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PROGRESS OF ASSOCIATIONFUTURE POLICY OF ...
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Who Will Preserve The Crystal Palace? Th...
Objects to wfiich the sub-committee proposed to apply tlie building were thus stated : —t * ' In the first place , a portion of the space may be allotted to a winter garden , avoiding extremes of temperature , embellished with fountains , statuary , geological specimens , and a great variety of other interesting objects . " Another portion-might be appropriated for the reception of new inventions , and of a collect ion in illustration of the commerce of the world . " Lastly , the building might contain a gallery of design for the promotion ot taste among manufacturers and the public , and lecture rooms , and museums , which would relieve the already overcrowded state of many of our greatest scientific institutions . "
These objects , he contended , were worth a trial , and the attempt to obtain them was creditable . " These things , whether actually effected or only attempted , did produce a great and lasting effect on the mina of the nation at large ; they humanised men ' s spirits ( cheers ) , they abated discontent , and they tended to unite classes ( loud cheers ); they brought together differing influences , and they operated most favourably on the feelings of the working man when he saw wealth and station engaged on his behalf , and seeking in what way they could conduce to his improvement , to his lasting benefit , and to his
just , and safe , and honest recreation . ( Cheers . ) He knew it was said that the working people of this metropolis and of our Other large towns had not sufficient leisure for these things , but he did hope that the benefit of this institution would not end in the mere display of things beautiful to behold . He hoped that it would produce some permanent effects , that it would lead to some kind and beneficial con- > cession of the hours of labour ( cheers)—to the grant of a half-holiday on the Saturday , in which the workingman might avail himself of the opportunity afforded to inspect and to enjoy the objects contained in this institution ^ ( Loud cheer ' s . )"
Enlarging with great feeling , and aptness of illustration , upon the advantages of the Crystal Palace , as a place for the amusement and instruction of all classes , Lord Harrowby moved the following resolution : ——" That a frequent contemplation of works in the fine arts , of historical and literary monuments , and objects of natural history , is eminently conducive to the instruction , refinement , and rational amusement of the people , and that this meeting views with satisfaction the increased
facilities lately given to the public to view the collections contained in the British Museum and National Gallery , while the decorous conduct of the people visiting those collections proves that they fully appreciate every opportunity of instructive recreation ; and this meeting taking into consideration the successful proceedings at the Great Exhibition of 1851 , are of opinion that the Crystal Palace should be preserved on its present site for the instruction and recreation of the people . "
The wealthier classes had their galleries of sculpture and painting , their libraries , their beautifully ornamented parks , and many other sources of enjoyment which were not available to the mass of the people , and it was but fair that the former should , as far as possible , provide that the humbler classes should share in those enjoyments . They were not going to ask the Government for anything . There wore gentlemen in the City who were willing to undertake the matter as a speculation—men , too , who were not in the habit of throwing away their means—and he believed that the new appropriation of the Crystal Palace would bo carried out in a manner worthy of those who founded it , of its noblo site , and of its previous history and uses . ( Cheers . )
Mr . Hume made an interesting and characteristic speech , based upon documents , which ho pulled from his pocket , saying , " there was nothing like them , " showing the great improvement in the general behaviour and morals of the people since the great public institutions had beon opened freely to them . Ho testified to the growth of a kindly feeling among the upper to the lower classes ; and uvged the importance of not losing tJie present opportunity , which it whs as much the interest of Government as of any one else , to ombrace , of adding the Crystal Palace to the public institutions open to tho people .
The Duke of Argyll , paying graceful complimonts to his noblo friends , mid to Mr . Hume , heartily supported tho Hchomo for retaining tho building , and moved this resolution : —¦ " That , in tho opinion of this mooting , tho Crystal Palace can bo maintained on tho ' Boll ' - supporting * principle , ' under a groat triwt , calculated to afford tho highest guarantees for the usos to which it may bo applied . " Tho main of his . nrgument was directed to refute tho plea of bad faith in retaining tho building . Ho contended that tho pledge given applied not to tho present , but to tho pro ] kmud brick and iron building ; and that oven if it did , than tho public which oxueted tho plodgo could roloaso Government from tho obligation .
