Monmouthshire Merlin

CARDIFF. THE BUTE DOCKS.—The water has been let out of the East Bute Dock in order to admit of the bank of earth between it and. the Extension being removed. This work is being carried on with the greatest possible ac- tivity, and it is expected that in less than a fortnight the whole extent of completed dock will be united, when it will present an expanse of water 3000 feet in length, by 500 feet in width—affording an immense addition to the accommodation for shipping. The West Dock is comptely filled with vessels waiting for cargoes, which cannot be obtained while the- dispute between the Taff Vale Railway and the freighters remains unsettled, and the strike among the colliers continue. RAGGED- SCHOOLS.—Amongst a very influential and numerous deputation that had' an audience with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on the subject of Ragged Schools on Friday we observe the names of Colonel Stuart, M. P., for Cardiff, and Mr. Jonas Watson, PE-.fAltTlil.-AN ACCIDENT.-On Tuesday last a man of the name of Edward Routten, met with a severe accident at this place. A quantity of mud fell upon him. and fractured his leg severely. He was conveyed to the Cardiff infirmary by his fellow-workmen. He was for- merly in the Royal Marines, and served in the war with the Kaffirs, China, and the Crimea, for which he received a pension of Is. per day. THE STRIKE AT ABERDARE.—On Friday week, Super- intendent Stockdale and eight or ten of the Cardiff borough police, were dispatched by mid-day train to Aberdare-most alarming reports having reached the- cars of some of the borough Jnagistratesbut like that King of France, who with twenty thousand men; marched up a hill, and then marched down again;" they returned safe and sound on the same evening, having found all peaceable and quiet in the disturbed districts." ARRIVAL OF MILITARY.—On Tuesday afternoon two companies of the 22nd regiment of infantry, under com- mand of Captain Webber Smith, arrived at Cardiff, per Taff Vale Railway, from Aberdare, and are at present stationed at Longcross barracks. They arrived at Aber- dare from the camp at Pembroke, but there being no accommodation there, and there being no appearance of disturbance, they were removed to Cardiff, where they will probably remain foi some time. HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—On Monday night between y half-past 10 and 11 o'clock, Mr. Richard Davies, butcher, of Aberdare, was attacked on the Penarth. road by three men and a woman, and WAS robbed of 144 17s. 6d. and kicked and beaten into the bargain. He states- that while strolling through the streets of Cardiff, he asked a woman to point out the way to the Five-Bells, where he was staying she directed him instead, towards the Penarth road, and walked in that direction herself. Mr. Davies followed her until he passed under the Railway bridge, when he saw that he was getting out of the town he then turned to go back, when the woman caught hold of him, and one of the three men who were walking after him knocked him down to his knees. He caught hold of his assailant and they fell down together, when another man kicked him, and the woman got his money bag out of an inner pocket. They then ran away, but it will be seen by our Cardiff Police Report that three men and a woman to whom Davies positively swears have been committed for trial. One man was met near the spot by two young, men who followed him up-with praiseworthy spirit, and. gave him in. custody. BURGLARY.—On Friday night, the premises of Mr, John Hopkins, grocer, in Angel-street, were entered by thieves, who were evidenely disturbed befone they had time to secure any large amount of booty. They had first effected by some means an entry into an outside pas- sage, from which they attempted to get into the shop by forcing open a door, which appears to have resisted their efforts. They then made a kind of scaffolding with some casks and boxes and a step ladder, by which they reached. a window, which they forced open they then passed down stairs, and forcing a door, got into a shop. They next broke open a desk, in which they found £1 ls.. 6d. in sixpences and. fourpenny bits, and removed a cash-box to another part of the shop,, where they broke it open, but its contents only amounted to X2 in similar. small coin. They appeared to have attempted to unscrew a large lock from one of the side doors, but failing,, they broke a portion of it, and forced the bolt back, and raust then have got out by the front door with a skeleton. key, as it was found locked ia the morning. A man well- known to the police has been in custody on. suspicion, but was dismissed for want of evidence. LEGAL ANoDL-,Ly,k curious circumstance transpired at the Cardiff police court on Wednesday last. A pow- erful ruffian had for the second time been convicted of violently assaulting Borough police constables, under circumstances which the bench considered, deserving im- prisonment for two months but they found that as the constable whom he had attacked, belonged to the Borough police, the law would only allow him to be sentenced to one month's imprisonment; whereas,, if he had commit- ted such an assault on a county constable, or railway policeman, he might have been imprisoned for three months. So much for the protection of human legis- lation, SIGNOR POGGI'S CONCERT.-The farewell concert by the amateurs of Cardiff to Signor Poggi, came off on Thursday evening last, when the spacious assembly-room was crowded by a fashionable audience. The perfor- mances were quite equal to those at the concert for the India relief fund, and gave the most unqualified satis- faction. Signor Poggi, was of course, the hero of the evening. His solos and duels on the flute, were distin- guished by the same brilliancy of execution, purity of tone, and exquisite taste, as on former occasions. He was well supported by the amateurs, and at the conclu- sion, was called upon the platform, and was greeted with several rounds of enthusiastic cheering.

