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Northern Star (1837-1852), 16th December 1843, Edition 1 of 5, Page 4, Untitled Article

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    • filE tfOETEERiy STAJi SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1843.
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      Untitled Article

      PROGRESS ( XF THE MOVEMENT . OF . E 5 ISG OF I £ B SOtlH XOM > ON CHABTZST HALL . The above Ep&dcM J-Hall , _ capable of holfiing one fchons ^ a six bonfires persons , was opened on Monday 4 jT £ niEs , the llth fest ., by ~ tfee coMing of a grand festival and ball . The plaeard * convening tke " gathering" anEOimeed thBt Alderman Hamphery , JEtq ., M . P ., ¦ jrould taie the chair . Before the conuneiscenient , be sent a \ miten apology by his clerk , stating that he should not be able to Attend « ntil half-past seYen , as be was detained at tie Old Bailey Sessions . At Treven o ' clock , Mr . O'Connor entered the Hall , and proceeded to tho platform , amid the acclamations of the assembled mnltitade , -who rose to receive him . Jmmedistdy after tea , Mr . Edwards , cf the London Boad , was called to the chair , and gave , without cozDZBEDt ? the first toast , as follows : — >

      " The people , the legitimate source of all power ;* and called on Mr . B . O'Brien to respond . He said the tout he proposed should at all times command- respect In coEKquence of the want of " sovereignity" the people perisc in the midst of iplenty . In other assemblies the "Sovereign Queen * vonid hare been given first ; fent heirnsted they wonld aliFsya bave ths good sense to respect themselves and toast the " Bource" He Eeed not tell them , that from the want of the popblar sovereignity , every , man was in a * ebfc before he was j > otn ; tnd altfccagh natives of a beautiful soil , not a sod of 3 was theirs . It was so every vhere . In Paris the want of it caused 60 , 000 soldiers to be iept to ieep the . people qoitt . U the people possessed power it -would not be so . When * hostile armies

      threatened to everawe Trance , the people had poirer aud bad food ; -srbea they lost poorer they had no bread to eaij thi-y were starring , in Eaglana a 'woman bad threeh&lfpence tat making a shirt That did not look mnchlsie" sovereignty . * He hoped they ifonld soon resolve to be " sovereign- " There was bnt one Tray to accomplish it : at the next general election . The sovereignly of the people meant one -voice for one man and ao mere .. The majority « bonld make no laTO 3 mt such as wtm ' id be binding on them as veil as the minority . Act justly « ithall sen . Know no man when he eome 3 before yon ; iear all alike j and ihen the sentiment he had the honour to propose , " the sovereignty cf the people / 1 ¦ would btccme a reality . The toast -was then given -with the usual hononrs .

      The Ceuie-has then gave the second toast , &s follows : — " The People " * Charter ; may it speedily become the lav ? of the land . ** He called en Mr . O'Connor to lesponti . 2 ir . O'COSSOS lose amid enthusiastic plaudits . Ha said it vras tha custom that » religious house should be consecrated fey a Bishop ; and never did Bishop fetl inors pleasure ia consecrating a church to Gsi , than he flid in consecrating that Hall to the service cf the people . It ¦ sras quite right , on such-an occasion , that TT" » " cf various political opinions ehoald ~ tte isTited ; and it -was no fault of theirs that they were absent . When they locked aronnd , and fsund their principles more popular than others , ttsey had a right to say—* ' "We are the majority . * Wales had a turnpike gate ,

      asd Ireland an agricultural . Committee of luquiry , issued by GoTemnuut . la England he thought they Bbouldhsve a coramisson of lunacy on the Government . At the commencement of the revolution in Trance , the objection was not against the rule of the Sing ; it was against the Ministry and their corruptions . So in England . The Minister bad dndded and subdivided the plunder , 'wrung from the sweat and blood sf industry , among his followers . It was against eerrapSonsof this sort they contended . Mi . O Connor Ihen took a rapid snrrey of the emigration and-ether remedies proposed by Whig * aod Tories j " but , * said Mr . O'Connor , " givena the Chatter ! That is the great Yrtcursor l jFrom it temperance , morality , honesty , peace , a ^ d prosperity ttouW flow " - ^ -lgreat cheering ) .

      Ee attached great importance to the coming elections From the exhibitions of power they had seen , muck might be done . A fdeud asked him , as be "was about to ester that Hall , -srist was going to be done -with Inland . He could not answer that question ; bat he could give an opinion . Well , then , there -was now perhaps , vr&at there sever were before , a great majority in "Rngland ia favour of tbe lights of Ireland ; and ha thoa ^ bt such an expresaian of public opinion Irresistible—( lendchter *) , — and , therefore , mccbimight be erpect&i Cbartisa was practical Kepublicanian—( loud cheers ) . He hoped at tha next electien to abow that they-were set iorj-Chartists ; but that as they had thrown out the Whigs , they -would be able to east out the Tories—( loud cheers } . How was it that the Members of Parliament , and tbe otiier prpmiied Tisltors were not there ? Because they

      focad this trould be a purely Chartirt meeting—( hear , hear ); and it did sot . suit their purpose , that the opinions . spokenat such meeUngH should go abroad . The press joined with such men and kept silent . They had much to contend against , and" atill'would have . Por himself he T ""*^ liked opposition to hin" ^^^ - He frosted ttat' -wlule ttiey gate a fair iearing to every man , they -would , stick to their principles ,. name , and aE—( enthusiastic cheering ); and if they dH so / depend on it "the Charter J-was theirs when they liked to fetch it . " He felt very great pleasure in being present at the epening of that hall ; and if at asy time their necessjtie * placed it in any daojer , sod hu purse waa not long enon ^ h , his nreat , frhich had often been found an tfBdfint EnbsUtate , should be at their Berviee —( lond and long continued cheering . ) The sentiment was given with three times three .

