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Northern Star (1837-1852), 29th November 1851, Edition 2 of 2, Page 5, NATIONAL LOAN SOCIETY. This body continu...

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      The Trades Of England. Ti1e Tin-Plate Wo...

      S ^ MN T . AM 05 G THBI « L ^ 2 OH WgAt WAGES THEY WOULD u ^ Jl OR ~~ jfHAT TERMS THEY WOULD REQUIRE FOR THEIR WORK . AND THEY WERE SOT % n BE RESTRICTED FROM SO DOING UERELY BECAUSE MANY OF THE WORKSrv WERE JU THE EMPLOYMENT OF ONE PERSON , AND , PERHAPS . OTHERS IN TUB SffLOYJJEST OF OTHERS . * W ^ — ' —i > c « avI

      It will be observed that this extract from the judgment differs sli ghtly from tbe various versions in the newspapers : oars , however , i 8 fold the short-hand writer ' s notes . By this decision the law has been more authoritatively declared than at any former period , and the substantial victory rests with the working classes . ] £ ot without drawbacks . The manner in which Lord Campbell played into the hands of the prosecution , for the purpose of enabling it to wreak its revenge upon some of the obje cts of its hatred , excited feelings the

      reverse of admiration or respect . The pretences , and the exceedingl y defective evidence , upon which Mr . Peel was convicted , were so obvious at Stafford to Justice Ekle , that in his charge he distinctly alluded to it ,, and separated Mr . Peel ' s case from the others , as one in which , if any offence had been committed , it was solely under the persuasion counts , the validity of which have been destroyed b y the decision on Monday , "We shall have move to say on this subject ; meantime , wc record our own deep conviction , that gross injustice las been done to JJIr . Peel , and also to his

      colleague , Mr . Green , by classing them , as far as sentence is concerned , with defendants against whom actions , which , however justifiable , yet opposed to tbe strict letter of the law , were proved . Had they been sentenced at Stafford , no such injustice would have been done . Both of them Lave nobl y discharged their duty in the trying and arduous situation in which they were placed , and we have no doubt the esteem and gratitude of thousands of their fellow workmen follow them to their prison cell their release from which ought to be the signal for a manifestation of the popular feeling of the trades on the subject .

      Have To Bo E This Subject Not In Future ...

      November 29 , 1851 . THE NORTHERN STAR , 5 i i _ tl j ' *~ - * - —— --- - ¦ - **¦ r TT ~ i 7 " . " ~~~ _ *! _ in" ¦ !¦¦

      The Factory Operatives And Their Noble -...

      THE FACTORY OPERATIVES AND THEIR NOBLE - BROTHER . ' Lord Shaftesbdhy appears to think that his compromise Short Time Act has had a fair trial , and he has made a pilgrimage into the manufacturing districts to see how it works , and to have a talk with the operatives , to ¦ whom he was so well known as Lord Ashley . According to the . addresses presented to him at various meetings , and his replies , the measure appears to have been satisfactory as far as it has gone , and wherever it has been honestly carried out . The defects incidentally alladed to as still existing , only prove that the compromise ought never to have been made , and that Lord Ashley should have

      defended , in all its integrity , the act introduced hy the late John Fieldex , supported by the Premier , and agreed to hy the Legislature . We learn , however , that even the modified law is still set at defiance , hy a small minorit y of mill-owners j and Lord Shaftesbury threatens that he will again apply to Parliament to complete its work , and compel these refractory Mammonites to obey . But if they are acting illegally , why not enforce the penalties already provided 1 The law ought to he no respecter of persons , and even Manchester factory lords should he made to feel tbat in this country it is supreme .

      The topics selected b y his lordship for his speeches to the mill-hands ' are very characteristic of the man , and accompanied , as he is , hy Mr . Chadwick , of sanitary notoriety , seem to point to ulterior and unavowed objects . The Board of Health has not hitherto been peculiarl y . happy in its practical operations , and iu "view of the coming discussions on tho question , it may not be amiss to manufacture a little political capital , and an appearance of p rovincial sympathy . Accordingly , the importance of thorough drainage and sewage , of clean homes , order ,

      and industry , were" inculcated iu a . condescending sort of style , b y his lordship , somewhat out of keeping with the very commonplace character of the topics . But -while indulging largely in these platitudes , it has been remarked that he gave no indication of understanding the operatives , or sympathizing-with them upon matters with respect to which they feel deeply and strongly , and to which they devote themselves with that spontaneous zea and earnestness , which arises from a deep personal conviction of their importance . While listening to his lordship ' s patronising ,

      well-meant , hut rather prosy advice , it must have occurred to theclear-headed , shrewdmen of Lancashire , that he had not a word to say respecting the co-operative movement , in which so many of them are interested . If ever there was one which , more than another , deserved the cordial sympathy , encouragement , and support of a man in Lord Shaftesbury ' s eminent position , it is that . The orderly , prudent , and frugal habits he inculcates as the professed friend of the operative classes ,

      finds in the co-operative movement a natural and an adequate field of exertion ; and suffering , as these societies do , from the obstructions placed in their way hy the present law of partnership , it mig ht have been expected that so philanthropic a nobleman would have turned his attention to that subject , and pledged himself to support such alterations as would enable these societies to conduct their business upon a secure tenure , and under the protection o £ the law . his lordshieither

