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Leader (1850-1860), 25th March 1854, Edition 1 of 1, Page 272, Untitled Article

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      rours Trill be devoted to that most difficult , but vital and important question , viz ., education . " ^ reipons ^ Xofel Harris expressed his gratification at 3 ie lianclBpude manner in -which the toast was pronp ^ k ' ^^ j ^^ felt thp responsibility of the task he ^ had ; titidertaken . He had other incentives to e ^ ert ^ aU iii s ener gie s in his work t > esides the sense ofe-duty . ' * First of all , the title which has descended to inland whichj 4 sJto me a source of honest pride , is no ^ small incentive to , me in the discharge of my trust / Another reason why I should have still more ¦ ateail / to 6 £ &&myB&f in that country is that I shall ^ t ^ J |^ re 4 btally ignorant of tbe character of its ^ ati-vef ; i because ' during the last seven or eight vj ^^^|^^| I thousands of the natires of India have ]^^^ ian ^^ my charge , and I have consequently been Enabled to learn something of their manners and ^ bj ^ &cnB ^ and to form some opinion of their cliarac--fer /^ indiropaeities . Another and perhaps the most

      iinipoTtaiDftTeasdn of all is that I have had for a pre-^ S J ^^ &l- ^ e ^ hQ'was , for his goodness , his wis 46 m , an ^^ fs' ^ icidence , supposed to be unequalled in the Eitu ^ on which he filled , and the loss of whom to tpp «« dencylcould iiot but be felt to be a very ^^ 3 ^ S ^* ^ : T ^ t ^ t * ittii « t be a great incentive to me rr ^ a } thOB ^ h I know that- 1 cannot iope to equal that great m « n---to feel that , at all events , if I follow in f ^ u ^^ S ^^ ii ^^ uBa ^ . ' ^^ wr me ^* - ¦ ^ IMnMaiir ^ e ^ ther speakers were the -Duke of

      New-;¦ castle , vho , irom personal knoVlodge , warmly testiffletlto ^ -the high character and abilities of the new ^^ m ^^^ m ^ & sm ^ bet ^ ^ rbo spiritedly an-^^^ mmm ^ ' - SSKrti " ' and % r Charles s Basley , # lift responded m a similar spirit for " The ^ rJn ||^| n ^; C ^ new * to the coming struggle ; Mr . ^ j 2 ^ i ^ , ^ ho ; returned thanks for the Indian Civil Semce 5 . and Sir George Pollock , for the Indian % 0 t 0 & * -r ' : ' .. ¦ ¦ :. d » r > . -t 1 . .-. ' ¦ ¦ - ¦ ¦ ¦• -

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      - ' ¦ . i t ¦ ¦ . ; . . •¦ ¦ ¦ . * ... -U ; i -: < *¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ' ^ f- ^ T ^ E ^ ms ^ Sf LABpITR-BATTLE . > -A ; .-. - - ' J .- ; .. */ ^ ^( I ^ PW' Cortrcspcndent . ) . .. .-,... . . ¦; ., .. ^¦ . . < . V . ; -riayin . f *; iv ... Preston , ThxiKlday . . BA ' s ^ Satrarday It wAs loiownaDoat the town that . the amagisjl ^ 1 ^^ were sitting at the Town Hall , with ¦

      closedvdoorsj and surmises were abroad that some Ji ^^ i ^^^' VB ^^ x ^^ i ^ iaBt the operatives was to : ;^ e |||| ci ^ ' At a meeting of the eiun ^ M ^ r ^ h < el ^ upon Ribbletou Moor ( about a 5 ^^ gto % igyof Fres ^ Gr * > rge Covett told ftt ^ S 9 ^ 9 ^! tI ^ i ^ oni what ne could Hearlt wus not uiilikely' that * he would be arrested , though , upon ^ h |||^® e " be wis unable '' to imagine j and urged ^ ^^| tnj ^ , ij / stwh , an event shWd take place , they would leep the peace above all tilings , and not fall jnto ^ he trap by causing a riot On ; Monday morn-^ l | j ^ ineiBitiBig % as announced to be ^ held in ft field two the

      and we willingly intrust ourselves aJid our rights to that law . " By Order of the " Power-loom Weavers' Committee . " On ^ Tuesday morning the Un ionists appointed a large number of their body to mix with the crowd , and . preserve order as far as possible ; and tliese precautions did not seem unnecessary , for , no sooner was the fact of the arrests generally known , than the entire body of the unemployed assembled around the Towjv Hall , forming a crowd so dense and vast that it would have been possible to walk upon men ' s

      heads from Cheapside to the Boll Hotel . . Nor were these precautionary measures' in vain , for , although the crowd remained immovable during the whole of the day , and never stirred until bidden to do so by the delegates , after then * liberation upon bail , nothing occurred save a tremendous cheer of encouragement and congratulation as their leaders passed into and came out of the Town Hall . At an early hour communication had been made to Mr . Cobbett , of Manchester , and that gentleman lost no time in repairing to Preston to take part in the defence . A full report

      of the proceedings will be found elsewhere ; but it will be observed that Mr . Cobbett did not take a very prominent part in them ; the fact is , that during Monday afternoon he left for Liverpool , leaving the conduct of the defence in the very able hands of Messrs . Noble and Blnckhurst . It is not thought , however , that his absence had any effect upon his clients' case , for there was a very general feeling from the first that the examination before the magistrates could have no other termination than a committal .

