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    COLLISIONS AT SEA : THE BRCOLAW . One of those events which , -when adequately recounted , make so deep an impression , occurred off the coast of Italy , last week ; and one not adequately accounted in tho Channel this Week—a collision , at sea ending with the sinking of a ship and the loss ^ pf lives * The steamer , ErcoTano , wlien -off the coast between Dice and the Antilles , , was struck by the steamer Sicilia , and went down ^ causing the loss of forty-eight lives . As the incident is narrated by two of the survivors , we know sojrae of the partiQD > laxs , Mr . Charles Sansbm , a passenger , had supped with Sir Boiert Peel . About midnight he left hia

    friend and went on deck to smoke ; a cigar . To bis surprise ,. there was not one of the crew on deck except the man at the helm . He observed lights ; in the distance , makipg for the ship , and mentioiied'the fact , but the helmsman took no freed . A few moments after there was- a shock , the masts of the JErcolano fell , the Vessel went down by the Bfeina , a scene of horrible confusion followed , Mr . Sanspn i jumped into a boat with two sailors , cries of agony rang around from out the rolling waves , ancL the ship had disappeared . Here is an account of the scene by M . Claris , one of the passengers : — .. ; .: ¦

    < ' We left Genoa on the 24 th , at twenty minutes to three o'clock ; the weather was moderate , and the sea became calmer as we quitted the Gulf . At ten minutes before midnight we were struck by the steamer Sicilia on the larboard side , between the paddle-box and the stern . The blow came with such force that the Ercolano was nearly cat in two ; the water entered in torrents , the fires of the enghtas were instantly extinguished , and the vessel enveloped in steam ,. All this was the work of a few seconds . At that / awful moment I was smoking a cigar below . 1 rushed on the deck , and saw the vessel rapidly going down ty the stern . To describe the scene that then followed is impossible ; women and children screaming—fathers seeking their childrenhusbands making desperate efforts to gave their wiv « S . Ob 1 I never shall forget the awful heartbreaking scones I witnessed . The -water gained and gained upon us , and at last we till went down . Fortunately I am a good swimmer , and

    after keeping myself above water for ten minutes , 1 got hold of a plank , part of the paddle-box , and ultimately was taken on board the Sicilia , but not before-1 had been upwards of an hour in the most perilous of positions . " Sir Robert Peel was saved owing to his bravery and sang-froid . The instant the accident happened he rushed to the forecastle , stripped ltimself , thTew himself into the sea , and swain until taken up by a boat from tho Sicilia . Whilst swimming I saw some females rise to the surface of the water and . then sink . Ono of them , before going down , cried out , * Charles , Charles , my dearest Charles , save me I * This was twice or thrice repeated , and the unhappy being was launched into eternity . " An English gentleman of the name of Knight made tho most supreme efforts to save his family , but without success ; and his wife , three young children , and their servant perished in liis very sight . Mr . Knigjit , I am told , was himself badly wounded , out succeeded in escaping a watery

    grave " I declare most solemnly , and in tlio presence of that God whom 1 implored when I thought my earthly career terminated , that the horrible misfortune which has plunged so many families into mourning , is owing to the criminal negligeoco of tho two captains , neither of them being on deck at the moment of the accident ; all tho officers were below , aud the JErcolano was loft to tho care of the steersman only . I further declare , that if tho usual precaution had been tnkon , a simple look-out , the accident would not have happened ; both vessels having their signal-lanterns alight , the sea was not running high , and the night was clear and starlight . As I said before , the ship was struck at ton minutes before midnight , and at six minutes before midnight she sunk , and nil was tiniahed !

    " It is a fact , which I ntuto with regret , that the boats of tho Sicilia were not lowered , until aft cr the Ercolcuno had gone down . Had the crow or the Sicidia been more prompt , many lives might have been saved . The Sicilia remained on tne spot jibout an hour and a half . She ought , in my opinion , not to have left before daybreak . The captain of tho J ' Jivolano , his son , and his officers , were all sieved ; the passengers drowned .