      Apparently , however , p does not comprehend , or does not sympathise with , the manly and self-dependent efforts of the working classes to improve their own condition through the medium of social and political measures . He would like them to bo treated as very good children , and to ' behave themselves as sitcli' under the patronising surveillance of their ' superiors . ' AH this is very amiable aud very weII-intentioned , _ but his lordship deceives himself if he thinks it is practicable . The suffrage , and the means by

      which the industrial millions may . improve their social position , are the great questions which have taken possession of their minds . Iq some way or other , they will work out the important problem they have in hand ; and while they will listen respectfully to any one who like Lord Shaftesbury really wishes them well , they will not be turned back from the object they are in pursuit of . It is not often we find ourselves agreeing with the * Daily 2 fews' on these subjects , but here is paragrap h or two worth quoting : —

      Lord Shaftesbury w a po \\ tic \ im , . xpu \>\ ic personage , an hereditary legislator ; a man who , in these qualities and characters bas devoted himself to the study and care of the operative classes , who boasts -that he knows them ; who states that whilst continental Europe was in a blaze he had no fear of tbem , who tells them that he loves and respects them , and who atks in return their confidence . Now , such a person , so situated , oug ht io have some " opinioa ou the great question of extending the political suffrage to this class ; and , having -an opinion thereon , he might sorely , when again , after an Interval of years , addressing his Manchester "brethren , " have told them what it was . Silent on the point , the inference is , that Lord Shaftesbury tuinfea water-works , good drainage ,

      and earthenware pipeage , constant supplies of water , and the abolition of cisterns and ball-cocks Offer greater moment than the suffrage . If Lord Shaftesbury thinks so , his andience , and the great mass of Manchester operatives ,, do not . Dirt , filth , disease , and excessive mortality are inseparable attendants on arbitrary government ; and lost ta proportion as a nation obtains popular government , so does sanitary reform and improvement advance -within it . Tbe dirtiest people m Europe are the Russians : the cleanest those i e „ a " ? Fn " ' t & ey are tbe freest also . Extended political suffrage wonld promote municipal activity ; and it isbv municipal agency that great improvements , such as Lord Shaftes-Irory advocates , must be undertaken in this country , lie tells the workpeople of Manchester tbat

      The Factory Operatives And Their Noble -...

      hey have reason to bo «« - « * * - ^ sRiMMi-. Af r ' rmt r . i >„ « . ¦ - /""«"«« ¦ . ¦* " -WPO MwOn Of tort city . So they have ; the corporation *[ " an . cnester w ; i 2 " * eoimon of municipal administration . But why " ? Becau ? 9 ii has a mighty public opinion at its back . It is a vetft to public opinion that is wanted elsewhere : and the political suffrage ia that vent . Give us that , and we will in a few years be as clean , and domestic , - and happy , as Lord Shaftesbury wishes ; and as rationally pious also ; though not , perhaps , after tho fashion of puritans , but as men with clear heads and honest hearts usually are . »« -, * ,-- « - « -- ^ - _ . * .. "

      The Freehold Land Movement The Freehold ...

      THE FREEHOLD LAND MOVEMENT The Freehold Land Societies have , this week , had their Annual Conference and Demonstration in the metropolis . According to the report submitted to the delegates , the movement is progressing with great rapidity . One hundred and fifty estates have been purchased in various parts of the country , and divided in to twelve thousand allotments , each of the annual value necessary to consti tute a freehold county vote . £ 400 , 000 has heen actuall y paid , of which £ 6230 . 000 was

      received during the past year ; and a total capital , of upwards of two millions , has been subscribed for b y forty-five thousand members . These figures speak for themselves . Tbey prove not onl y the gigantic dimensions to which these societies have grown , but the intense and wide-spread desire which exists among the poorer classes for the possession of tho franchise , and with it a spot of earth , however small , that they can call their own . But , on the other hand , it was impossible

      to hear the statements made at the Confe * rence without perceiving that , under the existing law of this country , these societies are placed in a most precarious and unsatisfactory position ; and that unless ' g reat and radical alterations be speedily effected in the law of real property and of partnership , the very extent of the movement , together with the variet y and largeness of the interests involved , will tend to produce disastrous results to thousands of the shareholders .

      For instance , if the law is applied to these societies in the same spirit- as it was to the National Land Company , the great majority of them are at this moment subject to heavy penalties for the infringement of the Lotteries Acta . When first started , they steered clear of that liability by adopting the principle of rotation . In most cases , however , it has been found that simple rotation does not keep paee with the eagerness of the members to procure allotments , aud fails , in other respects , as a working system . They have , therefore , adopted various modifications of the Ballot . The - National —vrith which Mr . CoBDEN is

      connected—acts , as far as we understand , on the system of b & llotting without any reservation whatever ; and the almost unanimous feeling of the Conference on Monday last was in favour of the general adoption of that system . To the objection of some of the speakers that tbe Ballot was , in fact , the abomination of gambling , it was replied , that , as each shareholder would ultimatel y get an allotment , it was not a lottery or game of chance , in the ordinary acceptation of the terms , because in lotteries there are blanks : in gambling some must lose ; in the Land Socie « ties all will get a prize , and the Ballot merel y determines when .

      This argument is precisel y that upon which theadoption of ibe Ballot b y theLand Company was justified . But its validity was denied by the registrar under the Joint Stock Acts , and the law officers of the Crown , and even a manda-1 musfrora , the Queen ' s Bench , failed to compe them to register it as a legal society . Among those who were in the habit of denouncing the Land Company as an illegal body , and certain , therefore , to end in disappointment ,

      were Mr . ' Cobden , Mr . Taylob , the originator of the Freehold Land Societies , and other active leaders of the movement . Mr . Cob-DEif has been connected with a society , for some time , where the ballot has . heen adopted ; on Monday Mr . Tayior avowed his complete and unconditional conversion to the system he had so often and energeticall y condemned , and pointed out as the great distinction between Mr . O'Coiwon ' s Land

