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Northern Star (1837-1852), 17th January 1852, Edition 2 of 2, Page 4

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    • To the Trades of London. mTTP. .rmiRNEYMEN HATTEBS OF THJ
    • £o erorresuoKBentt
    • THE NORTHERN STAB SATURDAY, JANUARY 17. 185S.
    • flTVflttotf' tf«foTTt'fri>lffV ®v*ttt»'-.-Mmimntt
  • Adverts (5)
  • Text (13)
  • Transcript

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      Red Should Do Unto ' Istranslated'do Oth...

      THE NORTHERN STAR . _ _ _ Jaotam w ^ a 4 . _ MaaM « MiiM « M « aaHMMM « ^ M "'^ ! ^^! ?*** T "' ¦ ¦ ¦— 7—TT T ^ " i I

      To The Trades Of London. Mttp. .Rmirneymen Hattebs Of Thj

      To the Trades of London . mTTP . . rmiRNEYMEN HATTEBS OF THJ

      Ad00414

      1 Metropo & seeiugtte importoiceoi ! the V ™ ^ ' peratiou of political affairs , earnest ^ solicits the Wun « G «« adiberate avowal 3 &* S ^ 2 g 22 Z Z 3 «** " * - 1 tt *^*^ -tt ¥ & ^ part seven o ' clock , at the ' ^ "SX ,, atte na . or applications Borough , where deput . tions are *&* %£ ** Madf ^ Otof ^^ to oemaae . - * . v . «¦»»—;¦ ;» pvnv

      Ad00415

      Madf ^ Otof ^^ to oemaae . - * . v . «»» ; ;» pvnv fls ^ T ^^^ v ^ T \ J Instituted under Tra ^ , w . ^ Ma to promo te the teration and Fraud now P ' ^* ^ wiadpteofCo ^ ie ^^ ^ ti ^ rt Seale , Esq ., ( founder of the Trustees-Edward Yannttari -i ^ contribuU ) rs ) # Instinifion ); jg ^^ rfSSEi WW *»«» to . SSST aSSSSS- ^ Charlotte-street , Fitaoy . square , London . - „ ,, _ , „„ ts-35 , Great Marjlebone-street , Portland-Braoch B *^ Itwaistreet , Manchester , p lace , V ^^ X hereafter to undertake the execution of all J ^ * 5 , £ wnd of articles or pr duce , their operation * for the ^^/ 'SsScted to Groceries , Italian Articles , French Wines "f K !^ has jast been published , containing a detailed list of ii . i ^ rts with the retail prices affiled , with remarks on adnltera-J * mi Friee . 6 d .. or sent free by port for ten stamps . Also a wholesale price list for Co-operative Stores gratis , or by post for one '' particulars relating to the Central Co-operative Agency , withi a dkeitof the Deed of Settlement , are to be found in the pnatea i ^ ort of a meeting held at the centraloffice of the Institution . Sent postfreeforthreestamps . . j , «« . « Particulars , Kules , List , and Catalogue sent post free far eighteen

      Ad00416

      Sew Medical Jonrnnl . This day is published , ATO . 1 . of the MEDICAL CIRCULAR and IS GEXERAtMEDICAL ADVERTISER , Price Sd .-statnped , 4 d . in connexion with the Medical Directories for England , Ireland and Scotland . A record of the sayings and doings ol the Medical profesaon . bioarai . hical , bibUographical , and general ; lesstuan . hatf tbe price of any eristic ? Medical Journal , nevertheless , the mirror of all , and of every passing Medical event Orders and communications to be sent ( pro tew . ) to tne Editor , 4 , Adam-street . Adelphi

      Ad00417

      fiREAT NATIONAL STANDARD THEIX AIRE opposite the Eastern Counties Railway , Shoreditch . The largest and most elegant Theatre in London . Fbomoeiob—Mr . Jons Docclis * , The houses are crowded nightly , and the entire Press has pronounced the Standard Pantomime to be the gem of the season . The brilliancy of effect produced by the lustrous scene of the Temple of Revolving ( Jlobes of Fire stands unrivalled for novelty and splendour , and is acknowledged to be the most magnificent effect ever witnessed npon the stage . Great success of Mr . F . Sell ' s Giza Holmes . On Friday ( th « third Grand Juvenile Night ) the Pantomime « riH be played first On Monday and all the week , Eliza Holmes ; or , the Wild Horde Cf ike Wolfs Lair . To conclude with King Hoddg Toddy , All Head and No-body ; cr , Harlequin and tie Fairy of the Jlagic Pippin , with all its great effects , and the lustrous scene of the Tempie of Revolving Globes < fi Fire , encircled by Mil . ions of Diamond Lights . Dress Circle Is . Cd ., Boxes Is , Upper Boxes 3 d ., Pit Stalls 8 d ., Pit 6 d ., GaL 3 d . Stage Manager—Mr . It . Homier .

