIGHBOURS. Messrs. Parselle,
Belford, and G. Murray ; Misses Swanborough, Johnstone,
and llughen.
After which. will be produced the Grand Burlesque of
KENILWORTH : Mes,rs. 7 borne, Jamev, and Fenton;
3fesdames Swanboroucb, Johnstone, and Raynham.
To conclude with BOOTS Al' THE SWAN.
Commence at Seven.

IJOLBORN THEATRE ROYAL.
Sole rroprietor and Manager, Mr. Sefton Parry.

'I'IIIS EVENING, a new Farce, MY TURN NEXT. Mr.
Delmore, Miss Foote, miss Lennox.
After which, Boucicanit's drama of FLYING SCUD.
Messrs. Neville, Belmore, Blake. Garden,Yollaire ; Mesdames
F. Josephs, C. Saunders, B. Foote, Raym nd.

rpHEATRE ROYAL, ASTLEY'S,
1 Under the Sole Management of Mr. W. 11. C. Nation.

This Th-atre is CLOEL3 until BOXING BIG UT (Dec.
26, 1666), when will be produced the Great NATION-AL
rantomme, AIiY, UPON THE TIMM
TOP. Further particulars will be duly announced.

rrHE "SUN" NEWSPAPER.-
G. it. GLENIE, Sporting Library, 4, Connaught-
terrace, Edgware-road, is specially appointed AGt.N L' to
d ,liver the LATE EDITION of " THE SUN " at the
earliest possible moment alter leaving the press. Ile is able
to deliver copies in Town. the Suburbs, and in many parts ul
the Country at a comparatively early hour the same evening,
say iu miles by 9 o'clock.
Orders by Post punctually attended to.

I.IHE "SUN" NEWSPAPER.-
G. R. GLENIE delivers the LATE EDITION al
Olelse.", 7.40 ;Thum, 8; Starch-green, 8; Woolwich, 7.30
Uxbridge, 9.20; Watford, 8.45.

THE LATEST EDITION of "THE SUN."
J. 1101.21 ES begs to inform his friends, and the pubic
Renerally, that he supplies the LATEST EDITIuN
" as soon as published —No. 16, liampstead-
road ,N. W.

THE LAST EDITION of " THE SUN "
supplied as soon as Published. containing alt the
LA rEsT EIS'S and SI!ORTING TELLIG CE, by
It. W. II &KRIS, Newspaper Agent, 4, tilaclanars-roau,
London, S.

PORTING.—JOHN ROBERTS supplies the
LA PEST EDITION of " SUN" as sooa as pub-
islitd. —4, Bath-street, City-road, E.C.

The ceremony of inaugurating her MAJESTY'S
• ship Chichester, as a training-school for the homeless
boys of London, took place on Tuesday last, in one
of the dry docks in Mr. GREEN'S shipbuilding yards,
, Poplar. The occasion was one of some importance,
as well as of considerable interest, for the scheme
not only concerns the welfare of those little City
Arabs whose desolate condition must have moved
the pity of every one familiar with the highways
and byeways of London, but it proposes a very sens-
ible and practical plan for recruiting our navy.
It is now some time since the movement in favour of
the destitute and houseless children of the metropolis
was set on foot. Wise and good men bethought
themselves of giving them industrial instruction as
well as mental and moral training, and thus quali-
fying them for earning an honest living, instead of
being reduced, from sheer idleness and thriftless-
ness, to pilfering and swindling, if nothing more.
In July, 1852, a refuge for homeless and destitute
boys, was opened in Broad-street, Bloomsbury, and
it shows us how much is gained by promptitude in
such matters whe n we remember that the boys who
were then taken under its shelter are now full-
grown men. Without these helping hands stretched
outat the beginning of their friendless careers, what
would have been their fate ? It is not difficult
to guess its character in outline if not in detail, and
the earnest-minded lovers of their kind, who begun
this good work under discouraging auspices, have
reason to be more than satisfied with the result.
So slender were their resources at first that they
could only receive six boys, hut as time went on
they prospered more and more, so that in 1857,
five years after the first effort, they were able to
take their present commodious premixes in Great
Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. Seeing the
six were gathered together to the end
of last year 1,016 boys have been ad-
mitted, of whom 758 have left for the navy and
merchant services, for situations at home or for
emigration to the colonies, thus entering on most
active and useful careers, with the prospect of
honour and happiness to themselves and of good
service to the State, instead of swelling the ranks
of the dangerous (because untrained and neglected)
classes.

rHE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN "
supplied, as soon as published every Evening, by
ALI4.:XANDEtt (late 131t001(6). Newspaper Agent, 21,
Old Cavendish-street, Oxford-street.