      Scheme and his own I Either there is a rock ahead here , or we shall once more verify the adage , that one man may steal a horse with impunity , while another shall be hanged for looking over the hedge . In fact , the leaders of the movement appear to be perfectly aware that they are taking an illegal position , and also that the success of the movement is painfully jeopardised by the law of partnership . Mr . Geach , tha member for Coventry , addressed some very ominous warnings on the subject , which

      had all the more significance coming from a man so well acquainted practically with these matters ; and the appointment of a committee , on the motion of Mr . Sadliek , the member for Carlow , to report as to the operation of the law on these societies , and what alterations may be necessary , was an additional proof that they are full y aware of their perilous position . If , in conjunction with the efforts of the Co-operative Societies , now so numerous in yarious parts of the country , a change can be effected , by which the responsibility of

      shareholders can be limited to the amount they themselves voluntarily incur , by which land can be disposed of as readily in the markets stocks aud shares in commercial undertakings , a benefit of immense and almost incalculable value will have been conferred upon the community at large . There will then be some hope of the industrial classes getting a foothold in their native land , and acquiring , by means of union and economy , that stake'in the country of which the present state of tbe law deprives them .

      As to the political aspect of these societies , we have already expressed our views . As ameans of enfranchising the unenfranchised , they are a mockery and adelusion . It is onl y a certain class that can take advantage of their machinery . Some of that class , of steadily emp loyed and well paid operatives , may , through itsinstrumeatality , obtain votes for three or four different counties , like Mi . ; Taylor ; but the

      great bulk of the working classes have not the means to meet the sustained and protracted payments required for the acquisition of a freehold . And even if they had , we say it is a gross injustice to call upon them to pay for that which is a rig ht . By the great Charter of England justice is neither to be bought nor sold ; and , we say , that purchasing back the rights of which the people have been defrauded , is , in fact , to put a premium upon fraud and wrong doing .

      It may be doubted , also , whether , in the moral and economical view of the matter , these societies will produce tbe results anticipated by their sanguine advocates . If Mr . O'CONnor ' s plan had been carefull y and judiciously carried out , with all the advantages and support of legalization , it would have much more certainly effected its objects . An industrious and prudent man , placed upon a small farm , and furnished with a house , outbuilding , implements , and a small capital to commence with , was supplied with all the materials necessary for the support of himself and

      family by independent labour . His fate was , to a great extent , under bis own control . Bat the Freehold Land Societies onlyeouvey to their members a small stri p of land , which is scarcely worth anything until buildings have been erected upon it . If the estate is distant from the town where the owner lives and pursues his daily labour , he must let it as a piece of garden ground , or iu some other way , unless he has money to build ; and , in many cases , we believe , these small plots ol ground will fall into the bands of the clever speculators in these societies , at smaller prices than were orig inally g iven for them .

      The Freehold Land Movement The Freehold ...

      These wb , however , oonsidep aiioai for the parties concerned . All we have to do is to enter our protest against the movement whenever it comes into contact with the efforts for attaining political emanci pation , which rests upon the undeniable right of every citizen who supports tho state , to have a voice in its Government . The Freehold Movement must not be confounded with tbe Suffrage Movement . , . _

      The Factions And The French Kepublic. Ea...

      THE FACTIONS AND THE FRENCH KEPUBLIC . Each successive phase of tho struggle between M . Bona p arte and tho Royalists in the Assembly , tells mure conclusivel y in favour of honest Republicanism . The Mountain inflicted a severe blow upon the majority , b y voting for the President ' s proposal to restore Universal Suffrage . The serried ranks of the opposition were thrown into disorder , and reaction sustained a si gnal check , if not a decisive defeat . On the proposition of tbe Questors

      for investing the President of the Assembly with large military powers , they saw as clearl y what was their dut y . To have supported the proposition in its original form would have been to set up a military dictator in the interest of the Royalist factions ; the deportation of Republicans aud destruction of the Republic would have followed , as a matter of course , on the heels of restored Monarchy . But their policy was one of principle , aud not dictated b y personal considerations . The Imperialists chuckled over these defeats and imagined the victory was won for them .

      Not so . Upon the organic law , which de fines the powers of the President , and which , in tbe due course of business , has again como before the Assembl y , it is clear that the Republican party will take care to vote for the imposition of such restrictions , and exact such guarantees as will fender it a difficult , if not impossible , task for Louis Napoleon to play the part of traitor . It is wonderful to see how respectful the factious intriguers for power on both aides have become to the party which thus practicall y holds the destiny of the nation in its hands . While each accuses the other of

      forming a shameful coalition with the Mountain , they mutually seek to propitiate its good graces and secure its aid . The Royalists make extraordinary professions of fidelity to the Republic , of which the Republicans knew the real value too well to be deceived by them and , wonderful to relate , even M . Bonaparte , for the first time since he was elevated to the position of President , has deigned , in ex « press terms , to recognise the existence of the Republic ! In his speech , before delivering the decorations of the Legion of Honour , to the prize winners at the Great Exhibition , he denounced ' monarchical

      hallucinations , and spoke of the Republic in terras of eulogy , 'How grand , ' he exclaimed , ' would be the French' Republic , if it were only permitted to pay attention to its real interests , and to reform its institutions : . . . How £ reat would this nation be if it were allowed to breathe at ease , and live by its own life ! ' Most true ; but what apity it is tbat the reflection onl y occurred to him at the close of the third year of his Presidency , and whenhe has the prospect of losing an office , the powers of which he has prostituted , perverted , and abused . Who but himself and the

      reactionary parties with whom he has been allied , have prevented France from ' breathing at ease , and living by its own life ? ' Who , but they , again who have crushed the French Republic , by a system of repression and unblushing brute force , fitter for the meridian of Naples or St , Petersburgh than Paris , and expressl y intended to prevent it from paying [ attention to its real ; interests , or to reform its institutions ? M . Bonaparte , in uttering these sentiments—in paying this unwonted homage to the Republic—probably meant them merel y as a bidding for Republican support in his

