The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-10 00:00:00

ebtrbf Wi ttton

SUN-OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

MARCH. OF THE ASHTON C 01.,;,
LIERS ON MANCHESTER TO STOP 'T11);
MILLS.
(Abridged from the Manchestr Guardian of this day.)
We have already stated in this day's Summary, that
at meetings held at Ashton, on Monday night and
Tuesday morning, it was determined by the colliers,
to proceed to this town. For there was no doubt,
that a visit to Manchester, -on the market-day, formed
part
,of the general plan agreed upon on Sunday, 'at
the meeting on Mottrain Moor, for it was known
here on Monday.
About ten o'clock. yesterday morning, the "turn-
outs," to the number of about 5,000, reached Holt
Town, where they succeeded in getting the hands
employed in Mr. Guest's mill to leave off working.
They then proceeded to Mr. George Clarke's mill, and
threatenedlo break in the doors, if he did not turn out
the workpeople. He refused to do so, and they car-
ried their threat into execution, and knocked down
Mr. Bryson Clarke. The hands of the New Bruns •
wick Mill, Bradford-road, belonging to Messrs.
Kelly and Gilmour, were next turned out, and the
operatives employed at Mr. Guest's mill, Islington-
street. Mr. Fairbairn's men were also obliged to
leave their work about the same time.. At half-past 11
o'clock, the mob entered the mill of Mr. JoynsOn, trr
Beswick, and forced him to turn out his work
people. When the.' procession, arrived in Pollar&
street, they were _stopped by a troop of cavalry, un-
der the command of Colonel Wemyss, who was ac-
companied by Colonel Trevelyan, Sir Charles Shaw,
D. Maude, Esq., and Colonel Hogg. A company of
rifles was stationed in the rear of the cavalry. 'The
whole of the C division of police, 'under the superin-
tendence of Mr. Cochrane, were also in attendance.
The procession delayed here about half an hour, and,
perceiving that they could not force their way into
town, some of the committee had an interview with
Mr. Maude and Colonel Wemyss, to whom they
pledged themselves that they would pot commit any
breach of the peace. Mr. Maude advised them to
disperse, and, in order to afford them an opportunity
of doing so more readily. lie withdrew the cavalry.
The procession then broke up into several small bodies,
some of whern Went towards Pinmillßrow„andothers
towards Travis7street. One detachment succeeded in
turning out the hands from the factories of Messrs.
Murray, and Mr. Hugh Beaver, Jersey-street ; Mr.
Standring, Rhone-street ; and Mr. Smith, of St.
George's-road. The whole hody at length re-united,
and finally took its stand, without further molesta-
tion, on a piece of vacant ground near Granby-row.
t was now about twelve o'clock ; and, as the factory
bells announced the dinner hour, some melancholy
jokes were made on the subject by individuals in the
crowd, who.seemed as if no bell had called them to
dinner for some time.

MEETING; ANP SPEECHES IN GRANBY-ROW.
A waggon having been procured to serve as a

rostrum--
Mr. Pilling, an operative, was called upon to pre-
side. Having inculcated oil his audience the neces
,ity of obeying the law, he stated that upwards
of 30,000 men, women and children, from Stalv-
bridge, Dukintield, Oldham, and the surround-