      " March 17 th . —33 hands by Liverpool train , 15 of whom ready for the mills . All unskilled , Irish , and very filthy . " Marclt 18 th ..- —14 hands from Halifax , all workers , and chiefly Irish . —S hands from Newchurch and Bacup , all workers . —30 unskilled persons from Lancaster , 10 of whom fit for work . —8 Irish factory , operatives from Manchester . —24 persons from East Lancashire , about 8 of who m workers . " March l § th . —2 young fenu ^ s from Manchester . " March 20 th . —27 Irish froff $ Ianchester , a very filthy lot ; 7 of these went back in the evening . —64 from Hull , of whom about 45 workers . —130 from the sooth , by speioa train , all unskilled , and abotit one-half fit ForNvork . —25 from Manchester ; some of these arrived drunk . " March 2 l «< . — -None . " March 22 nd *—1 from Bolton . —17 from Hull , about 10 of whom were workers . " ¦

      So that , during the week ending Thursday afternoon , it would appear that 384 immigrants have been imported into Preston , 151 of whom are utterly useless ( being either aged persons or young children ) , and by far the greater proportion of the remainder altogether unskilled . Some of tlie . manufacturers in the outlying districts complain very bitterly of the conduct of certain of the associated luasters , iri tliat they have used unfair rneans to persuade their hands to leave

      them aud come to Preston . One gentleman boasts of having prevailed upon some families to leave their work at Clitheroe , and of having written out their notices with his own band . A Preston master , working upon terms satisfactory to the hands , complains that agents of the Association Lave even had the audacity to enter his mill and attempt to bribe his weavers into leaving their looms . Next week I hope to be enabled to give the result of a special investigation into these . practices .

      The operatives engaged In the ten per cent , movement are very , anxious to disconnect themselves entirely fron * the' mqsft movement , ' promoted by Mr , Ernest Jones and his ffiends . At a meeting of the central committte of tlie Factory Operatives' Association assembled at Preston , on Sunday last , the following resolutions were passed : — " ist . —That the best thanks of the central cotnnifttee be given to the factory operatives , for tlieir strict adherence to peace , law , and order . " 2 nd . —TUat rip mernber of the executive or propagandist committee be allowed to interfere with the " mass movement ?

      " 3 rd . —That the central , committee representing the power-loom weavers , of the manufacturing districts , do not countenance or recognise the ' mass movement ' or its proceedings . " 4 th . —That the delegates present pledge themselves to raise increased funds for the support of the strike . "

      On Wednesdaymorning James Luke "Wood and Brocklehurst voluntarily surrendered themselves , and the tale of delegates included in the warrants ^ -aS now complete . During that day , Thursday , an immense crowd tlirohged the approaches tci the Town Hall , but the same peaceable and decent order prevailed throughout , The crotjrd iaever moved from its position until their leaders were liberated , . and when that occurred and they were requested to disperse ,

      the streets were deserted within five minutes . There is no doubt that tlie sympathy * of the middle classes of Preston ha 3 . been greatly excited by these proceedings , and the numbers of subtantial bailers who nightly presented themselves gave very efficient testimony of this . Some of the tradesmen of the town hav ^ organised a ^ onamittee for collecting a fund to assist in paying the expenses of the defence , and to carry this ojit tlie following placard has appeared upoa the waBS ^ - ~~'

      "T he Delegates' Defence Foxb . " \ Iany of the friends of the operatives' cause having thought it desirable that a subscription should bo entered into for the defence , at ^ Eivcipool ^ of the Martyr Delegates , apart from the general fund intended for the relief of the lockouts , notice is hereby given that subscription lists will be opened at the following places . " Here follow eight addresses of tradesmen and innkeepers . On Wednesday evening , nearly 15 * . was subscribed for this purpose in the bar-parlour of a

      simple inn ; and on Thursday morning a common labourer entered the shop of the treasurer to this fund , and laid dovru a sovereign to be applied to that purpose . It \ sk anticipated that Sir Frederick Thesiger will be retained for the defence , and it is believed that Mr . Serjeant Wilkins has been secured for the prosecution . One result of the movement has been a considerable influx of new delegates into the town , and many leading men amoug the operatives , who have hitherto kept a little In the background , have come forward to meet the

      emergency-While the ten delegates were being committed to trial for conspiracy , the Masters' Association held its adjourned meeting at the Bell Hotel , when the following resolutions were agreed to : — " That this meeting regrets that the continued unwillingness of many of the operatives to ' resume work has forced upon the masters the necessity of importing a large number of hands from other districts ; that it approves of tlio course hitherto bo successfully adopted , and is determined to persevoro in the same until the mills are fully at work-, that it pledges itself to afford protection and constant employment to all persons engaged : '" -- r *^ " - u 2 . That this meeting , deems it unnecessary to call the Associated Masters together , as heretofore , from month to month ; and , therefore , at its rising , do adjourn to this day three months , namely , Thursday , tne 22 nd June next . " By ohder of the Association . "