      struggle with the Monarchists . But they are the strongest and most decisive condemnation that can be passed upon , his own career , and , while they may be accepted as a penitential confession , ought for ever to shut him out from the list of the future rulers of France . The organs of the Elysee , and the Monarchical sections of the Assembly , hurl fierce denunications at each other , and the' Times ' affects to believe tbat there is imminent danger of their speedily coming to blows . If they consulted merely their own passions and their own dynastic interests , we believe they would

      speedily have their hands at each other ' s throats . But they are compelled to remember that France is Republican , and so far from aiding in the restoration of either Monarch y or the Empire , will take advantage of any open hostilities between their partisans to make the Republic more secure , and to rid it completely of the parties who have , hitherto , been the greatest obstacles to its consolidation and development . In any probable contingency , we believe the Republic is safe . Whether an open con

      test takes place now , or the issue is referred to the ballot-box in 1852 , France will conserve and protect its Republican institutions , and claim , perhaps , in more than words , the right to breathe easily , live by its own life , ' and pay attention to its real interests , undisturbed by the rival !• ' pretensions of petty cliques or ambitious dynastic pretenders of any kind whatoever . Honour * to the Republican party for so thoroughly comprehending their duty , and so nobly performing it !

      Monies Received Fob This Week Endi.Vo Th...

      MONIES RECEIVED Fob this Week Endi . vo Thursday , November 27 th , 1851 . for debt due by refugees . Peceived by W . Bideb . —Itippondcn , per A . Faterson 6 s

      THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY AND THE FACTORY OPERATIVES . The Earl of Shaftesbury has been lately visiting tbe factory districts , and receiving a number of addresses from the operatives , for his services in the accomplishment of the short time ; in reply to an address from the operatives of Manchester last week , the Earl said ' No testimonial , the most precious ; in value or highest in amount , could have been so dear to me as this address . I return my most sincere and hearty thanks , if the

      gentlemen will accept them , to the employers and master mill-owners of these districts , who have after tbe conflict is over , most admirably entered on a new career , throwing no obstacle in the way , and have entered into the fulfilment of the law , and I do believe , rejoice , as much as yon do , that tbe matter has been brought to a successful issue , There are some , but thant God they are a minority , who still continue to evade the spirit , if not theactual letter of the Jaw , — -but in so large a body of men there must always be exceptions , I can only say that it gives me most sincere

      gratification—I have used the expression before , and . I use it again—from the bottom of my heart I do most sincerely love and respect you , and few things give me greater p leasure than to come into the operative districto and see all my good friends , who treat me with as much heartiness as if I was their brotherttuu God knows that in sentiment I am their brother . I hope to be able to my dying day to show it ; and I can assure you to the hour of my death , not one day or night shall pass most

      without offering up to Almighty God a deep and heartfelt prayer for your prosperity in this world and in the world to come , with the expression of an ardent hope that I may ever be your friend , and that I may be ever considered by you to be your friend . ' ( I ^ ud cheers . ) The Earl afterwards visited many of the millowners , and expressed h is gratification that they had so generously seconded the intentions of the Legislature in ac ting upon the spirit of the new enactment .

      National Association Of United Tra Pes. ...

      NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNITED TRA PES . T . S . Jw 50 MBI ! ' Eso - > MJ ? . f President . « '"« fvsmu . " "If itwerepos . ible for ^ wo ^ 1 " ^ " 6 * ; ** » : buunjf among themselves , to raise , or .. ^ $ ™? ff . rate of wages , it need hardly he said that i .. * *<> . ! a thing not to bepunished , but to be welcomed aiiu . " i ce

      The Wolverhampton conspiracy case lias terminated not quite in the unequivocal victory for ihe Msssra . Perrry that they bad anticipated , 'ihe three counts in the indictment , which sought to establish persuasion as an indictable offence , have been withdrawn , by the strong recommendation of u o Tl ° Queen ' Bench—most unwillingly by the Prosecutors . A nolle prosequi , as regards Messrs . Winters and Rowland , was also entered by Mr . Sergeant Allen by the same high advice , and assented to with evident reluctance . The strict . fgality , therefore , of the only principle that was reall y contended for not only remains undisuuted , hot ia materially strengthened , by the full confirmation of the law , as laid down by Mr . Justice Rolfe ( the present Lord Justice Cranworih ) .

      " he verdict , as against the other defendants , Messrs . Peel , Green , Duffi-dd , Woodnorth , Gaunt , and Piatt is confirmed , there being , in the opinion of the Court , evidence for the jury against these parties upon each of the remaining seventeen countt ; iheir verdict could not , therefore , be disturbed or questioned . , wow , although we are not quite so well satisfied with the verdict of the jury as their lordships appear to be , still , so sacred do we hold the invaluable institution of" Trial by Jury "—which , with many practical defects , we h < dd to be the great bulwark of our personal liberties—that we cannot presume to question their lordships' decision , though we think we may venture to doubt either the acumen , or the perspicacity of this jury , whose verdict is held so sacred . That there' was evidence of a certain and very questionable description , againsc each and all of the

      persons convicted we will not deny ; but there was , at the same time , ' strong rebutting evidence upon many material points and we also know , with very great certainty , that much and very important evidence , which could not be contradicted at tbe trial ( as upon these points we were taken entirel y by surprise ) , waa utterly and entirely false , which , had we succeeded in gelling a new trial , would have been clearly demonstrated . The entire evidence against Messrs . Peel and Green was of this character ; for instance , it was necessary , in order to convict Mr . Peel to connect him with a certain handbill to which bis name was attached , and which had been , without his knowledge or consent , exhibited , publicly , in the window of the Star beer house , in Wolverhampton . It was , therefore , unscrupulously sworn that he was lodging and