      Ad00418

      QUEEN'S THEATRE . S » LE LESSEE—StK . C . t . JAKES . tireatSovelty ! First Week of a Drama in which . Mr . Harrison and Mr . J . Matthews will appear with their celebrated Dogs . On Wednesday next a Grand Juvenile Sight , on which occasion the Pantomime will ba played second . Fourth week of decidedly the best Pantomime of the Season . On Monday , and during the week , JS ' icfc Cwsar ; or , the Dogs c / tte Glen , Characters by Messrs . Harrison , S . Matthews , Barford , Alien , Dean , Randall , IV . Phillips , and Bigwood ; Mesdames IL Huddart , C . Gibson , and Rivers . After which ihe Creek Brothers . Mnley Ismael , Mr . E . Green ; Zaphira , Mr-. J . Parry . To conclude with ( Wednesday excepted ) tbe New Grand Comic Christmas Pantomime of Beauty nnd tlie Beast ; or , . Barfearmt prm . ee Azor , lite Queen of the Bases and KUig of Thorns . Harlequin , Mr . Ambrook ; Columbine , Jliss C . Gibson . Clown , Mr . Harrison ; Pantaloon , Mr . J . Matthews .

      £O Erorresuokbentt

      £ o erorresuoKBentt

      R. Mnxs, Chelsea—Next Week. C. A., Stepn...

      R . Mnxs , Chelsea—Next week . C . A ., Stepnej . —The statements referred to are totally without foundation , and are merely dictated by a feeling of revenge , because thewriter made an application to be associated wiih the present proprietors of the * Star , ' which was rejected . The Chartist body , and the public generally , will know from this insight into the motive bv which Mr . Ernest Jones is actuated , what to think of fature attacks from the same source . We can only assure our correspondents at large , that we desire the columns of the'Star ' to present a full and faithful reflex of the Democratic movement , in all its phases , and repeat our determination 10 give due prominence to all proceedings connected with any movement for the ohtainment of the People ' s Charter . T . G . Lee . —lleceived , on Friday morning , too late for the Country Post .

      The Northern Stab Saturday, January 17. 185s.

      THE NORTHERN STAB SATURDAY , JANUARY 17 . 185 S .

      The Master's Strike Against The Engineer...

      THE MASTER'S STRIKE AGAINST THE ENGINEERS . WHAT IS AND IS TO BE . Be firm and patient ; that is the advice which the mends of the worker give to the worker , and never was attention to it more necessary than at tbis moment . The exercise of the two qualities will ensure a victory—such a victory as labour has never before gained . So far all has gone well , better far than conld have been expected . The calumnies of tbe masters , tbe falsehoods of a capitalist Press , the

      vituperations of a paid litterateur , have all failed . Instead of public opinion being conclusively directed against the men , the balance of it is in their favour . The way they have come before the public on tbe platform , and in the Press , is without a parallel in labour agitations . It is a significant sign of the times that the voice of the operative has been heard in tbe columns of even adverse papers with as much force as that of the manufacturer . Their cause has

      assumed so much importance , that column after column of leading article type has been devoted to them . At first they were abused , then they were advised , and , lastly , they were argued with . Even the leading journal of Europe—the concentration of the greatest literary power of the day—condescended , at last , to descend from the pedestal of presumed superiority and reason with working men ; and it was something for those who pray for the progress of the toilers to rejoice at , to hear , on the very day it appeared , an operative engineer take that same article , and , from tbe platform , oppose its folly , nnd lay bare its sophistry with such effect that the' Thunderer'has passed over the castigation it received in silence .

      As for the Masters assnmption , the Strike—their last resource—their ultimatum—has been among the most ridiculous of failures . In vain , by their Secretary , they vomited , through the columns of a liberal paper , in which such a man as W . J . Foxwritesabuse ¦ worthy of an angry cabman . In vain they fulminated to every firm denunciations of the vast conspiracy which was organised throughout the country to prevent the Capitalist from doing as he pleased with what was not his own , the person , time , and health of the worker . In vain tbey called npon all masters to * arise 3 awake ! or be for ever fallen . ' In vain , paradying the sentiment of O'Coxneli / s famous quotat » n , they shouted , 'Hereditary Masters , know ye not , if ye would rule , 'tis time to strike a blow . ' In

      vara tbey tried the ten-shilling-a-head pledge of allegiance ; emphatically it would not do , notwithstanding talented Secretary , scientific attainments , and ' leading engineering firms , ' lent their aid , they could not effect their object . Like a pageant on a wet day , the Strike came off but shabbily . They promised to turn out 12 , 000 men , and their promise is bankrupt . So for as the Amalgamated Society is concerned , they have turned out hardly ^ morethan a third of that number . They do swell the amount up to the threatened total , by ' protecting' their independent workmen , that is , by turning them out upon the world to starve . Those whom they acknowledge have done no wrong , they do not scruple to damage , but among classes where it was least expected , they have raised such a storm of indignation , and opened such sources

      af help , that they have materially damaged their own cause . By the side of this conduct that of the members of the Amalgamate Society has presented a glorious contrast . The skilled workers capable of helping themselves , with enough of their fellow members left in employment to ward off distress from the intended victims , need not beg for themselves ; for threo or six months , or perhaps for a twelvemonth they can maintain

      their ground and keep the factories shut , but what they need not do for themselves they are doing iL ? 8 * ^ "y havo *< toBa undertheircare the labourers whom the Masters with mingled cruelty ana nypoensy cast off under the pretence of serving . Ihose very labourers , who it was falsely said they wanted fo force the Masters to discbarge , find in aSS ^ satw