BRECON. BURIAL BOARD.—T. H. Holland, Esq., the Govern- ment Inspector, visited this town last week, for the pur- pose of inspecting the site selected by the Burial Board for a Cemetery, for the parishes of St. John's and St. Mary's. Mr. Holland having inspected the site, had an interview with the Board, when he expressed his general approval of the proposed ground, and promised to make his report with as little delay as possible to the Home Office. On receiving the approval of that office, the Board will proceed without further delay to obtain a conveyance from the trustees of Sir Charles Morgan, Bart., who kindly consented to oblige the Board with a site on a part of the Court Farm, within a convenient distance of the town. PETTY SESSIONS. THE ELECTION OF CLERK. These Sessions were held on Monday last, at the Guildhall. The following gentlemen were present.— John Williams, Esq., Mayor, David Thomas, Esq., ex* Mayor, Walter Majbfery, Esq., John Evans, Esq., David Hughes, Esq and Joseph Joseph, Esq. The Mayor stated the object of the meeting,which WO for the purpose of electing a clerk. Mr. G. R. BeTaO) who was a candidate for the clerkship at the last e]eO' ■' tion, had moved for a rule to obtain a writ of quo wa ranto against Mr. G. W. Powell, on the ground of hiS having been illegally elected to the office. The ground4, upon which the rule had been moved for last teim in the Court of Queen's Bench, were-" First-That tb* Mayor on that occasion gave a casting vote in favour oi Mr. Powell, contrary to law. Secondly-That the Mayor had refused to accept the votes of several county justices, (tendered on behalf of Mr. Bevan), who actei in Petty Sessions for that borough." The rule as he had said, had been moved for and granted on the first i point but on the second, Lord Chief Justice Campbell 1 expressed an opinion favourable to the Mayor, in r .¡ fusing the votes of the county justices, and therefore the Court had not granted a rule on that point- Mr. Powell considering what had passed during the application for a rule, was unfavourable to the Mayor in giving a casting vote, tendered his resignation, rather than involve himself and Mr. Bevan in useless cost, he (the Mayor) had, therefore, appointed that day for the election of a clerk, and had given notice accordingly to the justices to attend. He was there for the purpose of hearing any gentleman having a clerk to propose. Mr. Thomas said he had on a former occasion proposed Mr: Powell to the office of clerk, and as he was- not given to ehange, he would do so again. He considered that Mr. Powell had discharged the duties of his ofllke well and properly; he did not mesa to say that hiB friend, Mr. Bevan, would not do so if elected. Quito the contrary; he thought him quite as capable and! efficient; but it was quite useless on that occasion to canvaas the merits or demerits of either of the candi- dates, as they had al) made up their minds how to vote i before they came to that room. He considered the observations made by the Mayor worthy of their consi- | deration, as it was pretty evident what was the opinion [ entertained by Lord Campbell, viz., that county justices had no right to vote for a clerk for the justices; of the j borough hs, therefore, was of opinion if county justices voted on that occasion a quo warranto would j issue, which would entail wseless litigation oil both parties. Mr. Thomas then referred to the application to the Court of Queen's Bench, and the observation of Lord Campbell. As to the other question at issue;, he must admit that he thought the Mayor of that borough was placed in a most anomolous position. It was ad- mitted that he had a casting vote upon all municipal questions, and even oI Member of Parliament; and yety strange to say, he was deprived of that casting vote in* in election of a clerk to the borough justices, such how- ever seemed to be the- law, and they must, therefore, mbmit to it. As to the other point, after what had iropped from Lord Campbell, he thought that there rould be no doubt that county justices had no right to rote. Mr. Joseph: Lord Campbell-is-not always right. ¡' Mr. Thomas Very true. Where is the man that. is always- right ? But he thought he was right on that 'I occasion. However he would come to the business at once, and propose Mr. G W. Powell,. as a fit and proper person to act as their clerk. Wl r. John Evans, Old Bank, seconded the nomination of Mr. Powell. Mr. Joseph had much pleasure on that occasion as he had on a former occasion, in proposing Mr. Bevan as a most fit and proper person as their clerk. He was a man of great experience in such matters, and bad great advantages through a long course of years, and he had, therefore, not the slightest hesitation in saying he, (Mr. Bevan) was the best man. They had no maans of judg- ing of the abilities of Mr. Powell, during the time he acted as their clerk, as they had the advantages, of the eminent legal assistance of Mr. Thomas. Mr; Powell's abilities had, therefore, never been put to the test. Mr. Williams, the present mayor, was like himself,, totally inexperienced in legal matters, and he therefore felt the necessity of having a gentleman of experience like Mr. Bevan to act as their clerk. It was very well for Mr. Thomas to endeavour to thrust upon them an old clerk, a mere youth, who was quite inexperienced, compared with Mr. Bevan, but he trusted it would not be so; and it would not have been so, if Mr. Evans, who had promised Mr. Bevan,, had kept his word, but he had not done so. (The Mayox here interfered, and called Mr. Joseph to order, as he could not allow irrevelant matters to be introduced.) Mr. Joseph proceeded to urge upon the meeting the truth of the statements he had made, and concluded by proposing Mr. Bevan, on the ground of his considering him much the best man. Mr. Hughes seconded the nomination of Mr. Bevan. Mr. Evans of, the Old Bank, wished to ask Mr. Joseph to what Mr. Evans he alluded to, as having not kept bit promise to Mr. Bevan. Dir. J OSeptt i auuae-TO you, sir. — Mr Evans It is a falsehood, I never promised Mr, Bevan. Mr. Joseph Mr. Bevan, who is a gentleman, both by birth and education, is here to answer for himself. Mr. Bevan, to Mr. Evans: You did promise me sir. The Mayor again interfered, and said he much re- 1 gretted to find matters of: a personal nature introduced I by a Justice of the borough. After some altercation the J scene closed; Mr. Evans. denying the alleged promise,. and Mr. Bevan as distinctly maintaining that he had. promised him. Mr. Maybery tendered his vote as an alderman of the borough. The Mayor said he could not accept it. No other candidate being proposed, the Mayor declared* Mr. Powell duly elected. For Mr. Powell—Mr. Thomas, Mr. Evans, and his- Worship the Mayor. For Mr. Bevan—Mr. HAighes, and Mr. Joseph. The only business transacted was the transfer of a licence to Mrs. Prosser, of the White Lion Inn, Llanfaes..

