Star. — London, England, 1816-10-04 00:00:00

"E OF THE CHILDREN 4MPLOYECD • MANUFACTORIES. • LEvidesso taken before a Select Connottme of dm How of . Commons.] MATTEMW BAILLIit M.D. called ie and massog. You are by protessinn a Physttian t—l • , You have 40:4 meth experiente in your pen t' .41see. , ..; • Has your attention been directed to children Not perhaps so much to children as to grown people s , except those that have arrived at some considerable' age : in this country the health of children it: more' generally attended to by those getrtienten who attend ; wooer who are pregnant ; and it does not very often . , hippen that children are brought under the attention of an ordinary physiCiak except in particular cases, until they are three or for years olds alter that ' they very often come undes...klie . management of the general physicians of the country. At what age may children, without endangering their health; be adntitted into factories, to be regu larly employed IS hours.* dar, allowing than one hour and a half to go and return frinn Meals, and one hour for instruction fr—sl should say, that there was no age, no time of life Whatever, where that kind of labour could be made eonpatible,...ln most Mini unions, with the fulimaintenante*of health. Do you think that children from fireh to ten years of age could be employed moroilipttenhottrs per day, without injury to their caltstittition ?—I .think not; and if it wiwlett to me to determine, L should say, that they ought to be emplcled fewer hours, for the full maintenance of health. What do you consider to be the effect upon the development add growth of the bodies of . children from six to ten years of age, of so many haisre con finement per day ?—I cannot say mdch from•experi mice not having-attended . children that have been labenring in- manufactories but I can say, what ears to me, to be likely to arise out of so much abour, from general principles of the animal econo. • my. L should say, in the first place, that the growth Of these children •would be stunted ; that they would not arrive so rapidly at their full growth ; that they would not have the same degree of general strength; that it is probable their digestion would not be so vigorous as in children who are more in the open sit and less confined to labour; that they would pro bably be more liable to glandular swellings than chil dren who are bred differently: and I think it likewise probable, that in particular manufactories at least. -they would be more likely to be affected with diseases of the lungs. What would you consider to be the effect On the mental faculties of children so young, when. in addi tion to the.facts already. stated the attention is con stantly fixed and employed on one set of objects for days, months, and years?—.! should think that they Would acquire- more acuteness with regard to that particular employment; but that with regard to all general employments, and all general exercises of the mind, they would be inferior to what they would be, if their minds were directed to a reater number of objects -either of curiosity or of stu dy. Have you considered at what age children might be kafely employed in factories ?—I can only answer this question. by a kind of conjecture, which is founded upon my acquaintance with the animal economy : 1 should say, that seven years old was perhaps she. ear liest see at which children should be an vtisplarda. Hew many hours would you recommend children of that tender age to be employed ?—I should say, that at that age, probably, for the first year, they should not be employed more than four or five hours a-day; and . for the two succeeding years, they might be employed s;i or seven hours a-day that afterwards they might be employed teo hours a-dey, and beyond that, in my Opining, there ought to be no increase of labour. _Have you had any opportunities of knowing what has been the state of health in any manufactory t—l really must say I have not. The only manufactory of that kind I ever saw was at New Lanark; which Mr. Owen sbewed to me about two hours. Would not the state of the health of the persons em ployed depend most materially on the state of the at - rnosphere in which they were employed ?-1 have no doubt it would have considerable influence, but 1 consider Ibis as only one circumstance ; if they are in a very cold atmosphere, or in a very hot one, they would be more liable to suffer/Ilan in a temperate at- mosphere, certainly. Might not the children work in a proper tempera ture a greater number of hours than they could do ) without injury, in either of the extremes of beat or cold ?—I think that they might. Are you acquainted with the work in which those children are generally employed ?—I am very imper fectly acquainted with those works. In speaking of the injury to young personearising from labour, do you mean to speak of labour which requires great bodily elation ?