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Leader (1850-1860), 20th May 1854, Edition 1 of 1, Page 465, Untitled Article

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      from jour ranks hare found men qualified to manage , so long and so well , the affairs of others , are now simply called upon to endeavour , by co-operation , to manage a little for yourselves , by building jour own workshops and factories , and receive the full re-ward of your labour . For these objects be determined to form yourselves into one common Beotherhood , let your spare pence be accumulated into one general fund , and by jour union , economy , sobriety , and industry , you will soon convince the world that jou are Hot the ignorant , degraded beings you have been represented ; but that you nave capabilities , when once brought into action , that will place you in that position which , as the producers of wealth , you are so justly entitled to .

      " After long consideration , we have concluded to establish co-operative mHb as the only permanent plan of elevating the labourer in the social scale ; the necessary funds to be raised in 5 / . shares , by ^ weekly contributions ox 6 d . A deposit of 2 s , 6 d . to be paid on each share . " Bales will be submitted to the shareholders in a few days , and then properly authorised and signed by Tidd Pratt . A large number of shares have been taken up , " The committee meet every Saturday night , at Murphy ' s , Temperance Hotel , to receive deposits and subscriptions , from half-past seven to ten o ' clock . " N . B . —To prevent fraud and dishonesty , every person intrusted with the fnnds and property of the company , must be members of * guarantee society . " At the board meeting of the guardians of the

      Preston Union , held on Tuesday last , the vicar introduced the case of twelve operative spinners and their families , amounting altogether to sixty person * , who had been brought from Scotland by the manager of Mr . Hawkins , one of the Preston manufacturers . Front the statement of these persons it would seem that they were engaged in Scotland to come and work as spinners at the prices paid when the lockout took placts , hut that when they came to treBton Mr . Hawktas said that hue would not pay those prices . Toe vicar said that he had advised , them to work at the reduced , prices rather than incur the difficulty and distress consequent upon , refusing employments but that they told him that they could not . do so , because the fact "was that Mr . Hawkins ' s mules were now

      supplied with hands , and he had hoTacancies for them . Therefore they had no resource , and were ia a state of absolute destitution—of starvation . M * v Addison , the chairman , Said that if Mr . Hawkins had made a bargain : witn them he was hound by it , and they had the power of suing- Mr . Hawkins in a court of law . This -was , in point of fact , recommending a lot of starving and destitute people to pay the fees upon twelve summonses , and then awai t the decision of the County Court Judge as to what constituted an authorised hiringi The board , however ^ concluded to -empower a deputation to wait upon Mr . Hawkins and see him upon the subject ; consenting , at the same time , to afford temporary relief to the applicants . . ' ¦; - ¦ -.- ¦• ,

      The reflections made in your last leading article upon the improvidence of the working classes have been received with a distaste , which is , perhaps , the best testimony ; of their truth . Some facts which hare lately come to my knowledge , in investigating the effects of this strike , afford strong corroborative evidence of the statements there made as to the habits of the factory operatives . I find that in the town of Preston ( not particularly a drunken town ) nearly 400 , 0001 is annually expended in beer and spirits ; excluding , of course , the value of li quors consumed ia private houses , and obtained from the merchants ; with which branch of the traffic , however , the operatives have little or no concern . I find