LLANELLY. THE HILL SCHOOL.—A. public meeting in connection with this school was held at the Baptist chapel, Darren- velen. The attendance was very great, and the interest manifested on the occasion seemed to be general. At seven o'clock Mr. J. Jones, an aged gentlemen well known in Llanelly, wa* elected to the chair. After making a few remarks, and reading a short piece of' Welsh poetry, he called, upon Mr. Henry Rosser, the worthy schoolmaster to come forward with the children and gratify the audience.with a tune, which they did very nicely. This being over,.tbe Contest between the Eyes- and the Nose," about spectacles, was given, which proved very amusing. After this, Mr. T. F. Reynolds, master of the British School, Brynmawr, examined the children at great length in the following subjects—mental arithmetic, natural history, William the Conqueror, English gram- mar, geography, &c. Three young men answered several questions in algebra, which did them and their teacher much honour. The children also were tested in reading. They read the "Story of the old man and his aas," Treatment of the drowned," and the Way to wealth," by Dr. Franklin. Upon these, questions were asked and satisfactorily answered. Considering that the children are young and much used to Welsh, their reading and pronunciation were very excellent, and promise future success. Several tunes were sung during the service of the evening by the Choir on the Hill. The work of the examiner being over, the Chairman presented. Mr. H. Rosser-for his faithfulness with the school.and espe- cially the night school-with a purse containing X3, and a silver medal,, with chain, worth £ 3 5s. Mr. Rosser received these amidst much cheering and applause. On one side of the medal there is a Welsh inscription, and an English one on the other—" Presented to Mr. Henry Rosser, by the working men of Clydach Llanelly, as a token of respeot for his praiseworthy efforts with literary institutions." After this, short and appropriate addresses were delivered in Welsh and English by Messrs. Rey- nolds, Harris, and Harry, also by too Revs. D. Miles, and T. Lewis,. Bethlehem. The efficient and kind aid of L. Powell,. Esq., on behalf of the school, was acknow- ledged, votes of thanks were given, HGod. save the Queen" was sang, and the meeting terminated at about ten o'clock. We are happy to say that the school under the care of Mr. Rosser is in a very flourishing condition, and the people prize it very highly.—[The above report was accidentally omitted from our last impression.]

THE TREDEGAR HOUNDS WILL MEET ON Monday, December 14th .Goitre Friday » 18th .Castletown At half-past eleven o'clock. THE MONMOUTHSHIRE HOUNDS WILL MEET ON Monday, December 14th .Newcastle Wednesday, „ 16 th Tredegar Saturday 19th Bassalleg Village Monday „ 21st Coldbrook Park Thursday 24th Cross Buchan Toll Bar At half-past ten o'clock.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS. MONMOUTHSHIRE RAILWAY AND CANAL. Week ending Dec. 5th, 1857 £ 2341 9 8 Corresponding week, 1856 L2126 2 7 NEWPORT, ABERGAVENNY, AND HEREFORD. Week ending Dec. 6th, 1857 £ 1078 2 10 Corresponding week, 1856 £ 951 3 9 SOUTH WALES. Week ending Dec. 6th, 1857 £ 5891 19 1 Corresponding Week, 1856 £ 6366 1 10 TAFF VALE. Week ending Dec. 5th, 1857 22498 0 4 Newport and Cardiff, Saturday, December 12, 1857 Printed for the Proprietor, EDWARD DOWLINQ, of Mount Pleasant, Hill-street, in the Borough of Newport, by WILLIAM CHRISTOPHERS, of No 7, Commercial-street, in the said Borough and published at the MER IX General Printing Office, No. 15, Commerciil-8treet Newport au" at ZiN V, St. Mary ttreet Cardiff

EVENTS DURING THE WEEK. [FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.] Those of our readers who have visited Aberdare only when business was in a prosperous state, and when all the immense works were in full operation, will be able to form but a very imperfect idea of the appear- ance the town and neighbourhood presents at this moment. The flame and glare which ordinarily illu- mines the place are gone the tramroads, usually in constant use, are deserted; and a deep and very pecu- liar silence rests upon almost every spot. At the corners of streets knots of colliers assemble, smoking pipes, or discussing notices printed in Welsh posted upon the wall, urging them to refuse to go to work on the terms offered by the masters. They have the appearance of men who find themselves unexpectedly in a novel position, and are made uncomfortable by the circumstance. Idleness is obviously oppressive to them, and the principle of activity which years of industry have infused into their natures evidently precludes them from the enjoyment of doing nothing. When a.train is due, they surround the station, and gaze listlessly, and apparently without interest, at the passengers who arrive by it—offering them no insult, and, indeed, displaying no emotion whatever. They appear now to avoid going near the works, and find excitement at public meetiugs convened by them- selves, at which, it must be confessed, all the speakers are on one side. From personal observation this week, we may state that no indications towards a riot or disorderly conduct are shown. There does not seem to be a propensity for mischief, even in the smallest degree. On the contrary, the men. both in appearance and manner, are simply careless and indifferent, and, except at their large meetings, an air of extraordinary apathy is perceptible. There can be no doubt that they were at first inclined to com- mit acts of violence, and the attempt to fill the pits with water, which we chronicled last week, was undoubtedly made. But by far the larger portion of the number are indisposed to do anything but wait n quietly for the masters to give in, an expectation which they thoroughly rely upon. Others have de- cided upon leaving the place altogether rather than depend upon the precarious issue of the contest. During this week hundreds of men have gone away to other parts, and many of them were fortunately the most disaffected of the whole. This circumstance may probably tend to bring about a reconciliation, for there are numbers who would gladly return to work if they considered they could safely do so. We have said that in the neighbourhood of the town a singular stillness is observable, but in the streets this fact is still more striking to a stranger. Hardly a sound breaks upon the ear. Occasional groups in conversation may indeed be met with, but no signs of animation can be detected. The public houses are fuller than ordinary, but if any hilarity reigns in them it certainly is not of a boisterous de- scription. Many of the shops are closed, and some streets would suggest the idea that one was walking through a town in which a plague was raging. Out of hosier's and linen draper's doors gaudy ribbons and neckties are displayed, to entice the few remaining shillings from the collier's pocket, but no fear of rob- bery is entertained. Goods are exhibited as confi- dently as ever, and no one appears