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rose THE LEADER. [Saturday, "^ ¦ . ' . ¦...
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STRIKES AND WAGES. The struggle at Prest...
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SPIRIT RAPPING TRIAL. In the state of Oh...
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JOURNAL OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. Saturday.—...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Health Of The Country. We Have Befor...
were registered in the metropolitan districts . The increase arises from two causes : the rate of mortaiity has been raised by the coldness of the weather ; and more than a due proportion of inquests are included in the return , such cases having accumulated during the quarter without the-coroner ' s signature , which is necessary to complete the registration . In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843-52 , the average number of deaths was 1124 , which , if raised in proportion to increase of population , becomes 1236 . The return of last week , therefore , exhibits an excess on the estimated amount . Last week the births of 800 boys and 745 girls , in all 1545 children , were registered in London . In the eight corresponding weeks of the years 1845-52 the average number was 1267 .
At the Royal Observatory , Greenwich , the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29 * 748 in . The mean temperature of the week was 33-1 ° , which , is 5-6 ° below the average of the same week in 38 years The mean daily temperature was below the average on every day of the week , and on Sunday and Monday the decrease was 9 ° . The hiyhest temperature was 41 * 0 ° , on Friday ; the lowest Avas 270 ° , on Monday . The highest and lowest on Saturday were 36-3 ° and 27 ' 7 ° . The mean dew-point temperature was 30-6 ° . The wind blew generally from the north-east .
Rose The Leader. [Saturday, "^ ¦ . ' . ¦...
rose THE LEADER . [ Saturday , " ^ ¦ . ' . ¦ .. ¦ . | . - - i n i * i ¦ ¦ i ' ¦ ¦¦ ii'iii ' in ' i" ' ¦ ' jiiwii'i ¦ — ¦¦¦— mi ~ ^ ¦¦ *» ¦¦ — ImMi ^—ifc . ——^^ ___
Strikes And Wages. The Struggle At Prest...
STRIKES AND WAGES . The struggle at Preston still continues with unabated resolution on either side . The Master ' s Association have adjourned until the 26 th January . At the same time the masters of Lancashire have taken a decided step . At a meeting in Manchester , on Wednesday , the manufacturers came to a formal resolution " to support the Preston manufacturers in the present struggle . " How , it is not stated ; but the Manchester Examiner , the organ of the masters , declares that now , for the first time , the contest is equal ! It will be remembered that a short time ago a
memorial was addressed to Lord Palmerston in reference to the contest at present going on between the factory operatives of this town and their employers . That memorial was adopted at a general meeting of weavers' delegates . On Sunday Mr . Kinder Smith , president of the Operatives' Executive Council , received the following reply from the Home-office : — " Whitehall , Dec . 24 . "Sir , —I am directed by Viscount Palmerston to acknowledge the receipt of the moinurir . l , dated the 15 th ultimo , finned by you , on behalf of the power-loom weavers of Preston and its neighbourhood .
" Lord lV . merston has dehvyed till now answering tliis memorial , intlie daily hope that he might hear that an amicable arrangement of difKrences had been come to between the workpeople and their employers . I am however , to assure you that his Lordship read the memorial with much sympathy , and with deep regret . "It was impossible tliat lie should not sympathise with the feelings of a large number of a most deserving class of the community , who have been led to think that , they are suffering under ' acts of injustice , and it could not but excite his deep regret to reflect upon the severe privations which the state of things to which the memorial refers must have inflicted upon those on whom it so hardly bears . 41
Lord Palmerston desires me to state that lie feels bound , moreover , to do justice to the temper and moderation with which thu memorial ha . s been drawn np . His Lordship i « sorry , however , to aay that he lias no means of interposing to apply a remedy for the evils referred to . It would be impossible for him , without much more detailed information than lie possesses , to form a just opinion as to the merits of the points in dispute between the working ; men and their employers , and ho could not , as a member of the Government , possess any right or power to interfere , in the mutter . " Under these circumstances , his Loulship would only venture to suggest , in the most friendly . spirit , . some topics f .. r tiio consideration of the memorialists . They must bo well aware that , labour being a commodity like any other .
