COMBINATION LAWS. COMBINATION LAWS. Our readers will do us the justice to remember, that when the proposal for abolishing the Combination Laws was under discussion during last Session of Parliament, we advocated at some length, and most unreservedly, the policy of the measure; but that, at the same time, we warned very distinctly those for whose relief it was intended, against a dangerous nisapprehension into which they were likely to be led by the language used by certain individuals, who were taking a leading and otherwise meritorious part in bringing about the repeal. We stated, p. 212, vol. 11., that "although we advocated the repeal of the Combination Laws, it was not in order that combination might be produced, but that it might be done away with entirely on the part both of masters and men, and things left to find their natural level." We cautioned the working classes against secretly looking forward to the repeal as a measure which would enable them to combine at pleasure, and have all their own way;" and we finally held it forth as a probable result, that "should it be the effect of the nearly accomplished repeal of the Combination Laws to strengthen old combinations and produce new onesto encourage more than hitherto associations of workmen against their masters-to produce evil rather than good-the old laws would be restored (never again perhaps to be repealed), or new ones would be enacted, still more rigorous and severe in their operation." 66 It was with much regret, we witnessed the alarming extent, to which the fears we thus expressed were progressively realized, after the repeal had taken place; nor is it with any other feeling than regret, that we see our operative friends threatened with the very consequence which we anticipated. No consolation that we may honestly derive from the reflection, that we gave them due warning of the errors into which they have fallen, can equal the pleasure we should have felt had they been benefitted by it. A change was effected in the law, which, properly interpreted, was calculated to be of immense benefit to the working orders, when the old enactments against combinations were wholly erased from the Statute Book; and by misinterpreting it in the manner which we deprecated, they have furnished not only a pretext to that numerous class who, having little wisdom of their own, are ever crying up the wisdom of their ancestors, to clamour for a restoration of the old order of things, but have compelled even the wisest and most enlightened men amongst us to acknowledge, that it is become imperiously necessary to subject to revision the new state of things which the repeal in question has produced. On the 29th of last inonth the subject was brought before the House of Commons by Mr. Huskisson. After apprising the House, that though a member of the Committee to whom the consideration of the Combination Laws was last Session confided, he had been prevented, by the number of his other avocations, both from paying that degree of attention to their proceedings which he could have wished to do, and from considering the Bill which was afterwards introduced on their report, with that care which it deserved, the Right Hon. Gentleman proceeded to give an analysis of the provisions of that Bill, which showed, in a very striking manner, how the working classes have been betrayed (as the Right Hon. Gentleman confessed, and we anticipated) into an abuse of the benefits which it was intended to confer on them. "He was not surprised," he said, "when he looked at the way in which the Act of last Session was worded, and the artful misconstruction that might easily be put upon it by those who best knew how to mislead and deceive the men who had engaged in these combinations, that the men should have erroneously supposed their proceedings to be warranted under this Act. Not only did the Act repeal all' former statutes relative to combinations and conspiracies of workmen, but it even provided that no proceedings should be had on account of any such combination, meeting, conspiracy, or uniting together, of journeymen, &c. for, in fact, almost any purpose; aud COMBINATION" "LAVIS thus it went to preclude the possibility of applying any legal remedy to a state of things which might become, and which had since become, a great public evil. The second section declared, that journeymen, workmen, and other persous, who shall hereafter enter into any combination to obtain higher rates of wages, or to regulate the mode of carrying on any manufacture, trade, or business, or the management thereof, shall not be subject or liable to any indictment or prosecution for a criminal conspiracy or combination, or to any other proceeding or punishment whatever, under the common or statute law.' Would not any body, on reading this sentence, suppose it was something really fit and almost commendable for workmen to combine and conspire together to regulate and control the management of any manufacture? He did not doubt that a great proportion of the associated and combined workmen in the country did, in fact, believe, that so far from violating the law by their late proceedings, they had been only pursuing a course that was strictly conformable with the meaning of the legislature. It was, moreover, provided by section 6th, that if any person shall hereafter, by threats, deter a man from his hiring, or engage in any combination or conspiracy to destroy any machinery, goods, wares, or merchandizes, he shall, upon being convicted of such offence before a Magistrate, on the evidence of any two witnesses, be punished with two months' imprisonment.' (Hear.)