The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1818-04-18 00:00:00

itressive tax was imposed upon pohlo.lters for the benefit of bodies who had ample f Is fur the par chase of any work% they requited. The Petition was then brought up sod read. It "r: fortis the grievances Witched upon by the Hon. Member who introduced it. _ _ _ On the question that it do lie on the table— Pix it trrrrroseand ousid.that the Petitioners get forth losses in particular i n stances of 70/. and of 3001. Now lie should with to know how they estimated thew losses. It was one thing for the publisher to state the sale price of his work at a tenant calculation ; and it•inther. to state his actual Iwo tin the terms imposed upon him. It was one thing to say, that so many customers had been with drawn from the market by the delivery of the eleve n copies ; and another, to bay what *as his :seta'sl bona fide loss. Mr. Lasicrom was really unable to give the explassat required of him. lie could not state the mode of calculation adopted. but it was quite clear that when the publisher was called upon to give gratuitously eleveu copies of each work he toildislied, to the value of these eleven copies, be it 70/. or 300/. lie was most unjustifiably injured— the money was clearly lost to him of such copies a., by disposing of lit the usual course of trade, he might th rive a pr"tit froin.—/ Hear, hear.) Sir EGERTON Bay ooEs thought the Right Non. rod Learned Gentlein in could not .be serials. in the distinction lie had attempted to draw between the first coot and the sale price. 'lire losses were 'Mt greet. hr could assure that Right Hon. Gentle- Matt, as the principle on which they were taken was unfair nod oppressive. At any calculation, it must be obt•ious that the author and tl►e publisher must be greatly injured. —(Herne. Mr. PLua[ETT said, that on inquiry it would be found the calculation of injury was made at an ex orbitant rate, by arrangements made by the parties thentselveri iu the mode of conducting their trade; for instance, in the mode of striking off editions. Sir EGERTON BRYDGES said, that if the original arrangement were fur the printing of 150 copies, the addition of the eleven under the Copyright Act would cost the publisher the same as if he had to print off a fresh number of the entire. Mr. PLUNKETT eßpluined, that that was what he alluded to, fur it now was clear the grievance arose Gone uu arbitrary rule laid down by the booksellers . themselves. This rule was. that if an additional copy was struck off beyond the number of the ori ginal edition, it would cost as much as if you were t.► reprint the original number. Now, the proper way of remedying the evil would lw, for the book sellers to rescind their own rule, iiisteuil of calling n,)))0 Parliament fur a legislative measure, such as that propusell. Sir EGFItrON 8111111061 replied, that the pnh lishe►s hail nothing to do with the rule, which, in point of fort, belonged to the printers, and until the Legislature adopted a rule to rotund and alter the existing IA( s of usages, the arrangement com plained of most he acted upon. turd A Lit:sap was clearly of opinion that the publoliers were harshly used by this law ; a s to the quantum of the injury it mattesed little—it was set oppressive, mid universally an from the extent of its operation. %Vali respect to the Right lieu. and Learned Criteria:air observation on the mode of calculating the evil, all 1w would say was this, that if a bushel of wheat were taken from a certain portion of the stock of every farmer in the coun try, tl►e imposition of the burden would be equ a lly siajust and oppressive, whether it entailed a smaller or larger expense on the sufferer. ( Ilene, hew%) Mr. GURNEY concurred iu this objection to the law as it now stood. Mr. WYNN, at a hatter hour in the evening, suggested the propriety of postponing the motion ou this pies:ion, as the motion relative to the Cot ton 'Trade, which would necessarily occupy some time, had precedelice; sa that the Coryright MO. trati,.if entered upon at all, most be discussed at a very late hour. Cutler these circumstances, would it not be as well to postpone the question until a fame day ?—((lerre.)--fle would take this op portunity of recommending that the subject should be referred to a Select Committee up stairs, who could rero. t to all the practical information which tenor Gentlemen appeared to wish for. This would groutly fwilitate the general discussion cm the merits or the riiierion before the Douse. Mr. CKOKER thought this would 1w the better course. Ile had no objection to the second reading a the Nun. Baronet's (Sir E. Bodges) Bill ; but on this cuwhtion, that Ito Gentleman who held the opinion which lie did on the subject, should he un derstood es compromising that opinion, in allowing the second reading without oppositiori, or in agree ing to the Committee up st sirs. —(Hear. hear.) Sir EGEKTON lIKYDGES had not the least objec tion to refer the matter at issue to a Committee up st a irs, mill on this understanding he would consent to take the second reading in the manner it was pro posed to him. Ile would therefore now move, that the Bill be read • second time. 3lr. PLUNKETT would not inferfe:e with that which seemed to be the understanding •f the Douse. AN the rrpreernhalive of one of the Universities ithat of Dublin) whose rights were to be affected by the Bill. he would put in his protest oganist it. The subject was one entitled to serious attention, and it was not generally understood, or else the iliff c re n e tt of op' i which prevailed would nut be so wide fill the occasion. —(/(tar, hear.)