      The fiPiTtty . Tt aie » gave— "CrtS . and Teligious UbertJ throughout the vrorioV -wHch Mr . J . H . Parry responded to : be could 7 > ut re-echo the sentiments of the last speaker , as regard * the absence of those invited . If present , they would have found no sentiment of ren * inTiniij ^ ii ^ Ww ¦«¦**¦ n » " tM > wit Trottrtn ^ ttat any man could fairly object to ; nothing bat what was most praise worthy—{ heaz , -best )— notking bnt - ¦»! »* even AldermaD Humpbrsy n > ight be prond of—{ lead cbeer »> Tbey ^ woTiifi tisva learned mttoh , and we should have bad the honour of teaching them . Why then were they absent ? Tbe Charter , as the last speaker said , f ^ art a tendency to republicanism ; but there was nothiBg revolusioniry in it . AH society from time immemorial tended to the same great end . They did

      notaekfoi . anything they irere not prepared togi » e to another—{ cheers ) . The Whigs and lories had privileges ; : do they not prura them ? Themoneyocracy >» M privileges ; do they sot prisa them ? Bat the moment the -working classes sought similar privileges , ¦• hat "was the answer ? = Why , "go toyoorplongb ; do not meddle With politics . " Then why , ie asked , did they middle witti politics ? Simply that they might turn them to their own pecuniary advantage . He hoped the time was come -when " free opinion" should mean "free opinion ; " for it was gross oppression to prevent any man fron » expressing his opinion . Be hoped that the freedom given by Gcd would not be attempted to be put down by any man ; but that they would go hand in hand , and thus be

      enablid to fight their oppressors footio foot Religious " liberty had its meaning too . ; Had not thejpresent estatjlishmejjl been met with persecution in its infancy ? Tbere -were also martyra at the present time , "Whose martyrdom -was eaoeed by that -rery . establishment—( bear , hear ] . There were ^ some there , no donbt , -who thought they had nothing to do -with religion at such meitiaga . He Ihenght religions freedom had to do ¦ with all great meetings—( cheers ) . An infidel- was purely a geographical character . A belieT « here was an infidel in Turkey ; and nee verso . In Ireland political © pinion -tras attempted to be coerced . Why ? Because Englishmen had not the courage to say , " I -will not eommit TEnrder for one shilling a day . " As

      soon as they possessed this courage , so soon must coercion cease—{ loud cheers ) . Ireland demanded her rights , and * e ought to say , " Tr *'' T''mpnj yon ha-re acted nobiyr and shake tkem by the hand , swearing by the God that mads us -we "would stand , by them to the last —( great iheeriEg ) . This hall would be of'great use in the day of danger ; -whether caused by Whigs or Tories . Thus it must Mare the great caue of " Civil and Bellgions liberty *— { cbeew ) . He -would not gire one fig for the Charter if they were to alassd still af tenrsrds—{ bear , bear ) . "On then , on for « verj" and when we have -son the Charter , there are other fields to be -won . He trusted Englishmen -would always be foremost in the battle for Civil and Beligious iiberty . The sentiment was given -with all the Bsual honours .

      Mr . oxkj ^ ror here , took leave anua thandera of applause . - The Crxtbluxs then gave " A spe * dy releise to Frost , Williams , Janes , and Ellis , and all polittcsl aBd religious victim 3 , and called on Mi . Buffy K = dic ? to retpond . Mr . bitptt BroxsT raid he woald fcat ocwpy one inoiaen ! : in xeqnaBUsg their condolence for fluacwho were drawiag out a miserable existence in a foreign land . When they koked at that noble martyr Frost ;

      when they heard he was ¦ " never" to retwm to his native lsaid , ^ wasVbere one "who would not sympathize With Mai ? was there one in that ??*?* , who -jponld jest » t 5 ESed un ^ a Sitt " never ]] " " » as letncled by the ifctera of Fiwt and his compatriot to the land of their birth ? iCheos . ) The seand of those chbere he trusted wcmia be eairied across the -waters , and sJford surae H .-ie coagolation to thote noble martyrs who had saari-S »< 1 tb ^ r own liberty In endtavouriEg to gain their eounVrj's . fLcud cheers . ) The aeatJmem -sna dasiin

      Toe CHA 1 RKA 5 Uien g » v»— » Saceess to Mils asd all other Democratic Halls , and thaftks to those who have sided as by their dooatiom . " Mr . MATSiKD Tesponded . He wosM not detain Biem km * , but conld »« t let this opportBnity -pass wttbout ttmniing those -who had aautod them by their contributions and otherwise : and thomghhe could not give the reason why some of those who had engaged to be present were absent , he hoped a y some future tame they would explain the reason * for that absence Be hoped the noc-attendance of tbeiLP . * * would not deter th * - ™ from their onwara eoorae ; but tbit ' vhey would rely on their own exertions ; and then-they might not only finish this Hall but build twenty more . Alderman Humphrey ' s cleik had hinted that be t Alderman H . ) had been deceived , and thought the Hall was &Hj-tar " educational purposes . " Thai vat not correct The Aldenntn knew very well ik was forDamoeatk purposes—lche « rs ) .

      A Tote of thsnlcr ^ U ^ Chairman vras carried , and Uifih * ll eonuaedowl oader Mi . Knighton « ma » Uf e ! Bi » oeremoBia . The ^ wicer t was gives in an adjoin-\ p d lf ]» ng -ynfT P- * T ? H » * ?< tf < yt ^ nmgDt * 'ware kept « p with tpjrit aad food ! hsXDtktt to a lato hoar . 1 >^^ HW&

      Untitled Article

      THE ADDRESS OP THE SOUTH LANCASHIRE DELEGATES TO THE CHARTISTS OF THAT DISTRICT . Bb-othkb . Democrats , —It is with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret that -we once mere address yon . We feel pleasure at thB proud position we ocenpy as an BSBosiation of men combined together for the high acd holy purpese of combating tyranny in all its varied forms , and thereby showing to the -world that -we are actuated by a pare » piiit rf pbilantfaropy aaa patriotism ; pioviDg , incontestably , that ^ e have no ot ^ er object in Tiiw but the emancipation of ourselves and fellow-countrymen from the thraldom under which -we and they have so long suffered . But we regret the apathy manifested by the various localities in not sending delegates to the County Council , -whose deliberatiens have hitherto given a tone to the Chartist movement throughout the empire .