disposed to damage or rob them. The stranger who asks for direction to any of the works receives a civil reply, and in many cases additional information is even volunteered. If one of t! e masters is seen in the streets he is followed by curious eyes, but no sort of demonstration is made. That mysterious brute, the collier's dog—an animal distinct in race, habits, and nature—is now an object of special interest to his masters. Having more time to bestow upon him, his large fierce head is always being stroked, not always to his own gratification. To undrstaend fully the change which has taken place it is necessary to ascend an eminence from which the district may at once be viewed. From such a spot there is something unspeakably wretched in the aspect of the place. The deserted works look black and sombre, and this effect is heightened by the contrast they present with one or two other furnaces which are still at work. Two or three which have been alight night and day uninterruptedly for twenty years, are now extinguished, and wrapped in total darkness. At night, the reflection from Merthyr is the principal illumination. The inhabitants of Aberdare declare that the loss of the accustomed lights is the most oatwardly impressive feature of the strike, while many of the colliers themselves point with pride to these dreary results of their withdrawal from work. At the time we write, there cannot be a less num- ber than 6,500 men out on strike. Towards the close of last week rumours of intended violence alarmed the tradesmen, and the endeavour to prevent the engineers pumping the water out of the pits was thought to warrant an application to Government for a de- tachment of military. Accordingly, 108 of the 22nd regiment were despatched by special train from Weedon, in Northamptonshire, under the command of Capt. Smith. They passed through Newport on Sa. turday night, and arrived in Aberdare on the following morning, considerably to the astonishment, though not to the discomposure, of the colliers. They were lodged in the Town-hall, where, however, accommodation of the most miserable description was afforded, the men being obliged to sleep on straw in an ill-ventilated building. It was deemed unsafe to billet them on the public houses, and therefore nothing could be done to improve their situations. This arrival did not awaken the slightest ill-feeling in the minds of the colliers; on the contrary, they fraternised most amicably with the military, and the only annoyance to which the latter were subjected was chaff" in unlimited quan- tities. On Tuesday evening they were removed to Cardiff, where better facilities for their provision ex- ists, and from whence they may be readily despatched if occasion requires. The police force has been aug- mented by men from the neighbourhood of Swansea and other parts, and all the pits were guarded at the commencement of the week. Mr. H. A. Bruce, M.P., has made strenuous efforts this week to bring about a peaceable understanding between the masters and the men. On Monday he addressed a number of the men at Mountain Ash, and in consequence of what transpired on the occasion, the masters agreed on Tuesday that no further reduc- tion in wages should be announced for the present. Mr. Bruce, on Tuesday, reasoned with the men at Abergwawr, on the folly of the strike; and on Wed- nesday, a large gathering of colliers assembled at the Market-house, Aberdare, for the purpose of hearing an address on the same subject. We subjoin a report of this meeting, at which about fifteen hundred were present. The scene was a somewhat curious one. No platform had been erected, but on a stall Mr. Bruce and the Rev. Thos. Price stood together, sur- rounded by colliers, who climbed around them to listen. In the course of the proceedings the two speakers must have been incommoded by the great pressure but the most complete order prevailed. Mr. Bruce, who spoke forcibly and well, was listened to with extreme attention, and during the whole time ti lie was delivering his address, no interruption from any part took place. The men gave no indication of their feelings, either by applause or marks of disappro- bation. Mr. Price repeated Mr. Bruce's arguments in Welsh after that gentleman had closed, but the same "rave silence prevailed. Once, when a collier declared in Welsh that the men could not return to work at the proposed prices, a general clapping of hands took place, and this was repeated when Mr. Price proposed a vote of thanks • r otherwise not the slightest expressio hPafd to caped the assembly. One of the men was heard1 to say to several of the others, after Mr. Bruce » We'll employ him the next time to speak lor us, and not let the masters have him;" but we trust that with the majority of the meeting Mr. Bruce's speech made a better impression than with this individual A large meeting of the colliers was held on the after- noon of the same day. Many of our readers will doubtless enquire what the real motives of the men have been in adopting their present course, and what their sentiments are with regard to the reduction in wages. From con- versations with some of the most intelligent of the colliers, we have gleaned some information on these subjects, which we believe is perfectly trustworthy. In the first place, it is ddubtless known that the pro- posed reduction is from Is. 9d. to Is. 6d. per ton of coal, and it is against this that the colliers have struck. They complain that this price is not only lower than the masters need offer, but also that it would be impossible for them to live upon it, on account of the stoppages which are constantly taking place. They also assert that" imperfect weighing- machines cause them considerable loss, and they moreover say that as their wages have not been in- creased when the price of coals was high, they ought not to be decreased now it is low. Many of the colliers, it must be understood, dissent from these views, and would prefer resuming work to stopping out any longer. At the large meetings, however, the following resolutions have been generally adopted :— 1st. To refuse to go back to work at the reduction proposed by the masters. 2nd. To call upon the engineers and labourers employed in pumping and ventilating the pits, to cease work; and 3rdly. That the tradesmen's accounts should not be paid. The latter resolution has caused a deal of distress to the small shopkeepers, while it has kept the majority of the men in possession of a little money. It is impossible to offer a reasonable conjecture when this miserable strike is likely to terminate. There is not the slightest probability of the masters yielding, and at present the men appear as obstinate as ever. It is the general opinion that unless some arrangement be entered into before the conclusion of this week, a very long separation between the matters and men will ensue. We are happy to add that a portion of Mr. Fothergill's colliers have re- turned to work, and it is to be hoped that the others will follow the good example.