-Now, it surely did not require any Act of Parliament to declare, that to deter a man by threats from his hiring, or to combine and conspire for the destruction of goods or machinery, was an offence to be made punishable in a certain way upon conviction. Such acts were already offences by the law of the land, independent of any thing like combination; and in so far, at least, the declarations and provisions of this Act were quite supererogatory. By the old law of the land, however, some of these offences would be actual felonies; others misdemeanours of the worst sort; while the Act of last Session reduced the whole to the class of the most ordinary misdemeanours, punishable, at the utmost, with only two months' imprisonment. Even plotting together for the destruction of machinery and merchandize, and deterring men from the exercise of their callings by threats of loss of life and limb, were no longer to be considered as offences of any deeper die than the commonest assault or pettiest larceny!!! What had been the consequence of the misconceptions which these provisions were so naturally calculated to produce on the minds of the working classes? "Since the passing of the Act in question, there had been numerous reports forwarded to Mr. Secretary Peel, detailing acts of outrage and violence, on the part of workmen combined against employers, of the most disgraceful character. (Hear, hear.)-His Right Honourable Friend had permitted him to inspect those reports; and he could state tha they manifested, in all those classes or workmen who had misconceived the real object of the legislature in the late Act, a disposition to combine against the masters, and a tendency to proceedings destructive of the property and business of the latter, which, if left to itself, and permitted to remain unchecked, must terminate in producing the greatest mischiefs to the country. Indeed, those mischiefs were rapidly growing in some districts to so alarming a pitch, that if their progress were not speedily repressed and interrupted, they would very soon become rather a subject for his Right H>nourable Friend to deal with in the exercise of his official functions, than for him (Mr. Huskisson) to call the attention of the House to in this manner. These things could not remain much longer in their present condition, unless Parljament should interfere to place them ou a different footing. His Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Peel)-armed, as he was, by the state, with the authority of calling in aid to the civil power, for the protec tion of the property and liberty of the King's subjects-must so interposeagainst what he (Mr. Huskisson) could not but consider a very formidable conspiracy in certain bodies of men, calculated to place that liberty and property, and perhaps life itself, in the greatest jeopardy, as regarded certain individuals who employed large numbers of labourers and journeymen." The evil consequences of such proceedings, as regarded the men themselves, were also very justly and forcibly adverted to by the Right Honourable Gentleman: "He did conceive, that if these misguided men could be induced, for one moment, to reflect upon what must be the inevitable consequences of the course they were pursuing, they must see that such a course of proceeding, if continued, would render it impossible for any person to embark his capital under risks so great as those which he had pointed out, or to submit its application to a system of tyranny and control that nobody with capital would for a moment choose to endure. If they would reflect on these facts, they would perceive the impossibility of their being left at liberty to pur 12 "SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY."-WEIGHT OF CARRIAGES IN MOTION. sue the career of violence and combination in which they were now proceeding; and that they must soon cease altogether to procure employment for their own subsistence. For so soon as they persevered in these measures, capital must desert the districts in which they were carried on; and ultimately, unless the evil was arrested, the kingdom itself, for other countries." For all these reasons, and with the hope of doing better justice to both parties-the workmen and their employers-Mr. Huskisson concluded by moving "For the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the effect of the Act of the 5th Geo. IV. cap. 95, in respect to the conduct of workmen and others in different parts of the United Kingdom; and to report to this House their opinion as to how far it may be necessary to repeal or amend the provisions of the said Act.'