The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-02-13 00:00:00

Dr6trtrt 11035.

INTIMIDATION.—On Friday five colliers were commit-
ted to prison for short periods by the Wigan magistrates
for intimidating their fellow-workmen, for the purpose of
preventing them going to work.

HEALTH OF TOWNS ACT.—No fewer that eighty-nine
towns in England have petitioned for the application to
them of the provisions of this act. Amongst those in this
neighbourhood are, Ormskirk, Wigan, Congleton, Mac-
clesfield, Altrincham, and Bangor.
A labourer on the East Lancashire Railway, forming at
Croston, named Adam Critchley had the misfortune to
fall out of a ballast waggon, on Wednesday week, when
one of the waggons was drawn over his leg, and so se-
verely crushed the limb as to render amputation necessary,
and ultimately to canoe his, (loath on Friday week.
CLOSING OF A SCHOOL FOR THE CHILDREN OF BOAT-
MEN.—Some time since, the Earl of Ellesmere erected a
school on the potato wharf, near Castle Field, for the ex-
press purpose of receiving and instructing daily the chil.
dren of boatmen on the Bridgewater Canal. The school
has been open about four months, under the superinten-
dence of a duly qualified schoolmaster, and in connexion
with St. Matthew's Church ; but the greatest number of
children that ever attended being not more than half-a-
dozen, the school was closed about a fortnight since.
RAINFORD PLOUGHING MATCH.—The committee of
the Rainford Agricultural Society, assisted by suLscrip-
tions from a few friends, have established a ploughing
match in connection with their annual exhibition of live
stock and agricultural produce. The first meeting was
held on Tuesday, the 6th instant, on Mr. T. Sharples's
farm. There were twenty-two competitors, all of whom
deserve the highest commendation for the skill displayed
on that occasion. The judges, (Mr. W. Longton, Whis-
ton ; Mr. R. Wright, Stand Farm, Croxteth ; and Mr.
Musker, Bootle,) after a very careful and impartial exa-
mination of the various lots, gave in their decisions to the
secretary, who announced them to a great crowd of anxi-
ous spectators. The first prize, a splendid iron plough,
was awarded to Peter Holden, Knowsley, one of the Earl
of Derby's ploughmen • the second, another good iron
plough, was given to W. Lillie, Bickerstaff; the third, a
scarifier, was given to James Agnew, Rainford ; the fourth,
a set of swing trees, given by Mr. Sharpies in addition to
his subscription, was taken by W. Sumner, Moss-bank.
A WORD TO THE FACTORY WORKERS.—Factory
workers be on your guard ! After a long struggle you
have gained the Ten Hours' Act. The Lancashire mill-
owners (true to their hostility to that just measure), are
now trying to rob you of your triumph. By an ingenious
relay system they are seeking to deprive you of the ten
hours limitation. And by the decision of a body of Man-
chester magistrates, the legal interpretation of the act (as
explained by their own chairman, an able lawyer and sti-
pendiary magistrate) has been outraged. The crown law-
yers concur with Mr. Maude in designating this decision
as a forced and unjust interpretation. And yet the relay
system goes on. Never mind. If any factory masters
violate the law it is their look out, and the look out of
Parliament. Don't copy their mischievous example by
any illegal strikes. Strikes do no good. Public opinion
will be strong enough even for the factory masters of
Lancashire. The Queen—(God bless her !)—can soon
meet the difficulty. And there can be no doubt she will
do so promptly ; it you find it necessary to memorialize
her.—Halifax. Guardian.