PUBLIC MEETING OF THE COLLIERS. ADDRESS BY Mr. H. A. BRUCE, M.P. As we have already stated, a large meeting of the colliers took place at the Market-house, Aberdare, on Wednesday, for the purpose of hearing an address from Mr. Bruce, the member for Merthyr. Before the proceedings commenced, a man proposed that all but colliers should leave the place, but no attention was paid to him. Mr. Bruce then apologised for keeping the meeting waiting a short time, and said:— I trust we shall be able to discuss these matters, which so deeply affect our interests, as reasonable men. (Hear, hear.) Allow me to say a word for myself before I be- gin. I ought not to be here to-day, for the place in which I ought now to be is London. Matters of the greatest importance with which I am privately con- nected, and others also with reference to public inte- rests, occupying the attention of Parliament, require my presence. At some inconvenience, therefore, I com- plied with the request made to me by a number both of the masters and men to appear before you for the pur- pose of discussing temperately the all important quea- tion of the strike and I do so because both parties have been good enough to say that they have entire confi- dence in me—that I was a fair man between the two, and that I had no interest on the one side more than on the other,-(Hear, hear,)—and that therefore I might possibly be of some use in bringing about a settlement of these destructive disputes. I know that some of you may say that I am not;altogether disinterested, and you may think that as my father is a large coal owner, I am necessarily an interested party. But if you turn the matter over in your minds you will see that the mere fact of my father having large interests in the parish, is the very circumstance which renders me impartial in the matter. For what is the interests of a coal pro- prietor like my father ? Why that the coal should be worked as quickly as possible, and in order that this may be done, it is essential that a thorough agreement exist between masters and men, for unless there be an agreement-a. just and fair agreement—fair to the mas- ters and fair to the men -there must and will be strikes. My interest, as far as my father is concerned is, that there should be no strikes. I speak now as being con- nected with coal proprietors, but I have an interest also as a friend and a neighbour of many of you, and with whom I have been on terms of intimacy. I have my- self received nothing but kindness from the people of Aberdare, and it is to my interest to remain on similar good terms with them. As to the question immediately before us, I do not know whether you have called me here to speak to you, or to answer your questions. I can only say that if any of you desire to put any ques- tions to me, and to ask me whether I think you are right or wrong in the strike you have just entered into, I shall be delighted to answer them. I have already met a considerable number of colliers on the subject. The evening before last I addressed some two hundred and fifty at Mountain Ash, and again last night I met a number of men belonging to Abergwawr, and had a friendly talk with them for some three quarters of an hour. I think I know pretty well the views and feelings of colliers in this matter. You have struck, and re- fused to receive the terms offered by your masters. Are you wrong in taking this course ? I do not say that a strike in itself must inevitably be a wrong thing-a strike is right or wrong, according as there is justice or not on the side of those who make it. If the masters try to take any unfair advantage, and attempt by some false and improper excuse to force down wages be- low a proper level, then in that case the men may have a right to strike, and under such circumstances I should wish them success. But if the masters have not taken an unfair advantage-if, compelled by the pressure of the times, they have reduced the wages of their men when forced to do it, in order to save themselves from ruin-then, surely, the men are wrong, and the masters are right. Thus, in the pre- sent instance, the question for consideration is which side is right-that of the masters or men ? I assure you I shall be very glad to hear anything the workmen may have to say in proof of their being justified in striking, but, from my own knowledge of the state of affairs, not only here, but throughout the country, I own that it appears to me an exceedingly unfortunate time for a strike to be made. I do not think that the colliers of Aberdare, whom I desire to see stand well in the opi- nion of the world, will be able to impress people with the belief that they ate in the right. You see I am not afraid of speaking the truth. If you listen to me quietly, it will be because you know that I have not bt :i in the habit of humbugging you. I have always sal I what I thought, whether you liked to hear it or not. In these very rooms I have expressed opinions which wt'. o not the opinions of the majority. You have let me kn ) ,V that but your sentiments, in return, have always been given kindly and with civility, and I am sure the same conduct will characterise you on this occasion, when I may possibly express opinions from which many of you will dissent. I have put the question whether the masters or the men be in the right. If you are right, then, by all means, go on striking but, if wrong, I call upon you as just, as reasonable, and as Christian men, not to inflict injuries upon your masters, upon your families, and upon youreelves, but own that you are in error, and like manly fellows go back to work. Now, what are the causes of wages being lowered ? I may say they are threefold the first is, that the trade of the district is altogether slack and bad not only in the coal works, but in the iron works also. The quan- tity of work to be done is small, and therefore the value of labour is of necessity reduced. Bear that well in mind, for you will always go wrong if you start with a wrong principle. There are many among you who think that the wages of colliers should rise or fall with the price of coal. If in this district and in Monmouth- shire there were nothing but the coal trade, the argu- ment might carry weight; for the price of coal depends upon the demand for it, and when the demand is great, and prices therefore high, there is a greater demand for labour, which makes that valuable also, and hence wages go up. But the trade of this district is not con- fined to coal—there are the iron works, and if the price of iron be down, and the works partially stopped, it does not matter what the price of coal may be, the wages of the colliers must come down too. To make the matter clear to you, supposing during these terrible times some of the great works which have been threatened with ruin had stopped—sayEbbw Vale, Dowlais, or Cyfarthfa —and if the monetary crisis had continued long in its late severity, there is no telling what consequences may have ensued—supposing, I say, 20 or 30,000 men had been thrown out of employment, and had to seek employment in this district, do you think that even if coal had been at lis. per ton, wages would not have been brought down by so great an influx of ad- ditional labour ? Of course it would. The rate of wages depends on the quantity of work on the one side, and the number of workmen on the other. If there should be plenty of work and few men, you have high wages if plenty of work and plenty of men, moderate wages if little work and plenty of men, wages will be low. Keep these principles in your minds, for they are true princi- ples. I am sorry any master should have said he would pay his men according to the price of coal, for that is not a safe principle, and once start from a false basis and you are sure to get into difficulty. Let me put the matter in another way to you. Supposing the price of iron to go up, the men at the iron works would be in demand, and would be receiving high wages. But supposing at the same time the price of coal went down, would you be content with a reduction of wages under such circumstances ? No, would say the colliers are