-(Hear.)" (Further observations in our next.) 66 SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY." SIR,-As you occasionally notice works that in any way tend to advance the Arts as well as disseminate useful knowledge, I beg to call the attention of your readers to a small pamphlet which has just appeared, and which contains many truths with regard to mechanical and philosophical subjects, in the form of short propositions, the investigation of which is left to the ingenuity of the reader, forming, as it were, a manual of natural philosophy, and embracing a variety of subjects, the application of which is necessary to the mechanic as well as the man of science. The work I allude to is entitled, "The Scientific Miscellany," by W. Shires, and sold by J. T. Setchell, 23, King-street, Covent-garden, as well as at most mathematical instrument makers. In my perambulations, I was struck with the title, and induced to purchase, in the hope of finding something new or interesting, and in which, I assure you, I have not been disappointed. As the work will speak for itself, I will not intrude on your valuable columns more than by making two or three extracts, to show that this pamphlet is not devoid of interest, but worthy of being more generally known From the several articles (which are nearly 100 in number) I shall select as specimens the following, namely Article 12.-Light always seeks the most rare medium, and therefore acts in straight lines only when cutting the surfaces of the mediums at right angles, or when passing through one and the same medium. Art. 16.-If a liquid drops, or is spilled, whilst being carried, it will branch out in the direction in which it was carried, and hence the porter of it may be thus traced. す Art. 26.-A force given to a body diverges out in s aight lines from the centre of gravity of the striking body into the body which receives it; hence the force becomes scattered in the receiving body inversely in the squares of its effect. This effect may be best seen by striking a hard blow on clear ice, of about five inches thick. Art. 92. To find the power gained by a train of clock-work, &c. call the power unity, then take the continued product of the diameter of all the wheels, and divide by that of all the pinions. I will not intrude farther on your pages, but shall leave it in the hands of those who may peruse the work to appreciate its merits, or criticise its defects, feeling I have done my duty in endeavouring to make more generally known a subject connected with the advancement of knowledge.A. S. 1 WEIGHT OF CARRIAGES IN MOTION. He SIR,-Your indefatigable Correspondent, G. A. S., will excuse me for checking a principle he has advanced in your 83d Number. thinks, by resolving the two forces, as represented by the sides of his right-angled triangle, into the hypothenusal line, that, owing to the oblique direction of that force, it will press less upon the weigh-bridge than the perpendicular force; but I would beg to remind him, that the oblique force being equivalent to the other two, must be greater, in the exact direction in which it acts, than either force singly. But since, DESCRIPTION OF A PORTABLE GAS LAMP. from the oblique position in which the resultant of the forces acts on the weigh-bridge, it must be less than if the compounded force acted perpendicular to its plane (the plane of the weigh-bridge), and this in exact proportion to its obliquity; it follows, then, that the oblique compounded force exerts the sume pressure upon the weigh-bridge (AND NEITHER MORE NOR LESS THAN THE SAME) as if the perpendicular force acted singly. Indeed, we may assert it as a general rule, that the effects of forces, when estimated in given directions, are not altered by composition or resolution. I am the more anxious to check this error of your Correspondent, because, from the superior talents with which that gentleman appears gifted, many of your readers would metamorphose those blemishes into the most sound orthodox principles. So true is this remark, that the celebrated Fontenelle has openly asserted, that he would undertake to persuade the whole republic of readers to believe that the sun was neither the cause of light nor heat, if he could only get six philosophers on his side. That man, therefore," says an elegant writer of the last age," although clothed in rags, who is capable of deceiving even indolence into wisdom, and who professes amusement while he aims at reformation, is more useful in refined society than twenty Cardinals, with all their scarlet, and tricked out in all the fopperies of scholastic finery." I may hereafter give you my opinion on Mr. Sam. Yelsap's question; for the present I can only say that G. A. S.'s is not the only solution that can be given to it. I am, JAMES YULE. P.S. Let these remarks apply also to your Correspondents G. G., C. E, and S. Y., whose errors I formerly pointed out to you. I do not mean to press my suit, but, in addition to that letter, I may add, that in G. G.'s trigonometrical solution of the Balance Question, there is not a 13 proportion existing in the terms of his analogy; for the oblique force, being actually less than the direct force (or the man's weight), can never bear the same relation to it which the radius of a circle bears to any sine less than 90o. The thing is absurd; consequently, instead of saying that the man's weight grew less in proportion to the oblique force exerted by the