The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-31 00:00:00

PARLJXSIENT
The humble Petitimi—of the underak

ASSEMBLED.
'ned Banke

Traders, and others, Inhabitants of Liverpool. ,„ ~.-. ._ .......•• ..a.....,, ...., pay i WIC 1. IS THE PUBLIC, AND NOT THE MASTER TRADESMEN, WHO
SHOWETH —That your Petitioners view with great alarm the HAVE EVENTUALLY TO PAY THE WAGES. So far as they are
number of Railway Bills now brought forward for the sanction concerned, it is not their interest to pay low wages; and all that
of Parliament. they contend for is, the liberty of employing Workmen at such
That in the opinion of your Petitioners the passing of many wages as may be mutually agreed upon, without the unneces-
of these Bills, unaccompanied by any restriction as to the time sary interference of a Club, perhaps composed of men who do
for the construction of the Lines will have a most prejudicial not even belong to the town, and whose interference is as mis-
- .

effect upon the interests of the Country generally, iliac espe- chievous as it is uncalled for.
cially upon those of the Commercial and Trading Classes, who To such dictation and interference they are firmly resolved
are the principal parties pledged to find the Capital required for not to submit, be the consequences what they may.
these undertakings, and whose means for pursuing their legiti- To meet the difficulties connected with the present
mate tt - be completely absorbed, involving Bir""---' "

IMISIIIeSS Wlk 31.1 S .. icenhead, they have the choice of two alternatives. One is,
_ ,
many of them in loss and ruin. to suspend all work in Liverpool while that strike lasts ; the
That the demand for such a large amount of capital for other is, to require everyworkman to sign a declaration that he
Railways will, in the opinion of your Petitioners, not only fur- is not, and will not remain, a member of these dangerous com-
ther derange the Money Market, and interfere with Trade and binations, which have been the bane of every community where
Commerce, but by the sudden and violent effects of its action they have been established. The former mode would be unjust
on the Labour Market, will materially retfird the completion of towards those of their Workmen who are not members of the
Lines already sanctioned by the Legislature, and now in pro- Union, (and they rejoice to know that there are many such,)
gress, as • well as interfere with all other works of public and they have therefore adopted the latter alternative, because
utility. it will give to every man a tree choice, and afford him an op-
That your Petitioners view •with the greatest apprehension portunity of quitting the Trades' Unions altogether.
the social evils which, in their opinion, would necessarily flow They would fain hope that the majority of the Workmen will
from the derangement of the Labour Market, by the sudden accede to the proposition; but if it unfortunately happens that
demand for such an amount of labour, in addition to that re-
peal
should be disappointed in their hope, they confidently ap-
quired for Works now in progress, and for Agricultural pur. to the Public for that forbearance which it will be their
poses, all experience of the present mode of constructing duty to ask ; and they have already had assurances from many
Railways proving the demoralizing effects produced upon the quarters, that the erection of Buildings may he suspended until
masses of the Labouring Population, thus withdrawn from their the Workmen, as well as the Masters, are relieved from the
usual occupations, without sufficient time being allowed for the I thraldom of such tyrannical combination.
requisite arrangements for such a transition. John Tornkinson. Samuel and James Holme.
That these evils must be felt in an augmented degree in pro- John Johnson. ,Leader and Dooley
portion to the number of new Lines granted. Furness and Kilpin. W. Troutbeck and *Son.
That, in order to avoid the evils anticipated, it is the opinion Joseph Boumphrey. John Bromley.
of your Petitioners, which they respectfully submit to the con- Thomas Mackarel. James Crellin.
sideration of your Honourable (louse, that, in adjudicating Thomas James. Isaac Henshaw.
upon the merits of any new Lines, and in sanctioning the same, Knight and Nimmo. James Stringfellow.
your Honourable House should prescribe, as a condition at- I James Gore. Richard Gardner.
tached thereto, that no Calls be made by the Companies f H. Haydock and Son. Thomas Tapley.
obtaining such Bills within a less term than two or three years Robert McKee. Edward Williams.
from the passing thereof, or such other period as your Honour- Dempster and Wilson. John and James Lyon.
thle House shall deem advisable, reserving for the discretion Richard and Paul Barker. William Tomkinson.
,f your Honourable House to make such special exceptions to William Bateman. John Critchley.
lis rule as shall, in those cases of necessary Extensions for Thomas Gore. (Thomas Jones. •
-Feting the main Trunk Lines from the Metropolis, and Richard Edwards. ;John Milford.
and Harbour Lines as the Government of the Owen Ellis. William Jones.
',nil indispensable for purposes of National John Morris. William Baker.
^ninmercial objects. i George Robinson. Thomas Hughes.
humbly pray, that your Honoura- John Williams. James Holt.
-*es as may effectually limit Alexander White. Thomas Wylie.
action of Railways to Thomas Haigh.

Your Petitioners ther

-de House will adopt
:he Capital to be empl

Ld practicable within a given

such amount as may app _ _
period of time. ! J. and W. Walker, Birke...
Resolred,—That this Committee will sit Daily, at their Office, Henry Cole, Ditto
No. 1, ROYAL BANK BUILDINGS; and they suggest that non- , James Routledge, Ditto,
resident Scripholders may communicate by letter, or through John Ilegarth, hock Ferry.
their Broker or their Agents. , William Oberry, Birkenhead,
The Meetings of the Committee will be from Ten to Eleven in James Stephenson; Traninere
the Morning, and from Two to TbrtV o'clock in the Afternoon. Hugh Williams, Birkenhead.
kiverpoi, March 27th, 1848. Job Richards, Ditto.

William Jackson, Tranmere.
James Hume, Birkenhead.
John Williams, Ditto.
John Hitchen, Ditto.
Joseph Wilkinson, Ditto.
Weinyss and Cameron, Ditto.
Joseph Leay, Rock Ferry,
S. Bailiff, Birkenhead.