The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-03 00:00:00

x'423513 7

N DIVISION.
By Cash paid for Pay, Clothing, and Contingencies 3303 11 10
Balance 527 15 4

TUESDAY MORNING, JAN. 3, 1854.

THE WAR BETWEEN LABOUR AND
CAPITAL-THE COMBATANTS.

IN several recent instances we have had occasion, while
treating of the strikes of workmen, to designate this war

of labour against capital as an unholy, because an unna-
tural, war. Capital, as the result of skill, foresight, and
self-denial, is indispensable to the well-being of society,
and any movement which has for its avowed or hidden
object the annihilation or serious dilapidation of capital,
is a movement in which, sooner or later, all classes of the
community will find something inimical to their interests.
That such a war has been waged by workmen against
their employers in the manufacturing and mining dis-
tricts, is a matter of too much notoriety to require demon-
stration; and that its results hitherto have been great
public inconvenience and the source of much general appre-
hension, are not in any degree mitigated by a knowledge of
the fact, that they have been ruinously disastrous to the
workmen themselves. Nor, strictly speaking, can it be
admitted as a palliation of the evil result, that it was
brought about through well-intentioned ignorance, led on
by ignorance as consummate, but less innocent, and more

designing. Society has a just right, and too deep an in-
terest, in maintaining the natural relation which capital
and labour have established between themselves, to allow
the validity of such inconclusive reasoning. Capital and
labour are each indispensable, not merely to the vigorous
working of each other, but to their very existence. La-
bour may, indeed, with truth, be represented as the bones
and sinews and muscles of the social body ; but, if so,
capital must take the place of that vital fluid, which, pro-
ceeding from the centre organ, gives nourishment and
vivacity to even the most distant extremity. Diminish
this stream, and yon paralyze the action of all the mem-
bers ; divert its current, or taint it at its source, and the
bones will become brittle, the sinews rigid, and the
muscles powerless. So with the body politic : sustain the
stream of life in purity, let it flow untrammelled in its
natural course, and you secure a harmonious action, a
vigorous and powerful frame. Coercion, in physics as in
morals, has invariably been found an inadequate means of
supporting even a good cause, and its attempted applica-
tion to regulate the relations between employers and em-
ployed, in the shape of strikes, real or impending, forms
no exception to the general rule. Temporary circum-
stances may, indeed, for the moment, lead to an apparent
yielding on the one part, and a triumph on the other;
but all such compulsory obediences have been invariably
short-lived, while their tendency, indeed certainty, to
create unfriendliness and animosity between the parties is
as well known and generally admitted as it is to be la-
mented. In any contention for mastery between employers
and employed, experience has again and again shown that
each of the parties is powerful to injure the other,
but weak as infancy to benefit themselves,—with this
slight difference, that the power of combined action
is more easily and effectively wielded by the masters
than by the men. The men, from their numbers,--
the great feature of their strength,—are more difficult
to hold in union, their resources are more slender, and
their demands ;upon those resources more extensive and
more instant than those of the masters ;—to the latter a
stoppage of work is a cause of loss, and a subject of annoy-
ance, if not of anger; to the former it is the instrument of
immediate privation, and the harbinger of protracted mi-
sery, if not of ultimate and utter ruin. How unwise a
contest, then, where the means are so unequal—how
wicked where the results are so fruitless or so fatal !

