Fellow workmen, is there any judicious man that can find fault with this petition? There is nothing in it but what is right, reasonable, and just ; therefore is behoves every man that goes down into the bowels of the earth, to preserve himself against these awful calamities ; and also, to preserve themselves from an excess of labour, for eight hours per day is sufficient for any man to work in the bowels of the earth. Why should the collier shorten his own life, making it fifteen years less than any other class of man, by excessive labour? (See commissioners report on the inspection of mines.)

With these few remarks I conclude, hoping that every one that works down and about the pits will soon see the necessity of uniting in one grand chain of union ; so come forward like men, waste-men, deputies, hewers, putters, sinkers, drifters, banksmen, and all other men concerned with colliery labour, come forward and protect your own labour against the iron hand of oppression, then you shall see better days, and your infelicity shall be turned into felicity. All you want is a fair remuneration for your labour, and a better protection for your lives.