      The Master's Strike Against The Engineer...

      are being opened for funds to support the unskilled labourers ; and the result will be , in all probability , that the Society , instead of being broken up , will double and treble its numbers in consequence of the very measures taken to destroy it . We do notreason now upon the matter ; for , for the moment , the time for reasoning has gone by , and the time for action has arrived . There vould be but little time or opportunity to frame plans now if they had not been already considered . Before the hosts join in battle the generals form their combinations , and in this case that has been done already . What we need now is co firmnessand patience to carry

      urage , , them out . Up to this moment all has gone gloriously , and , we believe and trust , that the workers will not , by any departure from right , peril the triumph which is already within their grasp . In the first instance , the law musf be obeyed . Whatever may be our opinion as to the laws relating to combination , while they remain upon tha statute book they must be abided by . In this struggle , the opponents of the people must not be allowed the opportunity of staining the cause with the imputation of criminality . The operative Engineers are not Luddites ; there is no fear of their turning machine breakers . We question

      if any class would do that now , but at all events they will not . That measure of abstinence , however , is not sufficient . The whole machinery of the strikes of old must be discarded . There must be no picketing upon shops—no tampering with workmen under contract—no threats to deserters , apostates , and euimies—no intimidation , no foul words , no mobbing , no tumultuous assemblages , no blows . As the ' Operative' said a short time since , 'he who raises his hand against his fellow , or commits a single act of violence , is a traitor to hi s cause and a betrayer of his order . ' This battle must be fought out as it has

      been begun—with the weapons of intelligence ; and even though the peaceable workmenareinsultedas they havebeen by policemen being sent to their orderly meetings , the combined conspirators of Capital must not have the materials for a single indictment ; leave them to rely upon their own resources , and they are already broken—and we rejoice that the Council of the Amalgamated Society have taken this view , and proffered similar advice to their members . That is—• What is , ' but so far as we are enabled to judge , ' What is to be' will be better still .

      The Employers calculated on keeping their men idle , and thought , that after the funds they had accumulated as a provision against sickness , old age , accident , death , and want of employment , would be fruitlessly wasted—then they calculated on having the starving thousands prostrate at their feet , asking for leave to earn the right to Jive outside the walls of a workhouse . They basked in the thought that that would be their hour of absolute triumph . Through their agents in the Press , they drew appalling pictures of the misery they intended to make . They talked of hungry wives and starving children , as the , result of the action of their

      association . But they- were mistaken . The Engineers have learnt something of political economy as well as other classes . They have been taught , to some purpose , that labour is of as high a value as Capital , and the times eminently favour them . The creation of machinery in this country cannot stand still without every interest in the country suffering . It gives vitality to our industry . It is the very mainspring of our commercial eminence . Engines must be made ; and who is to make them ? That is the question the Engineers have asked the public , and they have been ready to supply the answer : Our masters , say they , in effect do not pay us . It is

      those who buy what we produce who pay both us and them . The Employers have hitherto found the capital , and we the skill . Thoy have stood between the consumer and the producer , selling the result of labour , paying us part of the prices they received , and putting the best into their own pockets . They decline to do that any longer , because we will not allow them to monopolise every working hour of those they choose to keep at work , while others are without employment . Be it so . We will , if we must , take their place , and keep our own , . too . We will do that work which the country must have done , and they refuse to do . We will realise our only capital , labour , without their aid . Thauks to the necessities of

      Commerce , capital always flows to where it can find a profitable investment . We can employ it profitably , and it will come to us . The Employers of Operative Engineers do not possess all the money or all the credit of the world . We have a portion of it , and with that we will begin , certain that when we show practically we are able-to perform all that is needed , those who are interested in the production of wealth will not , for their own sakes , allow us to want the means for its accumulation . '

      That is at once a wise and a brave resolve—one worthy of men who have independent thoughts and bold hearts as well as strong arms . Men who seem to control adverse circumstances , instead of grovelling down to be crushed by them . 'From the nettle danger' such men will ' pluck the flower safety' from the midst of oppression , and by its means they will progress towards liberty , and the masters , already at their wit ' s end , will find , that

      unless they yield gracefully and in time , their occupation' will be where Othello ' s was— ' gone . ' The men have had plenty of warning , and a surfeit of advice of a certain sort held out to them . That is our warning to the employers , and our advice isdismiss your secretary—meet your workmen fairl ylet your disputes be settled by impartial arbitration , and then strive , by justice in . the future , to atone for wrongs in the past and present .

      We did intend to enter into the question of the probability of commercial success to the operatives , but we have already extended our remarks to such a length as to compel us to postpone that for another week ; when Ave shall endeavour to show that , by taking the right means , the men may make better than the employers , sell cheaper , and meet them advantageously iu the market of the world .

      What Must Be Done To Get K Radical Refor...

