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A BAMBLEB'S JOTTINGS.

ALARMING FIRE AT A PENITENTIARY.

THE GREAT FIRES ON TEE YORK-…

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THE COLLIERS' STRIKE IN SOUTH…

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THE COLLIERS' STRIKE IN SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE. Though the questions at issue between the colliers and their masters were fully discussed at the confe- rence of delegates appointed by the men and the masters, held on Saturday week, at the Star Hotel, Brieriey-hill, there is as yet no appearance of the strike coming to a termination. During the-past week the breach seems to have been, if anything, widened, and each party appears more than ever determined not to give way to the requisitions of the other. The colliers conceive that the; object of the masters is quite as much to/re^ak. tip ain! destroy their union as to re- duce their wages and this belief increases in no small degree the obstinacy of their opposition to the reduc- tion. Though iron has fallen £ 1 per ton in price, the ironmasters have not been able to bring about a cor- responding reduction in the wages of the forgemen: and as that class of workmen have hitherto, under similar circumstances, always had their wages reduced before any reduction took place in the colliers', the latter find in that fact an additional argument for not accepting the" drop of sixpence a day proposed to them. Most of the ironmasters are also coalmasters, and were they to accede to the colliers'demands it is probable that they would at once be confronted by a strike of their blast furnace men, whom they, after a strike of three or four weeks, recently obliged to accept a reduction. At the conference above alluded to the masters stated that as much coal as was necessary for carrying on their ironworks could be had from other districts nearly as cheap as they could have it in their own district. There are, no doubt, large quantities of coal coming into the district west of Dudley, to which the strike has hitnerto been principally confined; but several of the large ironworks are only partially at work in con- sequence of the want of fuel. The knowledge that the wants of the district have been in a great measure supplied from a distance determined the leaders of the jolliers to endeavour to extend the strike. To some extent they have been successful. At the latter end )f the week two mass meetings, at which the average attendance would be about 6,000, were held in the Fipton and Deepfields districts on the other side of Dudley, and at these meetings the colliers at work in she two districts named agreed to come out and oin the strike. It was also resolved that a number )f men should go to the village of Cannock, from vllich the supply of coal for the west of Dudley district has been hitherto principally brought, and mdeavour to persuade the colliers at work there ;0 co-operate with their fellows in their resistance iO the proposed reduction. It is considered ex- tremely probable that the Cannock men will fraternise vith them and join the strike. During the week a jolliery in the neighbourhood of Brierley-hill, at which ihewages have never been lowered, hasbeen brought to a stand by the men having been called out. In some places arge bodies of men on strike have assembled for the pur- pose of overawing men who have gone to work on the nasters' terms. In one or two instances these assemb- les have proceeded to evert acts of intimidation and violence, At the focus of the strike, however, large reinforcements have been sent to the local police force, md as a rule, wherever there have been such assemb- violence, At the focus of the strike, however, large reinforcements have been sent to the local police force, md as a rule, wherever there have been such assemb- les, a sufficient body of police has been present to pra- I rent any serious breach of the peace. The strike haS low lasted ten weeks, and as may be supposed the col- ters are reduced to great poverty. The funds of the Onion were long ago exhausted. Tradesmen and trade societies contribute weekly to a kind of "strike fund jut all that is got from these sources does not average ibove Is. 6d. or 2s. per week for each man. The con- sequence is that the district swarms with beggars; nany of the wives and families of the men, and the nen themselves, are literally starving; and many of jhe small tradesmen, should the strike continue much .onger, are likely to be entirely ruined.

M. FAZY AND THE RIOTS INI…

A SELF-ACCUSED ACCOMPLICE…

THE RIOTS IN ~B ELF A S T.

STATIONS OF THE BRITISH ARMY.

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