vex the land will again merge for ever in the great stream of the Church catholic and universal ? Only let us preach, and pray, and act, and write, with this hope, and we may yet live to see the day of its accomplishment.

APPENDIX.

IN the eighteenth chapter allusion is made to a crime recently committed at Ashton-under-Lyne; which, however, is far from being the only one of a similar nature perpetrated within the last few years.

While this volume has been passing through the press, circumstances have transpired with regard to this murder, of so striking and fearful a nature, that I conceive it will be conducive to my design,—namely, of illustrating general views of society by facts,—if I detail briefly the particulars which have already come to light.'

In October last a strike occurred amongst the sawyers at Ashton-under-Lyne. Their employers, it seems, found it necessary, on account of a depression in the trade, to reduce their wages to the same scale as those of workmen employed in the same labour at Manchester; and on their announcing their intention, the men refused to continue at their work.

Speaking generally, workmen have a perfect right to bargain with their employers for the wages of their labour, though, of course, if workmen demand more than is reasonable, or masters persist in offering less than is reasonable, the unreasonable party is morally wrong. Christians ought to be just and liberal to each other. Even their temporal interests will soon enable them to come to terms, if they act with tolerable moderation. But neither party

1 The facts detailed have been gathered from various notices in the Times newspaper.

can be justified in using violence or unlawful means to accomplish their object, even supposing it to be just.

In the present instance, some of the masters being deserted by their regular workmen, engaged others in their places. These men judged the demands of their brotherworkmen to be unreasonable, and the wages offered to be fair, otherwise they would not have engaged themselves; and surely, in a free country, men have a perfect right to work for what wages they choose. The turn-outs, however, determined to prevent the others from exercising this just right. They assembled in crowds before the houses of the employers, and paraded the streets, using intimidating and abusive language to the new workmen. They endeavoured also to terrify the men's wives, declaring, that they would knock their husbands' brains out; and in one instance they shewed a poor woman a sack, telling her that it was to put her husband's body in.

About a fortnight after the strike, as four of the new workmen were returning home, they were waylaid and attacked by a number of ruffians, and one of them, named Garland, was beaten to death. Strange to say, this outrage produced but little sensation, and no reward was offered by Government for the apprehension of the murderers, which, as many were implicated, would, in all probability, have led to their detection.

On the 20th of October, a hole was made in the door of the house of one of the employers, and several pounds of gunpowder were poured into it through a funnel, evidently with the intention of blowing up the house; but the villains were interrupted by the watchman, who gave an alarm; and for this act of duty he was dreadfully beaten by three men with blackened faces.

Some while afterwards, a gun, loaded with small shot, was fired at the place where two of the new workmen

were usually employed; and had not it chanced that both of them were at the time at the bottom of the pit, the top-sawyer must inevitably have been killed.

It was on the 11th of December that the most dreadful deed was perpetrated. Two workmen, Benjamin and James Cooper, were engaged, soon after dusk, in their occupation in the yard, in the very heart of the town. Benjamin was at the top, and had a candle fixed on his leg, in order that he might see the line marked on the wood. As they were thus employed, a tremendous explosion was heard, which alarmed the whole neighbourhood, and it was found that a murderous engine, loaded with slugs, which is described as a piece of iron piping, plugged at one end with lead, and having a touchhole filed into it, so as to resemble a cannon, had been fired through the crevices of the shed in which the men were employed. Four slugs entered the body of Benjamin Cooper. The poor man being carried by his brother to his lodgings, lingered for two hours in great agony, and then expired, calling on God to provide for his widowed wife and family.

This second murder at length roused the indignation and activity of the local authorities. It is unfair to judge of the conduct of public men without being aware of all the circumstances under which they acted. We ought, therefore, to suppose that, in the case of the first outrage, they were not in possession of sufficient information to warrant them in taking a more decided course. Upon the second murder, however, a reward of 1007. was offered by the Government, and a similar sum by the master-builders, for the apprehension of the offenders. The police were instructed to search the house where the united workmen were known to resort; in consequence of which a number of papers and documents were found in the club-house and upon the person of the secretary, which led to the de