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    ration of castes , and great inequality of condition , must give way before the increased enlightenment of the -people , for they will insist upon a more equal and just division of the joint produce . Capital hitherto has had unjust advantages over labour , and" tne workman has not been properly paid . ' A fair day ' s wage for a fair day ' s work , ' is the demand of the operative . Such a demand is all nonsense , sajs the political economist;—what the workman will receive for nis day's work mast depend upon the law of supply and demand . If there are too many labourers for the work to be done , wages must fall , say they ; if too few , wages most rise—if labour is plentiful , it , like all other things , will be cheap ; if scarce , dear . Very true ; but who or what is to determine wtether there are too few or too many workmen—whether labour is plentiful or scarce ? A strike is simply a

    out , which will in all likelihood produce a reaction favourable to the cause at present partiall y prostrated . The inost pleasing feature in our estimate or tne weavers' proewclings at the present moment is , that they are making every arrangement for the organisation of a proper and effective union , that wQL henceforth prove effective under similar circumstances , lite unto those under which they Lave been so recently placed ; one of tee principal features of which will be the establishment of co-operation in the establishment of workshops for self-employment . " The Amalgamated Committee includes in its accounts 372 , received from the United States by favour of Reynolds ? s Newspaper , and this is stated to l > e " the first instalment of a continued support , " Imt by what body in the United States this money is subscribed does not appear .

    All things considered , I do not think that the spinners will persevere in their present resolution to continue the contest . A consciousness of their power to do so may , perhaps , be very gratifying to their self-pride ; bat I do not doubt that on a calmer consideration of the present state of trade , and , above all , the knowledge that they , and they only , are the means of keeping some thousands of starving cardroom hands out of work , will have the effect of bringing about a more pacific state of things . Generally speaking the resumption of work has passed off on both sides with perfect good humour , and ( highly to the credit of the employers be it said ) in . some cases the operatives have been received with cordiality . In some cases a joke on both sides concluded the business ; in others , money was given to celebrate the return to work with a little

    merry-making . I understand that some of the employers have discharged a few of the raw and inexperienced hands who have lately been pressed into their service * in order to make room for the return of the old ones . One master , on receiving his old weavers , said : ¦ " Well , so you ' re back again , eh ! " "Aye , measter ; but it's only for a bit . " " I think " ( said lie , very justly ) " it'll be for a long bit . " So far as I have been able to ascertain , fewer ebullitions of feeling have been exhibited by the old hands against the " knobsticks " than might have been anticipated . One case , which has come " to my hearing , stands , I should hope , alone . When the old hands had turned

    la they were requested to sign their names in a book , which was stated to contain nothing more than an agreement to give a fortnight ' s notice before quitting . When this was done , the manager informed them that they had signed cm agreement not to support the Union ,- whereupon the hands indignantly declared that they would turn out again and support any consequences rather than be victimised by such a fraud . If this be true , it certainly was a most scandalous and contemptible stratagem . Although still in a most deplorable state as to

    finances , the card-room hands have also resolved to continue the struggle , living on the poor pittance of a shilling- a head , and such alms as they can get by promiscuous begging , they continue to make the most earnest appeals to their fellows . " We feel confident ( aay they ) when you take our lamentable situation into your consideration , that you will not desert us now after the spirit -we have displayed during the last thirty-six weeks . " In spite , however , of these confident professions , I am inclined to believe that the strike of the card-room hands is

    entirely dependent upon that of the spinners , and vill terminate directly that important body resumes work , until which time their services are altogether useless , and , indeed , cannot be accepted by the employers . Matters at Stockport hasten to their conclusion : the spinners only are opposed to a settlement . The reduction at Blackburn is yet uncertain , but the weavers there , at a meeting held last Tuesday , resolved upon a levy of 3 d . per loom in support of Preston . The following article we copy from the Coventry Herald . It is no breach of confidence to say that we trace the hand of a manufacturer in that town , practised in the masterly treatment of philosophical aud economical subjects : —