— It may he right to state that previous to the Act of 1802, (rep unl was unaffected by the Act of Aime winch prevailed here, and the Irish putili•lii r mesa at pei feet ll , lttly to pout there toy hook or Imoks which were published iii England, without incurring any penally for a piratn al invasion of the author's pri vileges, Si, exiethhive was this trade of reprinting cOned oil at Ili , time to which lie alluded, that It was a positive fact, most or the literature of Eng land found its way to the United Slates of America, CirOUgli the medium of the printers in Ireland. ‘Vhesi the alteration took place after the Union, this most valuable trade, which had been actually nod profitably exercised, was given up; and were the lovvisiutis then entered into to be now repealed, itleaut the parties standing in shalt quo, after the manner of their respective relatious, when the present measure was enacted ? Ile was sure the English booksellers would nut take the repeal on the *crass of reverting to the former plan— t.iey knew their interest much better. To re la al this A .t its the manner proposed, would mice be to commit au act of ustioual Injustice • towards !who'll, who, ladi.re the Union, might print from nighob copies as the publishers here do from those of France or any other country, without incurring my penalty for so copying. Ile would reserve his objeetimis to the principle of the Bill, and not interpose to prevent its second Trading. Mr. PEEL willingly acquiesced in the mutter being sent to a Committee up stairs, though lie bilged to record his objection In the principle of the Bill, slid to exnress his determimoiou to op pose the Bill in every stag... lie would soggest, however, the propriety of po.tpoiii ig the se I reading of the Bill fors fortnight, so as to enable the Committee up stairs to sit first. Nothing would be lost by this course, us the second reading bring unw only taken pro forma. did not advance the progress of the MlL—Wear.) Dr. PHILLIMOSE approved of the Committee Op stairs. Mr. %Vrrwo observed. that in point of form the proper time of having the Committee up stairs would be between the sec ((((( I reading of the Bill and its committal in the House. It would there fore be roper that die serum! resale% should now take place. He larked forward to some vrrange ' meut through the medium of the Committee lip stairs, by whirls the great injury suffered by pub lishers might be considerably obviate without trenching on the ptivileges secured for the Univer sities and other public bodies. One half the books taken from publishers were of no use to the bodies receiving them, though the loss was still occasioned by those who hod to furnish them. as to the former Act in Irelands there were no greater sufferers by it than the entightened natives of that country, who emtributeil their portion to the literature of this side of the water—for instance, ore what Burke and Or. Whlsitiith must have suf f ered by the practice of reprinting among their own countrymen, from English editions. He was sure that an arrangement of an equitable mature might be obtained on this ore:aims. Lord PAtHERSTON freitl, that the voila at issue was not as to any measure or compensation, which could he reduced to a medium. lie was one of those Who contended against the whole principle of the proposed Billt mitl could lint admit it under any qualification. As it could lit no inconvenience to posopotie the steroid reading. lie thought it would be the better course to send the subject at once to a C 00000 'suttee up stairs. Sir JOHN Naweoter remarked, that his Right lion. and Learned Friend had made rather a strong charge against the former practice of rei oo ioo nog in Ireland, when lie derciilwil it as a piratical pro. ceeding. It did not deserve th.it epithet, when it violated no known law, any inure than the practice of the English publisher would deserve censure for copying f a French work. The Irish printer, before the Uuiou, hail the same legal right to copy from an English woik, as the Bugled' rioter still had to copy room it French one. Sir Ws+. SCOTT would oppose the Bill in its pro. per stage of debate. At present, it was immaterial to lion which of the two courses of postponement Serf' adopted. 