everywhere else getting high wages, and you would not conceive it to be a sufficient reason for lowering yours, that coal was reduced in price. You would tell your masters that you couM get good wages elsewhere, and consequently would not submit to any reduction. I bring this forward to show you that the rate of wages ought not to depend upon the price of coal, bu upon the demand for labour throughout the whole distnc hat is the cause of wages having now been lowered 20 per cent. at the iron works ? Why, that the masters cannot find work for their men. They would be glad to get rid of them if they could, but they don't like to do this- they don't want to part with good workmen if they can help it, and would rather lose a little money than have them separated. They therefore ask you to submit to a reduction in wages, and this you refuse to accept Now, there is no difficulty in proving that the price of coal has fallen. I am certain you may find at this moment that contracts have been taken as low as 8s. lOd. pei ton, and there are none above 9s. 6d. Between these two price? all contracts range. Not long ago, coal was worth lis. now 9s. would be the full average, and therefore, upon your own principle, that wages should fall with the price of coal, you ought to submit to the reduction made by the masters. But sup- posing the price of coal to be 10s,, in reality the masters would not be receiving more than 9s., and would be glad to take that. The demand for money now is so great, and so difficult is it to obtain, that many rich men have been brought down to poverty, and have found them- selves unable to pay their debts. Money is dearer now than was ever known in the history of England. Pay- ments to the coal masters are made either in ready money, that is, in about a month after the coal is de- livered, or else by three months' bills. These bills, in prosperous times, are taken to bankers, who will advance the full amount for them, after a deduction of some three or four per cent. for discount. Now money is so dear that the most influential men cannot get their bills discounted under 10 per cent., and I know cases where 12 per cent. was refused upon good bills. Instances have even come to my knowledge, where people, under the pressure of distress, offered their bills at 15 per cent. to London bankers, without being able to get them cashed. Moreover, I will undertake to say, that there is not a single coal owner in this valley who has not in his bill-box bills which he cannot at any price get changed into money. You have been getting your money regularly, but have you ever thought of the sacri- fices the masters have often to make to accomplish this ? I well know the sacrifices the masters are obliged to make to meet the weekly draws and monthly pays in times like these, when for every 2100 in the shape of bills they only receive £ 83 in hard cash. You have, therefore, beside the low price of the coal, the difficulty of convert- ing bills into money. Under this double pressure, then, the masters have lowered your wages from Is. 9d to Is. 6d. per ton. Is this an unreasonable reduction ? I should be glad to see the price of cutting coal 2s. or 2s. 61., if the masters could realise a profit, because your interests are indirectly involved in that question. See what the coal owners have done in this district you will say What money they have accumulated but supposing there were only half the employers or pits that there are and all you men were seeking for work, do you not think that wages would come down directly ? or, supposing you were twice as many colliers as you are, do you not see that there would be a superabundance of labour, which would equally affect your earnings ? Thus, the more pits there are in the country, the better it is for you, because the greater the demand for labour. Now, if the masters have accumulated money out of the profits which many of you think ought to have gone into your pockets, they have not put it into Bauks, or invested it in the purchase of landed property, but they have employed it in sinking new pits and extending their works. All this must benefit the working meu, and, by this cause, you obtain higher wages than you would otherwise have done so that you see the profits that the masters make are bene- fitting you by their being laid out in sinking fresh pits. and creating fresh demands for labour. A number of you say, Well, we own the times are bad, it is very difficult to get money, and the price of coal is not very high, but why don't the masters make it lis. instead of 9-t. ? If they can afford to give us Is. 9d. with prices at lis., why don't the masters combine to keeD the price ut, then there would be no necessity for a reduction. That has been tried by the masters, and it has failed. No doubt if the masters were to be true to each other, and strictly adhere to a resolution not to sell coal below Us. per ton, they would be able to get a good profit, and to pay the present rate of wages but they can only do it upen one supposition, viz., that nobody else outside the Aberdare valley can produce steam coal. Now you know that your Aberdare coals are good, perhaps the best in the country but there is a great deal of other coal very little worse. The Monmouthshire coal, and the coal from the Swansea valley, make very good steam coal, and there are my friends, Messrs Vivian, raising about 500 tons per day, which, if a little softer than yours, is very much liked for steam purposes. There is also anthracite coal, which, with a little altera'ion in the boilers, can be used as steam coal; and if you make the price of your coal too dear, the result will be, that vessels, instead of going to Cardiff, will be sent where they can ship in the coals which I have named, and, instead of the regular trade which you have experienced, the demand will dis- appear, and you will be half your time out of employment. You see, therefore, that although at first sight it seems plain that the price of coal may be kept up artificially by the combination of the masters, it can never stand, for it is against the laws of nature in matters of commerce. In all dealings there are two people interested, and it is not the seller only, but the buyer, who has something to do in fixing prices; and if buyers find that the coal is dearer in Cardiff than at other places, to other places they will go. Another thing has happened, and a very strange and interesting one it is in this general disturbance of commerce. Amongst those I am addressing are some who have come not only from the twelve Welsh counties, but from England, Ireland, and Scotland and what has brought them all here ? It is the demand for labour on account of the coal. and it is the particular value of this coal that has made Aberdare the rising and pros- perous place it is. Well, now, what is the particular value of this coal ? You all tell me it is good steam coal but that is not the point its great value consists in this, that it has been ascertained by experience that 80 tons of Aberdare coal will take a versol as far to sea as 100 tons from the North of England. A vessel, therefore, going from Liverpool to New York, would have to put in a smaller quantity of Aberdare than the North country coal, and the room thus saved in the vessel can be filled with merchandise. It was, then, to save room that the vessels from Liverpool paid some 20s. per ton for your coal, instead of 118. or lis. 6d. for the very best north country coal. In consequence of the disturbance of trade with America, the vessels have no cargoes to take out, and room is no longer an object, the consequence is that they are buying north country coal for crossing the Atlantic, and the coal proprietors of this valley who formerly sent from 200,00 to 300,000 tons of coal annually to Liverpool from Cardiff, are now sending hardly a ton. That is one of the many ways in which the state of America tells-upon the coal trade of this district. I might tell your but that I am reluctant to use names in public, of the frightful losses which men in this district have undergone. Men, the very first in the iron as well as in