      also that the strike has made a difference of 1000 / . per week in the receipts of the public-houses in Preston , and . there is very little doubt that this sum would have come mainly , if not altogether , from the pockets of the operatives . Some notion might be gathered from this as to what might be saved for the purposes of a co-operative or any other society . Some of your readers may be curious to know the amount of the moneys subscribed for the relief of the operatives during the whole struggle . The following is an account of the total expenditure of all the committees in Preston , from the commencement down to last Saturday , including expenses of every kind : — Week . Total Amount . Week . Total Amount . £ i . d . £ a . d 1 80 1 3 J 21 » , $ « C 12 4 2 881 6 0 22 8 , 260 15 Oi 8 Ml 17 54 23 3 , 4 , 26 19 6 * * 671 8 84 24 3 . 281 9 9 5 707 12 84 26 3 . 711 9 7 6 1 . 163 15 6 | 26 3 , 572 12 6 * 1 . 317 5 » 27 3 , 502 19 71 8 1 , 684 8 6 28 3 . 054 0 21 » 2 , 621 9 5 i 29 8 . 810 11 81 10 2 , 669 5 74 80 3 . 4 S 0 1 » 3 11 2 , 830 18 3 31 8 , 819 14 0 12 2 , 832 1 24 32 3 , 604 0 5 13 2 , 939 2 7 38 3 . 553 4 10 14 3 , 094 12 04 34 8 , 3 X 7 0 5 15 3 , 089 2 5 86 2 . 808 8 11 ! 8 8 , 109 6 104 30 1 , 810 8 10 17 3 , 218 11 11 37 940 15 0 IS 8 , 253 8 8 V 4 , 012 1 81 07 , » a 0 8 3 J 2 « 8 , 287 5 11 } From the balance-sheets of the week I find that the Weavers' Committee has relieved 30 G 2 hands , and luis expended 306 / . 16 m . 9 d . The Spinners ' Committee relieved U 786 hands , and haa expended 688 / . 17 s . 8 £ d . The Utter have put 13 / . Vie . 2 d . into tho Ino * l > im 9 ttbl 0 J * o *»

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      That was the substantial part of tbe case ;' but ; notwithstanding the efforts of the chairman , who gave way to the appeal of tlie Duke of Newcastle !* Q i , *? tbmg %° on to tDe uJatflfit possible length , Mr . Moore continued to pitas" tW duke as to Us connexion with Irish memlers arid Irish elections , " eliciting nothing but the * a&t that the dukeThad nothing whatever to do with these Irish matters . JKE P l # v v ^ tnCQ * he same kind , bearing bitf what the duke bad said . ., V Another sitting of the committee was held oh Thursday , when Xord Elcho > M . P . for Haddmgfon ? shires , and a ; Lord of the Treasury , appeared qtlEI half of the Government . ¦**> ••••" ' :

      similar place of a permanent nature . The appointment lay properly with Mr . Latxobe , but , as there was no . gentleman in the colony whom he thought himself justified in appointing as sufficiently qualified , he wrote home , begging that the Colonial-office would send out a gentleman whom he might appoint . The Governor ' s letter was received on the , 19 $ jol , of August , 1853 . He ( the Duke of Newcastle ) did not immediately set on foot , a series of inquiries , with a view to finding a properly qualified person to send out , because in such matters it was the custom that the first notice he received-of the existence of

      vacan-THE STONOR COMMITTEE . Tee Committee appointed to ascertain what ground there is for the charge brought by Mr . G . H . Moore of corrupt appointments at the Colonial-office , met last Friday and took the testimony of the Duke of Newcastle . Mr . Moore examined him closely , not to say impertinently . The gist of the story is this ; —A letter was received from the then Governor of "Victoria , M > . Latrobe , on the 19 th of August , 1853 , to the effect that a temporary puisne judge was wanted at 15002 . a-year during bis tenure of office , and that there was a prospect of his receiving a

      cies was from the letters of applicants for them . Be expected the same thing to happen in this case , and waited for applications , but the vacancy having become "known at the commencement of the long vacation , when all the Westminsterrladl gentlernen had gone to the country or the Continent , / end the temporary character of the situation—these two eircunv stances brought it aoout that no applicatioiis were made . He therefore spoke oh the subject ? ta some gentlemen in whom he had confidence , but he Was assured by them "that it would be very difficult to fill

      the vacancy , as there was only a possibility of permanence , dependent on the will of a futtire governor and his executive council Those gentlemea were Mr . Merivale , permanent XJnder-Secretary for the Colonies , a lawyer of great ability and inteUigence , and his private secretary , Mr . Eol > erts , also a lawyer , and a man of great experience , having formerly , held a judicial appointment in the island of Jamaica . The salary was 1500 / . during tenure * andthat at Victoria was only equal to 50 OZ in England , or , at most to 600 ? . or 7002 . About three weeks before the

