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Leader (1850-1860), 1st October 1853, Edition 1 of 2, Page 946, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      means of instruction are afforded them , in the shape of schools , a chaplain , and a well-choson library . It may be supposed , however , that the labour to which they have been put for twelve hours does not leave much mental energy for following intellectual pursuits . The food which they receiye is on a low scale ; their breakfast consists of Btirabout and milk ; itheir'dinrier also chiefly consists of liquids , on Sundays alone are they allowed to partake of a small morsel of animal food . It is ( says the correspondent of the Morning Chronicle ) the practice at Portland and other places where convicts are employed in England , that an account is taken of the actual value of their labour ,

      and that , after deducting the expense of their own maintenance , a small percentage is set apart for the convict , to be given to him when his pex-iod of servitude is expired , and he leaves the prison . "Whether this be the case in England or not , there is no provision in the Act of Parliament for allowing any sum to the Irish convicts . They are , in the strictest sense of the word , slaves—with no will of their own—with no power to change their employment , and with no interest in the produce of their labour . They are reduced to that degrading condition by their own crime , it is true : and it would not be well for society if they

      were not made to feel the full force both of the pam and the degradation of their condition ; but still it may be a question whether it would not be desirable to allow them a small portion of their own earnings , to he given to them in an accumulated form when they leave the prison . The knowledge that such a sum was accumulating for them , would prove one drop of sweetness—there are not many more—in the bitter cup they are called to drain , and the possession of it , when they step out of their prison into society again , would place them above the temptation of having immediate recourse to their old practices from sheer despair of any other mode of gaining their next meal .

      Untitled Article

      THE WORKING CLASSES . No improvement has taken place in the nspect of the quarrel at Preston ; 2000 hands are stiil on strike , nnd serious as this state of things may be , it is probably but a foretaste of what is coming , for it is expected soon that the employers intend , in their turn , to take aggressive measures , nnd to turn off all hands and cease all work , till labour can be obtained on reasonable terms . On the other hand , an immense co-operation of the operatives seems to be organising in the neighbouring towns . At a monster meeting hold at Preston , on Saturday , one of the speakers , stating the result of a tour of sympathy ho had made , congratulated his hearers upon the fact , that the various districts he had visited had promised double or treble the " amount they had yet contributed , if it should be required : —

      < c He had addressed one of the largest meetings ever hsld in Staleybridge , and they pledged themselves , unconditionally , to support Preston , until this question was settled . Oldham gave a similar pledge , intimating that they would remain at work for the sake of Preston , although they had not yet got their own wages advanced . Ashton and other towns expressed a like determination . Judging from the spirit evinced throughout the various districts , he thought that , from 2000 / . to 30002 . ' a week could be obtained , if needed , to support the operatives of Pres . ton . " Under these encouragements , the following resolution was proposed , seconded , and carried by universal acclamation at this meeting : —

      " That wo , the power-loom weavers of Preston , do hereby pledgo ourselves never to resume labour until our employers comply with our just demands . " At Bury , our largo mill , employing six or seven hundred hands , has been entirely brought to a standstill by a strike of the spinners for twopence extra per thousand hanks . No similar demand hns been mado in the other firms of the town . At Manchester , after a twelve week ' s turn-out , neither innstors nor workmen show nny palpable signs of yielding . New hands nre coming in , but very slowly . Other strikes have taken place nmoiigst tho tin-pinteworkcrs at Birmingham , the colliers at Burslom , Staffordshire , and the reclern and spinners at Wignn . Tho police of Birmingham have also resolved , at a public meeting , to strike on Friday , if their demand of an advance of 2 a . a-week bo

      not complied with . Tho strike of the journeymen shoemakers at Plymouth and Dovonport ban terminated by a goneral compliance of the masters with the demands of the mon . An immense demonstration of colliers and sailors took place at Shields on Monday . These two clauses of men aro co-operating with each other to raise the rate of their respective wages , the colliers refusing to procure , and the sailors to convey , eoaln , till their demnnds nre complied with . Nonr 3000 persons paraded the ntroets of Shields on the day in qucMtion . A still more numerous meeting was held in the afternoon , on the soa-flhoro , at which tho terms to bo insisted on for manning colliers were determined on , and several minors and sailors addressed the concourse , urging tho necessity of fraternisation between the two clnaaca . j

