The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-05 00:00:00

THE STRIKE,

Yesterday the Executive Committee of the Central
Association of Master Buiiders held a meeting at
Radley's Hotel, Bridge-street, Blackfriars ; Mr.
Plucknett, of the firm of Messrs. William Cnbitt
and Co., of Gray's-inn-road, acting as chairman.
there was a full attendance of members, and the
meeting lasted several hours, but sitting as they did
with closed doors, little is known of their delibera-
tions, except that they ended in no definite result,
and the meeting at its rising stood adjourned for $
week, unless circumstances should arise to render
an earlier conference necessary. From rebind'
furnished by the members of the association it ap'
pears that nearly 10,000 men, in various depart-
ments of the building trade, are now at work, un-
der the terms of the declaration, within the metro-
politan postal district. To some extent, though
comparatively limited one, it is said the declaration
has been adopted simply as a shop rule ; but, in the
main, the members of the Central Association of
Masters are understood to remain firm in their ad-
hesion to the document, pure and simple, or, at
least, in the reasonable desire to procure a revision
of so much of the laws and by-laws of the trade
societies as impedes the legitimate progress of all
building operations, and cramps the freedom of
the operatives themselves in the exercise of their
skill and industry.
At the usual weekly meeting last night at Shaftes-
bury-hall, Aldersgate-street, the delegates from the
metropolitan trade societies, not belonging to the
building trades, presented themselves in consider-
able force, and brought contributions to a consider.-
able amount in the aggregate to the common fund
for the support of the men on strike.
The Rev. Mr. Verity, a Lancashire clergyman,
also delivered a lecture last night in St. Martin'e•
hall, Long-acre, in the interest of the men, to $
crowded assembly of them.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
you kindly give insertion to these
few remarks in answer to a letter from " A Meta'
ber of the Builders' Central Association," which
appears in the Times of this morning, charging Ile
with " outrageous falsehoods ?" He brings for-
ward this and other charges as an excuse for the
course the builders have adopted. This course, es
you justly observe, has produced " a suicidal re'
action against them."
Now, Sir, I challenge the Builders' Association
to put their finger upon any statement made bf
the Conference that is not strictly in accordance
with the facts. We are the parties who reallf
ought to complain of falsehoods. A more s, out.
rageous falsehood" was never asserted by any publY
body than that contained in the resolution which
the Builders lately passed, stating that 8,000 men
had returned to their work under the " document.
Not 7,000 were at the time locked out, and our re
turns, taken from the numbers who were dailf
counted on leaving work, showed that hundreds,
instead of thousands, would have been nearer the
mark. This unblushing statement of the 8,000
men would, if true, have supplied workmen to
every unfinished building in the metropolier
whereas it is well known by the " passers by" that,
with the exception of a few labourers hanging
about, not a man scarcely is at work at the West'
minster Palace Hotel, the Glocester Coffee-house
Piccadilly, the Cancer Hospital, the Duke of Buc-
cleuch's mansion, the Houses of Parliament, or ill'
deed, at any of the large jobs in the metropolis"
where the " document" is enforced.
It is also said that we have been guilty of a act%
of treachery in previous dealings" with. the Mae'
tors' Association. Here, again, we will leave it to
the public to decide which party has the most
cause to complain. We have had only two com-
munications with the Builders' Association, one
through the eminent merchant, Mr. Ingram Tra-
vers, and the other through Mr. Jay (one of their
own committee). In the former case it was agreed
that Mr. Travers's proposal for settling the disputes"
should be submitted by Mr. Sidney Smith (seer&
tary) to the Association of Master Builders, and
by myself to the Conference. The Conference im-
mediately agreed to accept Mr. Travers's proposal
by a majority of 29 to 9, but after about a fort:
night's delay it was found out that the secretary of
the master builders had put Mr. Travers's paper
in his pocket, and never brought it before his mar'
ters (not considering it of sufficient importance),
although he had been engaged for four hours with
Mr. Travers and myself discussing the terms of the
arrangement.

Now— , take the manner in which we were treated
in the last (Mr. Jay's case), for which the Builders'
Association has, not only in your columns, but in
every newspaper, been so justly and universally
condemned. Mr. Jay expressed a wish to see me,
and on intimating his desire of putting an end to
the differences, we discussed them at some length,
and ultimately he begged me to get the Conference
to put their proposals on paper, to lay before the
next meeting of the masters. We followed his
advice, and transmitted them with a respectful
letter. Everybody knows how this overture was
met by the insulting resolution against holding
any communication whatever with an "illegal and
irresponsible body."
As to " tyrannical acts," there is none that can
have exceeded that which took place on the 6th of
August last, when the masters turned into the
streets so many thousands of industrious men who
had nothing whatever to do with the original
quarrel.
The " Member of the Builders' Association"
concluies his letter by saying that if the trades will
purge the " rules and byelaws of the trades'
societies" (referring to the objectionable clauses)
" the document' can then be unconditionally with-
drawn."
This we have already agreed to by adopting Mr.
Ingram Travers's and Mr. Marsh Nelson's proposal
to amalgamate our societies on the pattern of that
of the engineers, one of the most flourishing of the
trades' societies, and the most respected by both
masters and men---a society which has been almost
universally approved by the leading merchants of
the city of London.
When "A, Member of the Builders' Association"
makes false charges against poor men he should not
be ashamed of signing his name to them, so that
the public and the working-men may know who is
the person desirous of still further widening the
breaoh between the employers and the employed.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
GEORGE POTTER, Secretary.
Paviours Arms, Oct. 4.