Mr . Wakloy , M . P ., seconded tho resolution , which , with tho procoding , was carried unanimously . It was resolved also that a deputation should wait on Lord Derby ; and n memorial bo presented to tho Queon . Sir Joseph Paxfcon ' s spoooli contained eomo intorcisting facts . Aft ? r a woll-deflorved castigation of Lord Seymour for Ids conduct in rojepcot to tho evidence of
Sir Joseph before the commissioii . of inquiry , he announced that the Duke of Devonshire , the Duke of Argyll , the Earl of Shaftesbury , the Earl of Harrowby , the Earl of Carlisle , Lord De Mauley , Viscount Palmerston , Lord Lohdesborough , Baron Meyer de 'Rothschild , and Mr . Peto , M . P ., had consented toibrui part of the proposed trust . Referring to the success of the Exhibition as" a ground of encouragement for future efforts in the same direction , and conducted on the same principles , he quoted the following remarkable statistics of that event : —
In May the number of visitors was 734 , 782 ; in June , 1 , 133 , 116 ; in July , 1 , 314 , 176 ; in August , 1 , 023 , 436 ; in September , 1 , 155 , 240 ; and up to the 11 th of October , 841 , 107 ; On the 7 th of October , 92 , 000 persons were in the building at two o ' clock , and during the day 109 , 915 . On the 6 th of October 28 , 853 entered the building in one hour . Let them look now at the police returns ; There were in all 25 offences committed within the building : — 9 for picking pockets , 6 ibr attempts to do so , 10 for petty larcenies at stalls . These were all the Offences , or he might rather call them indiscretions , that took place in the bunding during the Exhibition . ( Cheers . ) As to charities , before the 9 th of July no record was kept of the schools that visited the building , but after that date 466 schools visited it ; of these the largest number was 900 sent by Christfs Hospital . The return included a list of 23 parties , chiefly agricultural labourers , comprising 7758 persons sent by private benevolenee . ( Cheers . ) With reference to finance , the greatest 5 s . day was the 24 th of May , 5078 Z . ; the greatest 2 s . 6 d . day , the llth of October ,
4845 Z . 13 s . 6 < Z . ; the greatest Is . day , th e 6 th of October , 5283 ? . 3 s . ; making a total for three days of 15 , 206 ? . 16 s . 6 d . Meetings have been held in theMetropolitan boroughs during the week , attended with great success , In consequence of the vote of the House of Friday night the Crystal Palace will be immediately sold to private parties , whose offer of . £ 70 , 000 had already been condition- * ally accepted—the condition being that the bargain should not take effect if the building was retained on its present site . The work of removal will commence on the 1 st of May , the opening day of the Exhibition last year .
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Progress Of Associationfuture Policy Of ...
PROGRESS OF ASSOCIATIONFUTURE POLICY OF THE AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF ENG-INEEBS . The Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers have issued an address , and manfully acknowledged that they have been defeated by the superior wealth of the employers . " ' From the Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society to their Members and . t 7 ie Trades in general . " Fellow Members , ;—At a meeting of the general Executive Council , which was attended By five delegates from Manchester , Oldhain , Boltoh , and Rochdale , held on the 22 nd of April , 1852 , for the purpose of deliberating upon tho present dispute between , the operative engineers and their employers , the following resolutions Were adopted : — " 1 . That in consequence of the present p osition of our affairs in relation to the disputo , this meeting is of opinion that those of our members who may bo compelled to sign tho ' declaration' should not be excluded . " 2 . That tho G / eneral Executive Council recommend « tho necessity of making a levy of half a day ' s wages on all tho members in work , for tho p urpose of supporting thoso out of employment in consequence of tho present dispute . " 3 . That any member neglecting to pay the levy of half a day ' s pay , the same shall bo placed to his arrears of contributions , subject to tho approval of the next dolegato mooting . " 4 . That tho non-society men recoivo their fair sharo of support tho earno as formerly .