That the disastrous consequences here contemplated are
no phantoms of a disordered imagination, is too painfully
manifested in the present position of affairs between the
master-manufacturers and the operatives. The former
taking alarm at the unreasonable demands, and still more
unreasonable dictation of the latter, have entered into a
combination to, as they say, reduce the men to reason; in
other words, they have resolved to reduce the men to a
state of greater subordination than they were in previous
to their ill-advised strike ; and this movement has, cha-
racteristically enough, been originated in Manchester.
The particular nature of the proposed humiliation it is not,
at present, worth while taking into consideration. That
the masters, irritated by the contumacy of their workmen,
may be tempted at a favourable moment to retaliate, is so
consonant with the principles of human action, as to
afford little ground for wonder. How far, under pre;
sent circumstances, they may be justified is another
and more serious subject for inquiry. It must
be fresh in the memory of every one, that, within a few
years past, these same Manchester manufacturers invited
all the workmen throughout the kingdom to clamour for
a repeal of the corn laws, on the ground that such repeal,
by causing a greater demand for manufactured goods,
would enable them to earn more wages. We all remem-
ber, also, that, yielding to these clamours, the government
of the day, whether wisely or not matters little now,
repealed the corn-laws. It is equally patent to all, that,
through a series of fortuitous circumstances, after the re-
peal of these laws, the prosperity of those manufacturers
became great—according to their own phrase, unexam-
pledly great, and no small pains were bestowed by those
same gentlemen in displaying their prosperity and boast-
ing of it. What, then, was more natural than that the
workman should deem it his right to share in, and to de-
mand that he should share in this unexampled prosperity ?
His master told him that if he shouted well for this pros-
perity it should come—he was next told that it had
come, and come through the powerful agency of his
clamour. He did not believe that he had had his full
share in the benefit, and following the example set, and
the advice inculcated by his master, and believing in the
power he was told by that same master he possessed,
he urged his fellows to join him in pursuing the
course he had seen so successfully followed by his
betters, and has found to his sad dismay, that al-
though he may agitate to his heart's content, and
shout till his lungs are empty and sore, for the benefit of
his master's class, he must not use the same means for his
own seeming advantage. So far from seeking to justify
or commend the conduct of the operative turn-outs, we
have invariably condemned them as alike impolitic and
unjust ; but we are not prepared to recognize the propriety
of the censure, nor to applaud the punishment awarded
by so questionable a tribunal. We have read in a book
which we regard as infinitely more authoritative than the
oracles of the Corn-law League, that "he who soweth the
wind shall reap the whirlwind," and we do not see any
special reason why the warning injunction should be re-
versed or suspended in favour of the members of this new
league.

The manifesto of this new combination acquaints us
with another of their secrets, the truth of which, however,
we never previously doubted. That is the utter dissipa-
tion of their great theoretical free-trade fallacy. Through
the Times, the organ of the party, we are informed that,
" Had there been no strike, long ere this the masters
would have been obliged to reduce wages, or have re-
course to half thole. Nobody at this moment can fail to
see the truth of Wis." Has it, iudeed, come to this, that
nobody can fail to See that the abolition :of the Corn-laws

JONATHAN PEEL.
C. R. JACSON.

R. BRYAN SMITH.

has not secured to the artizan unlimited demands for la-
bour, and increased remuneration ? The Times, eating its
former prophecy, now tells the artizan that he must sub-
mit to reduced wages or half work ! Alas for the unchange-
able improvement in his prospects ! and alackaday for the
veracity and judgment of that mightyprophet which sets its
dicta above the opinions of even the wisest ! Experience only
proves what was specifically enough pointed out at the time,
that the abolition of the corn-laws would be powerless in
sustaining a demand for manufactured goods ; and we
greatly fear speedily to see the other portion of the pro-
tectionist's prophecy realized, viz., that it will lead to a
permanent reduction in the wages of labour. So long as
the harvests were sufficiently productive, provisions re-
mained cheap, manufactures were rapidly consumed, and
labour was in great demand. One bad harvest has re-
versed all that, the price of provisions is enormously high,
the Times tells us " the declining course of trade shows that
masters could not have carried on up to this time a high
rate of production at the same wages as heretofore?'
What, then, have we gained ? Had the corn-laws been un-
repealed, how much higher a duty would we have been
paying on wheat than we are doing at the present
'moment ?

ANNUAL DINNER OF THE MERSEY
STEEL AND IRON WORKS' BENEFIT
SOCIETY.

