18 JANUARY 1873, Page 2

The National Congress of Trades' Unions has held three in-

teresting meetings this week, but its only important action has- been to resolve that the workmen desire the total abolition of all laws against Unions, the repeal of the conspiracy law, so far as- it makes persuasion to quit work a conspiracy, the alteration of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and the admission of all workmen who are electors to sit on juries when workmen's cases are being tried. With most of these views we coincide, and particularly in the necessity of remodelling the law of conspiracy ; but the work- men are wrong about the jury, as they were wrong in trying to- extort a pardon for the gas stokers out of Mr. Bruce. It is. theirinterest that the Courts should be:independent, and par- dons be granted or refined, without reference to votes. If they have a right to be represented on juries, so have the masters and the public, and juries would speedily become little Parliaments, intent not on justice, but on party victories. No doubt too Many magistrates, and, some judges, display class-feeling ; but. the remedy for that is to select just men, not to neutralise Haman by seating Mordecai by his side.