Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-05-24

4
allowed to keep stock of Goals on hand as he
might thereby be enabled to rescue himself from the
conroul OF the associaton.-By another law il was
= provided, that any person who came to work at
the pits within certain district, should pay sun
OF t5, and that the child of a collier, who had
reached the age of twelve, should be conidered as
one-fourth OF a man a laugh land receive pay
ment accordingly. In like manner, if collier
needed the assistance of another man. he was not al
liberty TO work until such time as he had paid f5
IN the present artificial state of society, in which
1t was found necessary TO make prov ision by sys-
TEN OF poor laws, for such were unable to pro-
cure support, it was very clear that regulations oil
TINS Kind must have tendency 10 throw numbers
upon that fund, who might not otherwise be placed
under the necessity of having recourse to it, These
individuals had right to take steps that tended to
bring any class of society speedily upon that
species OF provision provided for the poor. ii
tins Rs was placed in Saving Bank it would be-
come far more advantageous to the individuals in
the course OF time, than by having it paid 10 irea-
| surers, secretaries and presidents What effect
could such titles, those of president secretary
treasurer and delegate have but to excite silly am
bltlon OF power, and disposition in those who
were invested with them to exercise controul. Was
1t not highly probable that the most violent were
the persons most likely to be selected TO fill these
| Offices In another article it was provided that
| there should be, upon every point brought under
the minority shouldbe bound by the decision of the
majority. This regulation might answer very well
IN deleSailng societies. There it might be onveni
ent. but not so where The interests of the minority
and their very means of existence might be materi-
ally affected by such decision In the 22d arti-
| Gle At was provided, that operative should en-
| gage himself to employer for a fixed time or
price without the leave of the committee Ifthese
things were allowed to 90 no person could cal
culate the injury that might eventually arise in
| some OF the most important branches OF business
How dangerous, for instance, might the result be
with respect to ship-buiding, mining, and naviga-
ton. But it appeared, that similar associations
were extending themselves to the coast trade.
There existed what called the Seamen's Union
and these regulations adopted TO a very consi-
derable extent Among other pretensions put forth
by tins association, was that they should select
and appoint who to be placed in authority
over them. He would ask the House whether such
thing as this could be allowed whether it was safe
to tolerate such proceedings ? He knew one
NINE, the workinen connected with which had re-
course 10 acts of violence, because claim they sci
up of appointing their own overlookers was not
acceded to- Atpresent, seamen will not go to sea
IN some places with any mate who is not a member
oil the association. They had also entered into re-
gulations net 10 do certain things which they thought
mt 10 consider as not coming Immediately within
their line OF duty as seamen. He would aate to
VIC iiOdSc CdSc Necessity IN winch TINS Tegula-
ton was acted upon in rather extraordinary wav
"a vessel having got upon bank it became ne
cesslry TO shift the ballast. According to the re-
gula,ion, uniting ballast was not considered any
part OF the business OF a seaman, and tie crew
would not do it, though the ship was in state of
some danger. They refused to assist, and il was
only by the accidental coming up OF some other
craft that she was enabled to get Oft They then
naviSated the ship, Ii true, but she might have
been lost in of these abe,r8 rao,,I,
tons. But what The concurrence The
Kings ship, by whose assistance the smack was
saved, made clam OF salvage, and procured il 10
the amount of f200 The merchants who decided |
upon, and awarded this sum, gave L. as their opin-
ion that the danger to which the vessel was ex-
posed, and from which it was rescued, was caused
by the insubordinae state of the crew. which was
to be attributed to their being members ofthe Union
Society. He would submit 10 the House that if
men who went to sea formed with societies of any
description, engagements that placed their captain
In sucha situation as prevented him from protect
ing the property entrusted TO his charge and scarce
~ allowed him to his life, did not form fair
subject OF consideration for the House, they might
well give up at all interest in the preserya
ton olproperty. He was not after all much sur
prised that such associations had been formed when
he looked to the words of the act and saw how
easy was by an artlul constructions 10 wrest its
provisions from their true intent. The labourers
believed that it did not AL interfere between them
and their masters, and they thought that their as
sociations were perfectly legal. The second sec
ton Ofthe was well calculated to mislead such
persons unused orunfiltod to construe acts
of Parliament That section provided "that
Journeymen and workmen entering into combina-
tons Tor the purpose OF raising wages or regula-
ting the mode OF carrying on any manufacture or !
trade, or Tor tie management thereof were not TO
be subject to any indictment or criminal prosecu-
ton under any statute or at the common who by
violence threats oil violeAce, should wfully and
IBaliciously force any one to quit his hiring, or
should destroy the goods of Others should on con-
Yiction before two magistrates, and the evidence
of two witnesses, be punished with two months
imprisonment" (HeT, hear.) Bat it was clear
that no act OF Parliament was required to punish
such offences against property. The common law
was quite sufficient for that purpose, and the pre-
sent clause was work ct complete supereropation
The testimony of two witnesses, was likewise
curious provision, for two witnesses were not re-
quired in any other cases than those of high
and PERJURY II this act were to remain in force
there would in fact be no law against combinations.
for the only penal part of the law was directed
against what was punishable, even if this act did
not exist. Plotting against property and life was
not made an offence. The crime of plotting re-
CURED some punishment, as well as that declaring
The mode OF carrying such conspiracy into effect -
Invitations were held out TO all the wormen in ali
the occupations oil lie to plot against their employ
ers. The evil had reached an enormous height. If
the deloded men, to whose conduct ne alluded
gave themselves but moment to reflect upon the
Consequences Of this conduct, they would conclude
that their success was impossible: that, ifthev did
succeed IN their object no persons who possessed
capital would embark IL in business II these
deluded mes were to reflect, they would know,
that the consequences Of perevering in their career