      Brethren , it is not unknown to you that this district has been long looked to by the Chartists of England as the best organ ' zrd and efficient in tbe movement . But Xancsshire—the renowned Emporium of Di .-moeraey—has of late bien apathetic in the causa . We ask bow this is ? There must be some cause . Formerly the excuse -was thai -we were without a governing head or Executive Council ; such is not tbe case now ; therefore , there most be seme other reason for apathy and neglect We implore you to shake eff this disgraceful inactivity , and arouse yourselves to a sense of your duty;—that by your united exertions South Lancashire may again assume its proper st&sdicg is the great movement for a nation ' s freedom .

      Brethren , the tazk of addressing you on this important zubj&ct has so often falien to our lot , that anything we « an advance , by way of appealing to your love of country , -would be little more tbau useless repetition . Onz business vriih you now is to point but the necessity of having your Delegates prtstnt at the County Conference , in order to adopt some measure to secure that object vrhlch has cost us so much labour , money , and suffering to carry to its present Btate , and endeavour to make our association what it ought to be—a truly national one .

      Brethren , " Commg events cast their shadows before ; " and if tvei there was a time that required the lovers of freedom to be on the alert—this is the time . When we look around and take cognizance of what is passing io the political -world , we behold a felood-thirsty and liberty-destroying Government endeavouring to take away tbe dearest rights of the British subject—the right to petition , by putting a Btcp to the expression of public opinion in cur sister country . Is this a time for us U > be asleep ? Knew -we not that if they succeed in putting a stop to the Rtpeal Agitation in Ireland , that it will be our turn next T It therefore behoves us to be prepared for the worst , and be in a position to render assistance to oar Irish brethren in this their time of need ; alse to look to our . own Interests .

      Brethren , in conclusion , it is our particular desire that tacb locality will choose a delegate te attend the Si / nth Lancashire Conference , to be holden is Bolton on Sunday , the 31 Jt of Dacenibrr , at ten o ' clock in tbe fcrcn- > on ; -when -we trust this call will te responded to in a manner -worthy of the men of Lancashire , and that each locality will not fail to instruct their representatives as to -what course they would deem it advisable to pursue , in order to cany out the views of the Executive Council as regards the sending oat of mission aries to Egitate the country .

      The cause is worthy or your every energy . The Btako we play for is the emancipation of out beloved country from tha galling letters of a merciless oligarchy—the cold-blooded and grasping avarice of the Smokeocracy ; and the blighting iiifluence of a plethoric and intolerant pHest&ood . And as it is the intention of the Executive to divide South Lancashire into two districts—viz , the Manchester and Liverpool districts , it is indispensably necessary that this Conference be attended by at least one delegate from each locality , in order that the districts m-y be framed in the most compact manner , and also the machinery prepared for the working of them with harmony and benefit to the cause of justice against ir justice , and of right against might . Trusting that this call will be responded to in a manner worthy of so good a cause ,

      We are , Brethren , in bonds , Youis , in tbe cause of national redemption , C Filajatrick , J . Asbton , T . Butterworth , D . Donovan , W . Divise , Or . Marsden , J . Grime , J . Nuttall , Q . Johnson , J- Simpson . & Taylor . C . Tat £ ob , President . William Dixoh , Secretary

      File Tfoeteeriy Staji Saturday, December 16, 1843.

      filE tfOETEERiy STAJi SATURDAY , DECEMBER 16 , 1843 .

      Untitled Article

      THE PAST AND PRESENT .

      CORRTJPIION » . REFORM . Is we compare the prodigious improvements that have taken place within the last half century in the arts , the sciences , and all the means bj which the slow process of manual labour has been compelled to yield to the present subject of an almost magical production , with the cautions , Blow and niggardly improvement , —if indeed any has taken place , —in the le ^ islaiigB * hurhich- * lono - » 11 *!»••» ?•¦• ohangeB , J limps , and improvements should have been made nationally , Instead of sectionally beneficial , we shall

      at once arrive at the real cause , not only of the prevailing distress , bnt of the universally felt and tbe generally and fearlessly declared contempt for existing institutions . The Reform Bill promised to be , and ought to have been , tbe medium through which all those great changes should have been made national benefits . The Reformers complained that toe whole government of the country being confined to a few lordly and aristocratic patrons , rendered it impossible for the friends of tho people to make head against their sway in the House of

      Commons . They asked tbe people to join in a revolution against tbe eyatem of patronage government , in order that the institutions of the COnntry , being placed under vigilant popular controul , might thereby be made the means of conferring upon all a fair and equitable share of those improvements to a participation in which all were admitted to be entitled . Patronage then -was the monster evil complained of ; and to destroy the monster was tbe object to which tbe moral and physical energy of the working classes was directed . That they did destroy one description of patronage , —that which placed a large portion of representation in the handB of the few , —

      we admit ; -while we BhaH row canvass tbe value of tbe change to the nation at large . In the olden times , if a borough had its patron , with him rested the Bole power consequent upon the monopoly : and thus we may estimate the number of individual patrons at from three to four hundred : while tbe effect of tbe Reform Bill , by which tbe power of patronage was to be destroyed , baa been to create legions of corrnpiioniBtB from the ashes of each indi-ridaal patron that has been destroyed . Hence we . find expenses and local taxes , local abuse ? , local bludgeon ^ local jnstices , local town conncils , and local borough Parliamentary in £ uence 3 , as the result of the single destruction of the old Tory Corporate Monopoly .