Business in the Foreign Stock Market is rather
quiet, and prices are steady. Turkish 6 per Cents.
are 84 to 85 ; ditto New, 691 to 701 ; and the 4 per
Cents. are flat at 1021 ; Dutch 21 per Cents, remain
at 66 ; Mexican at 231 1 ; and Cbilian 6 per Cents.
at 1031; and Spanish 3 per Cents. have advanced
to 461 ; ditto Deferred are steady at 341.
The dealings in the Railway Share Market have
been rather restricted, prices, however, have shown
Blythe and Tyne 1f per
an improving tendency in most instances—Cale- 0. pref. (issued at £5O)
itk: Brie. & Exet.4p.ct.Stock
donians, Eastern Counties, Lancashire and York- 20 Do. do. do. Shares
shire, Midland, and South-Easterns have advanced :1T).10: saoi.o4/ounarena4rier ;ice° n2t
55.; Great Northern, and North-Eastern (Berwick) 64 Cork & Bandon, 51 p. c
brought former rates. 20 Cornwall, 5 per cent
61 Dun. Perth,& Aber.Jun
The Foreign and Colonial undertakings have Loct N.A.Class
BA67pt 5p c
been dealt in to a moderate extent. Dutch Rhenish Stock Do. go. Class C 7
pc
have declined to 10! ; Great Luxemburg, 7f, andSt k No. Coun.
o Ex. 5 p ct. skTroo..;
Antwerp and Rotterdam, 41. Grand Trunk of StockStock Do. astern New
perion cl.pSetrocdc
Canada have improved to 39 and 391 ; Great stock Edin.&Glas. spc shares
Western of Canada to 141 ; East India to 1001 to Vol Ecii'nolerWaut,juSn 4pc.D.
101.
Stock Furness, 5 per crenat
Joint Stock Bank and Miscellaneous shares have Stock Great Northern, sp.
shown little variation of importance. City Bank Mock Do. 541P).Rce.ddmo."(11°o".Pm are steady at 63. Peel River Land have advanced 100 Do.sp.c. Redm.,s pc. pm.
to 54; South Anstralian Land to 351 10 Gt. Nh. of Scotid, Ist pt., and Van Stock' Gt. Sn.& W (Ireland)4
Diemen's Land to 151, 16. The Scrip of the Bur- p. ct. pref. Stock ...
50 rest West. (Berke and ham Brick Company have been dealt in at Itol, 1 Hants) Ext. 5 p.ct..
prem. Stock Do. Redeemable, 41 p
Stock Do. Redeemable, 4 p. ct.
Stock Do. Irredeemable, do. .
Stock Do. sp. ot. Redeem. Pref.
. :8 Do. Birm. Pref. Shares
10 Gt. West. Ches. 8 p.c.pf
shares
10 Do. do. sp. ct. pref
Stock Do. Birming. guar. stock
264 Do. Chester guar.shares
134 Do. do. do
20 Do. do. do.
Stock Lan. & York 6 p.c. stock
Stock Do.Barnsl.StXs 3slodpc
Stock' Lon. &Brig.spc. gu. No.l
Stock Do. pref., 5 p. a. ...No. 2
Stock Do. New gua., 6 p. ct
Stook Do. do. 5 p. c. No. 4
3 Do. do. 4/ per c. shares
Stock Lon.& N. W.Cov.&Nun-
eaton, 5 p. ct.
Stock Lon.&S. W, 7 p.ct. stock,
late 3d shares
121 Londondy & Cole, 1 shs
12 Londondy.& Ennis Ish
Stock Nlan.,Sh., & Lin., 6p. et
6 Do. £6
Stock Do. 34 per cent.
12/ Nraryport & Car., 4 p.c

11R1TISIff FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK,
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
India Stock
Ditto, 1859, 6 per Cent.
Ditto Loan Scrip, 5 per cent
Ditto Debentures, 1858 -
Ditto
Ditto Bonds, £1,000859p 9sar/
Ditt ) under £l,OOO
par
( onsols for Account (Oct. 11)
I xchequer Bills, £l,OOO, lid 24 7
PRISES OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT• ONE O'CLOCK.
Chilian, 6 per Cent lO3/ x dj
Moxican 3 per Cont.
Ditto Account
Spanish 3 per Cent. —
Ditto Account
Ditto New Deferred, 3 per Cent.
Ditto Account
Turkish 6 per Cent B4l
Ditto New Loan
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent.
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Petch Exchanc,e, 12 Guil. 21 per Cent 66
Peruvian Dollal Bonds, 4± per Ct. Ex. s 82/
TWO O'CLOCK.
Consols, Money 9sf k
Ditto Account (0ct.).... •. •