THE annual dinner of the above society was held on
Monday last, at the Stag Hotel, Mill-street, Toxteth-park.
The members of the society, who are all employed at the
company's works, met at one o'clock, and, preceded by the
band belonging to the establishment, marched to the
hotel, where they partook of an excellent dinner. At the
principal table we observed the worthy employers, W. J.
Horsfall, Esq., T. B. Horsfall, Esq., M.P., and George H.
Horsfall, Esq., as also the following gentlemen :—W. Clay,
Esq., (manager,) T. Webb, Esq., Messrs. R. L. Clay, B.
Samples, T. N. Simpson, J. S. King, John R. Hughes,
J. Bolas, Mossom, J. Owens, Cookson, W. Leyland, (Miles-
street,) &c., &c.
After the usual loyal toasts had been given, the Vice-
chairman (Mr. EA STWOOD) proposed the health of their
respected principal, Win. J. Horsfall, Esq., remarking,
that it needed no comment from him to induce them to
receive it with the applause it merited. He was known
to all, and all appreciated his sterling value. (Loud
cheers.) He might be allowed to remark, that, at the last
club meeting, it was unanimously resolved that an address
be presented to W. J. Horsfall, Esq., expressive of the
society's thanks for the warm interest he had always
taken in their affairs, (Cheers.)
The following address was then read on behalf of the
society, by Mr. JOHN R. HUGHES :
" The Address of the Members of the Mersey Steel
and Iron Works' Benefit Society, to William Joseph
Horsfall, Esquire.
" Another year has passed away since last we met to
celebrate the anniversary of our society's existence, and we
are now entered into its 19th year.
" In justice to ourselves, we cannot permit the present
opportunity of meetinc, you around this festive board to
pass by, without recording and expressing our grateful
sense of the kindly sympathy, the countenance and sup-
port which you have invariably extended towards us.
" We frankly and gratefully acknowledge that the en-
couragement and support so generously afforded us, have
greatly contributed to strengthen our own efforts, and
enabled us to benefit each other, by perseveringly and (we
would hope) energetically carrying on the operations of our
society to an active and effective working ; for through its
agency we have had the happy privilege of administering
aid to the necessitous and the afflicted ; to comfort and
solace many a head bowed down in sickness and consequent
trouble ; many a home and hearth that otherwise would
have been very desolate and cheerless have been rendered
comparatively joyous, by the wholesome administration
of our society's united funds ; and when death's stern unre-
lenting hand has laid prostrate the body of a fellow-member
and fellow-workman, leaving behind him the widow and the
orphan, overwhelmed in bitter sorrow, helpless, and oft-
times in want, it has been our happy province to pour the
balm of consolation and friendly aid in this most righteous
cause.

" We feel it incumbent upon us, therefore, to express
to you, Sir, as also to our excellent and worthy manager,
Mr. Clay, our hearty and grateful thanks for your counte-
nance of our society's cause; and would, moreover, desire
particularly to thank you for your additional contributions
in the past year of fines imposed in the works, which yon
have been generously pleased to instruct shall be granted
to our fund 3 hereafter.

" Collectively and individually we would wish you much
happiness, hoping that you may be long spared to adorn
the high station which you occupy, and sincerely pray that
" Those blessings you may ever share
Which on the bounteous good attend."
(Three hearty and enthusiastic cheers were here given,
and the band followed with an appropriate air.)
W. J. HonsrALL, Esq., rose to reply, and said he never
was more overpowered by his feelings than on the present
occasion. He thanked the members for the kind and
• enthusiastic manner in which they had been pleased to
receive the mention of his name, but he feared there wag
expressed in the address handed him more than he could
lay claim to ; he had, nevertheless, always had a warm
interest in the prosperity of their society, as indeed of
every society that would tend to ameliorate the condition
of his workpeople. (Loud cheers.) He urged upon all
the workmen to become members of the society, which he
characterised as the best he knew of,.and observed that it
was managed by themselves in an admirable manner ; a
workman was the secretary, and a workman was the
treasurer, and he said that, having looked over their books,
he found there was a surplus over and above the year's
expenditure, which he thought was most gratifying. He
had much pleasure in being there that day, to see so many
happy faces around him. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. GEORGE GOULDER rose to propose the health of
Thomas B. Horsfall, Esq., M.P., who he said was not only
a good master, as all in that room could testify, but he
was, moreover, their worthy representative, and one who,
as one of their rulers, would allow him, a working man,
to have the Bible upon his shelf, and let him read it how
he liked, where he liked, and when he liked. (Cheers.)
He would also tell those in the room who didn't know it,
that he was in favour of the big loaf, and what was more
of big wages ! (Cheers.) He begged, therefore, to pro-
pose to them the health of Thomas Berry Horsfall, Esq.,
M.P. (Renewed cheers.)
T. B. HonsvALL,-Esq., M.P., said he could not but con-
trast the Conduct of the men of the Mersey Steel and Iron
Works with that of the turn-outs at Preston, Wigan, and
other places; and humorously remarked that it perhaps
required two to make a quarrel—(a laugh)—and that the
fault might not, after all, be all on one side. (Hear.) He
had always'entertained the happy thought that a cordial
good feeling existed between them and his worthy brother,
and he was proud to say that it did exist, from the senti-
ments expressed in the address read to them that day, and
he confidently hoped that this affection between them
might be cemented and continued. He said he well
remembered, when he had the honour of being chief
magistrate, the alacrity and readiness of the men to assist
in maintaining order, when their social peace was threat-
ened and assailed by Chartism, and highly lauded the
workmen for the loyal and orderly sentiments by which
they were animated on that occasion. He took the oppor-
tunity of impressing on the men some judicious remarks
as to submission to their authorised rulers, and to keep
themselves aloof from Chartism, which, he maintained,
reduced wages, and was altogether impolitic. This he
illustrated from the case of one of the flannel towns of •
North Wales, which being excited by the seditious speeches
of Chartist demagogues, were thus incited to turn-out,
and he observed the result was this, that wages have never.
been as high as they were before that period, and the trade
itself was depressed, and so continues. He said he had
great pleasure in coming amongst them that day, and paid
a very flattering tribute to the Mersey Works' band, which
had enlivened the proceedings of the day, and jocosely
remarked that he would sit down after giving utterance to
the words of an old English rhyme, that
"'Twas a good old custom, when Christmas was come,
To summon our friends with tabret and drum."—
(Loud and long continued cheers.) •
Mr. PETER EASTWOOD rose to propose the health of
George H. Horsfall, Esq., and begged to thank him for
the good dinner they had on the occasion of his marriage,
and hoped that they might very soon have another—(Loud
laughter).
G. H. HORSFALL, Esq., who, on rising to respond, was
received with uproarious cheers, after thanking them for
the honour they did him, felicitously remarked that it
might be a very good joke for Mr. P. Eastwood, but he
assured him it would be no joke for him to have to look
out for another wife (lond laughter) ; he wouldn't know
where to put her. (Continued laughter.) He said it
might shortly be the ease with a friend who sat by him

