International Working Men’s Association
[The Minutes are in Shaws hand on pp. 86-88 of the Minute Book]
Citizen Jung was voted to the chair.
Members present: Dupont, Lessner, Cohn, Fox, Zabicki’, J. and W. Hales, Dell, Carter, Card, Buckley, Morgan, Eccarius, Maurice, and Shaw.
The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
Mr. Miall’s bill of £3 6s. for rent and use of fixtures was read and payment postponed until the next meeting.
On the motion of Mr. Dell, Citizen-Carter was paid £1, the balance of the expenses incurred by him on going to the Congress of Geneva.
A letter was read from the Peace Society,[150] 19, New Broad Street, City, which had been addressed to the President. It suggested the propriety of British working men adopting addresses expressing sympathy with the French and German working men.
After some discussion, on the motion of Citizen Cohn, seconded by Citizen Dell, it was resolved “That the receipt of the Reverend Henry Richard’s communication be kindly acknowledged and that we ask for further information concerning the principles of the Peace Society with a view to co-operate with them for the furtherance of the cause of international peace.”
Dupont read a letter from our correspondent near Bordeaux which stated that their section had money in hand.
Jung read. several paragraphs from the French-Swiss organ of our Association relating to political affairs that had taken place in London.[151] This journal expresses a desire that the General Council would now do some active work.
Eccarius wished to know who was to pay for the correspondence to Germany on behalf of the tailors.
After some discussion, on the motion of Citizen Carter, seconded by Citizen Dell, it was resolved that all postage, etc., shall be paid by the General Council when writing to Continental branches for aid to any of our affiliated societies who may be on strike or lock-out.
It was then moved by Citizen Eccarius and seconded by Citizen Carter that the sum of three shillings be voted to pay the postage of six letters to the North of Germany on behalf of the tailors.
It was also agreed that 1s. be voted to pay for a letter to Citizen Sylvis of Philadelphia on the same subject.
In reply to Citizen Maurice, Dupont said he had appealed to [the] Paris, Bordeaux, Lyons, and Algiers sections on behalf of the London tailors.
Jung said he had appealed to the French-Swiss sections through the French-Swiss organ of our Association, and also to Becker on behalf of the German sections.[152]
Fox had done nothing because he had received no intimation on the subject, and the Secretary said that the reason Fox had not been acquainted with the matter was the want of his (Fox’s) address.[153]
On the question of appointing a committee to draw up an appeal to societies and the programme for the Congress, it was unanimously agreed that Citizens Fox, Marx, Jung, Eccarius, and Dupont should undertake that, duty.[154]
The meeting then adjourned.
[Unsigned]
[The Minutes are in Shaw’s hand on pp. 88-89 of the Minute Book]
Members present: Eccarius, Lessner, Dupont, J. Hales, Fox, Jung, Dell, Odger, Shaw, Card, and Buckley.
The Minutes of the meeting of June 4th were read and confirmed.
Eccarius stated that he had not received any reply to his correspondence on behalf of the London tailors but that there was a statement in the Hermann to the effect that something was being done on the matter in Germany.[155]
Fox stated that he had written to America on the same subject.
Citizen Keller was ‘elected a member of the Council to represent the French branch in place of Citizen Collet who had resigned. Keller paid 4s. 9d. as the 3d. contribution for 19 members and Mr. Dell paid one shilling for John Graham.
Citizen Fox proposed and Lessner seconded that Mrs. Harriet Law become a member of the Council.
Jung read some portions of the French-Swiss organ showing that the Association was making much progress in Switzerland.[156]
On the motion of Citizens Dell and Jung it was agreed:
That the Council requests the committee to produce the programme of the Congress on Tuesday next.
It was, proposed by Jung and seconded by Lessner:
That a deputation wait upon the engineers on Thursday next. Carried.
On the motion of Shaw and Fox, Odger, Jung, and Dupont were elected to wait upon the engineers.[157]
Fox proposed the following resolutions which were seconded by Citizen Dell and agreed nem. con.
[Here a clipping from The Commonwealth No. 224, June 22, 1867, is pasted into the Minute Book]
At the ordinary meeting of the General Council on Tuesday evening, after the usual routine business was concluded, the following resolutions were unanimously agreed to:
1st. “That the General Council of the International Working Men’s Association thanks the working men, students, and barristers, who took part in the recent demonstrations in Paris in favour of Poland, for having reminded the Czar of Muscovy that the domination of an Asiatic and barbarous Power over that portion of Europe called Poles, and that portion of the soil of Europe called Poland, is revolting to justice and common sense."[158]
2nd. “That Maitre Floquet, having been blamed by any toadying or ignorant persons for his spirited and truly cosmopolitan conduct towards the Czar in the Pais de Justice, we hereby declare our approbation of that conduct, and thank the Conseil de l’ordre des Avocats for heir refusal to censure Maitre Floquet.”
3rd. “That the General Council hereby congratulates the British nation and Government on the good fortune of having been deemed unworthy of closer acquaintance by the Czar of Muscovy.”
[The newspaper clipping ends here]
The Continental secretaries were instructed to publish the above resolutions. [159]
The Council then adjourned.
[Unsigned]
[The Minutes are in Shaw’s hand on pp. 90-91 of the Minute Book]
Members present: Eccarius, Fox, Lessner, Keller, Dupont, Jung, Dell, Maurice, Shaw, Card, and Buckley. Citizen Eccarius took the chair.
The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
A letter was read from the Amalgamated Bakers’ Union stating that at the annual conference of the Union which would take place in August at Nottingham, the question
of the Union becoming affiliated to the I.W.A. would be submitted.[160]
Mrs. Law was accepted as a member of the Council. [This sentence is inserted by Eccarius]
Mr. Miall, the landlord, sent a request for immediate payment of £6 for rent with notice to quit; after some discussion Citizen Maurice offered the use of his room at 16, Castle Street until September next.
It was proposed by Citizen Lessner and seconded [by] Citizen Jung: That the offer of Citizen Maurice be accepted and that the Council meet there next Tuesday.
Citizen Maurice brought a letter from the London Tailors’ Strike Committee. He wished the Council to get it published on the Continent.
It was moved by Citizen Jung and seconded by Fox: That the letter be sent to Citizen Collet for publication in the Courrier International, subject to his (Collet’s) editorial discretion.
Fox then read the Congress committee’s report as follows:
Order of the Day. 1st. Report of the General Council. 2nd. Programme. 3rd. Rest of the Order of the Day.
1st. Combination of efforts of the working classes by means of the International Working Men’s Association.
2nd. How can the working classes utilise for the purpose of their own emancipation the credit which they now give to the middle classes and the govern merits. [161]
Eccarius stated that he had received a letter from Berlin in reply to his on behalf of the tailors. This letter said the Berlin tailors had raised about £18 for the London tailors. Eccarius also stated that the philanthropic coopers would see about joining the I.W.A. at their next aggregate meeting.
Jung reported that he went to the engineers last Thursday. Odger was not there, and nothing was done. He had appointed to go next Thursday if it was agreeable.
Jung [and] Dupont were then appointed to go again on Thursday, and Odger promised to meet them there.
Jung also stated that the appeal that he had sent to Becker on behalf of the London tailors was published in The Vorbote, and that another new branch of the Association had been opened in Switzerland. [162]
The meeting then adjourned.
[Unsigned]