No: 10 South [Sweette] S.tt July 14. 1851 Gentlemen, I have receivd your invi- -tation for the meeting calld by the Labourers on the Coal Wharves in Richmond on Saturday the 15th, but the Mul- -tiplicity of my engagements will prevent me from being present on the occasion. I do not, however, feel myself at liberty to [inform] [all] [?] of opinion [on] the state of faith placed upon me in your com -munication [coming] as [this] [statement] [?] ^doesfrom such a respectable & notable source. The ^City Newspapers a week ^ago were filld with ac- -counts of a great [riot] at Richmond, growing so it was said, out of a strike by the Labourers in the Coal Wharves, and also with high [commendations] of the [] [skillful] & [efficient] [means] in which the Police Force headed by [] [] No: 10 South [Sweette] S.tt Feby 14. 1851 Gentlemen, I have receivd your invi- -tation for the meeting calld by the Labourers on the Coal Wharves in Richmond on Saturday the 15th, but the Mul- -tiplicity of my engagements will prevent me from being present on the occasion. I do not, however, feel regrets at [liking] to [] [all] [] of opinion [on] the State of faith placed upon me in your com -munication [coming] as [this] [statement] [] does from such a respectable & notable source. The ^City Newspapers a week ^go were filld with ac- -counts of a great [riot] at Richmond, growing so it was said, out of a strike by the Labourers in the Coal Wharves, and also with high [commendations] of the [] [skillful] & [efficient] [means] in which the Public Force headed by [] [] [had] expected the [Rioters] & [quelled] the []. ^[These] [accounts] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] The coal Labourers of Richmond have been there placed in [:] a very [] & [] lights [before] the People of [the] [], [] [the] Public Morals of that th[] & [ordinarily] peaceful D[istrict] have been in no small measure []. The [reputation] of individual men are of [commemorating] [themselves] [can] [are] [responsible] [in] this day [to] Public opinion, & if newspaper publications [furnishing] [can] [ex] [facto] s[tatement] of this affair are [no] [interest] it is but proper and right that [these] [articles] to it [should] [have] the benefit of a [just] & fair ex -position. 1[] It has been said & is generally believed that the Labourers at Richmond [com]- -[bined] in a ''strike'' for [wages]. I am informd that this [activity] is not true. A strike for [wages] is always understood to be a [combination] among workmen [sometimes] accompanied with [threatening] [demonstrations], by refusing to work to force the [employers] to pay higher [wag] wages than those paid by the employers at the time of the [VERTICALLY AT TOP LEFT:] *[Country] p[] ''.2'' strike I understand that at Richmond [are] [paid] by the Coal Merchants for their labour by the hour. That is to say instead of being paid a [specified] [sum], 1 dollar for instance ''by the day'', they are paid so many cents ''an hour''. For sometimes [] the Coal Merchants have been paying their labourers in the wharves 121/2 [cents] per hour, [small] [enough] compensation too it [really] seems to me. At the [] [time] when the alledged strike occured, the Coal Merchants de- -termined to reduce the wages of labour from 121/2 cents to 10 cents an hour It with the exception of the [Forest] []. Co [wharve] no 14. It is [] [from] [this] [that] the strike [was] not among the workmen for ''higher wages'', but among the Coal Merchants [themselves] for ''lower wages''. [In] other [words] [this] appears to have been a combination among the Em -ployers to ''force'' their ''employees'' to work upon their terms, or to starve. 