Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-01

confirmed. Ii further provides that
any lords Of towns might imprison any
| laboref OF mechanic for fifteen cays IL
| be refused TO comply with the law.
| and then send him 70 the next Jail.
''there TO ABIDE without bail I'll he
will dc 90 according to the statute. !"
| All alliances and unions between arti-
ficers Of whatever kind .sars 10 be broken
up, land snail from henceforth Dc void
and wholly annulled." A workman
absenting himself without leave might
be brought back and imprisoned. and
branded on the forehead with the let
ter Fl In token Of the fslslty." Press
gangs. about this time, frequently
seized the workman fer service upon
tho royal palaces and public buildings.
In 1865 AZ Edward III the statute and
ordinance concerning iaborers Was
again confirmed.
Eariy Instance Of Chiis Labor.
Ply an act of Richard III (l3ss, l9
Richard IL neither laborer or servant
| could leave the hundred in which be
resided without letters patent under
| the kings seal. This act ALEC affords
US glimpse of child labor. at 10 or
dainod and atsented that he and she
which useth to labor AZ the plough and
| cart. or other labor or services of hus-
bandry, till they be Of the age of y
years, shall from henceferth abide at
the said labor without being put TO any
| trade or handicraft. and, If any coven-
ant or bond of apprenticeship be from
| henceforth made to the contrary, the
| same shall be holden for none" An
act of the following year Q3 Richard
| I'D directed justices to proclaim the
rate OF wages for laborers from Easter
to Mlchelmss. An act Of Henry ~
| requires property qualification tor
| apprenticeship and directs that children
| be put to such labor as their fathers
and mothers are of, On penalty of fine
and ransom and of one hundred shil-
ling for receiving such apprentices.
| There 10 noticeable feature IN this
| statute IN relation to the schooling of
children. IT provides that "any per-
son may send their children to school
to learn literature"
Flee in Defiance OF Law.
The same statute imposes q penalty
| upon towns and cities which neglect to
provide stocks for holding refractory
workmen.
An act of 14l4 e Henry W recites
that owing TO the laxity OF justices In
| enforcing the law, servants and labor
ers flee from county to county IN de-
| fiance of the Jaw. The previous acts
were confirmed, and jusIlces of tine
peace are empowered to issue writs TO
the sheriffs for fugitive workmen in
like manner as they have power TO
send to the sherlffs for the apprehen-
sion of criminals before indictment.
Early in the following reign power was
given TO magistrates To compel by pro-
cess the attendance of masters as wit
nesscs in the enforcement of the sta
tute of Henry V, and to give offenders
| a months imprisonment. This power
was conferred by 2 Henry vi, 1923.
In 1927, four years later, further legis-
lation was resorted to in regard to the
statutes of Richard II-shAt of II Rich
ard III, because il was too hard upon
the masters, that of l3 Richard III, be-
cause no penalty was attached to its
breach. The Henry VI, C. 3. reme-
died the supposed defects and directed
the justices to fix the rate Ct wages and
then proclaim the same. The statute
Henry vi made it felony, punishable
by fine and imprisonment, for maeens
to assemble together and discuss mat
tiers relating to trade.
Labor Conspiracy Law.
1t reclted that "by the annual COR
gregations and confederacies made by
masons IN their general chapters as
sem bled, the good courses and effect
Of the statute of laborers are publicly
violated and broken, in suhversion OF
the law, and grievous damage of all
the commonalty. In the year 1444 (23
Henry VII scale Of wages in agricul-
ture and trade was fixed. An agricul-
tuIal laborer must give his master half
a years notice before leaving; neglect
to do this involved service for the fol-
lowing year with the same master.
Persons refusing to service under these
conditions were committed to prison.
The statute ii Henry VII, enacted to-
wards the close of the fifteenth cen.
fury (1i95), il remarkable as contain
ing clause against unlawful combina-
tons of workmen engaged in the build
ing trade. Ii Gays that IL laborers or
artificers make or cause TO be made
any assembly 10 assault, harm or hurt
any person assigned TO control or over
see them in their working, that he or
they so offending have imprisonment
for a year without letting to bail or
| mainprice, and further to make fine ut
the kings will"
Laws Against vagraney.
We may here refer TO the savage and
bloody laws made against vagrancy in
the latter part of the sixteenth century.
The suppression Of the monasteries had
Withdrawn partial support from
thousands OF the indigent, idle or
wretched. The scattering of this
great body of men throughout the
kingdom was not unattended with
| danger. As usual, recsurses was had
to legislation as a remedy. but the
lash, the branding iron, or the gAllows
was powerless IN the face OF hunger
and misery 10 repress the valiant beg
gars and force them into some settled
| course OF obtaining an honest ilveli-
hood. Under Henry VIII, Edward
VI, the Elizabeth, harsh and cruel
measures were passed for the suppres-
sion OF oHenses, which, NOWADAYS
would be clearly perceived TO be econ
| omic IN origin and amensble to econ
omic treatment. Laws multiplied and
became more harsh and bloody az they
multiplied, until a veTitable reign of
terror WAS inaugursted under Henry
VIII; bat the infiiction OF the death
penalty became of such frequent oc-
eurrence that II soon ceased 10 strike
serrer TO hearts OF those that witnessed
II. IL IS said that q, 900 persons were
executed IN the reign Of Henry VIII
a,one. ? period OF thirty-eight years.
In 1890 ~ Henry NIfn, any
seFson found begging aud being ua-
abie 10 give a saflsf sctory account of