The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-22 00:00:00

THE DISTURBANCES IN THE

MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS,
MANCHESTER, Friday Morning, 11 o'clock.
A slight commotion was produced last night in
the neighbourhood of Oldham-road, by a detachment
of cavalry coming into the town with 43 prisoners
whom they had apprehended at Clayton, a village
four miles from Manchester. A large mob had as-
sembled there in the morning, and were making an
attack upon the dye-works of Messrs. Hulme. The
cavalry, who were patrolling the roads from Ashton
towards Oldham, arrived very opportunely, and,
charging the mob, took nearly 100 prisoners. On
their arrival in the Oldham-road there was a great
disposition to rescue, on which a detachment of the
58th Regiment and 50 special constables and police
from the Town-hall were despatched, and under this
stronger escort they were removed to the New Bailey
this morning.
Superintendent Sawley, of the Manchester police,
who has just returned from the York assizes informs
me that the whole of that district is greatly disturbed.
The people are seen everywhere lying about the
fields, and no employment is followed.
We publish the following rules and regulations of
the Association, for which we are indebted to the
politeness of the Editor of the Manchester Chronicle.
Amongst the General and " Executive " Committee
will be found the names of Magistrates, Chartist
agitators, Anti-Corn-law agitators, Socialists, and
authors of several placards recently pasted upon the
walls of Manchester :
" MANCHESTER COMPLETE SUFFRAGE
UNION.
" President, John Brooks; Vice-Presidents, Charles
Cobden and T. B. Potter ; Treasurer, Thomas
Woolley ; Secretary, James Moorhouse.
" General Committee—(Those marked* constitute
the Executive Committee.)—*Edward Allin, El-
kanah Armitage, Samuel Ashton, *George Black,
*Edward Bond, David Boyd, Robert Bunting,
*William Burd, jun., *T. N. Cathrall, Frederick
Cobden, *F. W. Cotman, *G. T. Dale, *James
Edwards, *John Gadsby, Richard Gardner, William
Gardner, John Graham, James N. Grindrod, C. J.
Grundy, Thomas Hague, Andrew Hall, *James
Hampson, *George Hargreave, *Joseph Haycroft,
John Heywood, "Abel Heywood, *James S. Hib-
bert, James Howie, Joseph Lesse, jun., Samuel
Lowcock, *William APCartney, James E. Nelson,
*Joseph Peate, *William Perkins, George Perkins,
A. Prentice, W. N. Procter, Henry Rawson, George
Richardson, John Rawsthorne, Lawrence Rostron,
*Robert Rumnev, Charles J. Saul, *Job Shepherd,
A. S. Sichel, -John Swindells, James Thompson,
*Edward Watkin, James Watts, *James Wigan.
" OBJECTS.
" 1. Universal Suffrage.—To obtain for each man
of 21 years of age, the right of voting for representa-
tives to serve in the Commons' House of Parliament.
"2. Electoral Districts.—That for the purpose of
securing a fair and equal representation of the people,
it is necessary that the whole country be divided into
districts, each containing as nearly as may be an equal
number of electors.
" 3. Annual Parliaments.—That it is of great im-
portance to secure and maintain the responsibility of
Members to their constituents, and that annual Par-
liaments are a proper means of securing this object.
"4. No Property Qualification.—That every elector
shall be eligible to be elected.
" 5. The Ballot.—That the right of voting for a
representative shall be exercised secretly by ballot.
"6. Payment of Members.—That each representa-
tive of the people shall be paid for his services.
"It will be the duty of the Society to adopt all
legal means by which these objects may be promoted."
The intelligence received from the neighbouring
towns is not yet of so cheering a character. The sus-
pension of labour system still prevails among them,
but the breaking up of the system by the operatives
of Manchester must have its effect upon those towns as
soon as the vagabond bands of rioters are forced to
disperse.
Accounts from Preston state that the hands of one
of the mills belonging to Messrs. Francis had again
turned out last night for an advance of wages. The
workmen employed in two other mills are expected to
strike this morning.
At llaslingden, a town situate a few miles from
Manchester, much alarm was created by the appear-
ance of a mob of persons, who entered the town last
night. The number of these rioters amounted to
about 10,000 ; and they took meat, drink, and money
from the shopkeepers. An express was sent for mili-
tary aid to the General of the district, at Manchester,
but none could be spared, the state of this town re-
quiring the large force at the disposal of the authori-
ties to be kept up.
This morning a company of Rifles was despatched
to Rochdale and the neighbourhood, in consequence
of a message to the Major-General that riots were
likely to take place.
At Blackburn all remains quiet, but the mills are
still at a stand.
The following extract from a letter, giving an ac-
count of the proceedings of the lawless mob which
visited West Oughton on Monday, is interesting,
though the circumstances are partly known already,
as it affords a striking proof of the intimidation exer-
cised over the peaceable and industrious operative :
" You are probably aware that on Monday from 6,000
to 8,000 persons came as a mob through this village
from Bolton, &c. Previous to coming here, they had
stopped the collieries of Mr. Holton and Mr. 11 ood-
ward, as well as the stationary engine upon the
line of the Bolton and Leigh Railway at Chequer-
bent. Their next step was my mill, which was stopped
instanter by a party of them breaking the yard
doors, and knocking the plugs out of the boilers. On
their way they demanded bread, cheese, &c., from all
the publicans and shopkeepers ; but without waiting
for its being given them, they unceremoniously took
it in a very threatening manner, which was truly
alarming, and were also very desirous to commit their
unlawful acts upon the private residences of respect-
able individuals, but were ordered to desist by parties
mho appeared to have some control over them. I have
not heard of any instance where they succeeded in
getting ale or spirits, except at the Hulton Arms, in
Hutton. They then proceeded to Hindley (but a
party from 'Wigan had previously stopped the works
there) still levying contributions as they went along,
which in very few cases were refused. They re-
turned through the higher part of this village in the
evening. Since then no kind of work has been re-
sumed, though very many are desirous to do so, but
are threatened severely if they attempt it. They cer-
tainly would have done so this morning had not the
new order' from the Chartists made its appearance
on the afternoon of yesterday, by placards upon the