2d It is said that the labourers at Richmond were guilty of engaging in a riot This I am informed is also not true. That there was no riouous demonstration on their part or [i]f any that it was [dis]- -[tinctly] provoked by the officers & [] [interference] of [Neander] [Higson's] Police. It is [stated] [to] [us] that the Labourers [met] [together] [as] [crowds], but [continual] [bludgeons] [], actions, as any [] [] [] [act] [] [to] [indicate] [an] [] []. It was but [sanctioned] that they should meet to talk over their grievances ([being] [] the duty [] of mu -[tiny] & [] []) & [more] [over] [they] had a clear legal & ''constitutional right'' to do so. It is [] [troubling] [] & not yet as I have seen con -tradicted, that the Lieutenant of Police [after] [was] [] Richmond, was & finding no [necessity] there for police interference in [his] [] sent Mr [Higson] with his men & so informed [him]. But that zealous functionary (who is [personally] a very [estima]- -[ble] man) [] [a] [] [dream] to distinguish himself in his new office [could] [not] [banish] the idea of "marching up the hill & then marching back again. [His] [personal] [sword] [cutlass] [] [] [] [his] indicated, least [] [two] ''3'' and he determined to proceed to Rich- -mond; his [presence] in Richmond under the circumstances and in the manner of his coming, was properly regarded by the Labourers or [others] [said] [an] insult. [A...] ^[] And [] was naturally [attractive], & a portion of Keyser's [undecoratable] army getting drunk & becoming in their [folly] [] [uproarious] & [] to some of the labouring men [] a few [cases] of [] & a ^[] of [] [urge] & [] [] was their inevitable [vengeance]. From then it appears (if the statement [be] [correct]) that if there was a disturbance of the Peace at Richmond ^worth noticing it was not the working-men, but the Police Marshal & his men who were to [blame] 3d. As 12 1/2 cents pr. hour [reason] -[able] wages sum to be demanded by the Labourer for wages. There are some four or five hundred Labourers with their families dependent upon the coal wharves at Richmond for their support. It is said that to get [] at all the men must be always ready to answer the [] of their employers. [In] the [heats] of summer & in the cold & sleet of winter it [requires] eight hours continued toil with the [nerves] & [surrender] of the body [shattered] & I [have] in [f] the utmost [] to [] 1 dollar per day ^(at 12 1/2 cents per hour or if employed [every] [working] day [during] [the] year at this rate to [realise] $312 per year. But it is [quite] notorious that the Labourers, the [] expected to be [] [] [] for a [job], do not receive [hardly] employ [not] by any necessary 1 & that four dollars a week for cash Labourers in a [?] average remuneration. If this be so through working cash day they can [] the employment brings cash near upon our arrange $200 per year not of which himself & family have to the [] [] & for a reduction of 10 [acres] from 15 [] to no [event] are [] [only] have ten effort to [] of the Tobacco "too houses" additional work to marke [] [] & this to [] him of to mark trim that might "[?]" be deco- rium that needs [][com]- [plex] into [hoffeing] [] at its 16, is of their that [] at perhaps In [order] to the [] of his mind. It is time that is this [issue] we have the [casualty] [] in the [] [] & the poor Labourers in the [] but still let us see things clearly in the light of truth & justice and when [] [] to face their employers to work at unimaginable wages, this will cost the employer [] a little [] [], which with the employee it is [bit] actual daily bread that is at stake. Do not let us call a [] to rebuttal to [] may cause a great [], a stake on the part of working men. This is a free country & of Labouring men. Take them in Richmond, do not choose to wish [] [] [] [] [] to know []. [] [] not be accused of slacking for [] [] & being guilty on this of all kinds of [] [] & [divides?] her []. [] hold the Police force, ally [] with Capital, to [] [] [] [] its []. The audience [] [] shall newly suggest the ideas for [your] [] to [] [] 1st: What an absurd commentary this [?] offers in upon the delusion promised recently of the [?] in federal party when they could [?] transform of the Govt "to take care of the [?] in, now that the [?] may take care of the poor." 2nd: Has there not been a [?] effort, by [?] of [?]-current move, to kindle a fund [?] the German & her Grand [?], with a [?] of [?] & [?] the Democratic Party. It looks like it. Who can answer? My [?] [?] Yr, [?] [?] it Bo: Tyler Jo [?] [?] [?] [?] Nies Farrell Isaac Coallace [?] [Whote?] James Cracy James O'Donnell Frances [?] [?] [?] Clarke Committee Robert Tyler Phila. Feb. 14 1851 To Committee of [] do concerning the late affairs in Richmond with the Police force.