The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-15 00:00:00

MEETING OF TRADESMEN'S ASSISTANTS

A numerous meeting of the members and friends of the
Assistant Tradesmen's Association was held on the evening
of Tuesday, in the Clarendon-rooms, South John-street, for
the purpose of considering the propriety of )nemorialising
their employers to abridge the present hours of business, by
closing their shops at seven o'clock in the evening.—Mr.
Flower was called to the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, after having opened the proceedings,
said he was very glad to meet the members of the associa-
tion once again. The occasion which had brought them to-
gether was one of great interest, and be believed, it would
issue in gaining their objects. He would not tell them why
the step that they were now about to take had been so long
delayed, because he could not do so without exciting feelings
of irritation, which he hoped would be avoided on all hands..
For his own part he had none but the kindest feelings towards
the employers, and, as fa4as his influence went, he would en-
deavour to cultivate the same in every heart. There were
among the employers many benevolent and kind-hearted
men ; many of them were much inclined to be friends to the
assistants ; but they had been prevented doing what they
wished by men less enlightened, and therefore less charitable,
than themselves. He thought, however, by approaching
them in a spirit of gentleness—he would say humility, by the
use of which term he did not mean any thing degrading—by
approaching them in a respectful, moderate, yet firm tone of
calm reasoning and persuasion, the assistants would yet ac-
complish their long-cherished object. (Hear, hear.) The
address which had been prepared, would be found written in
the very mildest tone. He would not himself enlarge upon
it, as that duty would devolve upon the gentleman who had
undertaken to propose it, but he could not help taking this
opportunity of saying, a word about the association. A great
deal had been said, even by the assistants themselves, against
it ' • they had enquired what it had done ; and many of them
had cried out in reply " Nothing." He could not avoid ex-
pressing some surprise that such a conclusion should have
been arrived at. One thing at least which it had done was
that it had roused many of their own body from a state of in-
difference and apathy, as to their cause, and made them
sonic of its most indefatigable and active members. If it
had done no more than that, he contended, it would be enti-
tled to praise ; but the fact was, it had done more, for it had
wrought upon the public mind, from the peer to the peasant,
in a manner that the warmest supporters of the cause could
not have previously calculated upon. (Hear, hear.) The
list of the donations, which would be read before the close
of the proceedings, would prove that they had friends, and
strong friends. They bad besides had the strongest support
of the press of all parties. (Hear, hear.) They had had the
clergy on their side; their cause had been pleaded from many
pulpits : and only last Sunday one of our most popular
preachers, unasked, introduced the subject to his congrega-
tion in a most forcible manner. (Hear.) Surely this was
doing something. (Hear, hear.) Further, they had wrought
a change in the sentiments of a great number of the employ-
ers, who before were rather unfavourable to them ; for they
had perceived that the object was pursued not rashly, as
might have been expected, but with calm and temperate rea-
soning ; that no offensive epithets had been used ; and thus
he (the chairman) believed they had gained many friends
—even among the employers. The facts, he considered,
proved these statements ; for although they were not able to
announce a general closing of the shops earlier, he would
invite any one accustomed to walk the streets in an evening,
to look at the empty state of those shops, which kept open
after seven o'clock. (Hear, hear.) The chairman, after a
few further remarks, concluded by calling upon the mover
of the first resolution.
Mr. Sego LErIELD then came forward and moved that the
address (which will be found in our advertising columns)
be adopted. In support of this he delivered a very long
written speech, in which he entered upon the discussion of
the general question. He asserted that the motives of the
assistants had been maligned, their position and treatment

misrepresented, and a charge b.rought against them of holding
the language of intimidation, in the letters signed " A Shop-
keeper," which appeared recently after the meeting in the
Sessions House. To each of these points the speaker replied,
in a manner that called forth considerable applause, and he
concluded by declaring that the cause of the assistants was
the cause of truth, of justice, and of humanity, and therefore
it would finally prevail.
Mr. CAMIDGE seconded the resolution in an able speech,

expressive of his opinion that, under existing circumstances,
the address was the very best mode that could be adopted by
the assistants to obtain their end.
The resolution was unanimously carried.
Mr. W. B. JONES, in moving the appointment of a com-
mittee to communicate with any of the principals, mentioned
that the tradesmen's assistants in Australia and New York
had recently succeeded in their efforts to obtain an abridge-
ment of their hours of labour. This was gratifying encou-
ragement for those of Liverpool to persevere.
Mr. CHARLES WILLMER seconded the resolution in an
animated address, in the course of which he quoted an article
from the Edinburgh Revieiv, the writer of which, indirectly
indeed, but still with great force, urged a variety of grounds
for the curtailment of the hours of labour.
The resolution was carried after a few remarks from Mr.
BRAMAN!.

A resolution that the meeting do adjourn till the 20th
inst., in order to receive the report of the committee, having
been carried, on the motion of Mr. H. B. JACKSON, seconded
by Mr. E. P. JONES, the meeting separated.

BUICSLEM.—TRIBUTE OF RESPECT TO THE REV. B.
Embis.—The congregation of St. Paul's Church, Burslem,
on Tuesday last, presented their respected minister, the Rev.
Brabazon Ellis, with a purse containing eighty sovereigns, as
a testimony of esteem for his zealous and indefatigable exer-
tions.

THE THAMES TUNNEL.—This stupendous work is
rapidly advancing to completion. The sub-marine cutting
has been finished some months, but in order to secure easy
facility of entrance, it has been found necessary to bore fur •
ther beyond the high-water mark than was originally in-
tended.