The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-28 00:00:00

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by one man. At the close, his Royal Highness, ad-
dressing Colonel Hardinge, said that he could not
leave without expressing his delight and satisfac-
tion at the appearance and proficiency of the bat-
talion ; he had seen them before under many dif-
ferent circumstances, but he must confess that he
never saw any regiment in a higher state of effici-
ency and discipline, and could only express the de-
- light he felt in witnessing their evolutions, and at
the credit such a regiment must reflect on the
officers in command. The proceedings closed by
' the troops again marching past and returning to
their barracks. From the words which escaped his
Royal Highness, and his energetic manner, it was
. evident the review was not a mere matter of form
with him, but that everything connected with the
movements of the troops, their appearance, and dis-
cipline on the ground, received his most earnest at-
tention. After the troops' dinner hour the Artillery
opened a fire with blank cartridge from the whole
of the batteries on the sea face of the fortifications
(excepting the 10-inch battery adjoining the sema-
phore tower), Southsea Castle firing shot and shell
from her 8-inch guns. His Royal Highness after-
wards inspected the line of fortifications in course
of erection between Hilsea and Langston harbour,
the Royal Artillery Barracks (mounted batteries),
and stables at Hilsea, &c. His Royal Highness left
Portsmouth for town at 4.30 p.m., the Royal Artil-
lery firing a salute from the King's Bastion.
The general inspection of the battalions compos
ing the Military Train stationed at Woolwich was
postponed antil yesterday morning, in consequence
of the sudden and severe indisposition of Col. W.
M. S. M'Murdo, C. 8., Aide-de-Camp to the Queen,
commanding the corps. The battalions were yes-
terday drawn up on the review ground, with horses,
waggons, &c., in heavy marching order, in command
of Brigade-Major Sevrington, and were severally
inspected by Major-Gen. Sir R, Dacres, K.C.8.,
Commandant of the garrison. The men displayed
an exceedingly neat and soldierly appearance. The
frequency of desertions which are announced to take
place in the corpr, is accounted for, in some degree,
by the arduous and incessant duties to which
the men are subjected, and which commence on
certain days of the week at 4 45 in the morning for
stable work, which together with the Arsenal and
barrack duties continue unremittingly till 8 p.m.,
with the exception of short intervals allowed for
meals.
A number of recruits belonging to the Woolwich
division, of Royal Marine Light Infantry, who have
passed for service, were yesterday inspected and
drilled on parade in the presence of Col. Stransham,
Commandant. A strong and able body forward in
gunnery exercise and others " well up" in rifle
practice, to the total number of 400, the majority
of whom have not served afloat, were pronounced
in a perfect state of efficiency ; and are held in
•
readiness for sea. Recruiting in the division is
progressing favourably since the close of the har-
vest.

Six superior officers, 10 non-commissioned officers,
and 6 gunners of the Royal Artillery left Plymouth
on Monday for Shoeburyness, fcr the purpose of
being exercised in the use of the Armstrong gun.

THE BUILDERS' STRIKE.

MEETING OF DELEGATES OF UNITED

TRADES.

The usual weekly meeting of the United Trades
delegates met last night at the Shaftesbury Hall,
Aldersgate-street, , and was numerously attended.
Mr. Heaps, of the Amalgamated Engineers, was
called to the chair.

Mr, POTTER said that Monday had commenced
the eighth week of the lock-out, which had drawn
tens of thousands out of the pockets of the masters
and caused much suffering in the homes of the op:-
rativcs, and. he was sorry to say that he could not
hold out any hope of an early termination. -Last
week there was a prospect of a different statement
having to be made, because a suggestion was made
by some of the employers that a concession on their
part would be favourably received by the confer-
ence. A resolution was submitted to the meeting
of master builders that day, and, though he had re-
ceived no official reply on the subject, he under-
stood that the executive committee of the employers
had refused to recognise, or in any-wi,ay treat with,
the conference because it was an illegal body.
Having thus shut out all hopes of a conciliatory
course and refused a fair apportvnity of mediation,
he said that whatever might be the injury inflicted
either on masters or men by the further con-
tinuance of the struggle, the responsibility must
rest on the heads of the employers alone. On be-
half of the operatives he was prepared to state
that, if the employers continued obstinate for
eight weeks longer, the men were prepared to
stand out. He then referred to the dispute as to the
masons, and said that on that evening a meeting of
that body was being held, and he had no doubt a
resolution would be passed approving and continu-
ing their confidence in the conference. Whatever
they might do, the other four trades were doter-
miaed to stand firm, supported as they had been by
the trades at large, and he trusted the result of
their efforts would be such as to maintain the in-
dependence and rights of the working men. Mr.
Potter, in concluding, alluded to the discrepancies
between the number of men said to be employed by
the masters and the conference. He said that the
men had been counted on going to and returning
from work, and he found that the number of men
stated by the employers had been greatly exag-
gerated.
The sums received from different trades were
then announced.