(glancing at Mr. Webb), and he would promise them that
they should have a like good dinner when it turned out
to be the case. This much he would promise on his ac-
cont. (Great laughter and cheering.?
Mr. HENRY MINTON begged to drink Mr. Webb's good
health, to which the latter responded, and said that he
would hold Mr. G. H. Horsfall bound, by contract, to
supply them with a dinner, when the event to which they
alluded should take place.—[Mr. G. H. HORSFALL—I shall
be most happy.] (Loud cheers.)
Mr. Clay's health having been proposed by Mr. Barlow,
that gentleman said it gave him great pleasure to know
from Mr. Barlow, that in his capacity of manager of the
works he had given satisfaction. It would appear that he
bad exceeded the expectations formed of him ; this he as-
sured them was far more satisfactory to him than that
great things should have been anticipated of him, and
afterwards to have been found wanting. He hoped that
he had been enabled to manage the wors as profitably to
the esteemed proprietors as it appeared satisfactory to the
men ; and if this should prove to be thQ case, as he doubted
not but that it would, he should feel himself most happy.
It had been his aim to give a direction to every good ob-
ject that was proposed to him, and it would continue to be
his study to further their interests, and to be of some per-
manent good to them. (Cheers.) He thanked them for
their good will towards him.

Mr. SIMPSON, in proposing "The Vice-chair," said he
had a light task imposed on him, and it required no enco-
miums from him to insure its hearty reception. Mr. B.
EASTWOOD briefly returned thanks ; and proposed " The
Young Gentlemen of the Office," which was responded to
by Mr. T. CATON, the junior clerk.
, Our Friends ;" to which the leading man of Messrs.
Fawcett, Preston, and Co.'s foundry responded, was next
proposed, and received with cheers.
Among the remaining toasts were drunk, " Prosperity
to the Mersey Steel and Iron Works' Benefit Society," by
T. WEBB, Esq. ; " Success to the Mersey Steel and Iron
Works and the Iron Trade," by Mr. GRIFFITHS ; " The
Treasurer and Secretary of the Society," by Mr. KING.
The musical arrangements reflected the highest credit
on their conductor, Mr. Roberts.
The hilarity of the evening was kept up to a late hour,
when all retired highly delighted with the proceedings,
and charmed with the kind condescension of their esteemed
employers, the Messrs. Horsfall.

DECIMAL COINAGE.

TOWN'S MEETING.