FOR THE LATEST POLITICAL and
SPORTING INTELLIGENCE see the Late Edition
of The Sun" at air. Blake's, Queen's Head, Windsor-
street, Oxbridge.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.-
Samuel SMITIT, late of Chelse 1, now of the White
hart, Acton, Middlesex, begs to inform his friends and
n.i.Thbours that the Latest Adition of "The Sun" can be
seen at his house as above.

MOSES and S O N,
E. Ready-made and Bespoke Tailors, Habit Makers,
Woollen Drapers, Hatters, Hosiers, Boot and Shoe Manu-
facturers, and General Outfitters for all Classes.

E. MOSES and SUN respectfully invite an inspection
of their STOCK, which will be found to comprise all the
most fashionable styles and an extensive assortment of the
newest fabrics.

A very large and well-assorted stock of OVERCOATS,
and Winter Clothing generally, at their usually moderate
prices.

- The following are the London addresses of E. Moses
and Son :-
151, MINORIES.
155, IMINORIES.
156, MINORIES.
MINORIES.
83, ALDGATE.
Si, ALDGATE.
85, ALDGATE.
86, ALDGATE.
87, ALDGATE.
88, ALDGATE.
89, ALDGATE.
506, NEW OXFORD-STREET.
507, NEW OXFORD-STREET.
508 NEW OXFORD-STREET.
1, HART-STREET.
2, HART-STREET.
3, HART-STREET.
137, TOTTENIIANI-COURT-ROAD.
138, TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD.
283, EUSTON-ROAD.
Also,
19, BRIDGE-STREET, BRADFORD, YORKS.
20, BRIDGE-STREE I', BRADFORD, YORKS.
EMOSES and SON'S ESTABLISHMENTS
• are CLOSED -EVERY FRIDAY EVENING at
sunset till SATURDAY EVENING at sunset, when
business is resumed till Eleven o'clock.
All articles ate marked the lowest price in plain figures,
from which no abatement can be made.
Any article not approved of will be exchanged, or the
money will be returned.
Lists of Prices with rules for Self-measurement and
Fashion Sheet, with Patterns and "History of London,".
gratis and post freo.

A POPULAR HISTORY of LONDON front
Invasion of Julius Cmsar to the Present Time.
Part the First, from B.C. 55 to A.D. 1066.
E. Moses and Son, corner of Miuories and Aldgate ;
New Oxford-street, and Tottenham-court-road, London;
And Bradford, Yorkshire.
Gratis and post free on application.

Since the public were startled at the revelations
concerning the casual wards of our workhouses,
fresh efforts have been made by the promoters of the
-refuge since it was proved that boys of tender age
were forced to associate with men of debased cha-
racter. It will be remembered that early in this year
a general invitation was given to homeless boys to
a good supper at the refuge, wrietshpaeevtiienwg otfheamrr,ivainndg
at some further information
sympathy of the public on their be-
hoaflef.nlisNtienag therly2oo came to the supper, and when
any of them like to go on board
'was present, asked them
little hand in the room was
whether Lord SI L
heyFT E s s
wouldevery
,- ,
The contrast presentedthe to
the
haeslhdipu,pnienaralynswer.
ragged crew on that occasion by
little blue-jackets who strutted proudly about
the Chichester on Tuesday was not a little striking
It was a happy thought, and will, we trust, pro-
duce great and lasting good. It shows how much
the vices of the adult population are due to lack
of early training that not a single act of in-
subordination has occurred in the refuge, though
a large number were taken in haphazard, and 70
or 80 have been added every week. The committee
of gentlemen who superintended the supper were
struck with the number who were lame or par-
tially blind, or suffering from some other amic-
tion. They had, many of them, never known their
parents ; some had lost one or both ; others had
been deserted. They slept at night in the dreaded
casual wards, or under sheds or waggons, sometimes
ou doorsteps, and lived as they could throughout
the day. Many more such boys there are still in
our streets and lanes, but surely they will not be
left much longer. We must pay for them some
way, either in gaol, or workhouse, or infirmary. It
has been estimated that a single professional thief
costs the taxpayers of the country a tolerable fortune
by the time his career is done, and we may fairly
believe that a very large proportion of these little
ragamuffins would have developed into thieves and
burglars if left unaided. Surely this is a work
worth helping on every ground.

111GLI WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
£HIS DAY.—Morning, 12h. sm.—Afternoon, 12h. 32m,
T.)-Moß.Row.-Morning, 1211. 58m.—Afternoon, 111. 26m,

The military growth of Prussia is a subject that
engrosses a great deal of attention at present, and
very naturally so, since the changes that have taken
place in Germany of late arc of the most striking
and momentous character. In the last number of
the Edinburgh there is a very excellent article on
this subject, which takes a very comprehensive view
of the matter, and puts before us in n impressive
style some of the chief consequences of the late war.
First of all, a survey is taken of the past position of