      going frequently iu and out of the Star during the time ( July , 1850 ) , while that bill was thus exhibited . That unsupported evidence was held sufficient to make that bill good evidence against him , without any further proof of authorship or publication . Mr . Green ' s name being mentioned in this bill , it became necessary also to connect him with it ; it was , therefore , sworn , by the same go-ahead witness , that Mr . Green was also , at the same time , lodging and going in and out of the Star beer-house . There is not a single particle of truth in the whole part of this evidence ; and yet , to it is Mr . Peel entirely , and Mr . Green very materially indebted for the sentence of three months' imprisonment , passed on tbero , this day , by Mr . Justice Patteson , It can , and will , hereafter , be proved , by numerous and unimpeachable witnesses , both in London and Wolverhampton .

      Mr . Peel and Mr . Green were neither of them either lodging at the Star , or even in the town of Wolverhampton at all , at the period in question But , before that can be done , both these parties will have completed their most unmerited sentence . Justice , however , though sometimes slow , is ever sure , and we await in calra resignation her retributory recompense equivolent . A full report of the proceedings in the Court of Queens Bench on Friday , the 21 st , and Monday , the 24 th , will be found in this week ' s 'Star , ' with the elaborate judgment Of Mr . justice Patteson . , And we hope , next week , to publish copies of the joint affidavit of Messrs . Peel and Green , which will be found a

      faithful record of the part taken by the defendants in the Wolverhampton disputes . These important documents , we hope , will be carefully and dispassionably read and considered by the members of the National . Association . They will judge from them how far , and iu what manner , these convicted conspirators and their colleagues have performed ihe duties of their office—how far they have re « deemed the pledge so often made in their behalf , of defending the industrial rights of their members , and of the working classess of Great Britain , and of maintaining , unimpaired , thesacredright of combination . It will be seen that this right is fully and uuequivocably conceded by the judges of the Queen ' s Bench , within those limitations which we

      have always admitted and enforced . We never counselled or sanctioned any violenco , threats , intimidation , obstruction , or molestation in the ordinary and only sense in which we understand those -termsj and if it is to be pretended that these words have , in law , a sense and construction different from their usual and ordinary signification , we think it is the bounded duty of the judges , or of the Legislature , so to explain these terms that plain men , unlearned in legal quibblings and sophistries , may be able to comprehend them , and thus avoid the pains and penalties of an ignorance no unassisted effort of their own can remove . We think the working classes of Great Britain have a right to demand that a law , upon

      the rig ht construction of which depends their in * (• lustrial rights and personal freedom , there should exist no differences of opinion in Westminster Hall ; that this law should , in all it parts , words , and features , bo fixed and determinated—that it should be made a law ot fact , and nofi of judicial opinion—that it should possess a oneness , a consistency , and homogeneity , that neither judges , juries , nor workmen should , by any possibility , differ upon as to its meaning . We think the working people and tho country , should he spared a repetition of such absorb inconsistencies as have been exhibited in the legal proceedings of the late trials . In the- first place , the i . iw , as laid down b y Baron Rolfe in the case of Jones and Potts v .

      Selsby and others , was in substance this : that the working men had a right to combine and subscribe to a common fund for the protection of the wages for which they chose to sell their labour within ths limitation set forth in tbe act , and before referred to ; that they had also an equal right to peaceably persuade other workmen to act as they acted in this matter , ^ o reference whatever was made by the learned Baron to the consequences or inconveniences these proceedings of the men were likely to have upon the master . " , any more than what would be the effect upon the interests of the men by similar combinations on the part of the masters . To each was left the legal enjoyment of a reciprocal right , without the slightest reference to the consequences

      to either side , from the full fruition of this common rig ht by the other . This was the acknowledged state and definition of the law by one of its brightest ornaments , and must be held by every man of common sense and common honesty consistent with reason and equity . Then comes Mr . Justice Erie ' s more complex interpretation . We have not , at present , access to the exact words , and can only give from memory the substance of bis lordship ' s opinions . He first of all admits , as a postulation , the right of combination ; but then he insinuates that has reference / Only to such as are unemployed , and says it would be exceedingly dangerous to extend that right

      to such as may be then in employment , because the abstraction or the withdrawal of such men , when a manufacturer may have orders waiting for execution , would necessarily inflict upon that employer loss and inconvenience , and would , in his lordship ' s opinion , amount to the " molestation and obstruction' referred to in the act , and subject the parties so persuading to an indictment ; and it was upon this view of the law that-the jury found their late verdict . We think il quite clear that the view of the law was not confirmed by the Court of Queen ' s Bench . We think the following passage from Mr . Justice Patteson s judgment isquiteconclusiveupon that point : —

      The Masters were at liberty to give what rate of wages they liked , and to agree among themselves what wage * tiiej would pay . In like manner , the workmen were at liberty to apee among themselves for what wages they would work , and were not restricted in so doing by the circumstance that they were ' in the employ of one or the other of the masters . ' The intention of the legislature was to make tbem quite free . This opinion of tho Court of Queen ' s Bench ( including , be it remembered , Mr . Justice Erie , ) is quite consistent and confirmatory of Judge

      Rolfe ' g Liverpool dictum , and diametrically opposed to Justice Erie ' s S taffordshire dictum . We would most respectfully ask Mr . Justice Erie which of these two conflicting opinions will his lordship stand by in future ? Or shall some future Parry quote Justice Erie in Banco against Justice Erie at Nisi Prius , while upon the same occasion , a Sergeant Allen , or Wilkins , quotes his lordship deliberately spoken wwjpritti law verms his Queen s Bench opinion ? We venture to think that his lordship ' s opinion