its money-value in tho market must bo regulated by Hie fiiimo general principles winch govern the price of other commodities , and that among these governing principles the most influential are the , cost of production and the relative proportions of demand and supply . Tho tfostof production , in regard to labour , means tho price of the necessaries ol Jiib , and tho proportion of demand and supply must depend very much npon the periodical fluctuations of trade . It i . greatly to bo wished that both the working men and their employers would allow these general causes to act Hilently and gradually in equitably adjusting , from time to time , tho proper rates of tho money-reward for labour ; and it is scarcely to bo doubted that , by forbearance on both aiilotf , and by mutual and reciprocal good feeling , ¦
these arrangements might generally be effected without a recourse to such injurious methods as strikes and lock-oulB . It may ho said tluit , in times when , according to the general ' principles above adverted to , itu increase in tho rate of wages would bu just , that increase might bo too long delayed , mid the working men be thus subjected to undue , privatioim , if th « adjustment wcro left to the gradual operation of forbearance and good-will . Rut may not an appeal bo made to the result of recent events to filiovr that even uuch inconvenience would bo Ichs than tho evils arising from extensive and general strikes ? These evils are many und groat . Tho strike of tho workmen deprives tho striken ! of their wiigcu , and , so far a . s wa ^ cs aro concerned , it deprives them of the means of Hubsiatonce . On the otlscr liumlj tho striken of course stop production , nnd ,
too , leads to a reflection npon the opinion which seems to have actuated the strikers , that the general prosperity of our export trade was in itself a proof that the rates of . wages ought to be increased . Lord Palmerston does not preterit ! to form any judgment as to whether that opinion was well or ill founded in the particular instance to which it referred ; but his Lordship has desired me to remark that our power to supply foreign markets with manufactures depends upon the cheapness at which those manufactures can be sold ; that their price must depend mainly on the cost of production ; and that the wages of labour form a material part of that
unless markets happen at the moment to be much overstocked , strikes give to the foreign producer a position of ' advantage ¦ from which he may uot afterwards be so easily dislodged ; and if strikes were to become ton frequent , or of too long duration , a part of that capital which is now . applied to . giving employment to labour at home , might possibly be transferred to other countries , to the-disadvantage of British industry ; and that this is not a groundless supposition is proved by the fact that British manufacturing establishments have been formed in Belgium , in France , and in Mexico . This ,
cost . " Therefore , as our exported manufactures must always be running a hard race with the similar manufactures of other countries , an apparently flourishing trade may possibly be checked by an increase of wages , which would add to the cost of production , and the gains made by the manufacturer may often consist of a very small profit upon each separate article , the aggregate amount of gain depending on the quantity exported , and that quantity depending on _ tho cheapness el the commodities , which cheapness again is governed by the cost of production .
"In directing me to submit these general reflections to the consideration of the memorialists , Lord Palmerston does not mean to give any opinion on the immediate subject of dispute , but his Lordship would earnestly entreat the working men to lay aside those feelings which are too apt to be engendered by a struggle , and to endeavour , if possible , to come to some arrangement with their employers . " 1 am , Sir , yuur obedient servant , " H . Waddington . " Mr . Kinder Smith , Preston . "
Spirit Rapping Trial. In The State Of Oh...
SPIRIT RAPPING TRIAL . In the state of Ohio there is a town called . Cleveland . Recently there was a remarkable trial there , which the New York Tribune has been good enough to report . It will amuse our readers . The trial lasted several days , and took place in the Court of Common Pleas . It is called , l 3 r . Underbill versus D wight Jarvis . The defendant had charged the . plaintiff with being a " disturber of religious worship and acontaminator of public morals , " because , in company with a i- medium , " the plaintiff visited St . Timothy ' s Church , Massillon , and during the sermon the well-known " spirit rappings" were heard , which occasioned a
disturbance . Hence the action for libel . It was not claimed that plaintiff made or instigated the raps , nor that the medium had any voluntary agency in their production , but that the presence of the medium with her spiritual friends , the plaintiff among the number , was the cause of the sounds being heard at that particular time and place . It in fact became a question for the court and jury to determine , whether " mediums , " through whom these sounds purported to be made by departed spirits , are to be allowed in orthodox :, assemblies , and incidental to this the question arises , what are " orthodox assemblies ? " It was not proved that
Dr . Underbill designedly went to St . Timothy ' s Church to miike si disturbance , but it was proved that incidentally while there , in company with a medium , a young lady under his charge , a disturbance did take place in consequence of " knockings " attendant on said medium . It was admitted the medium did not make , nor could she prevent the " knockings : " and the question seemed to timi upon : i mutter of duty as to Avhether snid medium and her friends , under such circumstance-, ought or ougllt not to have left the church . Mr . D . H . Tilden , one of the plaintiff ' s counsel , took the ground that the phenomena witnessed there was " spiritual , " and
that tho plaintiir was not to bo held responsible for what the spirits did-, that the "disturbers" " contaminators of public morals" were beings of another world , nnd the defendant must change the venue , and bring his action there , if he wanted to roach tho culprits in the case . Ho said there were many things new and marvellous in it , tilings ho could not comprehend , but that was no rcasou for him why it should bo discarded . He said the orthodox faith contained historical incidents ten times more marvellous , incomprehensible , and impossihlo of belief , than anything as yet found