      These normal instttntions were ibeme&M by which Jbe Whigs hoped to work tbe small wheels of Government ; the power by which the greater ones were to be kept in motion . As with boroughs , so it was with comities . There , too , the patronage of an individual being deatroyed , tbe triumphant party wera compelled to have recourse to a division of corruption za a means of preserving their influence against their beaten bnt still influential opponents . A similar system of multiplying patronage and c « rrupiion , so that a political ascendancy might bo seeured , wa 3 the cause of the French Revolution . When tha French showed tbe first symptoms of revolt , no European Prince stood higher in popular esteem than the reigning monarch ; but so arif « Uy

      had the aristocraey of that d » y secured to themselves a monopoly of the government of the country , thai France presented the anomaly of a popelar , or rather inoffensive king , and a people infuriated and driven to revolution against the institutions of the eoantry . Sueb is precisely tbe situation of the Queen of England , amid tbe generally prevailing contempt for all existing institutions . She travels through the country enthusiastically welcomed by all who are allowed to see her : while even & majority of the iavpared spectators openly express their contempt for her Ministers and the institutions of the country . ThuB tbe anomaly that presenteditBelf at the close of tbe eighteenth century in France is now quickly aianifesting itself in England , —that of a popular monarch and unpopular iasiitaiions .

      in like manner , if we turn to Ireland we find that the Reform Bill , which was hailed in that conntry as the means of destroying patronage , has bd to saeh an extension of local corruption that the Irish people we bow as mnch arrayed against the

      Untitled Article

      power assumed by those new patrons , rendered necessary for the insurance of Whig ascendancy , as they were against old abnaes , which althoogb pushed more prominently forward , yet by no means constituted an equal ground of complaint . We do not strain the point when we assert that this system of transfer from individuals to Clubs , has had the effeot of giving us more than one hundred greedy patrons for every gorged one against whose power tbe Reformers waged their war . Add to this multiplication of tyranny the fact that the old 'Squire or tbo old Peer was not omnipresent ; and if he had

      the inclination , bad not the power of working very general evil ; while , having no interest in the depression of wages as a Magistrate and a Legislator , although politically arrayed against the political rights of the people , he at least administered justice between the employer and the employed . He was satisfied with such honours and distinctions as the Sovereign , through bis ministers , was willing to confer upon him for the political support given to ¦ his party . A garter or a ribbon , although expensive baubles to himself , and although insignias of bis own weakness and folly , cost the working classes nothing . He contended for a bisbopriek ,

      for a ship , for a regiment , or for a commissionership for bis family : but ; as long as we are blesRed with bishops , regiments , ships , and commissions , the appointment was comparatively unimportant to the working classes . He shared the amount of patronage , which undsr the established system 0 ' corruption , was necessary to preserve ministeria harmony and party ascendancy ; and be shared no more . In truth , it was enough ; but we are showing * that it was patronage that was to be destroyed by Reform : and that the patronage substituted for the same purposes is of a more extensive , expensive , and destructive character .

      The Clubg of patrons are omnipresent . They have a direct and a continuous interest , not only in resisting the people ' s demands for political rights , but in the destruction of their every social enjoyment . True , their ambition does not as yet lead them to aspire to a cross , a garter , or a ribbon ; but it does lead them to hopes and aspirations , the realization of which are much more expensive to those over whom they exeroiBe their newly acquired power . As employers they establish the rate of wages ; as magistrates they punish for resistance to their own

      decrees ; as corporations they have increased the taxes npon the people , in many instances three-fold , and without conferring a particle of benefit upon the unprotected portion of the tax-payers . They do not contend against any single practical abuse which the Reform Bill promised to destroy , but which has been [ allowed to continue ; while they would still inflame the national mind for tbe purpose of conferring upon themselves increased powers , although we have shewn that their substitution for the olden enemy has been the means of multiplying , instead of destroying , corruption , distress and grievance .

      The general efFect of the Reform Bill has been to create two active enemies against tbe working classes ; while each party now possesses a certain description ; of power , equally hostile to the rights of the people . The Tories have the distribution of all that remains after paying the expences of the country ; whilst the Clubs , however constituted , whether of Whigs or Tories , have the power to raiBe , in their corporate capacity , a larger amount of money than the whole revenue enforced by the Government amounts to . Not only do they thus more extravagantly tax tbe people , but they

      furthermore use : the funds so acquired for the purpose of increasing their own power , and of destroying that of tbe people . Moreover , the most deadly result of this transfer of power , has been to bring every act of tbe unrepresented working classes more immediately under the watchful eye and powerful arm of the class immediately above them , and who have the greatest interest in oppressing them . This extension of corruption and these increased powers vested in the hands of the newly created Cluba , has had the further tendency of so balancing the two contending factions , that henceforth their title to

      power must rather depend npon their means and capability of extending patronage , than their desire or ability to reform the . institutions of the country . Under these circumstances It is to the vigilance , the union , and the nnit ** ' « . *; -- - * ?» - «» « i >» »»» ro surrered from the extension of corruption , as a means of carrying on political warfare , that we must look for the destruction of that power by which this donble evil has been achieved . And much as tbe two satisfied parties may deride the attempts of the now wholly Ehorn and unenfranchised people ; and however new and

      stronger causes may hare arisen to induce a union of Whig and Tory against the rights of labour ; we tell them that so general , bo odious , and so extensive has their corruption become , that like a foul disease it must ultimately destroy them , although there was no TiBible opposition from the Chartist body . That opposition , however , from the causes we have stated , is daily and hourly gaining strength , not more from the sternness of our party , than from the dissatisfaction beginning to manifest itself , not only against the acts of the political Minister , but also against the ornelty , the tyranny , and oppression of our local and irresponsible rulers .

      These facts clearly prove that any change produced by the middle classes will be merely with a view to extend patronage to their own ranks ; and that the people have nothing to hope from—nothing to expect benefit from—nothing to rely upon protection from , but their own Charter , which will destroy expensive and unnecessary patronage , by throwing the Government of the country into the hands that pay for its support .

