Star.
London, England, 1816-04-22 00:00:00

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NOEL. Ant LifrORTANT CASE.

FITOIRMATION AOAMIT THZ MASTER CAZIPINTIZit
tot COMMUNG TO RID= THE WAG= OZ THITZ

WORKMEN.
Saturday an information, laid at the instance of
the Jhurneymen Carpenters, was heard at the Hatton
Garden Office, before Mr. TuaroN, Mi. RATNEYORD ,
and several other Magistrates. The information,
being'riad by the Clerk, the charge appeared to be,
that Mr. Thomas Moan, Mr. Lawrence, Mr.
Houghton, and Mr. Yew, being master carpenters,
did, on the sth of February last, make a certain ille-
gal covenant and agreement for reducing the wages
of workmen in drat trade 6d. per day less than had
been theretofore paid to them, whereby each of the
defendants had forfeited £2t)
Mr. ALLEY, on the part of the prosecution, ad.,
dressed the Magistrates at considerable length, and
rtated, that though be lamented the misconduct of I
the master carpenters Which had occasioned his ap-
pearance before the worthy Magistrates, yet'he was
happy that his clients had adopted this course instead
of those riotous and disorderly proceedings which too
often charactetised the conduct of woo kmen in their
disputes with their employers. He said he was quite
convinced that it would be this day down that there
was the same law and the same protection afforded
the poor but honest workman, as to his more wealthy
master, and the same disposition to listen to the
grievance of the workmen as the employer, provided
the complaint was founded in liiCt and truth ; and
he added, that to the honour of his clients, he was
instructed purposely to avoid stating any subject that
could give rise to the least irritation, but to confine
himself entirely to the charge, which he appeared
before the worthy Magistrates to adduce against the
defendants. The information, he said, was founded
on the 17th sect. of the Act of Parliament, passed in
the 39th and 40th year of his present Majesty, and
was generally known by the name of " the Combi-
nation Act," and having recited the clause in ques-
tion, he proceeded to state another clause in that
Act, which authorised either master or men, upon
disputes as to wages, to demand an arbitration upon
the terms mentioned in that Act, and this, he sub-
mitted, was the course ;he masters ought to have
pursued ; but instead of that, he was instructed, that
on the .sth of February last, about forty or fifty
master carpenters met at the Freemasons' Tavern, in
Queen-street, to which no person was admitted but
upon payment of three shillings. At this meeting
the defendant, Mr. Martin, was elected chairman ;
and there, as chairman, he put resolutions--first, that
a diminution atiould take place of a charge of six-
pence per day to employers, and then that the jour-
neymen should be subject to the same reduction ;
and these resolutions were put and unanimously car-
ried. Mr. .-.llr y said, that he should not only be
able to prove that the agreement was made, but that
it was absolutely acted upon by all the defendants,
and having so done, lie was certain that the Magi-
strate would convince the defendants of the illegality
of their meeting, and the impolicy and impropriety
of any set of men assembling to rule and controul
the trade as they thought fit.
The first witness he called was James Bowden ;
who said he was a master carpenter, living at Bit.
lington tow, Bethnal Green, and lie knew all the
defendants, who are master carpenters ; that en the
sth of February last he went to the meeting at the
Freemasons' Tavern, where he paid three shillings
tor admission. There were about forty persons pre-
sent, and some person called for a Mr. Martin to
take the chair, which be accordingly took. Mr.
Lawrence proposed some resolutions : the first, that
masters should reduce labour to their employers six-
pence per day, which was carried. The second, that
the iiurueymen should be subject to the same reduc-
tion by the masters. Mr. Houglfton, he believed,
seconded them, and they were carried unanimously
by a shew of hands, the chairman putting the ques.
tions.--Upon his cross.examination by Mr. Amu.-
pIIVS, he said, the question was put by the chairman,
and he beltaved it was, that the journeymen should
be subject to the same reduction of sixpence a day,
and it was carried by a thew of hands.
Patrick Dempsey said he was a journeyman car-
penter ; previous to the sth of February last, he re.
ceived of the defendant Lawrence ;ifs. per week
wages to Christmas, and 30s. to the sth of February.
The next day, the 6th of February, Mr. Lawrence
came to him in the workshop, and said, " Dempsey,
what do you journeymen think of k now ?" Demp-,
sey asked him what he meant
.? and he replied, that
the wages were reduced by the masters, and said he
was one of the party at the meeting the night before,
and that lie was one who had there advised that the
wages should be reduced to 265. but that it was
agreed that they should be reduced to 275. He also
said to him, that it was of no use for the journeymen
to contend with the masters, for they would be sure
to have their-way, and they argued togetleer for half
an hour, and Mr. Lawrence said he might do as be
liked, for he would-give nu more than 275.
Thomas Cole said be was a journeyman carpenter,
and was employed by the defendant Houghton, and
up to the 6th of February last, received ss. a day ;
after the sth of February, that is to say, on ahis day
six weeks, Mr. Houghton said to him, it was a
general thing with the Masters to lower the wages
to 275. per week, and that he would give him no
more.

Francis Wright said he was a journeyman carpen-
ter, and worked for the defendant Martin, in George-
street, Portman-square ; be paid him SOs. a week up
to the•loth of February, but on which day he said
be would reduce the wages to 28s. in future.
George Poole said he was a journeyman carpenter,
and worked for the defendant Pew ; that on the 19th
February Mr. Peto spoke to hiln, and the other men;
he said, there is going to be a reduction of thawages,
and that, the masters had agreed to do so, and wit-
ness left him in consequence.
Mr. Anoz.rmis, for the defendants, commented
with great warmth and ingenuity upon the evidence
brought forward to support this charge, and stated,
that early in the year a communication had been
made by Government, through the Board of Works,
to the carpenters employed by them, that it, was
their determination to mike a reduction" in the price

of labour, and that it was fur the purpose of taking
into consicieratiog this communication, that themeet-
ing had been convened, and not tor the purpose
which had been alledgel by the prosecutors, nimbly,
that -of tedueing the wars Ql the waeltmen. He