The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-07 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

IT is stated that the agents of the Associated Masters,
who have been despatched to almost all parts of the king-
dom, have entered into contracts with some hundreds of
people, to whom constant work is guaranteed for at least
twelve months. Young persons are to be instructed in
the various branches of the cotton trade; and to provide
for the accommodation of a portion of these people, the
Associated Masters have fitted up a commodious building,
formerly the Bolton railway-station, in Fishgate, the chief
thoroughfare of the town, and within about 200 yards of the
London and North-western Company's station. The mill-
owners are also renting cottages adjacent to their works,
and furnishing them for their new hands. The importa-
tion of these people produced unusual excitement, though
only on one occasion has a serious breach of the peace been
committed. This was on Thursday night. A number of
persons, many of them children, arrived from the north
about eight o'clock, and were transferred to an omnibus,
three cabs, and a whitechapel, to be conveyed to the mill
of Messrs. Leigh. A crowd collected ; cries of " Turn
them out" arose ; first mud and then stones were thrown
at the conveyances, the windows of which were broken,
and a child was struck on the forehead. Seven policemen
were despatched to the scene of action in a carriage, which
was also assailed with a shower of stones. The disturb-
ance was soon quelled, and two youths who were captured
on the spot were committed for the Liverpool assizes.
On Friday afternoon about fifty Ilibermans, of all ages,
arrived at the Midland Railway Station from Belfast, via
Fleetwood. They presented a miserable spectacle ; nearly
the whole of them were destitute of shoes and stockings ;
few of the females had bonnets, and some appeared in
nightcaps. Many of them, it was said, were from the
Union Workhouse at Belfast. They were received by
detachments of the police and fire-brigade ; the mayor and
two other magistrates being also present. A large con-
course of people having congregated in the vicinity of the
railway, the authorities deemed it expedient to read the
Riot Act ; after which, the police cleared a road for the
vehicles employed to remove the strangers, and they pro-
ceeded without obstruction to the works of Messrs. Birley
Brothers. Other strangers continue to arrive daily.
At a meeting of the Watch Committee, on Friday, the
Mayor suggested an augmentation of the police force, to
meet the present state of the town. Eventually, it was
decided to increase the force by one hundred men, and a
number of special constables were enrolled.
The annexed proclamation, prohibiting public meetings,
created great consternation amongst the operatives :
" Borough of Preston, in the county of Lancaster.—
Whereas public meetings have been holden in the said
borough, at which inflammatory speeches have been made,
and language uttered, having a tendency to cause a breach
of the peace, and the commission of other offences ; and
whereas a serious riot has already taken place in the said
borough ; and whereas large numbers of persons continue
to assemble and gather together, to the great terror of the
peaceablydisposed inhabitants of this borough; and whereas
the proclamation under the Riot Act has this day been read
Within the said borough; notice is hereby given, that all