    " In thirty years' time , perhaps , freedom of trade , and the material aud mechanical agencies now at work , will have made the monstrous absurdity of war so evident to all , that it will have become an impossibility . Whatever may be the interest of kings and dynasties , the true interest of nations is not conquest , but the development of their own internal resources . We may still have to fight for nationalities and freedom , against dynasties and absolutism , but when these are established , a people would not throw away its wealth in war . But when kings have done fighting for power and aggrandisement , and family interest , is tlicro no other battle to be fought ? Yes , tho people have their own battle to 5 gbt . Hitherto , they have only been ' villuins , ' serfs bondamen , the ' common sort , ' tho beasts of burdun of the rich , the ' hands' of the ' capitalist and millionaire , ' or

    The tools , Tho broken tools , that tyrants cast away l * y myriads , when they daro to pavo their way With liuman hearts—to what ?— -u dream alone . ' Whoever reads the ago aright , must see that its march is towards domocracy and tho much-dreaded Socialism . Democracy , with its motto , ' the people , tho legitimate sourco of all power ;'—Socialism , or universal brotherhood , with its war upon exclusive nni unjunt privilege , however , or upon whatever plea , acquired . The present anti Christian

    sepaor in any place where the 500 hands vere all that OttM ,. b « procured , the master capitalist might not only be / dlSS « to adimttheperfect justice of t ]^ division , * & wSBS make so goof a bargain for -himself . The worlq > e # D&Sf S l ? £ 'Ki by + 1 ombinatio 11 amon 8 tbeinselvepJBIi perhaps be able to place a capitalist in that position tbjiitTnV could get no bands who would work withoutTshareWiili p i T » J xu M wa e '» *» t if this were possible , what would be thej consequence ? Why , unless their Isombination extended to the whole world , as well as to this country , the capitalist would , in" all probability , be able to find workmen elsewhere , in some other country , who would work f « r wages alone ; and lie would taka himmtf

    and Jus capital off to that country , and leave the 'hands ' bere to starve . It is time that capitalists began to look this question fairly and boldly in tne face the demand for a more equal share of the joint produce is a just one on the put of the workman , and although in the present relation between capital and labour , to insist upon sharing profits would undoubtedly be his ruin , yet , in one form or other , thot demand will continue to be made , till circumstances shall at length make . it impossible to refuse it . The labour-battle has to be fought ; much is to be feared from the ignorance ana prejudice of the workmen , but let the master be prepared tip act his part wisely . He has beaten the workmen now , for tley were wrong in demanding an increase of wages in a falling market , and their rju . nds fading they-have again been starved into submission ; but the tune is at hand when it will probably be his turn to lie beaten . **

    difference of opinion between master and men upon this very point , and a stoppage of work till they can agree . The master has hitherto had the strongest of arguments on bis side—viz ., ' Yon men shall starve if you do not agree with me . ' In the contests of labour With capital , the capitalist has always something to fall back upon ; the labourer , ordinarily , must agree to terms , or starve . This is an unequal contest , and when urged against single men , or the . operatives of some particular district , it has always been * successful . In disputes about wages , or the true value of labour , the workmen ought to be put upon an equality with the masters , and this can only be effected by their having a fand j like them , to fall back upon while any dispute or strike is going on . This the men nave discovered , and propose to

    raise a fund for the purpose , by a combination of all workmen throughout the kingdom ; those in work to subscribe a small sum weekly towards the maintenance of others out of work in consequence of such dispute . This is but fair ; the only fear is , lest this power should be misused by ignorant workmen becoming the tools of interested and designing men . This labour-battle has lasted at Preston for seven-andthirty weeks , and several hundred thousand pounds have been wasted in the strife ; and all because the principle has not been properly admitted that the rate of wage * ought to be a fair bargain between master and man . Wlether the masters can or cannot afford the 10 per cent ., or whether they ought to pay it , bas never been properly argued . We r « ii 3 t not be beaten , say the masters ,: —if we are , the