      National Association Of United Tra Pes. ...

      upon this subject , wouM not in future have great ¦ weight in Westminster Hall . We trust , therefore , that Monday ' s proceedings will put an end for eyer ¦ -- * A > illv ' nd ' . / . !; , ) inconsistencies . t 3 «« en *« . „ -, Vj The position of the Nation , - . ! ^ - —>•¦•»•«• . i . been immensel y strengthened by tbi ' a ' iV , ' ^ " ' * Its Strict lenity Unqaest . Oneu -V i Sso power when duly supported , and its opTrSs conducted in the spirit of the lair , fully admitted J His power , wjjsn guided b y intelli gence nmi hoiisl *^ T « tn Tf . ia ~~ . . K ; rt ! 7 * ^ -Trr . ? -., . * .:- r _ "T ~~

      o y of purpose , can only bo alarming to servile [ judges and nervous old woman . It may be now / oado , if the working classes will it , a great nations blessing , and an effective barrier to the encroaci » . nent 8 Of capita ! . Such a portion is cheaply purchased with three months' incarceration , that can at most amount to a little personal annoyance , which will be amply compensated for , by the sweet reflection of having faithfully and successfully performed a great public duty . Tub Committee or tub National Assocution OF Unitsd Tbadhs . 353 , Tottenham-cowt-rwid .

      The Whale And The Whalers. (From The New...

      THE WHALE AND THE WHALERS . ( From the New Bedford ( U . S . ) Mereuru . ) We have just received the following thrilling account of tlie destruction of the whale shin Ann Alexander , Captain John S . Deblois , of Now Bedford , hy a larjfo sperm whale , from the lips of the captain himself , who arrived in this city from Paita on Sunday last , in the schooner Providence . It is one of the most remarkable events on record , and will he read with interest throughout the whole commercial and civilised world where it may he made known . A similar circumstance has never yet been known to occur but once in tho whole history of whale fishing , and that was the destruction of the ship Essex , some twenty or twenty-five years ago , and which many of our readers fully remember

      . We proceed to the narrative as furnished « s by Captain Deblois , and which is fully authenticated hy nine of the crew in a protest , under the seal of tlie United States ' Consul , Alex . Runen , jun „ at Paita . " The ship Ann Alexander , Captain S . Deblois , sawed from New Bedford , Massachusetts , June 1 , 1850 , for a cruiso in the South Pacific for sperm whale . Having taken about 500 barrels of oil in the Atlantic , the ship proceeded on her voyage to tho Pacific . Nothing of unusual interest occurred until , when passing Cape Horn , one of the men named Jackson "Walker , of Newport , Jfew Hampshire , aged about twenty-four , was lost overboard in a storm . Reaching the Pacific , she came up the coast and stopped at Valdivia , const of Chili , for fresh provisions , and on the 31 st of May last she bulled at Paita for the purpose of shipping a man . The vessel proceeded on her voyage to the South Pacific .

      " On the 20 th of August last she reached what is well known as the ' Oif-Shore Ground , ' in lat . 5 deg . SO south long 102 deg . west . In the morning of that day , at about nine o ' clock , whales were discovered in the neighbourhood , and about noon the same day they succeeded in making fast to one . Two boats had gone after the whales—the larboard and the starboard , the former commanded hy the first mate , and the latter by Captain Deblois . The whale which they h & d struck was harpooned by the larboard boat . After running some time the whale turned upon the boat , and rushing at it with

      tremendous violence , lifted open its enormous jaws , and taking the boat in , actually crushed it into fragments as small as a common sized chair ! Capt . Deblois immediately struck for tho scene of the disaster with the starboard boat , and succeeded , against all expectation , in rescuing the whole of the crew of the demolished boat , nine in number ! How they escaped from instant death when tho whale rushed upon them with such violence and seized their boat in its ponderous jaws ia a mystery known only to ' Him who holds the waves as in tho hollow of His hands . '

      * ' There were now eighteen men in the starboard boat , consisting Of the captain , the first mate , and the crews of both boats . The fri ghtful disaster had been witnessed from the ship , and the waistboat was called into readiness and sent to their relief . The distance from tho ship was about six miles . As soon as the waist-boat arrived , the crews were divided , and it was determined to pursue the same whale and make another attack upon him . Accordingly they separated , and proceeded

      at some distance from each other , as is usual on such occasions after the whale . In a short time they came up to him and prepared to give him battle . The waste-boat , commanded by the first mate , was in advance . As soon as the whale perceived the demonstration being made upon him , he turned his course suddenly , and making a tremendous dash at this , boat , seized it with his widespread jaws , and crushed it into atoms , allowing the men barely time to escape his vengeance by throwing themselves into the ocean .

      " Capuin Deblois , again seeing the perilous con . dition of hia men , at the risk of meeting the same fate , directed bis boat to hasten to their rescue , and in a short time succeeded in saving them all from a death little less horrible than that from which they had twice so miraculously escaped , lie then ordered the boat to put towards the ship as speedily as possible ; and , no sooner had the order been given than they discovered the monster of the deep making towards them , with his jaws

      widely extended . Escape from death now seemed totally out of the question . They were six or seven miles from the ship ; no aid even there to ^ fford them necessary relief , and tho wbale- 'inaddened by the wounds of the harpoon and lances which had been thrown into him , and seemingly gloating with tho prospect Of speedy revenge , within a few cables' length . Fortunately the monster came up , and passed them at a short distance . The boat then made her way to the ship , and they all got on board in safety .