      WHAT MUST BE DONE TO GET K RADICAL REFORM IN PARLIAMENT . In a fortnight Parliament will re-assemble , and it is now understood definitely , that Lord John means to meet it with his present staff of imbecile and infirm colleagues . The result cannot be doubted . His opponents have only to select the time and the question on which he shall be defeated , and his resignation , or the dissolution of Parliament , must immediately follow . Are the advocates of a Radical Reform in our

      representative system prepared for that contingency ? Have they placed themselves in such a position , that they will be able to exercise over the public mind that power and influence which is due to the truth , justice , and importance of their cause ? We fear the very contrary is the case , aud that a favourable opportunity will pass by unimproved , in consequence of the lamentable apathy which has been exhibited in some quarters , and the selfish a nd degrading squabbles which have occupied attention in others .

      If the advocates of Parliamentary Reform , whether by the enactmentof the People ' s Charter , or the smaller measure of Mr . Hume , had been in earnest during the recess , they might now have been in a position to dictate terms to any future Ministry . They might haive secured the return of sueh a number of members pledged to the principle of Representative Reform , and prepared to act in concert , as would have held the balance between the two rival aristocratic factions who have hitherto tossed power from one to the other

      in the game of political battledore and shuttlecock . That is the only practical way of making the question of Suffrage Reform a Parliamentary one -with mi chance of success . Until the friends of the cause outside see this fact clearl y , and take care that its exponents in the House are organised effectively as a party , and pledged to act together , without refe . rence to Ministerial exigencies , or other party combinations , there is not the sli ghtest probability of our getting a real and substantial reform of the House of Commons .

      But , we regret to say , that at the present moment we see scarcely any indication of such an organisation of the People ' s Party . The spirit we know exits , but the leader , at whose call it will come from the vasty deep , has not yet made his appearance . ? f ° r \ V ?* pable ceding to the vacant throne of Mr . OCoKNOEhas yet arisen among the Chartist body , if such a bod y can be said to exist , when we keepm view the late abortive attempt to form an Executive . Tear by year , the so-called Charriut

      party has become weaker , smaller , and more power Imp , until at Jast we have the mockery of a few tundied votes recorded for the appointment of a National

      What Must Be Done To Get K Radical Refor...

      Executive . Supposing that tne nine « redjvho voted for the candidate at the top of the list were all bona jide voters , and represented even one penny a week to defray the expenses of a public movement , iTwould give us only & 15 s . ^/^ JWall But there can be little doubt dtoW ^ JJ not signify even that amount of substantial support ; and the conviction of the truth of that fact is apparen in the hot haste which has been in one case exhibited on various pretences , wide of the real reason , to retire from a position in which there is neither honour , profit , nor usefulness to be looked for . It is of nouBe dwgoAsingtUe fact : theChartist Party is utter wreck as an organised party . — ~ . v-. 1 . „ . _

      an Into the causes of this fatal and melancholy breakup it is not our intention to inquire . We have very decided opinions on the subject , which , however , we prefer to put in an affirmative shape . « It is , as they say in Lancashire , . * of no use crying oyer shed milk ; ' and the true use of past experience is not to stand idly squabbling as to the respective errors committed by each individual , or what amount of personal blame is ascribaWe to each , but to make that experience the basis of more comprehensive and more successful , because practical , action in future .

      There is ample room and encouragement to make such an attempt ; for it must not he for one moment supposed , that because the old organisation has dwindled to nothing , and the Executive been virtually dissolved , therefore Chartism is less an element of public opinion than it was in 1839 or 1848 . On the contrary , we have the fullest conviction that the great bulk of the intelligent and industrious classes iu this country are more closely wedded to , more thoroughly convinced than ever , of the truth and the importance of the principle embodied in Manhood Suffrage . It is the only just , and it therefore can be the only permanent settlement of the demands of the people

      All expediencies are temporary . Right alone is eternal . The business of the practical reformer and true statesman is to approximate , as ' rapidly and as beneficially as possible , to the Right , because it is then only that peace , law , and order—that Society , in fact , rests upon a safe and solid basis , Gradual progress is the law of humanity , individually and historically , and the measures immediately practical , must always be largely dependent upon the actual state of public opinion , and the general advance of the

      community . To accept a less measure of reform than that demanded by the full recognition of abstract principle is , therefore , not in itself an inconsistency or want of fidelity to the principle . There is quite as much mischief in legislating in advance of public opinion as iu lagging behind it . What is wanted is to accurately determine tbe precise point to which the nation has advanced , and to act up to that mark in a progressive spirit , —that is to say , to take care that what we do to-day shall not prevent us from proceeding further in the same onward direction

      tomorrow . Now , taking these general rules for pur guide , we say that this country is prepared "' for the immediate adoption of Manhood Suffrage as the fundamental principle of any measure of Parliamentary Reform . We have again and again stated our reasons for that belief , and we have never yet seen them confuted . We admit that power in itself may be either mischievous or beneficial , according to the knowledge and dispositions of the persons who have to exercise it . A razor may be used to cut throats as well as to shave chins . But we contend , that during the last twenty

      years the industrious classes of this country have obtained such a practical every-day training and familiarity with the use of Constitutional forms of transacting public business , that there are no people in the world so well prepared for full and complete Enfranchisement at the present moment . While admitting , therefore , the necessity for adapting measures to actual wants and capacities , and proceeding gradually , we say , at the same time , that the principle so applied in this country demands the concession of Manhood Suffrage , not only as a just , but a practical and expedient settlement of the question .

