At Sunderland, on Tuesday, the Shipping Federation, in placing a
crew of free sailors on board the Claudius,' met with considerable opposition from a crowd composed either of members of "The National Seamen's and Firemen's Union," or of persons who took their side. The crew, when they went to the shipping office to " join," were hustled and jeered at, and an attempt was made to prevent them from going into the office to sign articles. The men, however, at last succeeded in forcing their way inside, and were engaged in the ordinary way. " On their reappearance," says the Times' correspondent,
" they again had a violent reception, one of the men being forcibly struck on the face, blood flowing freely. A policeman had to escort him to his lodging. The remainder of the crew escaped by a side-street. The unionist seamen are becoming much incensed at the progress of the Federation, and although nothing very serious has taken place as yet, there is some. probability of further disturbances. A large number of unionists are out of employment." Conduct of this kind is flagrantly immoral and unjust, as well as grossly illegal, and we trust the Magistrates and police will deal very severely with those who use violence themselves, or encourage the unionists to molest the free seamen,
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