walls."
We have already given the resolutions of the mas-
ters' committee. We now give those of the power-
loom weavers, copied from a placard issued by their

executive :
" NOTICE FROM THE POWER-LOOM WEAVERS TO

THEIR EMPLOYERS.
" We, the Acting committee of the power-loom
weavers of Manchester and Salford, chosen in public
meeting assembled, deem it our duty to lay our reso-
lutions before our employers and the public generally.
Ist. Resolved, that we, the power-loom weavers of
Manchester and Salford, do not return to our work
until we receive the same rate of wages that was paid
in 1839 ; and, in the event that our masters do not
comply with that just and reasonable demand, we will
abide by the decision of the other trades generally,
and with them. 2d. That each master do pay the
same for the same fabric of cloth ; and, further, that
those masters who do not employ men in the weaving
department do so in future."—[Then follows an ad-
dress, beginning, " Fellow-operatives," and the whole
is signed, " Patrick Sinclair, Chairman ; Maurice
Donovan, Secretary ;" but the bill is without date.]
Another placard is addressed to the people of Man-
chester and the surrounding districts, of which the
following is a copy :
" Fellow-citizens,—Your Delegates are again at
their post. Faithful to the trust you have reposed in
us, we are determined to stand firm and united till
we carry into full effect the resolution agreed to yes-
terday. The following resolution was carried unani-
mously :—‘ Resolved, That we recommend the trades
of Manchester and the surrounding districts immedi-
ately to form Committees in their respective localities,
to carry out the resolution we come to yesterday,
with instructions to issue bills and give us credit until
such time as the people resume work again. In the
meantime, we most earnestly call on you to send in
your contributions to the Executive Committee unani-
mously elected by the Delegates this morning assem-
bled. Time is precious. Decision and energy are
most essentially necessary at the present moment ;
for the future we shall be governed by events. A
short time, we are confident, will prove this move-
ment is national. Rally round the .standard you hay
raised ; stand firm, do your duty, and we will do ours.
A. lIUTCHIN SON, Chairman.' "

ONE WORD ABOUT THE CHARTER.
" Fellow-workmen,—We all want the ' Charter.'
Why ? For some practical end. I want it for my
own benefit ; that I may get constant work and better
wages. Will it answer that end ? If so, how ? Be-
cause it will stop ' Class Legislation: Granted ; but
how that will give me constant work and good wages,
I want to know,
" There are two parties in the matter of wages—
the payer of wages and the receiver of wages. Now,
the question is, when the Charter is the law of the
land, will the payer of wages have such confidence in
the Government, as it will then be, as to go on
working his mill ? If not, what am I, the receiver of
wages, the better for the Charter ? , Will the mer-
chant also go on bringing cotton, and flax, and indigo,
and dye-stuffs into the country, to be worked up ?
Certainly, it may be said, for then everybody's just
rights will be protected. True ; and we begin putting
it in force by protecting our master's rights—shutting
up their mills, and forbidding them to go towork at
the peril of their lives and properties.