      Untitled Article

      THE COLLIERS . A MOST FOUL AND DAMNABLE CASE . Wj refer our readers to a copious report given in another place of proceedings whioh took place before the Durham Magistrates , in connexion with tbe present differences between the Co&l King Tyrants and their worse than slaves . Befcre we enter into any consideration of the merits of this case , we shall offer a brief observation or two npon the imperious , the insolent , and amthoritative manner in wbich the worthy chairman of the Bench dealt with tke proposed question of compromise . As a matter of course the tyrants being

      the complainants , any compromise that took place could not have saved them from Magisterial punishraent or the law ' s Tengeanee ; as being snbjeot to neither , they did not Btand in diead of either . No matter bow the stinging truths forced from a reluctant accuser may have placed the prosecutors in the wrong ; io matter though the bond be illega ' , and enforces penalties from which a eonrt of law wonld release the bondsmen ; no Matter thoHgh the conditions , one-sided as they are , have been violated by the wealthy contractors ; no matter though tke implied contract and the legal contract has been violated ; no matter though it has been admitted by the chief oath-wan oi tbe Coal Kings , that it was but just possible for agosd

      workman to earn an existence , if the oonutions of tho bond were enforced ; no matter although those Vf ho have tried it , swear that it is not possible to earn an existence ; no matter although thousands of boneBt hard-working Englishmen are prepared to swear that they prefer the prison , with all its horrible diseases , to the , bond with its still more horrible inflictions : no matter all this : neither one , nor all , of these coBsideratiouB neighed with the village Dogberries , who tendered aid to the tyrant masters to enforce a reluctant compromise from the men , under threat of victimising them to that state of " turbulence " which exists only in their own brains , and which can be brought about only by the denial of justice . After hearing the case , the Chairman spoke thus : —

      "After bojiib further discussion , in whieh some warmth was shown , and angry expressions exchanged between the Bench and Mr . Roberto , and propositions of adjournment and of

      Untitled Article

      agreement between the masters and men were made , the case was ultimately adjourned till Friday , at ten o ' clock , in order to give time for the parties to come to some arrangements or t » proceed with the case ; the Chairman at the same time declaring , that in a case like this , where large bodies of men were banded together in defiance of the law and of the peace of the distriot , and after what had come out in the case , the Magistrates would still not hold themselves bound by any compromise which the parties might come to . " " Open defiance of the law" indeed ! " danger to the public peace "; and all " proved by

      what bad transpired during the hearing of the case" ! Yes , yes ; we admit that facts strongly urging to such anticipations and convictions did transpire : but then the masters are the law breakers , and from their tyranny only can any breach of the peace arise . What ! "danger to the peace" from men , who declare that they are ready to go to prison ? The " illegality" of men who ask for compliance with tbe provisions of an Aot of Parliament ! The " turbulence" of a body , the members of

      which , —as a ^ man skilled in oppression says , —may possiblt earn a livelihood ! and yet the viewer who swears it arrives unmolested , swoars without dread , and retires without molestation ! Pooh ! pooh ! The whole thing is nonsense ; foolish nonsense ; ignorant nonsense ; insolent nonsense ; nonsense , however , whioh is pre-eminently calculated to bring about those eoences of disorder and turbulence which tha men dressed ia a little brief authority thus hope to ( check by taking time by the forelock and the law by surprize .

      We will now examine the case a little more in detail , commencing with tbe justices . Prior to entering npon the hearing of the case , "Mr . Roberts applied to the Bench for summonses against a viewer to answer Why he had not paid Luke Shaw and another , 26 s . a fortnight , to whioh they were entitled under the bond , because they had refused to work npon a rope which they considered to be unsafe , " To this application , made in the very nick of time ; made at the very proper time ; nay , made at the only time when it should have been made , the dispensers of justice eay" that they have met for an

      espeoial purpose and cannot therefore comply with the application . " Thus the case opens with evil forebodings for the men ; while we think we do not ask our readers to strain . their powers of credulity by joining with us in believing that if a similar appeal had been made upon behalf of the masters , the special proceedings which they had met to enter upon , would have been delayed for that then more important purpose . However , under such auspices the proceedings commence . Mr . Marshall opens tbe case , and calls one Ueccleb , a viewer , to substantiate his several allegations ; and it is therefore with this man ' s evidence that we have most to do—that the magistrates ought to have most , to do , and upon which public opinion

      will be unhesitatingly and unanimously expressed . Should any charge of intemperance , turbulence , or violence be made against the colliers arising out of tho present disagreement with their masters , let the evidence , the direct testimony , of Heccles be read . Not the damning barefaced crimes , tbe commission of whioh was dragged from him by the able and searching cross-examination of Mr , Roberts ; but let his own testimony , pourtraying the constant practice of tyranny pursued by the masters and their subordinates ; let that be read , and every unbiassed man who reads it will arrive at the same conclusion as Mr . Robebts , that the masters should have been in the dock and the men in tbe witness box .

      Let us select , though it is a disgusting duty , some of the scabs from this rotten evidence . " / do not know that anp man has been fined £ 1 2 « . 6 d . for two rifles ; bui I don ' t doubt it . I believe men have been fined 8 s . 7 s ., 6 * ., 5 s ., 4 s ., and 3 s . for a day . That declaration has not been made yet , though it is intended to be . " What does the reader think 0 ( that open , that barefaced , and unblushing confession ! In an English Court of Justice , and in the Cathedral iCity of Durham , too ! Why , if Justice bad not fled the land , and if the Conservators of tbe public peace had done their duty .

      and if the witness had received his due , theJUStioes would have ordered him to be tied to the cart tail and whipped round the Market-place . What ! oora tbroo obUiiutfB S'day , nn 6 out of that pay 11 s ., 8 s ., 7 s ., « d ., 5 a ., 4 a ., or 33 ,, for fines ! Strange arithmetical prooess . O , for such a Chancellor to manage our Exchequer ! The witness goes on to let out more of the pit secrets . The men are accused of a specific crime ; the whole transactions connected with whioh , should any be of a mitigating , exculpatory , or even useable character cannot , however , be divulged until after judgment apd execution : for

      the oath-man ewears : " We make the deductions only when the wages become due , when the fines are increased . I think some of the men have been fined , but I cannot speak positively . I think they have been finedyfor being absent on the day laid in the warrant . We have not fined them for that absence . They were brought up on the 2 ilh oj November , and they * ere not fined for that day . THE PAYMENTS FOR THAT DAY ARE NOT DUE TILL TO-MORROW . " Now the inference , the

      only inference , that can be drawn from this portion of the evidence is this : that if theoase had been adjudicated upon at the then sitting of the magistrates , a judgment of the Court would not have been final ; for the caso would still have boon pending , as far as the equity of it was concerned ; inasmuch , as the men could not know their fate until the following day ; and could not , therefore , urge the further fines and stoppage of wages , for acts previously committed , either in extenuation or in vindication .