---4 did not suppose that children at so early. an age were employed in 4reit bodily exertion, but I meant any bodily exer tion in which they were confined in a given space, and their minds nbt allowed to wander into the vari ous channels of thought, and their limbs allowed the son of irregular exercise which takes place in chit. dreg who are living in the usual manner. Is not the state of maturity of children very diffe rent .in those brought up in the country, to those brought op in town'?—With regard to children who are brought tip in the country, they an more vivo rots ; and Ybatre no doubt, in many instances, their progreirtbssards - mamrity may be more rapid than in chailren who ate reared in a large town: And'yonf espifitace hasprincipally been in tows? .....Eittirely, I mit lay. • Have you bee* called tb give any opinion, or to know the name health, in different.mannfutoties have mot. - • • Ilhat is the state of heat, as ascertained by a ther women. - in which children might work without in jury my, that the temperature which' is Ivo* the rebels mast favourable is about 60 degrees 'of . hot. Tar your opinion on this subject, do you take 'leap teorteosidersuou theoituation in which childten wo ide be placed, if at an earlier period, they were net em toyed is each factories ?-4•do not know that the whole of this pentad on my mind, but certainly it 'ura's ajot alma from it g I drew the comparison be- MHO *bye children as employed in manufactories, and lbeordia a ry employ:flea totchildrea in the country. ' Woold chi ldren Of the age' of ten be employed in the ordiamity boom oft* couture — No; but tarould, 4T. s; • be doing a good deal of work of gigolos kina es go- " ing of errands or weediag, and ti thorliOd employ. menu which I cannot atiwesent calf up to My ailed That answer mail to refer more perticulatly to children in the country; as tbe manufactories th = nerally bruit/as; it does not apply to them ; tint-Committee wish to know whether you conceive, aY .chlldren at an early period of life were prevented byAct of Parliament from working in factories, their 'situation would be better than it is conceive it ,mould be more 'favourable to health to be at huge, although they might sometimes be not well nourished; l' and although sometimes they would be in hot rooms. they would have a great deal more time in which they touldbe playing about, and Ming their lacul ties ofileervation.. . if those children were • left on the parish for support, and many sent the workhouse, their situ clots would be better than at present t—l think that, children Would be better situated in a workhougpf .wore they 'not so employed, than in manufactoriesn Do you give this as an opinion • that .you der*, from an accurate observation of facts, with respect to the condition of children in factOries, or do you give it upon general reasoning 3—UpOn general reasoning. '1 ben you are not really acquainted with the con dition of children employet in Oath manufactories ? I am not really acquainted with the condition of children employed in such manufactories; but Mention ...what I suppose must be mote . or less the lagiuence of confinement which children are subject to id those manufactories upon their health, from the , „general principles that guide us in ascertaining the causes that emintain health or lead to sickness, with respect to the huthan body generally. Itt a gfactory Consisting of 875 persons, the annual ,deaths in Which were not more than from two to five, should you conceive that the employment was incim 'local with the health of the people employed ?—I 'shoutit . say, it doea not appear from that statement to-have beeh inconsistent; I conceive a great many of those children might not be in vigorous healtk— not in the same health in which they would otherwise be, and yet not be attacked 'with diseases which Ntlif death. wow, occasion Your answer refers to the number of deaths in a particular year; but if the average for seven years should be about the same, would not you consider that fact as tolerable evidence of the health of the employment ?—lndeed I should think so. Then if in another factory consisting of 289 per sons, two only died in the year 1818; and on the 13th of April one only was sick ; would not that afford a tolerable inference of the healthiness of the persons employed in that factory ?—lt certainly would; but as I stated before, I can easily believe that those chil dren may not be attacked by diseases which would lead to death; but at the same time be many of them less vigorous than they otherwise would be if em ployed in the usual manner. Then in factories', where on the average persons are employed seven years, and where a great portion re main from 14 to 20, if the general state of health has ben good, would not that be tolerably good evidence of the healthiness of the employment ?