      How are the advocates of this fundamental principle of Parliamentary Reform to obtain for it the popular support and influence which are due to it ? Certaiuly not by abusing and maligning all who , either from conviction or constitutional timidity , stand aloof from it . People are not very likely to think kindly of those who attribute to them bad motives , and call them worse names . They are even apt to think that the cause which has such advocates must be in itself a bad and a vicious one when it produces such results . Hence it is that Chartism has

      of late years stunk in the nostrils of almost every intelligent man in the working and middle classes . They have been deterred from it by its coarse antagonism to every other popular movement—by its vituperation and abuse of all who presumed to differ from its selfconstituted leaders and dictators , and by the quarrels between themselves , in which the worst Billinsgate was unsparingly hurled at each other . Persons of well-regulated minds shrink from coming into contact with such an impracticable , disunited , and intemperate party . We see the result . For want of the requisite intelligence , experience , and business habits , the movement has fallen off until only some nine hundred can be found to vote for a member of the National Executive .

      We want to mend this state of things . For the last two years we have done our best to infuse a new spirit into the movement , with the full consent and concurrence of Mr . O'Connor , who , our readers well know , not only made a friendly appearance at the metropolitan meetings of the Middle Class Reformers , but also travelled as far north as Aberdeen , to show his own earnest conviction , that union among Reformers of all classes was preferable to division , For taking this course , we are now accused of pursuing an insidious and a reactionary policy , and of wishing to carry the Chartist Movement over to the middle classes . Our accuser knows that this charge

      is a false one , but with the fatal propensity to deal in mendacious , reckless , and unprincipled imputations , which has brought the Chartist body to death ' s door , he does not hesitate to print it , because it serves a sordid and selfish personal object . Even were the conductors of this paper actuated by such motives as are imputed to them , the most superficial observer must perceive that they would be the silliest of political geese , to place themselves in the position gratuitously assumed for them by their libeller . Of what value to the middle class movement would a body be which even its self-elected dictator is ashamed of

      and has thrown overboard aud abandoned ? Such charges aud falsehoods may , perhaps , for a short time , delude those who unfortunately place reliance on the veracity of the person who makes them , or help to sustain for a week or two longer , a periodical already at death ' s door , and to prolong whose feeble existence a mendicant appeal is made . But we have faith in truth , and in undeviating rectitude of principle and action . When tho transient calumny has passed away , the masses will discover for themselves who are the true friends of the People ' s Cause .

      This may seem irrelevant to the main topic of this article ; but it is not . The great want of the time is a National . Party . We are desirous of aiding in the formation of such a party ; and in order to do so with effect , it is necessary to speak out as to the principles upon which we think it ought to be constructed , the spirit in which it should be conducted , and the objects it should pursue . In future articles we shall return to the subject . In the meantime , we congratulate all

      who feel interested in real progress , on the fact that no sham organisation , with an unreal , but pretentious nominal Executive , cumbers the ground . There is room and opportunity for such genuine democrats as Mr . LINTON—whose admirable letter we published last week—and others of like stamp , to take up a firm , a dignified , and a powerful position , and to give to the unorganised Chartism of Great Britain such a form and shape as shall command attention and respect both in and out of Parliament .

      The Cheap And Nasty System. The Disclosu...

      THE CHEAP AND NASTY SYSTEM . The disclosures respecting the mass of putrified torruptton and filth y garbage supplied to the Navy which are just now exciting so much disgust and indignation , are , we fear , only indications of a widespread social disease . The Competitive System is no doubt cheap , but it is also dreadfully nasty . The soul of honour and honesty has been destroyed \ w it Cheating in trade is allowable , though cheating at cards is not . For a thing to be done < in the way of trade means that it is opposed to morality and L . ??;•»• • * ^ T the 8 reat commandment of Christianity , 'Do unto other * as ye would , others

      The Cheap And Nasty System. The Disclosu...

      should do unto you , ' is . _ translated ,,, ' Do others and take care you are not done . ' The whole system is what Thomas Cabiyib :. would call a 'huge iinveracity . ' Nothing goes by . its ri g ht name—nothing is what it seems . Sheffield manufactures razors made to sell , and not to shave , and cutlery that won't cut . Leicester and Nottingham send out stockings as much fitted for Aldgate Pump as human legs , and which , becraoe like riddles with a . week's wear . Yorkshire contributes its quota to the general stock of adulterations in the shape of ' shoddy' cloths , which resemble blotting sheets , more than any thing else , in texture , and are about as wearable and durable . Manchester gives flour-paste instead of good , cotton , and the firs l sted of f „ i . „ ., i / 1 An nnfn vnn » io frnnolofprl ' Tin others and

      washing brings a sieve to ight ina a piece o stout and useful cloth . ' Brummagem' and ? sham ' hare long been synonymous . Cheap furniture marts invite customers to buy chairs that fall in pieces within the first month—sofas that are stuffed with hay , and often filthy vermin-breeding rubbish instead of horse hair—tables that won't stand—and bedsteads that become ricketty as soon as they are put to use . Bakers poison us with lime and plaster of Paris . Grocers with a compound of disgusting substances ingeniously mixed up with almost every article they vend . The whole system is corrupt . ' From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot , it is nothing but bruises and wounds and putrifying