      We trust that should the Irish Attobney-Gbnbral requires precedents to prove the practice of English Courts of Law , that he will refer the Irish Queen ' s Justices , to the case of the Durham Coal King Justices ; and they will be found strictly analogous . The copy of the caption may bo had by Mr . O'CojiNELL and the other Irish traversers when they have been committed to gaol ; or perhaps , as

      " with death envy ceases , " the mild and religious Irish Attornet-General may order a list of his murderers to be interred with tbe lamented Mr . Tyerell . So precisely with the Colliers . They might have been consigned to gaol on Thursday ; and on Friday , fines of which they could not com * plain might have been levied upon them , and abstracted from their little earnings , while they were ekeing out their time in a dungeon .

      Here follows another portion of the evidence of the oath-man : — "If ( he bond be put into fu II operation it is PricSiBLE / or average men to make a living out of it , provided the men do their duty . " This is not the evidence as reported by ouu " tools . " It is taken from the report of tbo masters "tool" and therefore cannot be supposed to be coloured against them . No matter by whom it has been written , it has been sworn , and that too by a viewer . Let it be read by every honeBt Colliery-man in England . Let each say to himself— " What , then , does our very existence depend apon a mere possibility *

      And aro wo for ever to strain < rar eyes—to work our every limb—to distort our body—breathe a loathsome air—liable to casualties against whieh we cannot defend ourselves—entombed in the bowels of the eaith— our sufferings ehufc out from human eye , while the produoe of our labour ministers to the comfort of ill ; and yet to be told that , by a bond bearing 1 the mark , but not the signature , of men to whom it may have been fallaciously read , that our very existence depends upon a bare possibility , and

      that possibility a remote one , depending upon tbe softening of adamantine hearts V For oui selves , we say—Perish the bond ! perish the obligation ! tear the inhuman , the tyrannical , the life-destroy ing document in little atoms i givo it to the " wild winds of heaven" J and should one perceptible fragment of the unholy bellish contract meet the earth , let it be trampled upon and buried , in the hope that with it all recollection of such , glavftry may perish , and for ever ! If a testator annexes harsher even uncomfortable conditions to a . ibequest , a c xt of [ equity will re-

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      lease the legatee from the performance of those conditions ; and with these bonds , thus stamped as Jew bonda demanding the " ponnd / of flesb / ' let Mr . Roberts , 1 the able adviser of the Colliers , go forthwith into the Coart of Queen ' s Bench ; and upon the evidence ofj Hecglks , and upon tbo face of the blood-stained instrument , let'tbe world , through the press , know the hardships which those who warm us are subjected to . This will be the way to nave a hearing out of the Durham court . This will be the mode of giving it publicity , which will be all that it requiresj to give it its death blow . In order , however , to show that the oath-man is only the executioner off tbe tyrant ' s will , we submit the following passage from his testimony : —

      "Mr . Thomas Wood is my employer * and he sanctions these proceedings . ' * [ MR . WOOD WAS PRESENT , AND ADMITTED THAT THE WHOLE OF THE OWNERS SANCl'IONED THE

      PROCEEDINGS . " ] Upon this portion of the ' testimony , we will not , because we dare not , offer a single comment , further than if Mr . Wood had his dae , he would be placed in the stocks , and pelted with rotten eggs , for daring to make each an admission in an English Court of Justice , No wonder that » gentleman of pride and feeling should have replied with , warmth , as Mr . Roberts did ! And no wonder that the whole crow—bench and all , should have mutinied against this honest man ' a honest denunciation of such heartless and cold-blooded villany .

      As of course the whole case will be read , and read with peculiar { interest , we dismiss the evidence of the principal oath-man with a laugh at that part of his testimonyjin wbich he swears that the alteration in the beam was made " to get a greater quantity of coal for the money paid . ' * We can ' t say that tbe oathman did not believe this ; for that would be to charge him with perjury . * but we may say that so far from believing one word of ifc , wo would lay a

      round wager that Mr . Wood has put thousands : upon thousands of money into his pocket by urjust , weights and measures . How laughable to suppose i for one moment that a Coal King would pay for more coals than ! were produced ! If , however , the same beam which was imperfect , weighed the coals for the men , and ] the coals for the purchasers , we trust that e-veryi purchaser will use the oath-man ' s evidence in an action against Wood and Co ., for deficient weights and measures !

      We shall give j a few extracts now from tbe case for tbe defendants gathered from the able and eloquent address of their advocate , Mr . Robebts . Before opening the legal portion of his case , be makes tbe following observation , which teaches us tha mode uniformly practiced by the jnstices in such oases . He says : | " But in every ease in which he had appeared ^ except in one case at Gateshead , the prisoners had been committed to gaol . Waa it always to be imprisonment , imprisonment , imprisonment , as if the men were all criminals , and the masters all angels ! The complaint in thiB case waB

      against the roasters , and in favour of the men . He said that in this tease tbe masters bad proved themselves criminal in the eyes of the law , and in fact ; and that ! if jnstice was done to them , they would find themselves within tbe walls of that prison to which they were so eager to send their fellow-men . " That ' s the way—that ' s the only way to speak to the clood-blooded ruffians . That ' s the great ] value of Mr . Robebts to the Colliers' Movement . ) Tbe Masters' cannot buy . him off ; they cannot eat him off ; drink him off ; or frighten him off : while , from his very nature , he

      himself cannot separate the feelings of the man from the duties of the [ advocate . Let it be observed , that this picture is drawn by the professional man who has attended all the oases , and drawn for those who bad been parties in all tbe cases , and it stands uncontradioted . But to come to his legal defence for his clients . He ( states three grounds : "That ihe agreement urns unstamped and inCQTTCGt ; that the men could not under the bond gain a livelihood ; and that the wages were not paid to the men as guaran

      teed by the bond at ihe time when they were called on to answer . " Those are the three points upon which Mr . Robems relies : the first and third being legal points ; and the { second a condition from which a Court of "Rqaitx Would relieve the contracting parties . We would ! also direct Mr . Roberts ' s attention to the fact , that only one of the partners appears to have signed the bond on behalf of the masters ; and , furthermore ; that it merely bears the marks , and not the names of the men .

