We warn the working-men against making one seri- ous mistake.
Three young men recently assaulted a fellow- workman on some trade quarrel. The jury found them guilty, and Baron Pigott sentenced them. The London Trades Council thought the sentence too heavy, and peti- tioned Mr. Lowe for a mitigation. Mr. Lowe, after carefully *considering the case, declined, whereupon the Council passed this resolution :—" That in the opinion of this Council, the answer of the Home Secretary, Mr. Lowe, to the application from the Council, regarding the cruel and unjust sentence passed by Baron -Pigott on Messrs. Walker, Tamblin, and Pyle, is in harmony with Lis general conduct on all questions affecting the liberties, rights, and claims of labour; and the Council views with deep regret his appointment to the Home Secretaryship, as calculated to carry out a haughty, heartless, and vindictive policy towards the work- ing classes, which their conduct does not merit, and can add no dignity to his office." This will never do. It would be better to risk a civil war by returning to the old suffrage, than to allow political feeling to interfere in"the smallest degree with judicial proceedings. Do the Trades Council expect that sentences are to be remitted simply because those sentenced are workmen, or that they are to force pardons because the Home Secretary once uttered unpopular speeches ? The pretension is simply intoler- able, and would lead in a month to menaces to the jury of the Irish sort. They can change the law, if they like, by their votes, but it is impossible that they should be allowed to dictate to the Judges. At the same time, the Bench should consider that we do not want a movement in this country for elective judges.
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