—I think so. Have you ever had reason to conceive that there exists in the lower liaises of people a want of affec tion and tenderness for their children ?—I believe you will find very often less affection, both of fathers and mothers, far their chtidren in the lower classes, than in She middle ranks. But at the same time there are many strong instances of the purest maternal ana paternal affection in the lowest classes of society, where there may be very great difficulty to rear children ; thiy will often. submit to every kind of privation re specting themselves, in order to rear the children with some degree of comfort. Then the lowest class are not the pets's where the greatest degree of affection is found for their chil dren I—l think not. Does not a family press touch harder on a poor man than on any other class ?—No doubt. And is it not of greater importance to hinrto su perintend the care of those children, than to any other chi' of persons in life?—lt must be of more impor tance to him to superintend, if he can, the education and the bringing up of his children, because, in other tangs of Mb, there are persons who can be procured to do that office for them. Does not any sickness or want of health in the children of the poor press upon the parents more than upon any other class of persons ?—Certainly. In the communications you have received from other practitioners r have you ever heard of any great detriment that has occurred to children from too in tense employment in manufactories ? —I do not recol lect that I have ever received a communicidon upon the subject. Have you had opportunities of observation upon the condition of the children of the poor not employed in ManufActories in large towns have been engaged almost from the beginning of my medical life in the middle and higher ranks of society. Are you of opinion that the proportion between the cubic feet of air in a room and the number of persons employed in it, has an important effect on the health of the petiple ?—Certainly. 'Ten, would you be of opinion that, if proper means of ventilation were attended to, a bilikling containing a greatet proportion of cubic feet of air to the number of persons employed in it, would be more healthy than one containing a smaller proportion of air if the ensployments were the same, undoubtedly. Have you bad an opportunity of remarking, from your oWn observation whether the condition of children bound apprentice to the common tradesmen, such as shoemakers, and people of that desctiption, is better or worse than that of the children in factories ?—I can give no answer to this question in any satisfactory meaner. The observations you have made are those ilmwn from general reasoning, not ,from practices is there not NOW danger in forming an opinion merely upon theory It an animal, a cow forkstance, were taken and confined totally is a house, do you believe it would have an effect upda the health of the animal ? —I do not know that it would have much effect upon the visible eirsumstanceeguit constitute health ; but l have no hesitation to say, Ibelievothat a herd of cows which were in the open air a coitsiderable part of their time would he in fact helithier than tboseton fined, though it would be difficok to ascertain the difference between the two. Has it ever occurred to it to know that the het is direCtly opposite I—No, t has not. Do you connive that WAR% where means are, adopted tie pieseniolt soinedslag approaching to an' equality of temperature, we more or less unhadth) that bolMogs in whicli permeate exposed to a great variety of temperature ? Where the air is kept uniform or nearly to, they are more likely to be. protected against the attackof panieular diseases, as for instance inflammation of the chest and its consequences; but I am not sure Awe the constitution is not toesred more i•gorons, generally. by its being exposed variety temperatore within ctrtain limits. I Po you oppose those limits to be such as are found the houses of the poor mean p variety, perhaps 9or 10 degrees, not a variety from 60 to 25 at but such a variety as we may suppose the body 'tb be generally subject to. When you were asked before ad s to the age of the person working, end the duration of the day for such . persons. the Committee did not allot* to the nature, ickthe work, but if this work were performed- in buil "Maga heated from 70 to 90 degrees, might not that effect tender children in a tray essential degree should suppose that any labour in a temperature of from 70 to 90 degrees would exhaust the constitution sooner, and the constitution would be rendered more delicate by it ; it appears to me such a temperature would render their conbtitutions more delicate, and they would be less able to carry on their labour with out exhaustion in that temperature than in a tempe rature of from 50 to 65 degrees. If children ate employed, from the age of 8 to 10. in rooms of 190 feet long, or 150 feet long, where per haps SO people