34*8 THE OPERATIVES'* PARLIAMENT. 



the fact, that by depriving them of their power of intimidation is to 

 render them powerless. This is, in a great measure, proved by the 

 evidence before the parliamentary committee. Two gentlemen spoke 

 most decidedly upon this point Mr. Campbell, the sheriff-substitute 

 for Renfrewshire, and Mr. Robinson of Lanarkshire : for, it must be 

 understood, these Unions are in great force in the manufacturing dis- 

 tricts in Scotland, and are most ferocious in their operations. The 

 former gentlemen observes : 



" Their mode of effecting their objects was chiefly by means of intimida- 

 tion, and without that I do not see that the combination could hang to- 

 gether many weeks; for when a struggle takes place between the cotton- 

 spinners and their masters, it is necessary to the success of the workmen 

 that they should all join together, and therefore it is quite indispensable for 

 them, as experience has shown with us at least, to control their fellow- 

 workmen, so as to procure that unanimity by any means. Those who do 

 not go into their measures are termed ' knobs/ and it is quite an understood 

 thing that these knobs are to be persecuted in various ways, and, if neces- 

 sary, their lives are to be attempted." 



Mr. Robinson also says : 



" I think the effect of the acts of intimidation, taken generally, has been 

 to bind together, and to create and give effect to the existing co-operation 

 among these combinations. I think that without intimidation they would, 

 individually and collectively, more speedily fall to pieces, because it is 

 through the medium of intimidation that they, in a great measure, collect 

 or obtain the funds, which they distribute in furtherance of their purposes." 



We conceive it only necessary to call the public attention to the mon- 

 strous tyranny with which these Unions are conducted, the injustice 

 towards all classes which are immediately concerned in, or, indeed, re- 

 motely affected by them, to induce people to call on government for 

 additional means to suppress them. Severity of measures can scarcely 

 be condemned, when the lives and property of the better and more 

 reflective portion of the community are in the power of a capricious and 

 illegal association. But in order that our remarks may be entitled to 

 greater weight than mere assertion, we will give some of the proceed- 

 ings of these bodies, wherein the vanity, the selfishness, and cri- 

 minality of these self-constituted legislators will be the more appa- 

 rent. The facts we shall bring forward are from the authority of a 

 gentleman who has derived them from the parties most interested, 

 and who has lately published a pamphlet on the subject.* 



It appears that the cotton-spinners are the most powerful and 

 best organized Union in the kingdom. It is the most powerful from 

 the fact that their labour is essentially necessary for the working of 

 the mill ; and though only forming one-tenth, numerically, of those 

 employed, yet their refusal to work incapacitates the other nine-tenths 

 from labour. Thus they take advantage of this power to render 

 their fellow- workmen subservient, and take the lead in all questions 

 of professed mutual advantage to enact laws for the rest. It is only 

 since 1829 that one " grand general Union" has been formed of all the 

 spinners of the three kingdoms, though local Unions existed long be- 



" Character, Object, and Effect of the Trades' Unions." Hi d^way. 