      Untitled Article

      A WIFE . The following story is not singular . Daily lessons teach us that it is but one case out of many . _ A Custom-house officer , named Mears ,,, doing duty in the London Dock , on Wednesday night saw a woman on . the swivel-bridge , leaning over the rails , with her head resting on her hand , and looking towards the water . She ^ was crying , and appeared to be in great trouble . The officer , suspecting her intention , asked her what she was doing there ; but she refused to satisfy him , or give any account of herself . She then moved awayand about ten minutes afterwards

      re-, turned to the same spot , and resumed her former attitude . The Custom-house officer called the attention of a policeconstable to the woman , and he spoke to her . She went away , bnt soon returned again , and was in the act of getting over * the rails of the bridge into the entrance-lock , which is there 24 or 26 feet in depth , when a boy seized her dress , and held her suspended over the water until assistance was procured . If the woman had got in the water , as she was nearly doing , 100 men could not hare got her out alive . When brought up before the magistrate , had to

      Mr . Jnghnm asked the woman what account she give of herself ? _ . . Woman ( abstractedly , and with a vacant stare)—What is it , sir ? What is it ? Mr . Ingham—What have you to say for yourself ? The -woman ( suddenly recollecting herself )—Last night , sir , I was at home with my four little children , with no food . I went out , scarcely knowing what I did ; but I had no intention to throw myself over the bridge . ( Here she sobbed loudly . ) Mr . Tngham said he would remand the prisoner to the House of Detention for a week , and she would be properly taken care of . Inquiries must be made concerning her , and her means of obtaining a living . The prisoner—What is to become of my poor children ? Mr ; Ingham—I will issue orders for them to be properly taken care of in the workhouse .

      The prisoner implored of the magistrate not to send her to prison , and said she never had a key turned on her before . The mother of the prisoner here stepped forward , and said she lived in the same house with h « r daughter , who struggled hard to maintain four young children , and had a very bad father to them , 'tier daughter ' s husband was a very drunken , brutal man , who had been in the practice of beating his wife . Mr . fngham—Then why did she not come here to complain of her husband ? The doors of this court are always open to receive complaints from women who ~ are maltreated by their husbands . The Mother—I don ' t know , sir ; but , indeed , I enn assure von , rav daughter works verv hard .

      Mr . Ingham—I think the best course will be to send her to prison for a week , and she will have time to reflect ; and let the parish oflicirs take caro of the children , and leed them . The Mother—She hns n shop of work ( slop-work , ) and will lose it if she is sent to prison ; she works curly unl late . Mr . Ingham—Has she had relief from the parish ? The Mother—Once only . Mr . Ingham—Has her husband struck her lately ? Tho Mother—Not within the last fortnight . Mr . Iiighnm—If he strikes her again , come here for n warrant . If you will take charge of her , and protect her , I will let her go . Tho Mother—I will , sir . Mr . Ingham— -Then take her nwny with you . The poor mid apparently heiiit-bioken woman left tho dock , crying loudly .

      Untitled Article

      GEEAT FIRE . —DESTKUCTION OF A PRINTING OFFICE . On Friday morning , about half-past four o ' clock , a most Borious fire took placo on tho prcmisos of Mchhi-s . Savill and Edwards , printers , Chandos-atrcct , Strand . Tho firo broke out in a room on tho second floor , and raged unnoticed for somo time . Somo mon wore at tho machine in tho floor beneath , and the iioino of tho working precluded thorn from hearing tho ninh of tho flamon . Tho neighbour * hood wns noon arouBo'dby tho terrific spreading of tho flames , and ton engines wore quickly on tho npot . Tho flro chiefly mado inogroHS in tho compositors' rooniH ; tho molted load of tho typed poured together in ono innsn of intoiiHoly-hoatorl liquid , and tho difficulties of putting down tho firo Hcomod

      almost insurmountable . A party-wall divided tho front warehouse from tho roomo whoro tho typo , canon , and inncliinoH ntnod—nnd by tho oxortionu of tho engines tho flro wan Btoppoel , ho that tho wavehouno remains uninjured . Hut tho machinery , proHHCH , and back compoHing-rooniH wore entirely destroyed , and wivoral hIiojih and houHen in ChandoH-wtreot wore injured . Tho extent of tho Iohh In ontlmntod m high nn £ 20 , 000 . Tho matter intended for tho forthcoming number of tho leader , tho Literary Gazette , tho Lancet , and ofchor paporti printed in tho oflico wn « entirely doHtroyod ; and 200 mon have been thrown out of employment . 11 in Homowhat condolatory to , note that Mohnhi , Havill and Edwards woro innurcd , and that no Iohh of lif 0 or Horiouii bodily hurt , wan rocoivod by nny person .