      sor 6 S # ' The loss to the country involved in the necessary destruction of the mass of rotten carrion , furnished to the Admiralty , and the graver evils which the acceptance of such stores indicates in the shape of inefficient superintendance , or guilty collision with the fraudulent contractor , sink into insignificance , when compared with the horrible demoralisation of which itch facts are the index . If it continues to spread , it will eat like a cancer into the very heart of society , and destroy all that is manly , honourable , or just in

      the nation . Such a deterioration of the national character would be the surest precursor to national destruction . A people that has lost the sense of justice has lost the very main spring of existence . The greater the powers in its possession the greater . the rapidity with which it can accomplish its own ruin . Tr ick has to be met with trick—one * cheap dodge ' has to be found to beat another , until at length the true aim of all production and of all exchange is lost sight of , and society is converted into a vast gambling hell , and becomes a prey to the worst passions , with all their concomitant excitement and wretchedness .

      It might be worth the while of some of the lucidators of our wonderful modern industrial aud commercial system , to turn their attention occasionally to this phase of the subject . The morality of a nation is as important an element , in considering it as a whole , as tho sum total of its exports and imports ; and although legislation may be unable to put a stop to all fraud and deception in trading , still , much might be done in conjunction with an enlightened public opinion to discountenance and discourage it , At present we fear the only thing considered discreditable in such infamous and unfair transactions is tiie being found out . ' Had the affair escaped detection , it would have been considered rather a smart job , and ' all fair in trade . '

      The social Reformers , whose theories are so violently assailed and decried by the competitive organs , may make many mistakes in their speculations as to the precise form ia which the future will be moulded , but no one who has carefully and impartially read their works , can fail to perceive that they have , one and all , a clear insight into the real nature and destiny of man , and the true objects of society . They all seek to make the material , merely the instrument for promoting the intellectual and moral well being of the people at large . That many of their views , as to the mode of organising labour ,

      distributing its products , and governing communities in their domestic and general'arrangements , may be open to exception , and never likely to be realised , is but natural . But that constitutes no valid objection to the great principle on which they all take their stand . Had the first promoters of railways undertaken to prognosticate in detail all that was necessary to give full effect to the cardinal idea involved in their construction , they would have no doubt committed a great many errors , and excited , perhaps , a good deal of laughter by some ludicrous mistakes . It was better to leave these

      details to be developed as experience accumulated . So should it be with social progress . The first thing is to get the people at large to comprehend the primal idea embodied in these theories , and to become embued with the spirit and desire to apply justly and fraternally the means at the command of society for the common benefit . All other good things would follow in due season . How much this new mental and moral training is needed—from what frightful misery and degradation it would save us . The horrible accumulation of putrefaction which has polluted the air in Clarence-yard , and all but poisoned the officials , may be accepted as a timely and an impressive lesson ; and we are happy to learn that a league has just been formed , comprising some influential gentlemen , the main object of which is to collect and diffuse information on these subjects .

      Assault On An Englishman In Italy. A Let...

      ASSAULT ON AN ENGLISHMAN IN ITALY . A letter , stated to be written by a gentleman of consideration , who has sent his name and card in verification of his assertions to the editor of tbe " Daily News , " gWes the following account of a most gross outrage lately committed on an Englishman . We extract the following passages from it : — " Florence , New Ybar ' s Dat . —It may interest some of your numerous readers to mention an incident which has just occurred here , and which strongly exemplifies the character of that ' parental rule * Austria is now extending over every country garrisoned by her soldiery .

      "A young Englishman , but a short time in Florence , had been listening to the band of an Austrian regiment at tbe hour of guard relieving in front of tbe Pitti Palace ; and seeing tbe troops about to march off , the better to enjoy the music , proceeded to accompany them . While so doing , however , he reached one of the narrow streets that issue from the Piazza del Duomo ; and partly to avoid a cart , and partly pushed by ( he crowd , he found himself compelled to walk in the space between the band and the bead of the column . A smart blow from tbe flat of a sabre admonished him to move away , at which he turned quietly round , and , in such Italian as he could muster , asked what he bad done , and why he was struck . An insulting reply—for so by its tone he judged it to be—was returned . He answered as angrily , on which he was struck in the face hy a closed fist

      , and when reeling from tbe blow the officer cut him over the head with his sword , and left him weltering in his blood on the pavement , from whence by the humanity of tbe bystanders be was conveyed to the city hospital . The wound , which was fully a finger's length , severed a very thick felted hat , and divided tbe muscles of the scalp , cutting through the periosteum , and even slightly injuring the bone beneath ; in fact , such a cut as might easily have produced a fracture in some cases , and in any was a highly dangerous one . The British Charge a " Affaires here , on learning the incident , immediately addressed a moderate but firm request for an inquiry into the circumstances , mentioning the names and addresses of several most respectable persons who witnessed the occurrence , and whose testimony substantiated in every point the statement made by the wounded man himself .