are employed, and where the thermo meter does not ordinarily stand above 65, it being un derstood that thote children are not employed in any occupation which can be called laborious, are yen of opinion that such occupation. even continued for 12 hours in a day, will be injurious to their health f Alter what has been said with regard to positive farts it is impossible for me to give any positive answer to it. because there may be some fact to contradict it: I can only say, that, according to our general reason ing upon the causes which affect health, I should think that this was too long a time : I think 10 hours 'of confinement to labour, as far as I can judge, is as much as is compatible with the perfect well-being of any constitution; but there bate been facts adduced here which go very much w Omer aside that reason ing. lam now speaking Usti twojetture and gene ral principles, and this is a lwa ys less strong than a positive fact. The seventy third Annual Conference of the Preachers in the Connexion established by the late Rev. Jona Wass y, was held in London, July 29, 1816, and following days. From the Minutes of the Conference, lately published, we copy the following Gefteral RacapkielaWat of the number of Members in Society, and of the number of regular travelling preacher:: is Great Britain - • In Ireland - - ... In France • - - At Brussels - - • At Gibraltar - • . At Werra Leone - - At the Cape of Good Hypo • In Ceylun - - In tbe West Miles - - 1 Nova Scotia, Bcc. - - 391,480 28,542 • 35 10 63 129 42 56 16,938 1,424 241,519 Number of members under the sate of the British sad Irish Conferences Number of members in America— Whites - 167,978 Coloured - 43,187-21 1,1 8S otal co members in the metncenst Societies throughout the world • 452,484 PRIACHRU%—There are 725 regular Travelling Preachers now statiessed in Great Britain, IN in Ire land, 96 on Foreign Missions, and 70+ in the Ame rican Methodist Connexion. Total of Travelling Preachers not included in the preceding account, 1657. The increase of members in Great Britain, in the last year, is stated to be nearly 10,000, and the West Indies 100. Tuesday se'naight an inquest was holden in New. castle, on the body of ,a man unknown, that morning found drowned in the Tyne, near Bell's Close. The follewing is a copy of a manuscript found upon him. " The bearer, Walter Duncan, wants to be at North Shields, at his son, John Duncan, on board the ship Mary, North Shields, Northumberland ; the Cap tain's nacre Mr. Smith : please to direct him the right mad to Shields." Wednesday evening a crate was stolen from out side the shop door of Mr. J. Du Croz, Skinner -street, Show-hill, containing several dozens of cut wine glass and goblets, several glass salt niters, cut glass chim. :ley lustre; ant other articles of great value. QUERN SQUARE-HARBOURING A Dzseuvest.—Ca leb Franks, of Mile End Road, Middlesex, chimney sweep, appeared to an information laid against him for harbourin a private soldier, a deserter from the Coldstream l[egiment of Guards. By a clause in the Mutiny Act, any person convicted . of that offence is liable to a . penalty of di'2o, and in default of poyment to be imprisoned for six months. The case was de trly proved,- and Defendant, who had received two sum. mouses before he made his appearance, was convicted in the penalty of £2O. HATTON GARDlN.—Yesterday John Ayer, a poor bold man, and his two sons, the youngest tinder eleven years of . age, was brought up and examined under the Hawkers Act, charged on the information of Jos. Grimes, with hawking franc-door to door and expos. ing for sale, a quantity of brown earthen pans, having onlyone licence, and that for the father, whereby the two sons incurred a penalty of ,QlO each. It appeared on examination, that whilst the old man carried his ware from door to door for sale, his eldest son, who was lately returned home from sea and accompanied him, held his father's horse and cart, in the street, and the boy carried his father any articles he wanted from the cart to serve his custothers with. It was argued on the part of the information, that only the man who was licensed could legally act, and that the other two who were not licensed, and assisted in ex posing the goods for sale, were each liable to the pe nalty of £lO, according to the Act of Parliament.