      Untitled Article

      COLE v . WOOD . " The roprwhipf Of that flection of Oxford-stroofc lying between CharloH-nti'flot , Hoho-Hquaro and Tottonham-couvt-road , ban boon complotort , and wan oponod on Monday lant for traffic Tho workn in progrosH at tho uppor portion of tho dtroofc , boyond llogont-utroot , aro proceeding , and tho wood-paving hi \ H already boon roplacod by granite blocks , an far an II » inover-gatcH ; and tho remaining portion of tho ntroot , an fur a n Jlond-utroot , lian boon clonort for tho ( Mine purpotio . II , i « mtondoil to replace the woodh yttw Hulmtitution of waul to blocks boLwoon tho points mentioned , nnd when it ; i » complctod , tho whole of Oxford-otroot , from ono ond to tho

      other , will be entirely paved with stone of a substantial and durable character , instead of tho former Macadamised and wood' paving . " Such is the paragraph which has appeared in some of our contemporaries , and we have reason to know , from one of our cfwn correspondents , that the information is correct Upon this we have to remark , that two years ago ( 19 th April * 1851 , ) we took occasion to support Mr . Cole in his endeavours to get rid of the wood-paving , He was the only person we know of who took upon himself trouble and expense in support of that object , and we believe we were in advance in the same cause . It shows that both Mr . Cole and ¦ we were right , and that the substitution of stone for wood , is an acknowledment in our favour .

      The experiment of paving our streets with wood was pro . bably well-intentioned , but certainly it was ill-advieed . It cannot bear the traffic of the metropolis , nor the humidi ty of the climate ; and was a considerable source of loss to those who had the misfortune to traverse its slippery surface . There is a piece remaining in that terrene isthmus , known as Middle-row , Holborn , in which , upon an average , there are ten downfalls every wet day . But it is understood , and we trust faithfully , that the tune is not far distant when the whole of the wood pavement , as the contracts run out , will disappear , and a verdict entered for the complainant in the heavy cause of Cole v . Wood .

      Untitled Article

      CRIMINAL RECORD . The inquiry into the circumstances which occasioned the late fall of a house in the Strand , was resumed on Monday ; The report of the surveyors was presented , in which they say : — " With reference to the question , ' Whether any means might have been resorted to which would have had the effect of preventing the falling of the house in question V we are of opinion that , provided the floors of No . 184 had been shored up on the weet side of the party wall , to take off the

      downward pressure , and provided also additional shores had been placed under those fixed in the east side to secure the ground and basement walls of the east party wall from pressing out , and that the wall had been underpinned to the depth of footings of the intended new building , tho accident would not have happened . " After the conclusion of lengthened additional evidence , the jury retired , and returned , after an hour , with the following important verdict : —

      " We find unanimously that Robert Thompson , Sarah Thompson , George Dunn , and Georgo Rowe , came to their respective deaths by tho falling of tho house , 181 , Strand , and that tho falling of such house , is to bo attributed to tho gross negligence of Henry Robert Abraham , the surveyor to tho Duko of Norfolk and to Messrs . Smith , in not causing the party wall to bo sufficiently shored up and underpinned beforo tho excavations for tho new buildings were comnionced . "

      Tho coroner intimated that this involved a verdict of manslaughter against Mr . Abraham , and somo confusion ensued , tho jury saying that they wore anxious that tho vordict should not amount to manslaughter against tho surveyor , but that at tho same time they did not wish to have the vordict altorod . Tho jury retired a socond time , and on their return tho foreman said : — " Wo all feel that there has boon gross noglgonco , wo cannot rotract it , although wo did not intend to imputo man-Hlaughtor to Mr . Abraham . " Tho coronor ropliod , " Thon . that amounts to a vordict of

      manslaughter againnt Mr . HonryRobort Abraham . " Tho witnesses and police woro , therefore , bound over to proaoouto at tho next seemon of tho Central Criminal Court , and tho coronor JHHiiod his warrant for tho apprehension of Abraham . Goorgo Tytion , tho conductor of a Cholooa omnibus , wafl charged fit Westminster , on Saturday , with behaving m ft

      Hcaiulaloun manner to n lady passenger . When tho lady go out of tho omnibuH , having paid hor faro , 3 d . extra wn « demanded by tho conductor for a bag Hho had with hor , am when fiho romoiiHtmtod , tho demand wan repeated In a ru < o and offonHivo manner . When ftt lant tho conductor )»«<

      bullied tho lady to givo him 2 . 1 ., ho kicked tho baskot into tho tWt , and , applying to tho lady a diHgu « th » J ? opi » «^ qualinod by an equally diHgunting adjective , Htar tod ^ omnibus and left hor . Tho wifo of tho primmer hlU * J ^™ called upon tho lady , and endeavoured to mako tho ma ^ up . Defendant , however , " was not tho man ; tho lady m . ^ bo under a mistake . " Tho mngintrato committed h m

      hard labour for a month , and rovokod hlB liconBO . A ontio wan tried at tho Hammersmith Court on th ° " ^ day , which oxompllfloH 1 » a way which In likoly to lw J" ^ to everybody , the provisions of tho now net on the co ^ Dr . William Wood wnu charged by au oinnibua con

      Untitled Article

      U 6 T H E L EAD E B . [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 1, 1853, page 946, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2006/page/10/