IN compliance with a numerously signed requisition, a
public meeting was convened by his Worship the MAYOR
on Wednesday last, to consider the subject of decimal
coinage. The meeting took place in the Sessions'-house,
the Mayor presiding ; the attendance was large, embracing
gentlemen connected with the shipping, banking, and other
commercial interests of Liverpool, and among these
were—Mr. William Brown, M.P., Mr. T. B. Hersh% M.P.,
Mr. Thomas Thornely, M.P., Messrs. J. P. Heywood,
W. Earle, W. llathbone, Josias Booker, G. Grant, John
Campbell, T. Bold, F. A. Clint, R. Berm, W. J. Tomlinson,
James Aikin, John Aikin, F. A. Hamilton, J. B. Barclay,
H. Neill, C. Robertson, T. Moore, E. Heath, J. Baron, K.
Dowie, T. Bouch, J. A. Picton, James Smith, R. Gill, T.
D. Anderson, E. Higgin, J. R. Jeffery, &c., &c.
The requisition calling the meeting having been 'read
by the Town Clerk,
The MAYOR, in stating that he considered it his duty
to call the meeting in compliance with the requisition
which had been so numerously and respectably signed,
took occasion to say he believed there was scarcely a dif-
ference of opinion that, if the decimal system were adop-
ted, it would save, by threefold, the labour and expense
at present consumed-in figure transactions. No commu-
nity, he considered, could be more competent to give an
opinion on such a subject than that of the important
commercial town of Liverpool.
Mr. W. BROWN, M.P., moved the first resolution, which
will be found, with the others, in our advertising columns.
After reading the resolution, he proceeded to read two
letters, one from Lord Stanley the other from Mr. How-
son, Principal of the Collegiate Institution. These letters
expressed a general acquiescence in the propriety of a de-
cimal coinage ; but also expressing a predilection in favour
of retaining some of the present names, such as the
farthing. Mr. Brown then proceeded to explain what had
already taken place relative to the subject they were met
to consider. Many years ago, the father of the present
Lord Wrottesley broached the subject in the House of
Commons, but little was done until Dr. Bowring took it
up some time afterwards, and induced the government to
issue a florin—one-tenth of a pound. The doctor was de-
sirous that the piece should be called a dime, but, from
high quarters, this was overruled, and the name of florin
was given to it. The matter rested until the Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce took up the question, and ap-
pointed a sub-committee to examine into the merits of the
case. That committee made a favourable report to the
chamber, and they memorialised the government in favour
of a decimal system, and taking the sovereign as the unit.
Nothing was afterwards done until he (Mr. Brown) went
to London, when he considered that he could not render a
better service to the country than by moving for a com-
mittee of inquiry of the House of Commons. His first
notice of motion embraced weights and measures ; but
some of his judicious friends deemed that the weights and
measures had better be omitted in the first instance, and
that they had better, in the meantime, go for decimalising
the coinage, because the advantage of this being once seen,
the other would follow. Previous, however, to this step
being taken by him, the Board of Trade issued letters, in
order to elicit information, not only as to the effect of the
change upon commerce, but as to how it would be re-
ceived by the working and industrious classes. The
evidence thus elicited was put into the hands of the
committee, and probably there never was a committee
where the opinion was more unanimous in favour of fixing
the pound as the unit of account. During their frequent
sittings there was not a single division. (Hear, hear.) It
had appeared very strange to him that England, the most
commercial country in the world, should be so long in
adopting a system which was found to work well by all other
nations which had adopted it. There were at this moment
probably 400,000,000 people who used the decimal system.
The coins which were recommended as the coins of account
by the parliamentary committee were pounds, florins,
cents, and mils, but no strong opinion was given how
accounts should be kept. That might be left to the con-
venience of the public, as it was quite a matter of taste
how the public chose to keep their accounts. The public
might choose to call them one pound and 999 mils
(1;1.999), by placing the decimal point after the pound ;
or one pound 9 florins and 99 mils (X 1 Of. 99m.) ; or one
pound 9 florins 9 cents and 9 mils, all of which were per-
fectly simple. Probably it would be better to call them
farthings, and express them thus—El 9 florins and 99
farthings. The coins which were considered necessary
for the change, in gold and silver, were, taking the
sovereign as the unit and dividing it into 1000 parts, the
half-sovereign 500, the crown 260, the half-crown 125,
the florin 100, the shilling 50, and the sixpence 25 far-
things. It would be perceived that none of these were
coins of account except the sovereign and the florin, but