      Why adjourn for three months ? Why not sine die f As a . comment upon the pledge to afford constant employment , it is perhaps worthy of notice that some of the masters have this week sent back some of the hands whom they have imported . Eleven hands were sent nvvay this morning by Messrs . Birley , Brothers . It is understood that these persons were induced to leave Hull by representations made to them as to the wages to- be earned in Preston ; but that their dissatisfaction on coming was so great that it was deemed expedient to be rid of them .

      The following return of the immigrants which have arrived during the past week , wUl serve to give some idea of the progress of the experiment ;—

      behind ; the Bridge Inn , at Penwertham Bridge : but t ^^ some thousand of unemployed repair' ¦ Si ^ lpai ei ' they ^ , were harangued by CoWell , and informed that the lessee of the field had been compelled , much against Ms wish , to refuse them a standing tjpon his ground . Cowell again referred to tlie possibility of his arrest , and again impressed upon the people theparamount importance of keeping the peace . All Monday the magistrates were siguin closeted in the TownHalljWi ^ h Mr . Ascroft ( the pluralist Tovrn Clerk , who . is believed to advise the Masters'Association ) , and antiinber of other persona . Between nine and

      ten o clock in the evening the enigma was solved by the simultaneous arrest of five of the delegates . . Cowell was taken in the railway station , as he was about to step into the Manchester train . Waddington was seized in his own house . The others were captured in various parts of the town . In answer to inquiries made at the lock-up , the police preserved a strict silence as to tlie cause of arrest , and as to the number of persons included in the warrants ; precautions which proved to be perfectly unnecessary , inasmuch oa directly it was known who were the persons

      wanted , they voluntarily camo forward and surrendered themselves . Directly the news of the arrests had reached the committee-rooms , conomitteexneetingB were at once held by the unionists for the purpose of concerting measures to preserve the peace of the town , and allay the excitement which might be expected to arise when the facts became known to the people . Special bellmen "were appointed to promenade the streets at daybreak , and exhort the people to be peaceful , and tho following placard was upon the walls before the sun had risen : —

      ' Whereas our leaders have been apprehended by the magistrates , upon a charge not yet known , we adjure you mo&t earnestly that , as you value tlie cause for which you have bo long and so nolly fought , you ivill kkkp thk p eace , and not suffer the excitement of the momeut to betray you into the slightest offence against tho law . To create a mstubuahck is all that is wanted , for the soldiers are prepared to shoot you down in tho streets . There is a law ir » England greater and wiser than that of tho Preeton magistrates ,

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      EXAMINATION OJF THE DELEGATES 02 ^ A CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY . On Tuesday morning , shortly after eleven o ' clock , George Cowell , Michael Gallaher , Mortimer Grimshaw , Thomas Laing , and Thomas Gardner , -were brought up before the magistrates , Bitting at the Town-hall , for the purpose of being examined upon the charge for which they had been apprehended . The warrant upon which these were apprehended also included Luke Wood and Brocklehurst , who voluntarily surrendered during the day . The bench

      was occupied by Mr . T . Walmsley , Mayor ; Messrs . R . Pedder , R . Law , and R . Pedder , and Dr . Monk . Mr . Ascroft , the Town Clerk , appeared for the prosecution . Mr . R . B . Cobbett , of Manchester , appeared for Gardner ; Mr . Noble , of Preston , for Gallaher , Grimshaw , and Cowell ; and Mr . Blackhurst , of Preston , for Haing . The court was densely crowded , but in spite of the great excitement which naturally prevailed , generally speaking , little or no difficulty vas experienced in maintaining order . stated that the

      Mr . Ascroft , in opening the case , defendants were charged with a conspiracy . The magistrates would know that for a long time paet disputes had existed between the masters and the work-people in Preston . The masters , in the month of February , opened their mills and were desirous that the people should seek employment and be employed . Tlieir expectations on that head not being readised , they resolved to avail themselves of hands from other places , and accordingly made arrangements for that purpose . In the week ending Saturday , the 25 th of February , a number of hands were engaged in

      Manchester— some to work for Messrs . Haslam , gome for Messrs . Wilding and Sharpies , and for other parties ; and on the following Monday morning between fifty and sixty hands were brought to Preston by Mr . Gallowsiy , Mr . Haslam ' s agent at Manchester . On their arrival at the railway station , in Preston , they were placed in a room whilst a conveyance was procured to remove them to tho mills . Whilst they were there a gTeat number of persons flocked to the Btatlon , prevailed upon a grcflt number of hands not to go with the person by whom they had been hired , and succeeded in inducing about forty-four of them to go to the Farmer * ' Arms .

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      if 22 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 25, 1854, page 272, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2031/page/8/