      " To this demand a long and very evasive reply was returned , declining all investigation , and alleging , as one of the invariable rules of the imperial army , the order , that an officer , while on duty , was always to use his sword on—to kill even , if necessary—whomsoever offered any impediment to his functions , or in any way offended or insulted him ; asserting that , in the present instance , the Englishman bad actually threatened the officer , and was in the act of striking him when cut down . The replv proceeded to a perfect justification of the officer ' s conduct ; and only found matter of reproach in the case of the blow by the fist , ' such being contrary to the rules of the service , which always enjoin the use of the sabre . ' ;

      Imperia L Parliament. ^\°^Iisrwars ^Slrs...

      IMPERIA L PARLIAMENT ^\ ° ^ IISrwars ^ SlrSSfn ? * th ° disPat (* of business * ' *""* ' ***> wSr ita \ SSSS and , the . ° ther Royal Commissioners Woolsack n thSf . favinS taken their seats on the Black RodPw « ? ° J ? : ? x Lord * tbe yeWDan ^ ber of the bar JtSiZ " . ft * 0 ^ * 0 w" >™> n the Commons to the aSwerprft Tf thB Offloers of the I *™ r House having VSi &^ SSS SS 1 the Royal Cmmi 88 ion WM read The Lord Chancellor then declared the adjournment in tne name of her Majesty , adding the important words that X u r Ro * wiU and Pleasure that the Parliament snouia . " assemble and be holdeu" on the adjournment a . . / or the dispatch of divers ureent and important

      anairs , ana the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and tho Knigats , citizens , and burgesses , and tbe commissioners of shires and burghs of the House of Commons were required and commanded to give their attendance accord " > ngly » t Westminster on Tuesday , the third day of February next , .

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      National Association Of United Trades. T...

      NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNITED TRADES . T . 8 . Duhcombe , Esij ., M . P ., President . " rill JV 3 T 1 TU . " " If it were possible for the working classes , by combining Among themselves , to raise , or keep up the general rate oi wages , it need hardly be said that tbis would be a thing not to V punished , but to be welcomed and rejoiced at . "—Stuabt M ill

      The struggle for despotic ascendancy upon one hand , and for constitutional freedom on the other between the rival interests—Capital and Labou r- ^ assumes , daily , a more serious aspect . The most temperate and reasonable requirements of workmen are arrogantly denied them . In the very teeth of the law , any and every attempt , by workmen , to fix and regulate the value or duration of their labour is pronounced and treated as an act of dictation to , or indeed an overt act of , rebellion against their highmightiness , the' Satraps of Capital . ' The disputes between the Engineers and their employers , which now occupies so large a portion of

      the public attention , will probably terminate in one of two results , either of them ultimately beneficial to the general interests of society . In the first case the employers may find themselves unable to cope with the powerful organisation already opposed to them , strengthened as it will probably be , by thousands of the same or kindred trades , whom their attempted tyrannies will awaken from their customary apathy into energy and activity . It appears to us quite certain , that if the men of the Iron Trades are ' alive to their interests , and virtuous enough to dare the consequences of , perhaps , & protracted struggle ,. in defence of them , they must ultimately succeed ,,

      because it appears to us practically impossible that the attempted coup d ' etat of the Imperial Employers can succeed , from the want of cohesion . They can ' t all afford to stand still . It is very questionable whether the creditors of Messrs . Seaward and Capel will be materially benefited by the position taken hy that firm j that however is their business . But certainly ,, to the numerous minor establishments in London ,, Manchester , Hull , Bristol , & c . & c . ; to the Cotton , Silk and Woollen Factories , the great Railway-Establishments , the Mercantile Marine and Dockyard ' Establishments , a general cessation of business is much , easier to recommend than to carry into practice .

      It would amount to something very much like a National Holiday for Labour , which would bring the whole question to an issue in twenty-four hours * From the want , therefore , of its universality , we > think the arbitrary policy of the Employers will fail and the employed be left in the enjoyment of those- , constitutional Rights secured to them by law , notwithstanding the foul bullying of the 'Times , ' or the plausible sophistry of the Manchester philosophers ,, with their , one-sided twaddle about the freedom of Labour , demand and supply , foreign' competition , & c , & c .

      The only other solution the question is susceptible of , is the unconditional submission of the Amalgamated Trades to the behests ' of their haughty employers ; the absolute and unconditional surrender by themselves and every class of British workmen , of every vestige of control over their mental and physical energies , for tbe sole and especial benefit of those who monopolise capital , which is legitimacy nothing but the savings of labour , but in its present artificial and illegitimate aspect , is the squeezings and spoliation of the labourer ' s share of the fruits of his own industry . To this abject condition of vassalage we think the trades

      of Great Britain will not submit . Any attempt to force them to it , by governmental power , would inevitably lead to a social and political convulsion , tbe problem , whether a judicious combination of tbe now separate and antago . nistic elements of capital and labour would not be nationally more beneficial , would speedily ripen for solution . The superiority now claimed by the mere capitalist over the hard-banded labourer , is entirely artificial . It is not in the internal elements of tbe man—it is neither in the mental or physical development , but in the conventional monopoly of a superior training by the one , over , and to the disadvantage of the other . But these mere artificial dip .