A DELEGATE wished to know if the present al-
lowance to the lock-outs was sufficient ?
Mr. POTTER said the lock-outs had 4s. a man
from the conference, besides which they had allow-
ances from their societies ; but as the masters seemed
determined to stand or fall by the document, it
would require all the assistance they could obtain,
for he could assure the gentleman that the men
were as firm as ever; and although some masters
had obtained men, they were unskilled, and even
the masters themselves complained that they were
spoiling their work, and really doing them more
harm than good. There had been ten firms opened
without the document; and he believed that in
every case where skilled men had gone to work
they had gone in without the document.

The DELEGATE from the silk velvet weavers com-
plained of the course which had been taken by the
Metropolitan Board of Works in beconong partizans
with the masters in this dispute, in allowing Mr.
Maxon, the contractor for the northern high level
sewer, an extension of time to enable him to defeat
the men. He moved the following resolution :
" That this meeting, representing as it does the
opinions of the great industrial population of the
metropolis, hereby enters its protest against the
conduct of the Board of Works in allowing an ex-
tension of time to Mr. Meson, the contractor for
the high-level sewer, as by doing so they have de-
parted from the principle of strict and impartial
neutrality which it was their duty to have observed
during the contest now goinr, on in the building-
trades."

Mr. C. MURRAY seconded the motion and alluded
to the conduct pursued by the Clerkenwell Board
Guardians, who refused to give relief to any lock-
out, but when he applied he was told to go to Trol-
lope's, where he might obtain work.
The CHAIRMAN thought that they should follow
up this resolution by forming deputations to wait
upon the district boards.
The resolution was put and carried unanimously.
A DELEGATE moved the following resolution :
" That seeing the conflicting opinions in reference
to the number employed in the press, and having
heard the contradictions to the same by the mem-
bers of the conference, this meeting resolves to re-
double its exertions to bring the cause to a success-
ful issue."

The DELEGATE from the Boot and Shoemakers'
Society seconded the resolution.
After a short discussion, the motion Was put and
carried unanimously.

M MEETING.
Yestei day'CVreAprgN.aS. public meeting of the masons
of London and its 'vicinity was held in the Tem-
perancc-hall, Broadway, Westminster, for the pur-
pose of takinginto consideration their position in
connection with the Conference of the Building
Trades and the above movement. The handbill
calling the meeting urged all masons who wished
to emancipate themselves to attend, and show to
their employers by their vote that they would oon-
tinue to be freemen. After considerable discussion
the following resolution was passed :
"It having been represented by the press that
some misunderstanding existed between the trades'
conference and the masons as a body, this meeting
begs to testify that the masons of London are de-
termined to continue the present agitation in con-
junction with the other branches of the building
trades until the withdrawal of the ' odious docu-
ment.'"

PRICE OF GOLD.--The quotation of gold at Paris
is about 2 dis, and the short exchano-c on London is 25.12}
per £1 sterling. On comparing these rates with the Eng-
lish Mint price of £3 17s. lOid. per ounce for standard
gold, it appears that gold is at about the same price in
Paris as in London: By advices from Hamburg the
price of gold is 422 k per mark, and the short exchange on
London is 13.4 a per £1 sterling. Standard gold at the
English Mint price is therefore about 3' 10ths 'per cent.
dearer in London than in Hamburg. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for billg at GO days' sight
is about 110 per cent., which, when compared with. the
Mint par between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is in favour of England ; and, after making -
allowance for charges of transport and difference of inte-
rest, the present rate leaves a small profit on the importa-
tion of gold from the Unitod States.