      As Mr . Roberts' speech will amply pay for perusal , we now leave the case as far as the law is concerned , and turn to the consideration of the-duties which the circumstances impose upon the Colliers . They have placed Mr . Roberts in a situation of great responsibility and not a little danger ; and it becomes our duty to speak of him as we gather bis character from the press , added to oar own knowledge of him . While then we should feel as he feels , and fearlessly give expression to those feelings , it should be understood that when he speaks of the men " preferring si strike to the longer endurance of those tyrants to which they are subjected , " that those to whom bis words expressed under such circumstances are carried , are not therefore to imply

      that Mr . Roberts ' either directly or indirectly , has recommended or given his sanction to a strike . ' On the contrary , he is speaking hypothetical ^ ; and uses the expression { merely as a caution to the magistrates , and as au hereafter justification for bia clients , if they should be driven to the alternative . In this view and no other are his just censures and manly denunciations to be taken ; while upon the other hand the eagerness of the masters to push matters to an issue , should operate as a caution to the men , and tell them that a strike now , would be a master ' s strike to serve the master's purposes ; a strike , wbioh as announced in the letter of Dixon , and previous notices in the Start has been concocted by the masters themselves .

      The existing union of the Colliers , if judicially managed , may be made the most powerful auxiliary ever yet developed ! in this country on behalf of labour ; while , If- } frustrated by the machinations of open foe -or secret friend , it may be made labour ' s grays . Independently , therefore , of our strong sympathy for the Colliers themselves , we attach a general importance to their proceedings .

      Theirs is work which cannot be efficiently performed by "knobsticks . " The pickaxe trembles in the hand of the nerveless operative . The atmosphere is certain death to those who have been &Ccustomed to the feverish heat of a rattle-box . Let the Colliera , therefore , take care that ihe "Supply " bears some proportion to ihe " Demand , " &ad , in the spirit of " Free Trade" and Political Ewnomy , LET THEM NOT 10 DRUO IHE MAHE . BT WITH THBIB

      PflODUCB AS TO ENSURE A DIMJHOTI 9 K Itt THKR wages . -With a gojodkead , such as they have , todirect their nnitedj body , they have nothing to fear ; and therefore , that all may move in unison and harmony , let the body consult tbo head . If . it ia possible , th « power of wealth will be arrayed against the power tfj febour ; while the experiments now being partially mad ^ are merely for tbe purpose of testing the spirit , the ability , and union of the Colliers . We trust , therefore , tkat the B « pport of those who have been driven by the masters into a strike will become the duty of those whose very existence depends ijton the success or failure of those who have been driven from labour . The

      winter has hitherto been mild ; bat a fall of eaow , or a ling frost would open the eyes of the tyrants to the value of their slaves . So raccesBful has the Colliers union hitherto been , that the Tailors , inspired by a like energy , axe about Adopting Bimilar means for the protection of their body . These signs are evident symptoms of the Resuscitation of Trades Unions , in a more extensive form , and under more practical management than they Have hitherto been conducted ; and therefore the Unionists must anticipate a corresponding inor | ease of vigour on the part of their opponents . "To be forewarned is to be forearmed . " W © hare means of learning tbe arrange *

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      ments and machinations lot the masters which tho men have not ; and those we have never kept BecreJ from them . We trust that tbe forthcoming Colliers delegate meeting in Manchester , wiU be well attended and . that the'proceedings concerning which we now xnlte , together with all others thai ; may occur in tha meantime , will be taken into the serious considera tion of the assembled delegates ; and that none will be appointed to that high and important office excep t those in whose judgment and honour the whole body , to whom they are known , have entire

      confidence . Again ? we say ,-be cautious ; be prudent ; bo forbearing even in the midst of oppression which it may be virtue to bear as a means of final correction . The fault of the working classes ever has been that they have confided the management of their affairs to mere r « d-tape-and-parchment attornies , whom the masters found no difficulty in seducing from the interest of their clients . In the integrity , the honour , and the manliness of Mr . Roberts however rests their security and their reliance ; while without becoming obedience io his instructions even his services would be fruitless and impossible . -----

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      , - _ .. -. - - nni .-. nfrii ^^^ rj r j - - - THE BELFIELD FACTORY MONSTERS . In tbe Second Edition of out last week's paper we gave tbe particulars of the crowning aot of Factory-Lord-tyranny that bad ever come under our observation ; an act , which for malignity and pure divilism was never yet surpassed . When concluding our remarks we expressed a hope that some kind friend or other in Rochdale would furnish us with the after-proceedings . That wish has been well gratified . ¦ A gentleman connected with Middleion ; one conversant with ^ the whob facts of the case , has kindly communicated with as , and enabled us to lay before the public the additional facts that time has brought to light .

      We must premise that our informant is not a "Chartist . " We believe that he does not countenance the principles advocated by theNorthern Stat » But he knows and feelB that gross injustice has been meeted out to an honest and deserving man ; and he has seen that we have appealed to the public against the tyranny practiced upon the MONSTER'S victim ; and be has with alacrity and kindness furnished us with the additional particulars . We beg of him to accept our best thauks . The following paragraph , " set up" for another part of the paper , is from his pen . We give it here , that the reader may have it more prominently before him ; and judge of the importance we attach to the

      case : — K . OCHDALE . —The Hard Case Again . —In our last , we gave an account of an bard case which had occurred in the neighbourhood of Rochdale , and which was copied from the Manchester Guardian of December 6 th . A correspondent who has been present every time it has been brought before tbe Rochdale Bench , and who is also well acquainted with tbe whole of the case has furnished us with the following additional particulars , viz .: —At the Rochdale Petty Sessions , on Monday last , the 11 th inst ., before Messrs . Clements , Royds , Wm . Chadwick , and the Rev . Mr . Cotton , magistrates , and a crowded court , Mr . Chadwiek , one of the

