International Working Men’s Association
The minutes are in Cremer’s hand on p. 66 of the Minute Book.
Vice-President Eccarius in the chair.
The minutes of the previous two meetings were read and confirmed.
Citizen Gray on behalf of Citizen Walton presented the Council with 20 copies of his book on the subject of landed tenures.[117]
Citizens Fox and Lubez proposed that the thanks of the Central Council be presented to Citizen Walton for his gift. Carried unanimously.
The Secretary gave report of Standing Committee. They propose to the Central Council to insert in the programme to be laid before the conference the following question:
Trades’ unions, their past, present and future. Agreed to.
The question of members’ cards was then discussed.
The Committee, believing the numbers on the cards were. useless and injurious, recommended the Central Council to strike them off. The General Secretary further urged that the names on the cards be also abolished.
A long discussion took place on the question, which was terminated by the following propositions by Citizens Dell and Cremer proposing to strike off both names and numbers.
Citizens Jung and Dupont proposed as an amendment to only strike off the numbers.
Citizens Lubez and Longmaid proposed that the question be adjourned till the next sitting.
The latter proposition being carried, the question was adjourned till the next sitting.
The following citizens were then elected to act with the General Secretary to carry out the arrangements for the soirée: Citizens Dell, Leno, and Howell.
Citizen Dupont read correspondence from Paris which stated that through their not having complied with the law regarding the press, that the Tribune Ouvriere had been suppressed and the editor fined 100 francs, but they were about to issue another journal.[118]
The Council then adjourned till August 8th.
J. G. ECCARIUS, Vice-President
The minutes are in Cremer’s hand on pp. 67-68 of the Minute Book.
Vice-President Eccarius in the chair.
The Secretary [Cremer] read the minutes of the previous meeting which were confirmed.
The General Secretary brought up the report of the Standing Committee. They recommended:
1st, that Citizen Dell be elected financial secretary in the place of Citizen Whitlock. Agreed to.
2nd, they recommended that the question as to the names and numbers on the cards be deferred till the conference so that the opinions of the Continental delegates may be canvassed. Agreed to.
3rd, they recommended that a committee of 3 be appointed to draw up articles of an association for the purpose of raising a capital of £500 in shares of £1 each so as to enable the Central Council to purchase premises as a central home for the Association.[119]
Citizens Dell and Wheeler were elected by the Council and instructed to ascertain whether the company could best be formed under the Industrial Provident Societies’ Act or under the Limited Liability Act. The report to be given at the next sitting.
Citizen Fox read some correspondence from Neufchâteau from Lefebvre, the correspondent of the Association, stating he had been a little too hasty in the opinions he had formed with regard to the illegality of the Association in France. He was glad to find he had been mistaken and he was now doing all he could to push the Association forward. Citizen Fox also read a letter from Citizen Talbot of Caen who also stated he was using his utmost exertions on behalf of the Association.[120]
Citizen Fox introduced the question of the necessity for an active propagandism which brought about a long discussion taken part in by Citizens Jung, Cremer, Lubez, Odger, Eccarius and Wheeler, the latter stating he had just returned from Scotland where he had done what he could for the advancement of the Association and he had succeeded in obtaining the services of Citizen John McColman as the Association’s correspondent for Glasgow.
At the conclusion of the question Citizens Wheeler and Dell proposed that Citizen John McColman be elected the Glasgow correspondent for the Association. Carried unanimously.
Cremer and Howell proposed that Citizens Gardner and Cope be nominated as members of the Central Council.
Citizen Lubez asked if the Central Council were willing to take any part in a demonstration on Blackheath to celebrate the jubilee of peace between England and France.
Citizens Cremer and Wheeler proposed that a demonstration take place on Blackheath, on Sunday 27th August, under the auspices of the Association and that 5,000 handbills be printed and circulated announcing the meeting. Carried unanimously.
Citizen Weston asked if the debate on the wages question was to be continued or not. He thought it a waste of time for the Central Council to be transacting administrative business when they ought to be engaged in the more serious one of discussing great principles.
Citizen Howell [a gap in the Minute Book] seconded that the Standing Committee transact all the administrative business and report to the Central Council once a month, the other three sittings of the Central Council to be devoted to the discussion of great principles. Carried unanimously.
