Transcribed by Barb Baker. Geo. The Times, Tuesday, Sep 11, 1877 A WATCHMAKER'S GRIEVANCE. - Last evening a meeting of watchmakers was held in the Crown, Clerkenwell-green, to receive MR. GEOFFREY BENSON and MR. WILLIAM EAGLES, of Liverpool, who came as a deputation to discuss the subject of the practice of hall-marking, in England, watch cases made abroad, and to consider what steps should be taken to put an end to this practice, the result of which is that foreign-made watches having the English hall mark on their cases are readily sold as English manufacture. Considerable correspondence on the subject with the Board of Trade had resulted in a refusal on the part of that official body to bring in a Bill to enforce a declaration as to the place of manufacture of cases sent in for assay. The Board urged that if the mark were refused to foreign cases, foreign works might be put into English cases, to which the clockmakers replied that the works could not so readily be made for the case as the case for the works. The chair was taken by MR. WOLFE. MR. BENSON said that within six weeks more than 1,000 watch cases had been sent to England to be hall-marked, and taken back to Switzerland to be fitted with Swiss works, and afterwards sent out for sale as English watches. The object of the deputation was to form a united body, so as to go with full strength before the Legislature to demand a remedy for this grievance. Reports were read of a meeting lately held at Coventry, and some correspondence was read, including a letter from MR. JOHN BRIGHT, who on being asked to interest himself in the matter, replied as follows: "I have read the correspondence you have sent me. The answer given by the Board of Trade is the one which presented itself to my mind when I heard of your grievance, and I am bound to say that I think your reply is not conclusive. There is no proof that gold watchcases can be made more cheaply abroad than in England. The material is as dear in one country as in the other, whether you speak of Switzerland or America. You say your workmanship is better than that of the foreigner, and if this be true surely you can make watchcases as cheaply as they can be produced abroad. The Board of Trade do not believe that an Act of Parliament would be of any use to you, and I incline to be of the same opinion. To insist on 'declarations' such as you wish for is not well, unless the grievance is real and important and the remedy certain. I cannot give any promise as to this matter except this, that I shall be glad to ascertain the truth about it and to give it a full consideration, if any Bill on the subject should be introduced into the House of Commons. I am, respectfully yours, JOHN BRIGHT. MR. WALTER MACKINTOSH, 12, Ryder-street, Wavertree-road, Liverpool, who said Liverpool had the advantage of connexion with MR. CROSS and LORD SANDON, whose aid might be expected. What they wanted was to have the British hall-mark converted into a British trade mark, which was only reasonable. MR. STREETON thought it the duty of all watch case makers to assist on getting this grievance redressed, and moved a resolution pledging the meeting to co-operate with Liverpool and Coventry in the matter. The motion was seconded by MR. CLARKE and passed unanimously. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~