INGENIOUS SWINDLERS.—On Wednesday several
sharpers and swindlers paid Romford a visit, and some were
pretty successful in their vooation. Mr. T. W. Brittain, of
Dagenham, was relieved of £4B in an ingenious manner.
It appears that as he came out of the London and County
Bank he was met by two gentlemen who shook hands with
and addressed him in a most friendly manner, inducing him
to think they were intimate acquaintances. Whilst engaged
in conversation another came up in the garb of a dealer,
and said to the two, "Do you intend to purchase those
beasts P" They replied, " No, it is too much." The as-
sumed dealer then told Mr. Brittain that he was sure he
would buy them if he knew what they were ; then describ-
ing them, and the other saying that he did not require them
all, induced Mr. Brittain to purchase with him. The sum
was £4B, and Mr. Brittain was to draw a cheque for £24,
but unthinkingly drew one for the whole amount. It was
handed over to the supposed dealer and cashed, and as they
walked up the street, the one who purchased said he would
step into the public-house and draw Mr. B. a cheque for
his nt, and the other said he would go and " draw the
beasts." In two or three minutes they all " evaporated,"
and no clue has yet been obtained as to the direction of
their flight. —Essex Herald.
THE FORBES MACKENZIE ACT.—Two cases were
tried in the police-court, Edinburgh, on Friday, which il-
lustrates a peculiar oppressive feature in the Forbes Mac-
kenzie Act. One of the chief objects of the act was to sepa-
rate, so far as possible, the trade of the grocer or provision
dealer from that of the publican ; and the license granted to
the former class expressly prohibit the sale of exciseable
liquors for consumption on the premises. In like manner
the publican is restricted from selling groceries or provisions
to be consumed off the premises. It so happens that these
two clauses would, if enforced, completely extinguish the
trade of the increasing class of keepers of restaurants and of
refreshment rooms at railway stations and elsewhere. In
Edinburgh the fashionable restaurateurs in some cases take
out a "grocer and spirit dealer's" licence, but this prohibits
them from selling a glass of wine at the counter ; others
take out the publican's certificate, which prohibits themo
oat
selling a biscuit or bun to any one who does not choose t
it on the premises. It is almost superfluous to saythat the
Act is habitually transgressed on both sides, for, whatever
kind of licence he holds, the restaurateur or confectioner
nilic
constantly in the habit both of supplying wine to be drunk
on the premises and of supplying baked meats and dressed
provisions for consumption off the premises. As the law
stands, the purveyor of refreshments to a jury sitting in
court, or to a dinner or supper party, is liable to prosecu-
tion if he takes the publican's or innkeeper's licence,—
which licence is the only one compatible with the exercise
of his ordinary business, The keeper of a licenced refresh-
ment room at a railway station, in like manner is liable
prosecution for whatever he may sell to a passenger
taking his purchase with him into the carriago. The
present inquiry of the Royal Commission on the Licens-
ing System of Scotland has had one effect, in greatly stimu-
lating the police and other authorities to the enforcement
of the act ; and, in order that the act might be tested in
at! its bearings, the two cases referred to were brought before
the Edinburgh Police-court on Friday. One was the case of
Mr. David Doull, keeper of a first-class restaurant in
Princes-street. Edinburgh, and the other was that of Mr.
David Ridpath, the keeper of the North British Railway sta-
tion refreshment-room, and who happens to be one of the
councillors of the city. Police constables and other wit-
nesses were called to prove the sale in the one case of some
biscuits and tarts ; and, in the other of some muffins which
were carried by the purchaser off the immediate premises.
Tho presiding magistrate, Bailie Cassels, said he had no al-
ternative but to administer the law as it stood, however
absurd and oppressive he felt it to be, and he imposed in
each case the lowest penalty authorised by the statute,—
namely, 2.55. Bailie Forrester, who was also present,
strongly recommended the parties to bring their case before
the Royal Commission being convinced that in any future
legislation on the subject a grievance like the present could
net be overlooked. The case will no doubt be brought be-
fore the Royal Commission (who are now in the north of
Scotland) on their return to Edinburgh, where their inves-
tigation is to close.

100
100
100
100
all

51 61
99 101
110 113
105 108
111 113
110 112
126 128
82 84

90 92
73 75

112 114
117 119
110 112
104 106
84 86

97 99
88 90
89 91
100 102
91 101
17 18
75
4 06
73
19 20
94 10
141 156
139 141

84 94
[2l 123
r

[39 141
103 104
~i j P

93 95
Of cri

111

1138 140
100 10
9t 93