Posted with permission of the transcriber, Barb. Baker. Geo. THE TIMES, Friday, September 2, 1831 THE WHITEHAVEN COLLIERS. (from the Carlisle Journal) A part of Lord LONSDALE's colliers, under military protection, have returned to their work, having promised to abandon the Union. The following account of their proceedings we take from Lord LONSDALE's mouth-piece -- "the Cumberland Packet":-- "Soon after their dismissal, some of the most refractory members of the 'Union', with their faces blackened, repaired to Bear Mouth, near this town, and by violent denunciations of vengeance drove away from the mouth of the adit the sentinels who had been placed there for the protection of the property. Many alarming threats were also heard from the most desperate of the party, who did not endeavour to disguise the diabolical measures they had in contemplation. These indications of approaching danger to the peace of the town, induced the magistrates to apply to the Lord Lieutenant of the county for military assistance, and his lordship having acquiesced in the request - [ very kind is his lordship to acquiesce in burdening the public with the charge of protecting his own private property ] - made the necessary application, and accordingly a troop of 3rd Light Dragoons, command by Captain H. PHILIPS, marched from Newcastle-upon-Tyne for Whitehaven; and on the 13th inst. a detachment of the 24th Foot, under the command of Major KELLY, left Carlisle for the same destination. In the mean time, the conduct of the colliers had assumed a more tranquil aspect, and gave some reason to hope that they had become sensible of their error, and even disposed to return to their usual avocations. For several days they demeaned themselves in a peaceable manner, without any other symptoms of dissatisfaction than that of assembling in a body every morning about 8 o'clock, and marching in something like military order for a short distance into the country, returning quietly in the course of a few hours. In consequence of these deceptious appearances, the march of the military was countermanded, and the cavalry halted at Brampton, while the infantry, who had reached Cockermouth, were ordered to remain there until further orders. In this state of temporary tranquility, things remained until last Friday night, when a part of the colliers began to display a returning spirit of violence and depradation. They desperately attacked the houses of some of their fellow-workmen who had refused to join their combination, and threatened vengeance to all whom they supposed inimical to their outrageous proceedings. Under these circumstances, expresses were sent off for the soldiers to continue their march; and on Saturday evening Major KELLY's detachment arrived here, and the following day about 4 o'clock the dragoons also arrived, having marched from Brampton at 9 o'clock the preceding evening. "On the afternoon of Saturday, strong symptoms of a riotous disposition began to be displayed by a number of the colliers in the streets, and the alarm amongst tradesmen and others soon became general. At an early hour, most of the shops about the market-place were closed up, and soon after the magistrates adopted the very prudent resolution of requiring the publicans to shut their doors against all company during the remainder of the evening. This necessary restriction was, we believe, generally and strictly obeyed, and its salutary effects soon became apparent, for before 10 o'clock, the public disturbers had entirely disappeared from the streets, and the town remained in its usual state of tranquility. The conduct of the magistrates on this occasion has been universally approved by the inhabitants; for it has seldom happened when a numerous body of workmen have remained for so long a time in a state of insubordination, that the peace of a town has been so well preserved. As a convincing testimony that the measures adopted by the authorities have given general satisfaction, on Saturday and yesterday, no fewer than 200 gentlemen, tradesmen, and mechanics volunteered their services as special constables, and were sworn in at the Public-office in Lowther-street. "All the horses which had been lately removed were yesterday again lowered into William Pit, and this morning (Monday) the well-disposed colliers who are inclined to work, will resume their employment. " The reader will observe in this statement, one or two things not a little remarkable. When, two or three months ago, the colliers made, at the instigation of some of the agents placed over them, an indiscriminate and ferocious attack upon all the inhabitants of the town supposed to be inimical to the politics of Lord LONSDALE, the Magistrates could see no danger whatever in their proceedings, and could not be induced to take one step to protect the lives or properties of the persons threatened by these lawless men; but the moment Lord LONSDALE's interests are at stake -- the moment his property is likely to be injured by the conduct of the same men -- all is activity, bustle, and animation; military are sent for, at the public cost, to protect the property of a private individual, special constables are sworn in, and the whole town is put to inconvenience and trouble. When the colliers broke the windows of the Black Lion, threatened to pull the house down and murder the inmates, those who expressed alarm at or denounced their conduct, were ridiculed as cowards and fools, the men were upheld in their dangerous proceedings, and praised as quiet, humane, and peaceable innocents; now, when they show a turbulent disposition towards their employer, and a desire to have an advance of wages, then the inhabitants are made to close their shops, to exhibit fear which they do not feel, and the proceedings of the men are pronounced "diabolical". The truth is, the magistrates are ready to do every thing to please "my lord", and promote his interest, but are slow as nails and blind as bats when merely the interests of the inhabitants are at stake. His Lordship's paper denies that the men seek an advance of wages; be it so; what, then, is the cause of quarrel ? Lord LONSDALE will not permit them to join the 'Union'. If the men had no ulterior object in joining the union, why should his lordship object to an act in itself so harmless ? The truth is, the men are ill-paid for a most laborious and degrading employment, and they want, by the union, to have a larger share in the immense profits which his lordship derives from their labour, by selling his coals at war prices in a time of peace. His lordship will not hear of this; and therefore he turns them off when they speak of "union". His lordship and his servants are great sticklers for the church, the "blessed comforts", and so forth, but could find no other day than Sunday to lower his horses into his pits -- an operation sure to attract the attention of a great number of people. If a poor woman had endeavoured to earn a few pence by vending apples on a Sunday, she might have considered herself a fortunate creature if she escaped the tread-mill, if seen by any of hs lordship's clerical magistrates. `~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~