      ' After reaching tho ship a boat was dispatched for the oars of the demolished boat ? , . and it was determined to pursue the whale with the ship . As soon as the boat returned with the oars , sail was set , and the ship proceeded after the whale . In a short time she overtook him , and a lance was thrown into hia head . Tho ship passed on by him and immediately after thoy discovered that the whale was making for the ship . As he came up near her they hauled on the wind and suffered the monster to pass her . After he had fairly passed they kept oft to ovoitake and attack him again . When they had reached within about fifty rods of him they discovered that tho whale had settled down deep below the surface of the water , and as it wits near sundown they concluded to give up the

      pursuit . " Captain Deblois was at this time standing in the n g h-heads on the larboard-bow , with craft in hand ready to strike the monster a deadly blow should he appear , tho ship moving about five knots , when working on the aide of the ship he discovered tho whale rushing towards her at the rate of fifteen knots . In an instant the monster struck the ship with tremendous violence , shaking her from stem to stern . She quivered under the violence of the shock as if she had struck upon a rock . Captain Deblois immediately descended into the forecastle , and there , to his horror , discovered that the monster had struck the ship about two feet from the keel , abreast the foremast , knocking a

      great hole entirely through her bottom , through Which the water roared and ruahad ia impetuously . Springing to the deck , he ordered the mate to cut away the anchors and got the cables overboard to keep the ship from sinking , as she had a larse quantity of pig iron on board . In doing this the mate succeeded in relieving only one anchor and cable clear , the other having been iastened around the foremast . The ship was then si / iking very rapidly . The captain went into the cabin , where he found three feet of water j he however succeeded in procuring a chronometer , sextant , and chart . Reaching the decks . he ordered the boats to bo cleared away , mid to get water and provisions , aa the ship Was heeling over . He again descended

      into the cabin , but the water was rushing in so rapidly that ho could procure nothing . He then came upon deck , ordered all hands into tho boats , and was the last himself to leave the ship , which he did by throwing nim ^ 'lf i nto the sea and swimming to the nearest boat . The ship was on her beamends ; her topgallant yards underwater . They then pushed off some distance from the ship ' , expecting her to sink in a very short time . Upon an examination of the stores they had been able to save , he discovered that they had only twelve quarts of water , and not a mouthful of provisions of any kind . The boats contained eleven men each , were leaky , and , night coming on , they were obliged to bale them all night to keep them from sinking .

      "Kcxt day , at daylight , they returned to the ship , no one daring to venture on board but the captain , their intention bting to cut- away the mast , and fearful that the moment the masts were cut away the ship wauld go down . With a single hatchet the captain went on board , and cut away the mast , when the ship righted . The boats then came up , and tie men . Iby the sole aid of spades , cut away the chain caole from around the fore , mast , which got the ship nearly on her keel . Tho men then tied ropes round their bodies , got into the sea , and cut holes through the decks to get out provisions . Tbey could procure nothing , but about five gallons of vinegar , and 201 b of wet

      bread . The ship threatened to sink , and they deemed it imprudent to remain by her longer , 80 they set sail on her boats , and left her , " They were in a dreadful state of anxiety , knowing that in a very few days , unless a kind Providence should direct them to fall in with some ship , they must all die by starvation and thirst , or tbat , to sustain life , they would be obliged to eat each other s bodies as soon as life bad departed 1 However , as long as they had strength , they knew it was their duty to wait and watch patiently , and trust to that Good Being who had twice so signally saved them from the jaws of the monster of the de < " > the day previous . Their only hope was

      The Whale And The Whalers. (From The New...

      in trying to reach ¦ • - " the r : iin « * ' ¦ . rainy latitude , that , from „ , «•« might fall , they mi g ht sustun life . ; " WiththU £ p 0 ;' ' ' " ' " * KoStm " tffv ^ f ffifiZ * . atabout five . J -i tney had the indescribable W of discerm ,, ; » •** " the distance . They ' made a signal , and K . , answered , and a short time they were reached t . " " tho K °° d shi p Natituckft , of ¦ N antucket , Massachusetts ' , Captain Gibb . « , who to » k tlicm all on board , elotbeJ a » d fed then , and extended to them in every way the greatest possible hosoitalitv .

      On t . ! ie succeeding day Captain Gibbs went Jotha wreck or the ill-fattd Ann Alexander , for the purpose of trr . vjjj to procure somcthini ; from her , but as tho sea was rough , and tbe attempt considered dangerous , he abandoned the project . The N ,-mtltcKct tliCll Set sail for- Paha , where she arrived on the 15 th of September , and where she landed Capfcuu Deboise and his men . Captain Deboiso w . 'is kindly reccired aud entertained at Paha uy Captain Bathurst , An English gentleman residing there , and subsequently took pa . < snge on board the schooner Providence , Captain Starkbuck , for this port , arriving hero on Sunday last , the 12 th inst . ' At Paita Captain Dteblois entered his pr .. testat the United States Consulate , which was authenticated by the following ; officers and seamen on board at the time of the disaster , the two officers

      and the rest of the crew shipped on board other vessels : —Joseph lv . Green , lirst mate ; James Smith , third ditto ; John Morgan , carpenter- ; James Riley , cooper ; James M'lloberts- , John Smith , William M . Smith , Henry Keid , and Charles F . Booth , seamen . " In concluding Mil' account of this singular and eventful disaster , we are requested by ' Captain Deblois to express to Captain Gibba and his officers , Captain Bathurst , Captain Starbuck , and his partner , and to all others who have extended a hand of kindness towards him since his dreadful

      misfortune , the most grateful and heartfelt thanks —thanks which he has no words to express , and which can only be conceived by the parties reversing the order of their respective circumstances . They will always be hold in the most grateful remembrance for the true nobility and generosity of their conduct towards him in the severe trial ho has been compelled to undergo . "

      Latest Foreign News. Prussia. Tub King's...

