T H E T A B L E T .
A W eekly Newspaper and R eview .
DUM VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS ÜT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATIS.
From the B r i e f o f H is H o lin ess P iu s IX . to T he T a b let, fu n e 4 , 1870.
Vol. 76. No. 2628. London, September 20, 1890.
P rice sd., by P ost s%d.
[Registered a t th e General Post O ffice as a N ewspaper.
C hronicle of th e Week :
Page
The Strike at Southampton—The Close of the Crisis— End of the Strike—Germany and the Slave Trade—An Official Statement— Continued Strike in Australia— Austrian War Manoeuvres—Revolution in Ticino—The Cortes in Commotion— Funeral of Canon Liddon—¿25,000a-Begging-r-Fire at the Alhambra Palace-An Interview with the Sultan—Mr. Gladstone on Miscellaneous Science— The Snares of Electric Lighting— The Meeting of the Emperors— The Plumstead Tragedy—Arrest of Mr. John Dillon and Mr. W. O’Brien .................................... 441
C O N T E N T S .
L e a d e r s :
The Decree of Pope Urban II. Principle for Principle .. As Others See It .. • • New Rome .. •. ••
Page
445 • 445 , 446
447
N o t e s ....................................... •• 44** Review * '
Two Portable Prayer Books Results of the Li6ge Congress Aspects of Anglicanism ..
450 • 4SI • 455
Correspondence :
Rome :—(From Our Own Corre
spondent) .................................... 457 Paris:— (From Our Own Corre
spondent) .................................. . 458
C orrespondence (Continued) :
Dublin :—(From Our Own Corre
spondent) .................................... 459 L etters to th e E ditor :
“ To Such a s ----- ..
.. 460
What then Does Mr. Lilly Mean ? 461 The “ Large Suggestion ” .. 461 The Pilgrimage of Paray.. .. 462 Blue an Ecclesiastical Colour . . 462 Memorial to Cardinal Newman .. 462 A Symposium on American Schools 462 The Church and the Plan of Cam
paign ............................................... 465 An Actor at Ammergau ” .. .. 465 A New Palimpsest on Mount Athos 465 From Liège to Manchester .. .. 466 The Marriage Laws and the Church 466
SUPPLEMENT. N ews from the Schools :
Page
Canon Maguire onCatholic Schools 473 On Neutral Schools .. . . 473 About E ducation.........................474 N ews from th e D io ceses:
Westminster.. .. .. .. 475 Southwark........................v ,. 475 *Birmingham.......................,v •• 476 Shrewsbury .. .. .. . . 476 St. Andrews and Edinburgh .. 476 Glasgow ....................................476 The Memorial of a Centenary . . 476 The New Church of St. James .. 477 The Bishop of Limerick and the
Temperance Society .. .. 478
Rejected MS. cannot be returned unless accompanied with address and postage.
C H R O N I C L E O F T H E W E E K .
#n r " H E settlement which, at the end
THE strike AT I o f last week, seemed to be nearsouTHAMPTOH» ; ^ k / i -ing fulfilment,
ampton dockers and their employers, was suddenly deferred by the dissatisfaction o f the seamen and firemen. The men o f these classes who belonged to the Union had abstained last week from signing articles, on the ground that they were not receiving pay as high as that given in many other ports. Having first been fortified with advice from the Executive in London that there was abundance of work elsewhere to be found, they passed a resolution that unless certain demands were conceded they would leave the port. On Saturday morning the shipowners met, and after a long conference a notice was issued to the effect that harbour pay would be raised two shillings, to which was added another favourable clause. The men again met, but insisted that their whole demand should be given or they would not go in. Now their whole demand was this ; first, a rise o f three shillings to the donkey men ; second, a rise o f five shillings to the trimmers ; and, third, a rise o f five shillings for the boys. Again the shipowners met, but, as they made no further offer, it was understood that they had gone as far as they could. Subsequently a further meeting of employers, and a resolution passed to this effect : “ The employers of labour have agreed that they will support the Shipping Companies against the action of the Firemen’s and the Seamen s Union.” The effect o f this decision was naturally interpreted to mean that if the seamen and firemen persisted in refusals, the masters would close thé docks. Later on, definite instructions were given by the various Companies that no men were to be admitted on Monday morning. Thus the bitter war was definitely declared, and the morning awaited with much anxiety.
With Monday morning the crisis came to a
—TlIE sharp head. A t half-past five the men arrived in great numbers only to find that a board was on • view with the announcement that work was suspended until further notice. It is said thatm anyof theoldhands who have worked with the Company for years could scarcely be brought to realise the situation. A t about 11 o’clock the ominous notice was removed, and some men were taken on to load and unload vessels. Several thousands o f dock labourers, and many hundreds o f mechanics, were unable to find work. T o the police court, once the dreary news o f a lock-out had grown stale, the chief attention was directed. William Sprow, o f the London Dockers’ Union, who led the strike, was charged with intimidating the crew o f the Royal Mail Steamship L a P la ta . Witnesses bore testimony that on the previous Thursday, as the crew o f this vessel the Union and refuse to go in. As a consequence o f these remarks, it was alleged that only four men, of some thirtytwo, had gone aboard. It was agreed that the case should go to the assizes, and the magistrates offered to accept bail for Sprovv in ¿ 1 0 0 and two sureties o f £ $ o ; this, defending counsel thought too high, and both sums were accordingly reduced by one-half. When the interest o f the police court was over, eyes began to turn back to the docks, where rumour circulated (and was generally credited) that notices would be issued early next day granting the concessions asked by the seamen and the firemen, and that all work would be resumed. Late on Monday evening came a telegram announcing: “ Strike ended. Company given w ay; ” and la te r : “ Sprow has been admitted to bail. The town is perfectly quiet.”
And the telegram spoke the truth. Early
— end of the on Tuesday morning announcements were strike. made by the Union and Royal Mail Steam
ship Companies that the Directors had granted a rise of three shillings to the donkey-men and five shillings to the trimmers and boys, thus running up to Peace with the whole demands granted. The rest of the history of the strike reads like the rapid ending o f a melodrama. Firemen for the vessel L a P la ta were readily found, and the ship that has lain so long idle in the river, the mails o f which had been despatched by another route, was presently ready to sail. Some little difficulty in regard to another ship was encountered because its boatswain was a non-Unionist man, but this also was hoped shortly to be settled amicably. Men were taken on freely during the day, and by an early hour in the afternoon there were few waiting for employment, In the afternoon also the Royal Mail Company opened their factory, and the Union Company alone kept closed doors. But late at night orders were given that even the men of this Company should be taken on. Southampton is once more tranquil, the whole town, with the late Marquis de Riso, gridando fa c e , pace, fa c e .
New Series, Vo i . XLIV., No. M 37.
