The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-29 00:00:00

THE LAW OF STRIKES.

Lord St. Leopards has contributed the following
concise summary of the present laws as to work-
men's strikes and combinations : _ _

The masters consider the proceedings of the build-
ing trades' unions wholly inconsistent with the
law, which was framed with a jealous regard to the
interests of the working man. The act of Parlia-
ment (6 George IV., cap. 129), which repealed
all the former laws relative to the combination
of workmen, states, that combinations interfering
with the free employment of capital and labour are
injurious to trade and commerce, dangerous to the
tranquillity of the country, and especially to the
interests of all who are concerned in them. The
object of the act is then declared to be to make pro-
vision as well for the security and personal freedom
of individual workmen in the disposal of their skill
and labour, as for the security of property and per-
sons of masters and employers.
The act then makes the following offences punish-
able by imprisonment not exceeding three months,
with or without hard labour, namely :—Where any
person shall by violence to the person or property,
or by threats, or by intini'dation, or by molesting,
or in any way obstructing another-
1. Force or endeavour to force any journeyman,
manufacturer, or workman, or other person to de-
part from his hiring, employment, or work, or to
return his work before it is finished.

2. Or prevent or endeavour to prevent any jour-
neyman, manufacturer, workman, or other person,
not being hired or employed, from hiring himself
to, or from accepting work or employment from,
any person or persons.
3. Or for the purpose of forcing or inducing any
other person to belong to any club or association,
or to contribute to any common fund, or to pay any
fine or penalty, or on account of his not belonging
to any club or association, or not having contri-
buted or having refused to contribute to any com-
mon fund, or to pay any fine or penalty, or
on account of his not having complied,
or his refusing to comply, with any rules,
orders, resolutions, or regulations made to
obtain an advance or to reduce the rate of
wages, or to lessen and alter the hours of working,
or to decrease or alter the quantity or work, or to
regulate the mode of carrying on any manufacture,
trade, or business, or the management thereof.
4. Or shall force, or endeavour to force, any ma-
nufacturer or person carrying on any trade or busi-
ness to make any alterations in his mode of regu-
lath?, managing, or carrying on such trade,
manufacture, or business, or to limit his number of
apprentices, or the
.number or description of his
journeymen, workmen, or servants.
But the act provides—
( That any persons may meet together for the
sole purpose of consulting upon and determining
the rate of wages or prices upon which the persons
present at such meeting or any of them, shall re-
quire or demand for his or their work, or the hours
or time for which he or they shall work in any
manufacture, trade, or business ; or may enter into
any agreement, verbal or written, among them-
selves for the purposes of fixing the rate of wages
or prices which the parties entering into such