      receipt of the application from Mr . Stonor an application was received from a S £ r . Chapman , a gentlemen who had held a judicial appointment in New Zealand , and a political one , a secretaryship , in Van Diemen ' s JLand . He ( the Duke of Newcastle )* did not think fit to gve him the place , as he had gathered from Mr . Xiatrobe ' s letter that it would not be advisable to appoint any one already connected with the colony . Mr . Chapman , ' however , had left his family there , and was on his way out to rejoin them , and therefore the uncertainty of permanence did not so much matter to him . Oh the 30 th of November , 1853 , lie ( the Duke of Newcastle } received firomMr .

      Henry Stonor a letter soliciting the appointment , and enclosing testimonials - from the Lord Chief Justice ( ILord Campbell ) , Vice-Chancellor Stuart , Judge and Master Sir George Rose , Mr . Peter Brodie , Mr : James Campbell , Q . C ., Mr . John Measure , and Mr . Richard Griffiths , of Dublin , with whom Mr . Stonor had been much engaged in 1846-7 , and also a reference to Mr . Labouehere , during that period Chief Secretary for Ireland . There was also a printed statement—a small pamphlet — as to the Sligo ( Borough ) Election Committee ' s report . Mr . Sfconor ' a letter and testimonials came to him in the

      usual form—that is to say , after having passed through the hands of Mr . Merivale and Mr . Feel . He glanced over the testimonials and satisfied himself that they were favourable and genuine . The printed statement about the fourth resolution of the Sligo Election Committee was enclosed in an unsealed envelope , tied round with a bit of riband , and attached to the testimonials . He believed it to be one of the testimonials , and passed it over as such at the time .

      Mr . Moore : " Well , did it not occur to your grace that something more was wanted on Mr . Stonor ' s part than a knowledge of conveyancing and equity ?" The Duke of Newcastle : " Mr . Stonor stated in his letter of application that he had learnt from Chief Justice A'Beckett ( Melbourne ) , who informed him of the existence of the vacancy , that it was very desirable tliat the gentleman to be appointed ! should

      be conversant with , the law of real property and our system of equity . ' Moreover some of the testimonials I received ( that from Sir John Stuart , for instance ) recommended Mr . Btonor especially with reference to the situation in question , and as possessing all the requisites of a judge in Victoria . I could not but rely on the opinions of such men , and I gave the appointment on the strength of then ) , although I had never heard of Mr . Stonor . "

      Mr . Moore : " Did anybody else recommend Mr . Stonor ?" The Duke of Newcastle : " Yes . " * Mr . Moore : " Who ?" The Duke of Newcastle : "Mr . Merivule , of the Colonial -office . " Mr . Moore : " Anybody else ?" Duke of Newcastle ( coolly ) : " No . "

      , The committee nipw . conLsists of . seven members ^ viz . Mr . Sptheron ( chaittoan ) ,. ' ^ : jfiSun& XgMlEi | L Mir . Deedes , Mr . Horsman , Mr . BonhamH ^ ter Mr . G . H . Moore , aridI < brdElchp , the r $ f $ wS mentbers appearing' sjfiiply ; . as prosecutor ... anCderr fenaantrespe ^ tiyelyv ^ itli - t } i $ . mwk * 9 Kwt ^* £ -Vh Mr . Herman ^ erltate , ik& *^^ for the Colonies , wasexamined- 3 &M& MppreSa re-examined by LbrdElcKp ; He said tbat he had long been acquainted . tfiti&Mf . S ^ nor /^ nCB ^ bM ^ iS tainly not have recoinmetuJed hiin f to the Duk ^ 2 f Newcastle as ^ ^ m ^ MMM ^ mk les satisneaor