hand, I would have been fairly borne out, if I had even said, the man's weight gravitated towards the moon !! DESCRIPTION OF A PORTABLE GAS F 1 ABCD represent the lamp; E, the opening at which the gas is forced in, by means of a pump, and F the jet at which it escapes and is consumed. H, 1, is a bar to support the glass tube, KSL, open only at one end. The space from K to the float P contains mercury. The two floats, P and R, are connected by the string or chain, XY; and to the top of the float, R, the stout wire, II, is attached perpendicularly. To the top of this wire is affixed a cubical piece of metal, shaped on all sides like a wedge. This is contained in a kind of box, marked 3333, which is also shaped wedge-like, but with a greater angle at the bottom; 44 are two metal plates, each exactly the same size as one side of the box. These plates are to be pushed backwards or forwards by the screws 55, till the aperture is adjusted, when the ends of the screws may be cut off. ABCD, empty of gas, the mercury in Now, suppose the cubical vessel, the tube is alike high at both surfaces. 14 SPIRAL WHEELS PROPOSED IN STEAM NAVIGATION. The forcing pump is applied at E; and as the gas is condensed, it compresses the air in the end of the tube at K: of course the mercury rises, carrying the fioat, P, up along with it; the other ball is drawn down, and brings down with it the wire, Z, which gradually stops the opening at the top of the wire; and as the gas contained is diminished, the pressure will be taken off the surface of the mercury at R, the air at K will expand, and raise the wire, Z, and enlarge the opening. PROPOSAL FOR USING SPIRAL WHEELS IN STEAM NAVIGATION. SIR,-The imperfections of Paddle-Wheels for propelling steamvessels are generally known, and have given rise to various contrivances for obviating them, for some of which patents have been obtained. These contrivances, it should seem, have not been very successful, as paddle-wheels appear to be universally in use; it is, therefore, desirable that this subject should have the continued attention of mechanics, as their enlightened diligence cannot fail to have very beneficial results; and it is for the purpose of communicating an idea, which I conceive may contribute to produce an improved method of propelling such vessels, that I now address you. The most obvious imperfections of paddle-wheels are, first, the great loss of power occasioned by the oblique pressure of the paddles on the water when they first enter it; and which, though gradually diminishing, is not wholly lost till the paddle becomes vertical. This oblique, pressure may be resolved into two forces, the one vertical, the reaction to which raises the vessel, and the other horizontal, which propels it forward, and it is obvious that the whole power of the engine is excited in the latter direction only at the moment when the paddle is vertical; after this the vertical pressure begins in the opposite direction, and contributes to press the vessel into the water, and thus counteracts the little advantage that the first might produce, by lessening the draught. And, secondly, the unequal depth to which the paddles are frequently immersed when either the water is much agitated, or the wind acts forcibly on one side of the vessel: the consequence of this is, that one of the wheels suffers the impediment last mentioned in a greater degree, and is turned with a greater loss of power; whilst the other has not sufficient hold of the water to produce its maximum of effect. The mode of propelling steamvessels to which I would call the attention of your intelligent Correspondents, particularly those engaged in constructing or navigating them, is to substitute for paddle-wheels a worm-like spiral wheel (if it may be so called), that shall work in the water in the manner of a screw, to be formed by a flat board or ledge wound spirally round an axle, just like the screw of Archimedes, without its external rim: one of these on each side of the vessel, placed with their axles longitudinally, at any depth that may be found convenient, but somewhat below the water's surface, would produce a progressive motion, accompanied by very little collateral resistance, with a very gentle agitation of the water, and with very small loss of power. The pressure of these spiral wheels upon the water being an oblique one, which may beresolved into two forces, one of which acts in the direction of the axle, and the other perpendicular to it, it is obvious that this latter force would soon drive the vessel against one of the banks in rivers, and athwart the keel in the open sea, were they both to work the same way; but by making them turn in different directions, the lateral force of each would be counteracted by the other: but whether it would be better to drive the water in a direction diverging from the sides of the vessel, or converging towards its rudder, will be best determined by practice. The objection which I foresee to this machinery is, first and principally, the room which it would occupy on the sides of the vessel under the surface of the water, being equal to the diameter of the spiral, the radius of which would probably be not less than eighteen or twenty inches, |