The Sun.
London, England, 1818-08-22 00:00:00

MANCHESTER.

THE COTTON-SPINNERS' ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.
" We, the Mule Cotton-Spinuer's of Manches-
ter, consider it a duty incumhkot upon us ,to. ad-
,dress the public at the present juncture, to con,
• tradict the many false statements and misrepresen-
tations that have appeared in the public Papers.
" We are stated in all the Papers to have turn-
ed out hir an advance of wages ; this we admit to
be in part true, but not absolutely so. Two years,
ago, when our employers demanded a reduction
t ten banks, they affirmed, that the state of the
market imperionsly called for such reduction ;
tut when the markets would admit of an advance,
they would willingly give it. We depended on
their honour, and continued to labour for more
than 12 mouths at the reduction proposed. About
to, 10 months since, on comparing the price of cotton
and yarn, we found that the markets would allow
our employers to.fulfil their promise; we therefore
solicited, theM to that purpose, and only wished
tot be re-instated in the same prices we worked
at previously to that reduction.. Some declared
they could not give it ; others they would not;
but the greater part, that they would, if others
did, but they should not like to he the first. Thus
we continued working and soliciting for the last
eight mouths. Though the demand for yarn:has
been unprecedented, • and the consequent rise in
twist great, they have still refused our just re-
. quest ; and in order to cause a belief that
Article was in a declining state, gave notice, that
-their mills should only work three days in the
weekovhich appeared so extremely ridiculous;
that the very children employed in, factories
laughed at it. _ _

‘; It is asserted, that,our average wages amount
to 30e. or 40s. per Week—it is evident, that this
statement was made by some individual either
ignorant orinterested. In 1816, the average clear
wages of the spinners in Manchester was about
245., they were then reduced from 20 to 25 per
cent. and have ever since laboured under that re-
duction. And it is to be remarked, that spinners
. relieve their own sick, as well as subscribe to other
casualties ;'therefore, when their hours of labour,.
which are from five in the Morning until seven in
the evening (and in some mills longer) of un-
remitting toil, in rooms heated from 70 to 90
degrees, are taken. into consideration, we believe
the public will say with us, that no body of
workmen receive so in-adequate a compensation
for their labour.
" The next thing we would advert to is, one
employers have asserted, that if_' they submit to
our present request (which they admit is reason,
.able), it would not be long before we demanded
another advance of ten hanks more ; whatever
some individuals may have said, we know nothing
of, but the great majority of spinners have never
*aid 'or intended any such thing. And we hereby
declare, That we are willing to enter into a
treaty with our employers on fair and honourable

We• believe there is ino. species of labour so
fraught with the want of natural comforts as that
the spinners have to contend. with ; deprived of
fresh air, and 'subjected to long confinement in the
impute atmosphere of crowded rooms, continually
inhaling the particles of metallic or vegetable dust,
his physical powers become debilitated, his animal
strength dwindles away, and few survive the me-
tidian of life, and the
,grave is often the ,Welcome
asylum of his woes.. His children !..--,but let us
draw a veil over the scene, our streets exhibit
their cadteorolls and decrepit forms, •and'any at-
tempt to describe them would be impossible.
" Let it' not be understoOd that we attach
blame to' our employers as applied to these. cala-
mities ; they, are, perhaps, inseparable front the
very nature of the employment, and our masters
nay lament', but cannot redress them. All we
ask is a fair and candid investigation into the
grdunds of our ,complaints, and we are confident
that both justice.and humanity will decide in our
favour.
‘` We solemnly declare as men, as fathers, as
loyal ~_objects, and well-wishers to a Constitution,
the, spirit and letter of which will not counte-
nance any thing like slavery and oppression, that
we cannot obtain, with the greatest possible in-
iinstry, the common comforts and, necessaries of
life, at the present low prices ; to labour hard is
not an easy task, but to labour hard and want is
impossible. • Let our masters consult their own
hearts, and as the seat of justice and humanity,
they will not long hesitate to grant our request."
(Times.)

AWFUL CATASTROPHE.— A most melancholy
catastrophe occurred in this town on Monday
last. Between two and three o'clock the
morning, a fire was discovered by a sailor on
board a vessel lying in the Dry Dock, in the upper
part of the premises of Captain Brett, adjoining
the Old Company's Packet-office, Nova Scotia.
At this awful conjuncture the whole family was
asleep. An alarm was instantly sounded. In a
few minutes Mrs. Brett threw up the window of
her chamber, and with piercing and heart-rending
shrieks, implored assistance from the spectators
collected on the spot. A ladder was instantly
procured ; but, unfortunately, it was found to be
too short to rescue her from her perilous situa-
tion. Another ladder was speedily procured, and
being fastened to the first, was reared against the
house ; but the assistance came too late—the un-
happy woman was enveloped in the flames, and
disappeared from the view of -the spectators,—
Meanwhile the maid-servant appeared at a lofty
side-window which fronts the Graving-Dock,"im-
ploring the aid of the by-standers ; but, before
any could he afforded her, she precipitated herself
into the street. She was, as might have been ex-
pectied, seriously injured by the kill. She was
immediately conveyed to the Infirmary, and san-
guine hopes are, we understand, entertained of
her recovery. The fire continued to rage with
great fury, baffling every effort to subdue it. It
was not extinguished till it had destroyed the
whole of the • interior of the premises ; happily
the flames did not communicate to the adjoining
booties. The 1)64 of Mrs. Brett was found about
talf-past hve o'clock, burned to a cinder. Captain,
3-,,rett sailed in one of the packets on Sunday
morning for Dublin.—(Liverpool Courier.)