    workmen will soon abnse their powers and our capital , or , at least , our profits will never be safe . We must not give in , say the workmen , for our demand of the 10 per cent , is a just demand , or , at least , no effort has yet been made to show us that it is not . Originally , that is , at the commencement of the dispute , we think the men were wrong , as they very frequently are in such cases . latterly , however , we think the masters wrong . The men expressed their willingness to submit their case to arbitration , or to take the average wages of the cotton district : both these offers were refused by the masters , who would be satisfied with , nothing but the unqualified submission of the men . They were fighting , they said , for the mastership of tbeir own mills . This time last year the country was in a very different

    condition to what it is at present . Plentiful harvests , free trade , increased trade , emigration , had made labour scarce , and there was a general rise of wages throughout the country in consequence ; and had the Preston operatives demanded their 10 per cent , at that time , they probably would have got it ; without a turn-out , but they waited till the time was past in which the masters could afford to pay it . They waited till the increased price of provisions , consequent on scarcity here and abroad , had made trade bad . So much more was paid for provisions that all manufactures were less wanted , and labour was in proportionately less demand . The operatives had not sense to see this , and their contest , and all the trying sacrifices they have made , have consequently all been made in vain . We think this contest need not it iiaa Biiown

    nave oeen so proiongeu a proper spine ueen by the masters . It has been a fight , on their part , entirely for mastery . We are not aware that they have ever cond « scended to reason with the men , and to show why they refused tbeir demands ; they have never yet fully admitted flat tho rate of wages - must bo a fair bargain between master and men . The masters object to combination among the men ; but such a combination is the only thing that puts the workmen in a condition to make a fuir bargain . So long as the master can say to his workmen , Take what I offer , or starve , ' the bargain is very likely to be made slightly in his own favour . But the workman no sooner begins to feel the increased power that combination gives him , than he talks of Labour Parliaments , and of sharing the profits as well as being paid his wages . This ,

    to all masters at present , is rank Socialism , a thing hitherto unheard of , and to be resisted at nil costs . Tlie present arrangement , with respect to wages , lias existed so long , that it is thought to be a natural law , and society it iajsupr posed could not exist without it . But if work wero . 'plentiful enough , and labour scarce enough for the workmen to insist upon sharing the profits , there is nothing unjust in itself in tho demand ; it is only uncustomary becauso labour has hithertabcen in such excess , that capital has had it all its own way and mad « its own terms . I n a live or working factory , tho capital may be said to represent the blood , tho master the head , and the workmen the body and hands , and all parta are equally necessary to tho officiwntworking . Suppose them all met for the first time—500 men and a capitalist—to decide the terms upon -which they should work together .

    If tho men , Leing tho majority , were to say , wo will allow you 5 per cent , for your capital , and 300 / . a-year for your head work , in superintendence , and you shall pay us 15 s . per week , lor our less difficult hand work , and then at tho end of the year , alter a fund has been reserved tor futuro contingont losses , whatover profit shall result from our joint produce shall bo divided equally between us , wo ennnot seo that there would bo anything unjust in the proposition . It might , however , bo unreasonable ; for tli / o musty would sny , there aro plenty of workpeop le benides yourself who at present aro not receiving los . per week , and they will doubtless l > o willing to work for wages alono , without sharing tho profits after wards , therefore I must decline your services . If , ho > vevcr , this factory requijtfd to bo established in Australia at tho present time , or in California , or in the back wo > daof Amcricu ,

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    May 6 , 18 S 4 . J THE LEADER . 4 dfc ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ £ - %£$ ¦ & $ :. *; .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 6, 1854, page 417, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2037/page/9/