THE OPERATIVES' 1 PARLIAMENT. 351 



the advantage. To gain the increase he is obliged to pay the levies 

 ordered by the Union Parliament, which reduces him to his former 

 level, and at the sacrifice of the confidence of his employer. 



In 1824 all the spinners turned out, much against their own wishes, 

 but at the dictation of the Union Parliament. The result of this 

 strike was, the men returned to work at the same wages, after costing 

 their parliament 4,000/., and enduring themselves the greatest hard- 

 ships. In 1829, 10,000 persons were thrown out of employ for six 

 months by a strike, the evil consequences of which are felt by the 

 operatives of Manchester to this day ; and with the usual result that 

 of returning to work at a reduction of wages, principally occasioned 

 by the numbers who were employed during the insubordination 

 of the regular hands. Many outrages were committed during this 

 unfortunate time ; and one more particularly, which reflects the 

 foulest disgrace on their annals the assassination of a most respect- 

 able individual ; the iniquitous perpetrators of which, shielded as they 

 were by their brother Unionists, were never brought to justice. One 

 instance has been given of the Hyde workmen being obliged, against 

 their will, to turn out. A similar account is given by Mr. Chappel, 

 a Manchester manufacturer, before the Factory Commission: 



" The whole of our spinners, whose average wages were 2l. 13s. 5d., 

 turned out, at the instigation, as they told us at the time, of the delegates 

 of the Union. They said they had no fault to find with their wages, their 

 work, or their masters, but the Union obliged them to turn out. The same 

 week three delegates from the Spinners' Union waited upon us at our mill, 

 and dictated certain advances in wages, and other regulations, to which, if 

 we would not adhere, they said neither our own spinners nor any other 

 should work for us again. Of course we declined, believing our wages to 

 be ample, and our regulations such as were necessary for the proper con- 

 ducting of the establishment. The consequences were, they set watches 

 on every avenue to the mill night and day, to prevent any fresh hands 

 coming into the mill, an object which they effectually attained, by intimi- 

 dating some, and promises of support to others which I got into the mill 

 in a caravan, if they would leave their work. Under these circumstances 

 I could not work the mill, and advertised it for sale without receiving any 

 applications, and I also in vain tried to let it. At the end of twenty-three 

 weeks the hands requested to be taken into the mills again on the terms 

 that they had left it, declaring, as they had done at first, that the Union 

 alone had forced them to turn out. The names of the delegates that 

 waited on me were Jonathan Hodgins, Thomas Foster, and Peter Madox, 

 secretary to the Union. 



" ' What advance of wages did they require ?' ' It was considerable, 

 but I don't remember the exact sum ; and the regulations required were, 

 that the men should not be fined for bad work, or for not conforming to 

 the regulations of the mill.' " 



The 1 khan of the Tartars himself can hardly wish for a more ex- 

 tensive power over the property of his subjects than these gentlemen 

 assume over that of their masters: but their assumption of despotism 

 is, fortunately, not so fruitful in its results, in this instance, as in that 

 of their barbarous prototype, the occasional success of whose infringe- 

 ment upon the rights of meum and tuum, doubtless their instructive 

 periodical literature has made them acquainted with. The success of 

 the Union attacks have been negative to them. In many instances 