in tho spiritual theory . Ho instanced the dialogue between Balaam and his ass , tho physical impossibility of tho liberal fulfilment of Joshua's command upon the sun nnd moon to " stand still , " " Jonah swallowed by tho whale , " Sec , items in the orthodox faith , wonderful if true . Ho claimed that this now theory had got to combat tho prejudices of tho ago , and particijarly the persecutions of the church . Every newly-diticoveml truth hua had to do this , from Copernicus down to the present time , but he warned " fogydom" to lenrn wisdom roin tho past , and not carry their opposition too far . Ho thought ho anw u . necessity for tho spiritual
theory—the old orthodox creeds , what there was left of them , had failed to convert but a small part of the world , and of that part nine-tenths doubted the existence of a hereafter at all . Religion , too , had become so expensive that poor people could not afford to be saved by the ; ordinary means of grace , i . c . f going to church . Ht would as soon think of breaking into Windsor Castle as getting into the Episcopal arid Presbyterian churches of that city . The Hon . R . P . Spalding followed on the same side . He said Aristotle , the Grecian philosopher , some 200 years before Christ was born , promulgated the doctrine that there was only one living and true God . For
this heresy he was tried and condemned to death * Christ afterwards , for preaching the same doctrine , was crucified between two thieves . The unpopularity of a new theory was no evidence of its want of truth . Take the Bible account of the flood—Noah contended against the whole antediluvian world that the deluge was at hand / and he alone had faith to prepare for it . It is true that Spiritualism is yet largely in the minority , but it ' s . adherents are multiplying with the most astonishing rapidity , not only in this , but in the old country . It is the only theory that gives us any tangible evidence of , a future state , or indicates the condition of departed spirits in another world . The believers are , many of them , among the best minds
in the country , distinguished alike for their learning and integrity . They believe because they cannoS help believing when the facts and phenomena are placed before them . They have a right to believe , and to enjoy the full privileges of their belief , the same as adherents to any other faith . Mr . D . E . Cartter closed on the part of the defence , ridiculing all claims-of Spiritualism * lie defended the churches in their right to worsliip God as tlrey pleased , and claimed they should be unmolested by spirits , in or out of the flesh . He did not deny the right of spirits to rap , but they must dp so at the proper time and place . The jury were discharged * not being able to agree on a verdict .
Journal Of Railway Accidents. Saturday.—...
JOURNAL OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS . Saturday . — -Collision . —A goods train from Bolton to Manchester run into by a goods train from Bury at Clifton Junction . Driver and guards hurt ; pointsman , it is feared , fatally injured ; much property destroyed . Weknesuat . — The Taff Yale Railway has a branch from Merthyr to Dowlais . More than a mile of this is an inclined plane , rising 400 feet in that distance . This is worked by a stationary engine . The officials neglected to attach the rope to the midday passenger train before starting it . It consequently dashed down tho incline with prodigiously increasing velocity as it neared the bottom . The guard leapt off the break soon , after , the carriages commenced their descent , and was uninjured . None of the passengers were , however , enabled thus to escape , as they were all locked in the compartments , and their shrieks while passing along the bridges over the roads near the town were most appalling . The branch joins on to the main line at the bottom of the incline by a sharp curve . The train abandoned the rails at this spot , leapt clear up into the air a great height , the carriages separating into shreds , the passengers being thrown out , and , with the debris of
the train , falling like a shower into the Taff river and on tho adjoining cinder tips . Notwithstanding tliis extraordinary violence , some of the passengers were enabled to walk away comparatively unhurt ; others are much injured , and two women are dying —one having her back broken , and the other a fracture of the skull , besides which they are frightfully lacerated and torn almost to pieces . Had tho train been worked with a proper break , it could hare been brought to a stand , or , at all events , its speed down the incline would have been so reduced as to
avoid the fearful results of the catastrophe . Tuimsi > AY . — Collision on tho Lancashire and Yorkshire Line . —Two trains , the one following the other , left Manchester in the morning , one for Kochdale , the other for Oldham . The first arrived safely at Newton Heath station ; and having no passengers , either to take up , or put down , was going forward , when tho Oldham train came np at 15 miles an hour , and dashed into the first train . The last carriage was smashed , tho passengers thrown about the lin <* > a young woman killed , another ¦ woman fatally wounded , and eight seriously injured . Tho ex cause of the accident is not very clear . The stationtho
inustcr , Mr . Wbittaker , says ho turned on danger signal as soon as he saw the first train . Tho driver of tho second train says it was not turned on wheu he passed tho signal post . It is possible that both may be right . Tho signals are 400 yards from the station , nearer Manchester , and aro worked by ft lover and wire at the station . Tho morning being mwtVt the station-master would not see the first train until it was within 15 or 20 yards from the station , an " was nearly at a stand-still ; and , supposing tho scco train to have gained more than ordinarily in spceu , its engine might huve passed or bo passing tho eig » a post when tho danger signal was turned on .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 31, 1853, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31121853/page/8/
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