The Council then adjourned till August 15th.
J. G. ECCARIUS, Vice-President
The minutes are in Cremer’s hand on p. 68 of the Minute Book.
Vice-President Eccarius in the chair.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
Citizens Cremer and Wheeler proposed that Citizens Cope and Gardner be elected on the Central Council. Carried unanimously.
Citizen Odger nominated Citizen Brien as a member of the Central Council.
Citizen Kaub then read his paper in reply to Citizen Weston’s propositions. Citizen Kaub taking the opposite view to Citizen Weston, it was then agreed on the proposition of Citizen Cremer for Citizen Jung to adjourn any further discussion on the question till the next meeting.
The Council then adjourned on the .... [date not indicated]
Vice-President [unsigned]
The minutes are in Cremer’s hand on p. 69 of the Minute Book;
the date of 21 August was an error, the meeting having been being held on 22 August.
Vice-President Eccarius in the chair.
The minutes of the former meeting were read and confirmed.
Citizen Kaub nominated Citizen Hraybe as a member of the Central Council.
The Secretary introduced to the notice of the Central Council the necessity for reconstituting the Standing Committee as there were members now on it who never attended its sittings.
It was agreed to adjourn the question till the next meeting of the Central Council.
Citizen Jung read correspondence from Switzerland which stated they were making rapid progress with the Association; several working men’s societies had lately joined.[121] He also translated for Citizen Dupont letters he had received from Lyons and other parts of France, all speaking hopefully of the progress they were making. The members in Lyons again asked for the information they had before sought in reference to the prices and manufacture of tulle.[122]
It was agreed to make another effort to get the information desired.[123] The correspondence was received.
Citizen Jung, who was entitled to open the adjourned debate on Citizen Weston’s question, asked for permission to postpone doing so till the next sitting.
Citizen Leno supported doing so. Agreed to.
The Council then adjourned as there was important business to transact connected with the formation of a newspaper company.[124]
G. ODGER, President
The minutes are in Cremer’s hand on pp. 69-70 of the Minute Book. The date is possibly an error. The meeting was to be held on Tuesday, August 29, 1865
The President in the chair.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
Letter read from Citizen Richard Cottam acknowledging the thanks of the Central Council and expressing his willingness to at any time assist in the progress of the Association.
A letter was also read from Citizen A. Walton, a member of the Association living in Wales. The letter stated that he had the previous week sent a letter to the Bee-Hive headed “The Great Naval Review at Cherbourg,” but the editor of that paper [Potter] had inserted the letter as a leading article and palmed it off on the readers by using the editorial “We” as an editorial production.[125]
A considerable discussion took place on the matter, all who took part in it denouncing such conduct and the following resolution by Citizens Eccarius and Marx was unanimously agreed to:
That a copy of Citizen Walton’s letter to this Council be sent to the editor of the Bee-Hive and an explanation be demanded regarding the appropriation of an article sent by Citizen Walton to the Bee-Hive on foreign and international politics.
Citizens Howell, Cremer and Eccarius were appointed to prepare an answer to Citizen Walton. [this sentence is given as a footnote at the end of the minutes]
A letter was read by Citizen Jung from Citizen Léon Fontaine.[126] The letter was referred to Citizen Dupont.
The next question was the proposed election of Citizen Brien on the Central Council.
Citizen Shaw opposed his election as he had never worked in harmony with any body of men with which he had been connected. Also for his vacillating and coquetting conduct during the late advocacy of the advance-of-wages movement and for his want of honest conduct in conducting the same.
Citizen Howell thought from his conduct he ought not to be elected.
Citizen Wheeler thought if the character given by Citizen Shaw be correct, it would not be worth while to introduce him to the Council as he might introduce discord and thereby weakness.
It was unanimously agreed not to elect Citizen Brien.
Citizen Hraybe on the proposition of Citizens Kaub and Lessner was unanimously elected a member of the Central Council.
Jung and Bordage nominated Citizen Lucien Perchelet on Central Council.
The question of reconstructing the Standing Committee was adjourned.
Citizen Jung, having the right to re-open the adjourned debate on Citizen Weston’s propositions, asked that the question might again be adjourned as he was not then prepared to open the discussion. Adjourned accordingly.
The Council then adjourned till September 5th.
G. ODGER, President