Page 283 of The Armor of Light

Shortly before Christmas 1823 Spade, now a member of Parliament, went to a secret meeting at the London home of Francis Place.

The campaign against the Combination Act was approaching its climax. In the coming year there would be a parliamentary Waterloo. If the government represented Bonaparte and the opposition was Wellington, then the little group meeting in Charing Cross were the Prussians, hoping to tip the balance.

Several radical members of Parliament were there, including Joseph Hume. All had campaigned for years against the Combination Act, with no result. Most members disagreed with them, acting as if any meeting of working people was likely to lead to revolution and the guillotine.

But now there would be a showdown.

Hume announced that he had persuaded the government to appoint a Select Committee on Artisans and Machinery. ‘The committee will investigate emigration of artisans and export of machinery,’ Hume said. ‘Both subjects are important to the government and to manufacturers. And, almost as an afterthought, we are commanded to study the operation of the Combination Act. As it was my idea, the government has agreed that I will be chairman. This is our big chance.’

Spade said: ‘We’ll have to box clever. We don’t want to stir up our enemies too early in the game.’

‘How will we manage that?’ asked a cautious northern member called Michael Slater. ‘We can’t keep the committee secret.’

Spade said: ‘No, but we can keep it low-key. Speak about it as if it’s a tedious chore and won’t achieve anything very much.’ Spade had learned a lot about Parliament in the last five years. As in chess, an attack must not look like an attack until it was impossible to resist.

‘Good thinking,’ said Hume.

Spade said: ‘But everything will depend upon the members of the committee.’

‘That’s taken care of,’ said Hume. ‘In theory, the members will be chosen by the president of the Board of Trade. But I will present him with a list of recommendations, and – unknown to him – it will consist only of men who sympathize with our cause.’

Spade thought that might work. Both Hume and Place were experienced in managing parliamentary business. They would not easily be outmanoeuvred.

Hume went on: ‘What is crucial – and the reason for convening this meeting – is that we must bring convincing witnesses to give evidence to the committee, witnesses who have personal experience of the injustice and disruption caused by this act. First, we need hands who have been savagely punished by the justices for breaking the act.’

Spade thought of Sal, who was now Sal Hennessy, having marriedColin. Spade said: ‘There’s a woman in Kingsbridge who served two months’ hard labour for telling a master that he was breaking an agreement that the clothiers themselves had agreed to.’

‘That’s exactly what we need. Stupid, malicious court decisions based on the act.’

Slater said sceptically: ‘Uneducated workers make poor witnesses. They come out with ridiculous complaints. They say the masters are using witchcraft, and that kind of thing.’

Slater was a useful pessimist, Spade thought. He was always gloomy but he pointed to real problems.

Hume said: ‘Our people will be interviewed beforehand by Mr Place here, who will brief me on each witness’s personal experience, so that I can be sure to ask the right questions.’

‘Good,’ said Slater, satisfied.

Hume resumed: ‘And we also need mill owners to testify that it’s easier to manage your hands if there’s a union to negotiate with.’

Spade said: ‘I know some of those as well.’

Francis Place spoke up. ‘There are places where wages are so low that employed people are receiving poor relief. The ratepayers get angry because they’re subsidizing the profits of the mill owners.’

‘Good point,’ said Hume. ‘We must get men to testify to that. It’s very important.’

Slater said: ‘Our enemies will bring witnesses too.’

‘Undoubtedly,’ said Hume. ‘But if we handle things carefully they won’t think about it until the last minute, and their briefings will be done in a rush.’

This was how politics was carried on, Spade mused as the meeting broke up. It was never enough to have right on your side. You had to be more cunning than the opposition.

He returned to Kingsbridge for Christmas. MPs received no salary, so those who were not independently rich had to have another job. Spade continued to run his business.

While he was in Kingsbridge he persuaded Sal and Amos to testify before Hume’s committee.

The committee sat in Westminster Hall from February to May 1824 and questioned more than a hundred witnesses.

Amos testified to the advantages of dealing with trade unions, and his wife, Elsie, looked on proudly.