— The Magistrate stated, that they could not vongrue a pedal act to the disadvantage of the Defendants ; that it was their opinion that only the one act of hawking was proved; the hone, cart and the pods Were the sole property of the man WO was licensed, and consequently could not think of convicting the son in a penalty of 410 merel l y for holding, his father's bone, not his child for banding his father a pan out of his can ; and s to the 'etiolation of all mew, dismined the information. All the pans in the out asionsted to only abut Ills; bLD E. EY RE4stors, Yestercilve J.h* Them Thafeftsen, an the excise, was indicted under the 49th , cap. 126, for a misdemeanour in batte r i ng situation under that Institution. It appealed from the statement of Mr. which was afterwards fully proved, that dant had pretended to an old school fellok Could procure a situation under the excise Ineereawith a very rich but mercenary wawa be was acquainted. In consequence his school fellow gave him a stipulated which was to purchase the interest of hided to. Time rolled on, without the of Mr. Lewis being fulfilled, and psvtitsces used by the prisoner for lulled all suspicion, until at length made, and the Board of Excise fr" Wing forward the present prosecui . When the evidence, which wa r was finished, Mr. ALLEY, who was observed, that his Learned Friend Crown had, in his opening, declares under which the record was entet airily framed, as almost to render plation of the offence an infringe!. He (Mr. Alley) hoped that those gone by, when contemplation conr had heard of a publican, in ancii landlord of a public house callei who, because he stated that he w' heir to the Crown, was tried, con. for high treason ! He had also hear , wishing that a deer, horns and all of one of the Edwards, and wh , quence equally fatal by a prosecut terous ! He was extremely sorry prosecution had assumed an appeal siderable oppression ; for the indict into no less than .2* counts ; the piles of papers, not inches, but high ; and in order to prosecute his Learned Friends were drawn phalanx of one, two, and three deep of which, the money must come John Bull ! He contended, with , that the situation which his chew one contemplated by the statute. ' high at corruption in other places, hare levelled at the sweeper of stairs, the ptireeybrs of chocolate of its Directors, or the vendor of cretary of State's Office. Mr. REYNOLDS addressed the thought some sort of vindication the unwarrantable animadversion , Friend had been pleased to make tion as one of the Crown. His . played with the senses of the Jai substance of his Learned Friend' ded of the clamorous force with it would resolve itself into a coma 4n attack upon the Board of Ex( the Learned Judge. He would men of conscience, and of sober could hesitate, for a single last which they must pronounce ? The COMMON SERJEANY mint and the Jury found the prisoner Mirk! Montque was indicted • value 15s. from the shop of Willi, The prisoner went into the shi a linen-draper, and she ordered her a great many goods, and if , a sufficient variety' she threatened shop. While the shoptnan was prisoner managed to slip the shay her apron, but, unfortuna e'y for the shopman. The prisoner hay Articles shewn to her, refused ta' would send her' mistress to OR ceding out of the door, when she the sl,opm in, who o.eniaoded she denied having A l wyn it, bur presred, said-4. You are a /nett will give you the shawl." fu her defence the prisoner s; tolicated at the time—Guilty. John Boric was convicted of carpet, from the shop of Mr. prisoner was an orphan boy, fifteen previously borne an excellent ch, driven, as the prosecutor stated, by extreme distress. The poor 1; 'hewed great contrition for his of The COMMON SERJEENT said, be sent to the Refuge for the Des' haps, better for him that he had bar, as he would now be put it bread in an honest manner. Several persons were alterw, it appeared, had been induced spective offences from great por Pence Yesterday, between one and t drcssed young man, apparently down Upon the pavement in B 1 to the church, whence he was t.si house. On being at length rest( he bad not eaten a dinner for ni► sisted by chance credit, on coffee ter, or bread and cheese, which him by persons who knew him that he dreaded to return at ni where he owed a month's rent. , shut out. Some relief was immediai oMITHFIRLD MARKET, OCTOBER 4. „ Beef 4s 01 to Si 0: Veal 4. 4d to 5s 4I Mutton 4s Sid to 5s Park 44 to 5 , a. Beasts 570 —Sheep anti Lambs 1 i.640 -.Cals. , . 150 P 3 u. HAY ANL) SFRAw, Yk.kt 'LAMM. Meadow Hay 41 Os to SI es I Clover II Os to 71 10s. Straw Al Os to AS 10s. HIGH WATER TO MORNOW AT LONDON UV. Marclag • se ntio. afw Aftwoono - LONDON: Printed by Laval KIINT. PiCk • t P rebilebed USN the lat ! OCllce a Ttuti!, Bah 4.- 9. • officer taii L ing aof the tr iiti etsl 4 , 4 fr. Rmotzi, lat the di* Ilow? that vise bY atai Ntrl I Person. let=2 uence of Ilk mt, sum of ak the person ded to. lime room on, witnout the expoct atit ,.. - ' Mr. Lewis being fulfilled, and a continis • - • •etifaces used by the prisoner for a considerable Lis: , tiled all suspicion, until at length a disco, • try orta lade, and the Board of Excise felt it their d ut y ing forward the present prosecution. . • • ti When the evidence, which was sufficiently e as finished, Mr. ALLEY, who was for ;he defer, 'served, that his Learned Friend on the pan of ti, rows had, in his opening, declared that the statist • sder which the record was entered was so • Nett dr isly framed, as almost to render the very cot lation of the offence an infringement of th e i oaw. le (Mr. Alley) hoped that those days we re no one by, when contemplation constituted crime. H t r ip ad heard of a publican, in ancient times, who w ndlord of a public house called the Cm iso, because he stated that he would make Li, ism eir to the Crown, was tried, convicted, and ha, ger sr high treason ! He had also heard of a huttin d ishing that a deer, horns and all, were in the ba t h f one of the Edwards, and who suffered a ca lk . 