ink* towns, had met - that morning in Ashton-
under- Lyne, and declared that they never would
return to their work until the same prices were
given them which they had had in the early
part of 1840. They had turned out because some
of their Corn-law repealing masters had lowered
the wages of spinners 25 per cent. The wages of
the power-loom. had been dropped I 'd. 2d. and in
-iome instances as much as 3d. per cut ; while the wages
of spinners, card-room hands, and power-loom dres-
sers, were reduced in the same proportion. He had
known several instances in which persons had dropped..
down and died from actual starvation. lt was to remedy
this state of things, that the operatives had turned
out, and not for the advancement of any political object,
:Mr.Challenger was also glad to see some of theipigiiT:.
trates present at the meeting. (Mr. Maude, Mr,
George Clarke, . and Colonel Wemyss, had just ar-
rived.) There was not an individual present who
would not respect Colonel \Vemyss—a man who had,
in 1839, saved the shedding of much blood. lie
hoped, before another week had elapsed; everv'manu-
fiteturing town in North and South Laneashire, and
North Cheshire, would be with them ;: and: that; by-,
their united energy and determination:, .
achieve the object in view. Having again adcw*Pi.
meeting to keep the, peace, and to render the; lVJl'ag)s.
trates every assistance in their power to prevent
turbance, Mr. Challengerconcluded, amid loud ebeers.i
Mr. Dixon hoped the operatives would .not allow themfiii
selves to starve, in order to amass!spleridid;fo
for their employers. He (Mr. Dixon) knelodorletiti;;lt
in Ashton'who declared that he had rediAlaultiel
prices for the purpose of arousing the peop140061;
of frenzy. He (Mr. Dixon) hoped, - hoWoo,'
the operatiyes would not be made the tizicfrr3io,A
party, hut that they would struggle tml,gez
for the obtainment of their just riglita.fig Lire
hopcid they would not return to the
the employers consented to give thetry..a fairiretnw4
It
neration for their labour. It were mitchrliktelbfor
thein to die on the highway, under the ptiies*AltriklH
pure atmosphere of heaven, than to die bile eh Up
in a factory, and attending. to the revolutidiia
chinery. It were better to die on the street than to'
die surrounded by the rattle-box, and thundering'
aald clattering of the machinery of the capitalist.--11r.'
.Brophy, from Dublin, advised them to agitate in their
respective localities for an advance ofwages. He had '
that day seen a bill calling a meeting of the delegates
of the weavers of Manchester and Salford. The Bill
contained the following. statement :—" As a specimen
of the way in which we (the 'weavers) are treated,
we give you the following list, from Messrs. Gray,
Bullock, and Gray 56 reed 20's twist, 16's
and 20's weft, length 62 yards, breadth 27 inches,
picks 13, in 1839 was Is. 10(1.; at present it is only
; and this week they had the audacity to offer
a further -reduction of 2d. per cut. Surely such ty-
ranny needs resistance !"—Mr. M'Loughlin was then
called on to address the' meeting. He said, Messrs.
Rayner and Co., of Ashton-under-Lyne were
the first to offer a reduction; the Messrs.
and Brothers were the next ; and Mr. Cheetham, of
Stalybridge, considered nine shillings a week ample
wages for a man and his family. He (Mr. M'Lough-
lin) had not broken his fast that day, and he was
sure that was also the ease with many of his au-
dience. If the operatives were satisfied with their
present condition, they were the veriest slaves on the
face of the earth. The father of the Premier. said,
about forty years ago, that there never would be any
thing done for the people till they arose in their
might, and took the affairs into their own hands : he
(Mr. M'Loughlin) hoped the parties who had turned
out would do no more work until the master's. con •
sented to give them fair wages. The meeting broke
up about, half-past. one, when the Ashton and Staly-
bridge people again formed into a procession, and
Proceeded quietly along Granby-row, London-road,
and the New Ashton-road, on their way home.
They were escorted out of town by Mr. George
Clarke and Mr. Maude, on horseback; but none of
the soldiers or police made their appearance. From
a careful estimate of their numbers as they filed down
Ashton-road, there appeared to be nearly 5,000 per-
sons from the country, a majority of whom were
grown-up individuals. A considerable number of
the men and lads carried sticks. Throughout the
Fneater part of yesterday afternoon, most of the shops
In Oldham-street, Great Ancoats-street, and Oldham-
road were closed, through fear of the disorderly
crowds which were perambulating the town.
At half-past two in the afternoon, a mob, consisting
chiefly of women, attacked the mill of Messrs.
Preston and Son, Ardwick island, broke all the
windOws, and damaged property to the amount of
40/. At a. -q-uarter to three o'clock, the same party
attacked the dye-works in Ancoats Vale, belonging
to Messrs. Barlow and Sons. The damages will not
exceed 101.—Mr. Kennedy's mill was also attacked
by a mob, 300 squares of glass broken, and Mr.
Kennedy, jun., assaulted.
FURTHER OUTRAGES.—A GIRL KILLED.
Between three and tour o'clock, a large mob pro-
ceeded along Oxford-road, for the purpose of stop-
ping Messrs. Birley's mill, and that of the Oxford-
road Twist Company. On arriving at the latter, they
demanded that the hands should be turned out. Mr.
Henry Cooke, one of the partners, complied with their
request, and immediately 'ordered the engines to be
.4upped. Not content with this, they demanded leave to
enter the mill, in order that they might be sure of no
one remaining inside. On his refusal to let them
do so, they instantly commenced the work of de-
z,truction by smashing to pieces the windows of the
porter's lodge, at the north-east cornet, and entered
the mill yard. Fortunately, . the military arrived
at this junctnre, and :he only danthge com-
mitted was the flinging a skipful of bobbins into
the street. D. Maude, Esq., and Inspector Irwin
arrived at the same time, and succeeded, with the
assistance of the police and military, in apprehending
fourteen of the rioters. While the military were
e,corting the prisoners to the Town Hall; the mob ;
proceeded to Messrs. Birley's mill, the windows. of
which they immediately commenced breaking. The
inmates set to work force-pump, worked by the
engine, to throw water on the crowd ; but, this
not proving an effectual defence, they resorted
to snore formidable weapons'. Several of them
ascended to the roof, and flung down stones,
pieces of iron, and other missiles, with such,
fatal effect, that several persons were hurt, and a
young girl, it is said, was killed on the spot. The I
aannumtion of the mob having been exhausted before
they,harl broken all the windows, they seized a cart
.-
Nv6.011 its way to tha loade'B with Coals, "%Filial
fac-
tory, tilted it up, and employed the contents in finish-
ing the work of destruction. On the soldiers and po.