      LATEST FOREIGN NEWS . PRUSSIA . TUB KING ' S SPEECH . The following is a summary of the King- o £ Prussia ' s speech on the opening of the Chambers on Tuesday : Berlin , Nov . 27 . —The King having set out for Hanover , to he present at the funeral of tbe late King , M . Manteuffel opened the Chambers at 11 o ' clock . Not a word is suid in the speech as to foreign politics , hut it is very interesting as regards internal politics . The convocation of the old Provincial Diets is designated as temporary provincial representation , and their decrees propositions . The augmentation of the army is declared to be indispensable .

      The financial position of the country is regarded as satisfactory . A hope is expressed that the treaty of the 7 th of September will be found to succeed ; and will owe its success to the principle of the suppression of the restrictions upon commerce . Finally , the King expresses his confidence in the patriotism of the Chambers .

      FRANCE . Paris , Thursday . —Urgency for the Council of States' Bill ia argued against even b y the journals most hostile to the President ; and as the meeting of the Left at Lemardelay ' s . decided not to take the initiative in moving it , and is now considered as certain not to bo carried , even if proposed . The 'Moniteur Parisien' contains an article persuading the military to abstain from voting at the Paris elections of the 30 th .

      The Ordre' contains a long article which may he considered as a retaliation on tho Elysee for the article of Cassagnac and the President ' s speech . It accuses Louis Napoleon of having conspired for two years against the constitution he has sworn to defend , aud predicts , that if he persists in seeking to renew his power , notwithstanding the 45 th article of tho constitution , such endeavours must Infallibly end in a civil , and finall y in a social , war .

      National Loan Society. This Body Continu...

      NATIONAL LOAN SOCIETY . This body continues its weekly meetings at 26 , Golden-lane . On Wednesday evening , after tbe correspondence had heen read , and the monetary business transacted , Mr . Wheeler reported the progress made by the Official Manager towards the Winding-up of the National Land Company . Mr . Goodchap bad visited the various estate , ordering the allottees to pay no rent , except to himself He had received notices from tho various occnpiera * asking whether they would retain their allotments , or put in a claim for compensation , and in almost all instances the allottees had decided upon retain , ing their allotments . Mr . Goodchap was , at present , visiting the estates to gather information respecting the exact situation of each allottee , in order tn ennhlft him to come to a definite result as to the

      amount of back rent which would be demanded , and the rate of per centage which should determinate the rent for the future . Maps had been made of the various estates , and the particulars of each allotment recorded upon the map , which thus served as a book of reference . The books containing the receipts of the Company were undergoing a strict examination , but much delay had been caused by the first and fourth section day book being either lost or mislaid . To remedy this they would be obliged to have recourse to the . columns of the Northern Star , ' and any person having a file of that paper from the year 1845 , would confer a favour by communicating with Mr . Wheeler , 25 ,

      CJement ' s-lane , Strand .: He was also requested b y the Manager to announce tbat it was only a loss of time , and an hindrance to his business , for parlies to forward their scrip to him . He was not in a position to make any assertion as to a dividend . The estates would first have to be disposed of , and the expenses of procuring the Winding-up Act , & c , defrayed , in addition to the legal , book , or other debts ot the Company . Whenever he was prepared to receive the claims of shareholders he would cause advertisements to be inserted in the newspapers to that effect , Persons having : claims upon the Company for wotka verfotmed , or materials furnished , must send in their claims to Mr . Goodchap , 67 , Cheapside ; they must also take a copy of their , claims , make an affidavit to its correctness before tlte Master in Chancery , and then deposit it in the

      Master ' s office . The Official Manager suggested tbat a solicitor should be empjoyed to perform this business ; the expense would'be trifling . After the explanation of other matters , a discussion arose among the members relative to the prospects of the Allottees . Mr . Wheeler stated that hft believed every consideration would be shown to them . But , according to the act , they must bear the expense of the legal charge for their lease , and this , in addition to the back rent ( however , much H mi ght be reduced ) , would , he thought , lie heavier than the majority of the allottees would be able to bear . The allotments which were given up would , in the opinion of the Manager , sell for a much highe price than those which were tenanted . After the discussion of other interesting matters the meeting adjourned .

      The Manchester Reform Conference Demohst...

      The Manchester Reform Conference Demohsteation . — Tha important conference of parliamentary reformers , arranged for by the committee recently appointed is intended to be opened on Wednesday next , at half past eleven o ' clock . ; and the evening meeting at the Free Trade Hall , will be addressed by both the borough members , by Mr . Cobden , and other gentlemen . The committee have already , we believe , receired communications from most of tbe principal towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire , intimating that deputations will attend on the occasion ; and they-have ' also received loiters from different parts of the country , expressing strong interest in the proceedings , which will ce £ tainly be regarded with earnest' attention by the public mind throughout England .-Mincnejfer - &» atntner .

      ScnnuN Death os a Combdian . — -Mr . W . Carter held an inquest at tho Duke of Sussex , Gibson-Street , "Waterloo-road , Lambeth , on view of the body of Mr . Charles Lamb , aged thirty-four , comedian . Deceased ' s last engagemen t was at the City of London Theatre . Tho deceased had been in tbe habit of taking laudanum , to allay the pain which he suffered from some malady . On Monday last the deceased rose up in bed and called hia mother , with whom he lodged , and complained of difficult breathing . Mr . 0 'Shea , the surgeon , was called , but the deceased expired before his arrival . The coroner having remarked on the case , thejui y 1-fit . iirnfid a verdict of " Satural death . "

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Nov. 29, 1851, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_29111851/page/5/