14 uence equally fatal by a prosecution equally , emus ! He was extremely sorry to observe thud , ' rosecution had assumed an appearance of very .„ iderable oppression ; for the indictment bad be ato no less than .2* counts ; the table groaoes w i, iles of papers, not inches, but be might say . k . 61 sigh ; and in order to prosecute his miserable dim, is Learned Friends were drawn up into a t. shalom: of one, two, and three deep ; to pay for r if which, the money must come out of the peek I. lohn Bull ! He contended, with considerable w hat the situation which his client had held was fa me contemplated by the statute. That n 4106110 i t sigh at corruption in other places, and never ea' tare levelled at the sweeper of the Excise Ofa lairs the purveybrs of chocolate for the brea au " sf it:Directors, or the vendor of matches to the ars the :rotary of State's Office. Mr. RV/VOLD:I addressed the Airy in reply,ek mr isai thought some sort of vindication was necessary, sha the unwarrantable animadversions that his Le I Friend had been pleased to make upon this pr. .. arc tion as one of the Crown. His Learned Friend , day played with the senses of the Jerry ; but really if substance of his Learned Friend's speech were srai ded of the clamorous force with which it was sr : s . it would resolve itself into a compliment to theist! ; 11 . .n attack upon the Board of Excise, and a puffs the Learned Judge. He would put it to the Jury men of conscience, and of sober sense, whether the' could hesitate, for a single instant, at the rad , . which they must pronounce ? The COMMON SERJRANT summed up the evi. , and the Jury found the prisoner Guilty. 40,1 q Mims:ape was indicted for stealing a s 111 value 15s. from the shop of Williain Taylcr. , The prisoner went into the shop of the proem, a linen-draper, and she ordered the shoot= men " her a great many goods, and if he did not * 1111 a sufficient Variety she threatened to go to shop. While the shoptnan was thus employed, prisoner managed to slip the shawl in questiou her apron, but, unfortuna e'y for her, perceived the shopman. The prisoner having looked at tie ti articles shewn to her, refused taking any, sayisg would send her' mistress to the shop, and au ceding out of the door, when she was prevented the storm in, who cternauded the shawl. At she denied having attien it, but upon being ha. preyed, said-4. You are a pretty good fellow,asil will give you the shawl." lu her defence the prisoner said, that she was toxicated at the time—Guilty. 1 John Burke was convicted of stealing a pieci. carpet, from the shop of Mr. John Williams. prisoner was an orphan boy, fifteen years old, and previously borne an excellent charac ter, and bad driven, as the prosecutor stated, to commit the by extreme distress. Tice poor lad cried strewed great contrition for his offence. The COMMON SERJE/CNT said, that the boy sl I be sent to the Refuge for the Destitute. It was, 1 4 hops, better for him that he had been brought to' bar, as he would now be put in a way to eats e bread in an honest manner. ' Several persons were afterwards convicted it appeared, had been induced to commit their spective offences from great poverty. ••••••••••••••••1•1111 I • Yesterday, between one and two o'clock, a geotei* dressed young man, apparently about 27 years. tlgi • down Upon the pavement in Blackmiu-street, tiro to the church, whence lid was taken to the first pubic house. On being at length restored to sense, he rail he bad not eaten a dinner for Hine days ; that he nto sisted by chance credit, on coffee and bread and bet• ter, or bread and cheese, which bad been trusted is him by persons who knew him in Letter times; ma that he dreaded to return at 'night to his lodeing l f where he owed a month's rent, and expected to ti shut out. Some relief was immediately afforded ho - as— tiMITHFIELD MARKE r, OCTOBER 4. Beef 4s 01 to de 0: 1 Veal 44 4d to So Mutton 4s Ed to 5. OS Perk 44 44 to 4• 44 Beast* 570 —Sharp and 1 antbq 6.640 -.Calvol. 15 . HAY AND SURAW, PER LOAD, Meadow Hay 41 0. to 51 5s I Clover 61 Os to 71 Kt Straw .fa Os to At 1011 .0 PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAYS 3 per Cans o Red. I India Bonds SG pr. Ditto Cons.6l a 02 I India Stock, 1814 10 4 per Clouts...-. Imp. 11 per Cesit. 4 - 6 percent. Navy 921193 Exchequer Nis 2 5 path Looff Annuities Cons. for ace. 62 61 61i