      Unctions are rapidly wearing away . The beneficial infkence of the roughly eloquent perambulating lecturer , so painfully offensive to those whose immediate and apparent interest it is to keep the labourer plunged deep in the mire oi dissipation , and clouded in the thick veil of ignorance , and the widely spread circulation of a cheap literature is eating its way silently , but surely , into the strong holds of tbis hydra-headed monopoly . It will be soon discovered , to the general astonishment , how thin the veil is that constitutes tbe difference of classes . The process which metamophised the great railway impostor to be the tolerated and fitting companion of nobles and Princes is susceptible of infinite multiplication . We shall have professors [ a la Corstairs ) teaching drawing-room manners and morals , in six easy lessons to the million . Let us then take heart , fellow workmen , our future looks brighter , if we look at it sufficiently steadily to penetrate the thin mist which somewhat obscures it .

      The necessity of nationally organising labour will , we trust , be one of the general benefits arising from the present struggle . A national confederation of Trades for general purposes of mutual aid and protection is tbe necessity of Europe . The art of scientific production is progressing with a fearful rapidity , fearful , because no means are adopted to secure to the labourer his share of the benefits derivable from this irresistible agency . That these altered conditions of production will necessitate and eventuate a change in our social , industrial , and political arrangements , no sane man can , we think , question , because it never can be , that twothirds of the civilised inhabitants of the globe can be maintained asserfs or paupers for tbe sole advantage of the other third , ihe amount of suffering which may intervene during the progress of the . change will very materally depend upon the stale of preparedness now evinced by the Trades of

      Tho position taken by the Amalgamated Trades , identi- - SiSJi KJS r " a . ?? ated b n « e Committee of the ! once taken . by all organised bodies . They should form ai general defensive federation . v ^ lZfnd'i ? ? V ^ intere ! tB of al 1 fcrade s «« identical .. IlS ! i W IS a 8 mm £ t 0 the intere 8 t of th « skilledi mechanic that the wa ^ es of the Hammerman should boa protected as his own . When we see machinery so rapidlyy invading the hitherto supposed exclusive domain ofthee skilled artizan and mechanic , it appears to us a weakness to cherish or contend for any artificial superi-iority . Even the distinction between skilled » n 4 d

      win « irf ? ° ?„ api < dly weavin * ™ y- Al 1 tbabb will be left to any of us presentl y will be ounr common manhood and a common necessity for exist * ence ; and the only question which reaM y concerns us mt rational beings , is whether that existence is t ? £ wfi oitheS SrSL * " ? P ^ tcot each indivSS of the great family from undeserved and unprovoked op-ppression , or whether we are to surrender © unifies alii all that can sweeten and add comfort to our hard lot " to 5 insatiable avarice of those with whom accident and ou u own ignorance , has placed our destinies

      ™ , Principles which wo have always advovo . cated , and to the last , shall continue to advocate . Collecec lively and unitedly , m prison or out of prison , our stereos typed cry has been , and is , » National Organisation-thehe obly effective remedy for National Grievances ; " and ai ai surely as the continual dripping from the spring will eaea its way into the hardest rock , so we must ultimately sucuc fair trial | Dg r our P 1 '" 10 ^ the comon justice of if i It is for the princi ple only that we contend . WWcare not a brass button who is to be entrusted witfit . the honourableprivilege of carrying it out . But in the namim ofcommousen 8 e le us not continue to fritter away ouou ? nZn ? it ?« engt S V S 0 Hed and Piecemeal eff < * taf ^ concentrate our aU of means , perseverance , and ener / m ?" in one noble effort to ennoble our order . """ SIS ..

      The Central Committee of the National Association op United Trades . 09 , Tottenham-court road . THE GUN LOCK FORGERS AND FILERS 0 0

      DARLASTON AND WEDNESBTJRY . A correspondent informs us that in consequence of lo'loi wages , and short time , a man working fourteen hours p « p << day cannot earn more than 12 s . per week . There are b > b tween 500 and 600 men in this branch , 120 of whom at a : i fully employed by government , tbe others remaining nearear i idle . Competition has been the ruin of this , as well as otlwtau trades . The government requires tenders for their orderderr which are rendered so low by unthinking men , that th ( th ( ( cannot allow their workmen a fair remuneration for thethee labour . We understand that in consequence of this state He 11 things , the men contemplate a strike for an advance ce « prices .

      The Amalgamated Societf Of Engineersrsj ...

      THE AMALGAMATED SOCIETf OF ENGINEERSRSJ On Saturday night , in accordance with the notice givg ' mt to that effect a week ago , the principal engineering firrfim of the metropolis discharged their hands and closed th < th « works , but several of the minor firms changed their intenteB tions , as avowed , at the eleventh hour , and intimated ed their men that they might return to their work , as usuusum on Monday morning . The names of the firms referred red ! havo not all been publicly given , but it is positively knosnow that Mr . Horn , machinist , High-street , Whitechapel , wi , w » was among the foremost to give notice of clearing , w , Saturday night acquiesced unreservedlv in the proposftioiticc of the Amalgamated Society , so as to become fully recirecw died with his men . His establishment will therefore ire mam open , as no doubt will many others under similar < ar « cumstances , la Manchester the closure of shops will , after alUbe obe oo partial , as many of the masters withdrew their notioeitioeisi

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Jan. 17, 1852, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_17011852/page/4/