" 5 . That in tho opinion of this mooting , hostuo resistance of labour againnt capital is not calculated to enhance tho condition of the labourer , . we , therefore , adviso that all our futuro operationa should bo directed in promoting tho system of solf-omploymont in associative workshops , as tho bost means of ofl ' ectuall y regulating tho conditions of labour , and that this resolution be submitted to our next delogato meeting . " The Executive Council , in publishing the foregoing resolutions , think it necessary to accompany them with a * fovv words of comment and observation . They frankly and unhesitatingly mako tho avowal , that in tho contest between capital and labour tho latter has boon defeated . Whatever hopes were entertained that tho workor might succc 8 Bfully OHBort his rights b y an open and avowed ro-Histanco to a tyranny of tho most despotic kind , thoy have faded boforo tho iminonfio power of wealth , and tho determination of its posHOHporH to bo almoluto and unconditional
rnaators . However wo might have roliod upon the truth of our cause , and the justice of tho effort to elevato the industrial position of tuo artisan—to have conciliated and convinced our adversaries , and to eceuro uh extended oupr porfc , wo havo found , by bUfcor and ( Icar-bouglil ; oxporionco thai ; moro right—right unsupported by strength—( . ruth discarded from power , may bo boaton down and tram pled upon by rich titrpng-handed wrong . Nothing' that wo could do lias boon left undone . . No oflovt , Unit ifc wan in our power to mako has boon sparori . Wo havo invitod discussion and critioiHra- —wo have- challenged controversywo have lVurlossly laid bare beibro iho world our motives and our purposes—wo havo invited tho vordfot of public ! opinion—wo havo offered to Hubmit to arbitration—we havo endeavoured to arouso tho trades of England , those who tiro na much jntorestod in tho result Of our struggle oh oursolves , to unite notion , and at last , wo havo ouorod oon * coHsionfl iv ) groat i \ a could . Uonourubly bo mi \ do , and , with "
drawn our circular of the 24 th , of IJecember ' 1851 , But all without avail . Help we have had , but not to ' a sufficient extent to enable us-to continue the battle ; sympathy has been awarded to us , but our opponents , great in the world of wealth , were enabled to command the most influenti al portion Of the press ; hope that we should triu mph has made thousands of hearts beat high ; but they belonged to those whose voices were not heard in 'the worl £ —the workers of the country ; and they were comparatively pO , werless « Through all the history of the strife we have nbthing to reproach ourselves with , nothing to regret but the want of success .