      s . nenaaoeen lysntness .: in the cputee of October or Novemjter ^ t : &gM $ m WUmtmt Colonial-office on thet 9 ^^^ . JMam 1 ^ ir ^^ lid torr General of "VTanDiemen ' s Iiand ^ Jwhoj shaving * falien into bad health , had been obliged to iretuuRnv He ' mentioned the subject of the provisional appoi | if meet then vacant , and said it would suit him eiactlyi By witness ' s advice ' Mr , Stonor afterw ^^ apfiliiii by letter for iBerafp ^^ ih ^ nao ^ ir ^ a n ^ mBtM SUPMMlw ^ «* & «¦ w&vm ^ mM ^ xm ^

      tbe Uutce ' s pnvate secretary , ot to hi& Grace himself ^ in the course of one of several coaTersations ) tha £ took place on the subject , ^^ r ^^ MSB ^ i ^ g ^ a very At perj ^^^^ U -itoygittuffiM M of Mr . jTowne-Jey . been ¦ - 4 ^^ J ^^^^ tf ri&lp&iSwf tiftea , m i h % eq ^ e ^ b&yi (^ yi ; aa an ; inference ? for the committee to draw ior themselves . He di <* not * Jtoinfc ^ tKne < jeasar ^ i to call ; the . &ofo ^ i % ( j&if ? ' castle ' s attention' morie ( distinctly ^ to ; circunisiar ^ G ^ which he understood to be notorious and WellkribwW to every Qttej besides he * nad sefeii ftbm the pfpics 8 P » fc in that fhiH «> rnkniKcwa r& X ** fl *^ i 4 * ii ® \ % &&hSr

      House of C 6 inihdrisr reported agentleman * $$ && of ,, briery ,, whUe the other two stated their-bpiniori ^ thatt there was notninl whatever againsrhi ^^ fe further appeared that this gentlemaa had never t > een called before that cpmnuttee , nor hod been asked there to give any explanation ; and that , whemtthe report of that committee was brought ; beforeS ^ iie House of Commons , no prosecution ' was ;; dir % i § 9 ^ iior proceedinga of any kind iaken upoTa'lt ; ^ H ' e ,

      therefore , coiild not suppose that it was interi ^ ed toj place that gentleman in tho position of a roan inca- pahle df hplidiil ^ a ^ p ^ si ^ pffl ^ e ; ^ #$ « & £ Mr . Stonor's eyer made to witness any coj ^ voo ^ ip ^ l tioh of any ' kind on hils behalf , it was npt , the - practice . to , take ; thevppjnj ; on , ;

      Mr . Henry Hoberts ^ private secretary , to the > £ ) ijk « of Newcastle , was the next witness . ' He , said ^ he had been for twelve years chairman of theV Quarter Sessions , and chief judge of Common ; Pleas of j the Island of Jamaica , He had held has present situation since the cpramenceraent of January , 1858 * He was in England on leave of absence when it was offered him , Mr . Merivale never made any statemtnt to him with respect to any report of a compute tee of the House of Commons affecting Mr . Stonor , and he ( witness ) knew nothing whatever of that gentleman . Nothing of the kind was ever mentioned to him by the Duke of Newcastle either , and , as far-as he could know , he felt

      Confident that , had his Gra . ce known , or even suspected , the' true circumstances of the case , he would immediately have instituted an inquiry . Had witness known the circumstances , and not called his Grace ' s attention to them , he should have considered himself guilty of a gross dereliction of duty . In the ordinary course of routine witness ought to have read Mr . Stonor ' s testimonials ; but , as Merivale had accepted tho responsibility in that matter , lid thought hitnself freed from what would otherwise have been a dut } r . Ho understood Mr . Merivale to have satisfied the Duke on all points relating to Mr . Stonor , and he did not think himself bound to canvass a matter which was already to a certain extent decided .

      In answer to Lord Iucho , Mr . Koberts said , ho had the permission of the Duke to answer any inquiries as to patronage ; and he wan quite sure that , since ho had beon connected with tho Duke of Newcastle , that nobleman had made no appointment at the instigation of any Irish Member of Parliament ^ or of any other Member of 1 '^ rliaipQnt ,

      Untitled Article

      May 30 , . 1854 . THE LEADER . 465

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 20, 1854, page 465, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2039/page/9/