they were very convenient for change. It was further
recommended that 20 and 30 cent pieces should be coined,
to replace the half-crowns as they were called in, and the
shillings and sixpences called in as the matter progressed.
But it was by no means necessary to withdraw any of our
present coins until a new coin was substituted, provided
the number of farthings were marked upon the new coin-
age; for the public would at once see that a piece marked
50 mils was precisely our present is., and one marked 25
our present 6d. With the copper coins it was recom-
mended that they should have one, two, and five nail
pieces ; but, although he perfectly agreed with the general
views of. the committee, he thought they ought not to
overlook the very important evidence of Sir John Hers-
obeli (master of the mint), and Mr. Miller, the deputy-
cashier of the Bank of England. Mr. Miller's proposal
was to mark the heavy thick-rimmed pennies made by
Bolton and Watt
five mils, . and the small pennies might
be marked four mils, the halfpenny two, and the farthing
one. As a whole, the country would be no loser if Mr.
Miller's plan were proclaimed to-morrow, so that, in fact,
the coinage is ready whenever the government may choose
to adopt it. General Pasley and Mr. Taylor gave them
some very striking examples of the saving of labour
which would arise from the adoption of the decimal system
in accounts.and calculations, and, as an illustration, a sum
in which only 66 figures were required to work decimally
a sum which required 208 under the present procegs.
There were numbers of astronomical observations which
could not be carried on without a decimal system ; and it
would also be found convenient to those persons who
were concerned .in trade. Mr. Kirkham and Mr.
Lindsey gave some valuable evidence. as to the small
coins. Those gentlemen, the one in London and
the other in Liverpool, managed 13 or 14 shops:
they stated distinctly, when it was explained to
the poor that they would receive for the 6d. twenty-five
farthings in place of twenty-four, they would.be satisfied,
and there would be no difficulty, and that about 1000 far-
things were taken weekly in the respective concerns with
which they were connected. He (Mr. Brown) had always
felt convinced, and the evidence adduced before the com-
mittee had strengthened this conviction, that they had
never sufficiently appreciated the intelligence and aptitude
of the labouring classes. Mr. Brown went on to say, that
he totally disagreed with the notion tlaat the industrious
and hardworking men would not readily appreciate the
change. He contended that they understood the value Of
farthings and pence better than most peopledid of pounds.
He anticipated no difficulty with them. With respect to
the exchanges, they all knew that throughout the whole
mercantile operations of the world, the pound sterling was
the basis of operations- To change it would create a
degree of derangement and inconvenience that scarcely
could be contemplated. He had letters from the Society
of Arts, who quite approved of the steps which had been
taken; and they were in correspondence with 700 or 800
other societies, and intended publishing his letter, with
such remarks as they thought fit, and circulating it. In
conclusion, remarking upon the importance of bringing
the subject in every way under the consideration of the
government, Mr. Brown said that government did not like
to move unless they found that they were sustained by
public opinion. This was one reason why they had taken
the liberty of requesting his worship to convene the pre-
sent meeting, their object being to disseminate information
upon the subject as fully as possible. (Cheers.)
Mr. THOMAS Bonen, vice-president of the chamber of
commerce, in the absence of Mr. Shand, the chairman,
seconded the resolution, stating that, although the cham-
ber of commerce had appointed a committee on the pro-
priety of adopting a decimal system, it was done through
their attention having been called to the subject by a
letter from Mr. Brown. Mr. Bouch bore testimony to the
services which Mr. Brown had rendered to the town, not
only in this matter, but in every public measure with
which it had been his (Mr. Bouch's) good fortune to be
connected ; and, as he never failed to carry through to a
final result any measure which he took up, so he hoped he
would be successful" in obtaining a settlement of this
question

The resolution was then put to the meeting, and, with
those that followed, carried unanimously.
Mr. T. B. HORSFALL, M.P., proposed the second reso-
lution, which, he said, recognised the principle proposed
in-the first resolution, and pointed out the benefits which
would accrue from the advantages of the decimal system
to every class in the community. He quite concurred
with the resolution that the decimal system would confer
a very general, he would say a universal, benefit. He was
very much surprised, the other day, to hear a gentleman,
alluding to the object of this meeting, express an opinion,
which his worship also heard, that it was somewhat mop-