      magistrates , asked Mr . Hunt , solicitor , how he had gone on with the Haslingden magistrates respecting the hard case of Joseph Taylor , weaver , Middleton , Mr . Hunt said be went to Haslingden and Rosseadale , on Tuesday last , to Mr . Booth , the inspector appointed under the Worsted Act , who , he found , was tbe acting constable in the execution of tbe warrant against Taylor . From him he demanded ( as Taylor's solicitor , ) a copy of the warrant , and was refused ; and , from bis refusal and after conduct , he found he was a partizan to the complaining party , Messrs . Benecke and Co ., of Belfield , one mile from Rochdale . He was then necessitated to apply to the Governor of the Gaol

      of Salford , for a copy of the conviction , from which be found the sole charge against Taylor , is not as stated in our last , for embezzling tbe work he bad in tbe loom , which had been stated by John Hudson , alias Hargreaves , putter-out for the above firm , on the Monday previous ; but it was worse than that ; it wasfor not bringingin hiswork , after notice so to do , and which he had been prevented from doing , because the putterHntt had refused either to allow ot sell him any weft ; and it was stated by two witnesses that he had declared he would punish him if he purchased from any other person . Mr . Hunt replied that he should meet in Rochdale that day with Mr . Turner , one of the committing magistrates . Mr .

      Hunt did meet with Mr . Turner on Monday afternoon ; and our correspondent waited on Mr . Huat ) and he told him he had explained to Mr . Turner all the facts of the case , dwelling upon the refusal of the masters' putter-oat io supply the poor man with more worsted or weft , though he bad offered to pay for it , and consequently it was impossible for him to take in the work which the masters were preventing him from completing * and yet they had sent him to prison . Mr . Hunt replied that Mr . Turner appeared to take the matter into his serious consideration , and promised to confer with the Rev . William Gray , his brother magistrate , on the day following . We understand that if the

      HasJingden Beach refuse to liberate him , the respectable inhabitants of both Rochdale and Middleton will lay the whole of the proceedings before the Secretary of State . Black as it appeared in our paper on Saturday , it was much underrated . Taylor is » silk-weaver and a florist , or small gardener ; and he has maintained his seven children , and as aged mother , by his weaving and gelling plants , &c , without , ever troubling the parish for relief . Ob Friday last it was found by some neighbours that his aged mother and children were without food s however ^ poor as the neighbours are , they got tEem assistance , and applied to ihe overseer , who instantly gave them relief ; tbe Rev . R . Durnford has also

      been kind t « the children . It is well known that silk-weaving is the principal trade at Middleton * and at this time the weavers have not half employment , and hundreds are destitute . Had it BOfc been for Taylor ' s industry , in his buying and selling plants occasionally , no doubt but be would have been obliged , long ago , to have bad parish relief Persons who know him declare that be was always a very quiet , harmless , sober , honest , and industrious man . The two cuts were arbitrated on , and the Rochdale Bench ordered payment a few weeks ago , whieh

      was 7 s . 6 d ., he having travelled backwards and forwards—that isj from Middleton to Belfield , the residence of bis employers , upwards of 140 miles , before be was able to get his wages . There is no doubt but tho putter-out , or his masters * or some person , has taken advantage ( . if so it may be called ) , in consequence of the Rochdale Bench ordering payment of the wages . Many persons have promised to subscribe , in order to bring the guilty party to justice ; and Mr . Hunt says he shall bring the inspector of worsted to justice for bis conduct towards him .

      One thing strikes us as rather queer about this business . The Manchester Guardian , from whose pages we extracted the original " case , " had , oa Wednesday , no further " particulars" respecting ; it . He has . not given the proceedings before the Rochdale magistrates on Monday last . Those proceedings were somewhat important . The " case" has made some noise in Rochdale . He did report it at first : howeamehe to omit the " furtker particulars , " so

      very interesting to the public ! Has he " put hfe foot in it , " by reporting the " case"at all I Was bo in the wrong box , sxposino , instead of defending , the gross oppressions of the Factory Kings I Is thia the cause of his silence ! Has the hint been given him , or bis keen-s « ented nose apprised hitn , that he waa not backing-up his friends" ! Whatever Jnaj have been the oaute , certain it is that he it now silent , as far as the wrongfully-oppressed weaver is concerned .

      But if he is silent with respect to the man , aot 80 witK respect to the masters . Though he ean » t / BKB the proceedings below the Rochdale Bench on Monday last , he o « n give fhe MONSTERS " explanatroa"intat following terms : — To m Editor ofm Manchester Guardian . SlRy—In reply to an article inserted in yoni Iart Wednesday ' s Goardioa , and headed " Haid Cksej" «• beg to state , that Joseph Taylor having neglected to briag in his work , ow patter-onV without any dire * tiooBfrom tu , placed the « ase in theiandg of thefa ^ specter appointed by the wonted committee , who , aft « having given Taylor tne notice required ,

      blawapprey , hended , him and took him before ihe magistrates at Haslingden ; but we were not aware either of aay warrant being out igainst hfin , or of hi * being takento Haslingden , antU the day following the coiiunitineiit Wealao beg to state , that our pntt « r-6 ut positively assures us that he never did refuse to sell Taylor ireft , to order to enable him to oemplete hla pieces , and ot which ke would net bate been abort , had he not spotted two former pieces . Oh the other hand , we are infonnw * and believe he was urgea by the inspector to ^ fetch tto weft and complete his work , and that the inspector alw informed him that if he would go for the weft he wooM obtain it

      _ We have enly to add , that on Taylox'a being i&Ieaied from confinement , We snail be glad to have the 0 * fully Investigated . We are , Sir , yoHr obedient servants , Per pro Wm . Benecke and Co . F . T . Phimpp 8 . Belfleld Hall , near Rochdale , 12 th Dec , 1843-

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      A THE N 01 RTHERN STAR . | t-

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Dec. 16, 1843, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1243/page/4/