the coal trade, are driven to all kinds of shifts to meet their demands, which in good times they would be ashamed to have recourse to. I know that my father has some of the best of tenants, and they say they cannot pay their rents because they do not receive their money and, however inconvenienced, he has been obliged to submit. Then again, you know that coal cannot get away without being carried by railways, and railways are very expensive things to keep up, and insist upon. being paid. But last week, when. in London, I saw the Banker of the Vale of Neath Railway, when he said, How is it that the Vale of Neath Railway,, that used to keep so good an account, has got into our debt? You must go and put things right." I promised to go down to Neath and see about it, and I found on enquiry that there were more than £ 14,000 due to the Vale of Neath Railway from some of the richest men in the country. I asked the Secretary if he had written for this money, and his reply was, I have, but cannot get it." Do you think that these men would have been dunned by the, Secretary of the Vale of Neath Railway if they could find the money ? The fact is, the' are obliged to pay their workmen even if the railway suffered. But, notwithstanding all, the pressure at last came with all these shifts it was impossible to go on, and as a last resource the masters ask you to submit to a re- duction in your wages you refuse to comply, and you are perfectly right in refusing, if you think you have justice on your sides but if the masters cannot afford to pay you the wages you have been receiving, I ask you, as fair and just men, to accept the terms offered you to go to work, and trust to the honour of your masters to give you higher wages when better times come. I have now said what I believe to be the truth; you have taken it calmly and reasonably, and I do hope that your resolution to-day will be to put an end to this miserable state of affairs. To me, who, have watched the steady develop- ment of the neighbourhood, it is lamentable to see the valley which formerly rung with the echo of your forges, the activity everywhere displayed, the numberless trains rattling down the vale, the steam engines snorting and bellowing away-to me, I say. it is lamentable to see all this transformed into a deatk-like stillness; to see your streets filled with men in broadcloth doing nothing, until a stranger would think you were the laziest population in Great Britain, instead of honest hardworking men. I implore you again, if you think you are wrong, to confess it like men, by returning to your work, and earn thereby the gratitude of your masters and the good opinion of your neighbours. The Rev. David Price then gave the above in Welsh for the benefit of the colliers unacquainted with the English language, after which Mr. Bruce said that he bad omitted to mention a complaint made by the colliers of Mountain Ash that the masters had refused to see them, and that had the explanations which he (Mr. B.) had given, been offered by the masters, the strike would never have occurred. He felt bound to say that at a meeting of the masters, which he had attended yesterday, they all expressed their readiness to see the men whenever they thought proper to call upon them, and several of them stated that they had given repeated explanations to their respective workmen, and had still every disposition to do so. David Williams, (a collier), then addressed the meeting in Welsh, and after alluding to the disadvantage under which he, and the majority of those present laboured, in very imperfectly understanding the English language, ex- pressed his regret that the masters had attended none of the meetings of the colliers. The workmen were ready to submit to the reduction if the masters would give any good reasons for lowering the wages but if the value of money had risen to 10 per cent., 13 per cent. had been reduced upon the workmen. The colliers of Aberdare were quite willing to take a share of the burden but they were under the impression that if they took 3d. per ton reduction now, they would never get it back again. There was difficulty enough in maintaining one's family before the reduction, and they were unwilling to work without earning enough to buy food for themselves and their families. It was a very hard thing after a man had at work all day, to return home and find nothing for him but herrings and potatoes. There were many weeks when they did not earn a penny, and he had been a fortnight or three weeks out of the month without working, because the coal was not wanted. The speaker then called upon John Jones (Gwalch), and one or two others to speak in English, and after waiting for some time without their appearing, Mr. Bruce rose to reply. He said, I was waiting be. cause I expected one of your number, John Jones, was to address us in English. If John Jones is the workman I met last night, I should be glad to bear him, for 0014am have I heard a more sensible or reasonable man. I am sure ho would state the case on behalf of the workmen fairly. I wish all the workmen of this valley had as good heads on their shoulders as John Jones—though I have no doubt many of them have very good ones. Until he comes, I should like to say a word or two as to what fell from David Williams, who just now spoke to you. He says that you have had hard times enough up to the pre- sent, that it was difficult to live upon your previous earnings, and that to live upon less is impossible. I know that many among you have difficulty in providing for your families-that you work hard and want good food—and that it has sometimes been no easy matter to make both ends meet. But you must not make too much of that. Never since Aberdare has been a valley, has work been so regular as during the last year, and never such high prices, and if you cannot live upon regular work and high prices, how, in the name of Heaven, did you live before ? Why you have had to encounter much worse times-this time last year, flour was 60s. per sack-now it is only 44s. -so that even at the reduction you would be able to live better than you did last year. I recollect the time when you were only getting Is. 41. per ton. How did you live then, if you will starve now? You are quite right to get as much as you can but do not, in attempting to get Is. 9d., take a course which will make wages fall to below Is. 6d., for that is really what you are doing now. He says the collier's dinner is one of potatoes and her- rings; but if you ruin the masters, you will have to live upon the potatoes without the herrings. My advice to you is to do as well as you can, and in the course of time you will be able to add to the potato and herring a mutton chop or beef steak. (Hear, hear.) He also alluded to the stoppages which had taken place-that they had sometimes bren able to work only one week out of four. Now, I know that there are occasional stoppages, but do not let us have the case unfairly stated. I asked Mr. Powell yesterday, what the stoppages came to. I said, You must stop your pits very often—some- times the machinery gets out of order-sometimes the east wind blows and you have no shipping at Cardiff, sometimes you have accidents -do not all these things throw your men out of a good many days work ?" Mr. Powell replied "No doubt these things happen some- times, but I am certain that during the whole of last year the stoppages have not been more than two days in the month." When I was at Mountain Ash, yesterday, I asked the workmen what the earnings of sober steady men amounted to, one week with another. One man, who said he was a good workman, said he only earned los. if he worked the whole week. An honest fellow got up and said that he earned 24s., and could not live upon less. Well, I said, let me ask you one question. Many of you come from Carmarthen and the Vale of Gla- morgan your fathers were working men, and there are working men there now, bringing up their fami- families as your fathers brought up you, upon lis. or 12s. a-week, at the very outside and you say that if you get only 20s., you and your families will starve. Now is that very