"iEn the last . extremity , when we had given up all that could be conceded , the Employers' Association still maia * taming their determination to suffer no man to work unless he would , admit his own slavery and degradation by signing their infamous declaration , it became necessary to take some steps to avert the crisis . We must submifc to inevitable necessity The poor man , without funds to fall back upon , is dependent upon . labour for life ; In themidst of all the wealth he has created for others , his only right is to tpil when he can get leave for a bare subsistence—he is an infant in the grasp of a jg iant , to whom he must perforce submit . We cannot ask any man to become a pauper or starve . We cannot say to the artisan , let your wives ow haggard and children pale and thinand ragged
gr your , , and your hearths cold , till misery past endurance forces you into the poorhouse , where social affections are violated by the law which attaches degradation to- relief . We cannot command absolute self-sacrifice . Between two evils we are compelled to choose the least . The proposals contained in the above resolutions , if they are adopted ) as we doubt not they will be > will place those members who continue in the society , after having signed the declaration , in a position not to violate a moral truth , however reluctant they may feel to submit to such an act of tyranny ; and , in the prospect of this change , we . say , that we will not exclude any member who now sighs the em * ployers' ¦¦ declaration' to obtain bread for himself and his ¦
family . ¦ . '¦' ..-. ' . ¦ . . .. . ¦ ' .. . : \ , . .. : •¦ ¦ . - . ' > : ¦ ' : " We are aware that honest menmayfeel an instinctive abhorrence of doing what may subject them to the slightest imputation of acting unconscientiously ^ But we think that this honourable scruple need not prevent then * continuing in th , e society if this be done ^ . We think that any one may justly consider his present position to-be one of moral compulsion , which has not the stringent obligation attending a freely made agreement . We hold ourselves and every man who unwillingly puts his . hand to that detestable document , which is forced upon us ^ to be as much destitute of that power of choice which Should precede a contract , as if a pistol were at his head , and he had to choose
between death and degradation ' . " Our future efforts must be constantly directed to prevent the possibility of such ft catastrophe again occurrhig . How shall we get about the work of preparation for a coming tune ? There is but one way— -we must co-Operate for production . The events of the last few months have directed # ie attention of working men to co-operation , and inclined them to it more decidedly than years of prosperous industry could have done . Perhaps a greater good is to come out of present evil than could have been in any other way brought about . We have learned that it id not sufficient **) accumulate funds , that it is necess ary also to us < j them reproductively ; and if this lesson does not fail in its effects , a few years will see the land studded with workshops belonging to the workers—workshops where labour where
the profits shall cheer and not oppress , tyranny cannot post an abominable declaration on tho gates , where the opportunity of working is secured without tho sacrifice of all that makes work dignifie d and honourable . Then , indeed , the artisan may successfully assert his claims to be treated as a man with thoug hts and feelings , instead of a machine . And if the employers , seoking to wrong him , close tho gates of tho facto ries ^ no will not then stand in forced idleness , consuming the accumulations of past years , but with double energy ho will turn to the factory , and there do tho work of the country , without tho uuneeded hel p of others . ' That is a consummation dovoutl y to bo wished , ' and if wo sot about the task with only tho aamo earnestness , good faith , and pationco as havo been brought to boar upon our past movement , it will bo accomplished .
" So much for tho past and tho future . With respect to tho immediato present , wo hope that thoso who aro m work , and thoso who at onco procuro emp loyment , will not rofu 8 o or even hesitate to support those who are loss iortunato , whether society mon or non-society men , till labour is found for thorn . It is boyond tho power of the employers to induco upright mon to'disregard thoso obligations into which they havo voluntarily entered . Wo liopo for tho reputation of our trade , that tho half-day ' s p < vy will be cheerfully accorded ; wo hopo for tho consideration 01 thoso honest independent mon who havo largo fhmilic « dependent upon them , for support , and who still , wii « irresistible loathing , rofuHO to sign tho ntroeioua doclamtion . . . -,
" That dono , wo must organizo for tho futuro—assisted as wo havo boon by tho advico of men who tako a ncop interest in tho promotion of working men ' s associations , and havo counselled tho abandonment of all nttomptH w deal with capitalists in a « pirifc of hostility , and givon it as their opinioxi that nothing but creating a now rolationeiup between capital and labour can effectually elovato the > condition of tho toilorn of sooiory , wo nuisfc progress m tliofl " priiiolplon ; and wo hopo that our noxt dolopato mcoT . inrt will lay down tho basis of our future perlnanont pioapority . ( rtrv . " Immediately on receipt of this circular , each BOoriHiwy is instructed to ennvono a mooting of tho members . 01 nia branch , so that il , H oonlonlfl may bo made generally Kncw » to tho roornborH < ... « ' ( On behalf of tho Executivo Council ) , . ' : W . AtLAN , ' & ccr wrj /> " London , 25 , Htfclo Alie-sta-oot . Wuitoohtvpol , ' ' AprUSJO . "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 1, 1852, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_01051852/page/8/
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