Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-10-11


lie seems TO have been carried away by ndigna-
ton at what he terms the Hypocrisy and
shameless cant" of the appeal"
Mr.. Goblet asserts that the "wretched Afri-
cans" were, in 1923, in far better condition
than the so called free British laborers; and de-
clares that il would be more appropriate and con
sistent 10 make "appeal to the religion, jus
tice, and humanity Of the statesmen Of Great
Britain to transmute the free British laborers into
the condition of the Negro slaves of the West
Indies.
Mr. Goblet, III the number Of the Political
Register before u.s. takes up and exposes the enor-
mites of the coordination act" We extract
as follows:
The Combinaton-law was passed in the year
1893; that is to say, in the thrty-nnth year of
the reign of the good old King Before he had
blessed Us with another year reign, that Act was
repealed and another passed in It's stead. This
last Act which is now in force, passed on the
29tli Of July, 1900. The first Act sets out with
sa wing, That great numbers of iourneymen,
manufacturers and workmen have, by unlawful
meetings and combinations, endeapo, ed TO obtain
aduancs Of their ,oages' The Act keeps ON talk
ing OF unlawful combinations, and Illegal pur-
poses; but then il takes care, in the very first
clause, 10 declare such meetings and combinations
to Dc illegal. After this, 1t goes on jovaly; and
enacts the punishments which are To attend the
commission of such Illegal doings In other
WORDS it first makes the thing criminal, and then
allots the punishment That punishment is inn
prsonment, in the common gaol, or in the House
OF Correction; and that, too lrithoia any trial by
| jury. Lord Erskine and trial by jury; wih nine
times nine Of such stuff as this are the minds
of the stupid asses made of, who give their money
mi t,n rfI III.
support of the cause Of liberty in Spain.
Well, WIlberiorce; the combiners are to go to
gaol to the House of Correction to the former for
not more than three MONTHS and to the latter for
not more than two months, for the first going off
THO justices Of The peace, who appointed and
displaced at the pleasure OF the Ministers; two of
these men are to hear, determine and sentence,
without any trial By The pee,s Of The party Ii
being very diihcult To get proof of this combining
for the raising oil wages, there is clause IN the
Act compelling the persons accused TO give evil
dence against themselves or against their associ-
ates. Ii they refuse these two Justices have the
power TO commit them To prison, there to remain,
without bail or malnprze, until they submit 10 be
examined and give evidence before such justices.
ssNow, you will observe, Wilberiorce, that this
punishment is inflicted in order TO prevent the
workmen from uniting together, and by such
union, to obtain an addition to their wages, or,
in the case of Ryding and llorrocks, To prevent
>
labor is his property. IL is something which he
has TO sell or otherwise dispose of. The cotton
spinners had their labor to sell; or at least they
thought SO. They were pretty free to sell il,
before this Combination law of 1900 They had
their labor TO sell. The purchasers were power
full and rich, and wanted them to sell it at what
the spinners deemed too low price In order to
be match for the rich purchasers, the sellers of
the labor agree to assist one another, and thus to
live as well as they can; till they can obtain what
they deem proper price. Now, what was there
wrong in this? What was there either unjust or
illegal If men be attacked, either in the market
or IN their shops; if butchers, bakers, farmers,
mllers be attacked, with view of forcing them
TO sell their commodities at price lower than
they demand, the assailants are deemed rioters,
and are hanged! In 1912, a poor woman who
seized, or rather, assisted TO seize, mans pota-
toes in the market at Manchester, and in com
polling him to sell them at lower price than that
which he asked for them; this poor woman who
had, very likely, starving family at home, rrds
hanged by the neck till she dead Now, then,
if il were a crime worthy of death TO attempt to
force potatoes from farmer, is it a crime in the
cotton-spinner to attempt to prevent others from
getting his labor from him at price lower than
be asks for it. 1t is impossible; statutes upon
statutes may be passed, but il is impossible 10
make a man believe that he has fair play, if
farmers property be to be protected in this man
ner, and if il be a crime, TO be punished BY i'm
prisonment, without trial by jury, TO endeavour
to protect the laborer's property.
We make one more extract from Mr.. Cob
bett, for which, though long, We ask careful
perusal:
shall not stop, on this occasion, to ask whether
you, Wilberiorce, know anything about the pass
ing Of this Combination-aw. | shall not ask, how
such law came TO be passed: for there is no man
,Y,h ne 4cl.,
for passing it, But shall proceed now 10 give,
in addition to what we have in the speech Of An
drew Ryding, some account of these fee British
laborers TO the enjoyment Of similar blessings
with whom You are anxious to elevate the blacks
There has been, for many yerrs past, an almost
| continual struggle between the cotton -aborers
and their employers. Recently there has been,
if there be not at present, struggle of this sort
going on at Bolton, in Lancashire. The work
men, in answer to one their asshilants who calls
himself BoItonienSis, have published n statement
from which make the following extract. In all
human probability, no redress will be obtained by
these people IL is dated on the 18th February
| 1923, and published at Manchester, by j. Phenx
| No. II, Bow street. Read il, Wilberforce and
then go back to the West Indies, collect parcel
OF black people together, and offer them a COM
| Portable situation amongst these Stree British la
borers. !" The things related so monstrous,
so horribly degrading, beyond all measure
/ 1luti anu Insulting W poor people, lndI 4
could fain believe them not 10 be true. However,
here is the account, and the reader will, when he
has gone through the humiliating detail, be, with
me, convinced, that, shocking il is it is true:
BoLtoniensis says: 'The reports respecting fines,
shop, &C., are false; and that the whole of the
fines in the year 1922, including what was charged
for broken and lost skewers, amounted only 10
g. ID. each spinner, or something less than ID.
per week. II is easy to tell this TO the public,
who cannot disprove il; but the public will at
once see, that IL an individual is fined, the fine
falls on that individual, and is not borne by the
rest Of the shopmates; therefore, average in such
cases may be easy to Boiionisnsis not TO the suf-
ferer
"a list Of fines at Tyldesley, and the heat from
so TO 81 degrees:
Any spinner found with his rindOic open.. Is
Any spinner found dirty al his pork.. ..... Is.
Any spinner found ieashing himself. Is.
Any spinner leaving his oil.can out ofits
place. I'd.
Any spinner repairing his drum banding,
with his gas lighted. .................. 2s.
| Any piecer piiiing uoater on the staircase,
from begging can ....-............. Is.
Any spinner slipping with his gas lighted. D.
! Any spinner putting his gas out too soon, Is
Il A aw..a I..-GN