reasonable ? I will tell you another thing, Mr. Powell told me, of the truth of which you will know bet- ter than I do. He said The wages that the colliers are getting are so high, that I can hardly induce a steady re- spectable collier to take the place of fireman, at 4s. 6d. a-day regularly throughout the year." Now, 4s. 61. a-day is 27s. a-week, and yet when asked to take this work, the reply was I can make much better wages as a collier." Another complaint of the colliers was, that too many men were put into the pit, which prevented the men earning such good wages as they would otherwise do. Well, I asked the masters why they did not put fewer men into the pits, that they might work as much as they pleased. The reply was We should like nothing better if we could be sure the men would work, but there are so many who only work four or five days a-week, that to get the proper quantity of coal we are obliged to have more men than would otherwise be necessary." You know whether this is true or not. You know how many of you keep Saint Monday-how many work as hard on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, as on Thursday, Friday, and Satur- day. Many of you do, I have no doubt, and I do not wish to lower the character of the workmen of Aberdare, but you know there is some truth in this statement of the masters. I wish you to well weigh these considerations, for my belief is, that if you do not get these matters set- tled this week, we shall witness a long and obstinate fight between the masters and men, from which both will suffer. Remember that you cannot do harm to your masters, without injuring yourselves. Many of you are inexpe- rienced in strikes. Have you read what has taken place at Preston, in Lancashire, once one of the most flourishing towns in the country ? Three years ago a strike occurred there, which lasted thirty-two weeks the workmen were supported by unions all over the country, but they were afterwards obliged to go to work at less wages than the masters were willing .to give them when the strike com- menced. To so great an extent had the masters suffered from that strike, that the other day when the commercial crisis came, the first to be ruined were the masters of Preston, and the consequence is, that thousands of work- men are thrown out of employment. Many of you remem- ber what took place here seven or eight years ago. Wages were then Is. 4d., and as there was then a good demand, the colliers said There are plenty of vessels at Cardiff- now is the time to strike." The masters yielded the 2d. per ton, but in a short time the aspect of things changed, and the masters determined to get tbe 2J. back again, and the usual notices were given. The man would not submit, and a strike ensued. I do not want to pass any opinion as to whether the men were right or wrong on that occasion. I know they had many reasonable causes of complaint; but I will tell you what happened. There were some men who could not endure to see their children crying for food, and they resolved to go to work, whatever the consequences. They were followed to their work by their fellow-work- men, and by women and children beating frying-pans and crying out turncoats but this was not the worst of it. Fresh men were brought into-the place; the workmen got angry at seeing their stalls filled by fresh men, and then it was-and so it is in all strikes-that the angry feeling began, and hardly a day passed but some men were pitched into the canal—some acts of violence committed —and it was my painful duty, as a magistrate, to punish the offenders. There was a man at Cwm Bach, who had six children starving, went to work; not satisfied with beating him, some man, who. was a disgrace to the valley, filled a. stocking with gunpowder, flung it into the man's house, where it exploded under his bed, killing the man, but the children escaped. One would have thought that that was horrible enough, but when the unfortunate man was being carried to the churchyard, he was followed to the churchyard by a mob howling and shouting after his corpse. You see how a strike hardens men's- minds. At Abergwawr, two men were shot at through the win- dow, while sitting at their firesides but, by Grid's bless- ing. they escaped unhurt. Well, afoer all this murder, violence, and misery, the men were qbliged to go, to work at Is. 4d.—many strangers were introduced into the valley trade was turned upside down—and nothing was gained by it. I repeat, that I do not know who was right or wrong then but I believe that the men had more right on their side then than they have now, because I believe the reduction the masters are making is a fair reduction, forced upon them by the difficulties of the times. Do not, I again urge you, allow this week to pass, without coming to an agreement, or I am afraid a notice of a further re- duction will follow. For God's sake, accept the Is. 6d. while you can get it. It may not be so good as-you could wish, but after all it is not so bad. You can get enough to live upon, and when the summer comes, things will revive, and wages go up again. But let me implore you to show yourselves at this crisis willing, as good workmen, to bear with your masters the pressure of the times. The Rev. T. Price rendered the foregoing into Welsh. David Williams again called upon his fellow-workmen to come forward and speak their minds. He expressed a hope that the gentlemen would try to get the masters to come a little nearer to the men, by a less reduction than 3d. per ton. He also denied the assertion that had been made, that there were hundreds of workmen in the valley anxious to work if they dare and complained that the value of money was only 10 per cent., while the masters sought to reduce them 15 per cent. Mr. Bruce said he should only be deceiving them if he held out any hopes that the masters would make any con- cession. As to the reduction being 15 per cent., and bank interest only 10, per cent., they must bear in mind that the 15 per cent. was a reduction upon only Is. 9d. out of the price of the ton of coal—that while the masters had to pay interest upon 9s. or 9s. 6d., they could make no reduction in the principal charges making up that sum—railways, horse-keep, royalties, &c.,and that therefore the reduction of 15 per cent. in the wages did not cover the loss sustained by the masters, in the item of interest alone, to say nothing of the reduction in the price of coal. Mr. John Davies, Blaengwawr, considering the distress which strikes had caused, proposed, with a view of obviat- ing those calamities, That the colliers of the different pits meet in their own localities, and determine by vote by ballot, whether or not they will continue the strike." He also moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Bruce as a gentleman who sympathised with the workmen as well as with th& masters. The Rev. Thomas Price next addressed the meeting, urging upon the workingmen the suffering they would inevitably entail upon themselves by a persistance in their present course. The proposal was then seconded and carried. The Rev. D. Price gave the result of his experience of strikes when a working collier. Twenty-seven years ago he was as earnest about a strike as any of them here present, in consequence of a reduction similar to the present. He was earning 25s. per week when the strike commenced, they held out for six or seven months, and he was then glad to go to work for 9s. per week, and the man with whom he was working was dishonest enough to take his (Mr. P's.) share of the earnings with him to America. He remembered another strike, on a reduction of 4s. in the pound. The works were stopped for two years, and then, instead of 4s. they were obliged to submit to a reduction of 8s. in the pound. Mr. Bruee added a few words, by way of acknowledging the compliment which had been paid him, stating that his anxiety had been to bring the workmen and masters to- gether, and the meeting was brought to a close. On Monday night, Bartholomew Matthew, aged 35, fell down a stone quarry a distance of 30 yards, while in a state of drunkenness, and was killed on the spot.