11r. J. Suitt's! (of Cambridge) was against the second reading of the Bill until its principle was discussed. It was in fact a repetition, in a more detailed form, of is anise which had been ineffectu ally tried in the House three tears ago , lie had no oitiretton to the proposed Committee, though he could not consent to the second reading without a discussion on the merits of the case. Lord CAsTLEREAGH suggested to the Hon. Ba rnuet (Sir E. Bridge) to postpone the second read ing, as nothing would be pitied by pressing the point further at 'lir ittesritt moment. Sir EGERTON BRY DG ES replied, that on the sub. ject of referring the matter to a Committee up stairs, he would be happy to comply w.th the real sense of the Mouse; but as to the rest, the post ( ))))) einem of the second reading, be could not coo- Prot to it, alter the arguments with which the dis cus.iou hail been anticipated, for the purpose of prejudicing the general question. lie could not accede to the terms proposed of postponing the secolid reading, unless it should be iitspo.ved upon him by the general expression of the Mouse. A Right lion. and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Plunkett) hail said the subject was but little understood, awl had expressed a a ish to be cumin )))) icatire nn th...! real bearings of the question. Now lie (S.r Eger ton) fully agreed with him, that it never had been sufficiently understood ; but he differed with loin in his conclusion, for lie thought that the moment the nature of the subject was sufficiently tinder. stood, that instant the existence of the evil must be admitted, and a remedy forthwith applied to the sufferers.—(Hear, hear.)_ Sir S. Rostit.t.v thought there was nothing more important than that a lit opportunity should be allowed for the discussion of the principle of this measure. Some Gentlemen opposed the principle of the proposed plan, because they Kahl it was an iiivasion of certain rights; he opposed the principle of the existing law, because ►t was an unjust and unfair tax upon literature. The s could reading by no means called for an admission of any parti cular principle. or a compromise of individual opinion. The 'louse hail allowed the second read ing of the lode. 0000 ity Bill, pro forma, and taken the debate ut a future stage. This bad been done on several highly important occasions without any &bine, mill ought to be done on the present occa sion.—lllear.j Mr. J. P. GRANT expressed his determination to oppo►e the proposed Bill, %heti the proper tune fur discussion at rived. Mr. PELL now expresped his readiness to have the Bill read pro forma a second time. Mr. Smyrn (of Cambridge-) would not consent to the second reading. The second reading was then agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be committed on Monday Mr. WYNN gave notice, that on Monday next he would move forfora Select Committee to cuiebider the Copyright acts. GOVERNOR AINSLIE Mr. BENNET; rare to Prel ''''' " Petition from a very respectably gentleman, Mr. Itichard Gibbon, who had formerly held the siticition of Attorney- General at Cape nreton, of which place he was a colonist and settler. The complaints of this airman were directed against the public acts of the Governor (Ainslie), with whose name the 'louse had already been made acquainted, uud also aphis( the Chief Justice of the PRIM plate. If the facts winch this Petitioner set forth were true, the case called for the i tate attention of his Majesty's Government, e i ll lghe result, if lie were rightly informed, must be, that neither the Governor nor the Chief Justice could any longer be allowed to retain situations of public trust and ►►spmiribility. The Petitioner complained of acts of the grossest and most unjustifiable oppression, of titles to property of long standing being an nulled, and private injury moat wantonly inflicted, tinder the colour of power and law. That sham trials li id been got up, and judgments reversed, just as it suited the puristic.' of the individual, and without any reference to the justice of the case. It 'vs.( true that Governor Ainslie had not decorated the public places at Cape Breton as he hail at Dominica, oith the heads and bodies of human victims, but it was equally true that lie had con ducted himself in the most oppressive and unseat.. rentable manner. It was no uncommon occurrence to see him cuff about, and uctually kick down stairs, inhabitants who came to complain to him of the grievances they suffered.—( Laughter.)—How ever ludicrous such a scene might be, it was dis reputable and disgraceful in a public officer. He had actu illy gone so far as to challenge a British officer to fight a duel with him, and to repair to Newfoundland to decide the quarrel. In bringing forward these complaints which the Petition con t: • 11, he (Mr. B.) was actuated by a sense of public duty, and by a belief, from the papers and documents he had reed. that they were founded iD fact, and that the individuals to whom he alluded were totally unworthy of the situations they filled in the colony. On the question that the Petition be brought up, Mr. GULDOURN raid, that if any Gentleman pretrial had heard the question put by the Hon. Member on a former evening, lie must be greatly surprised at hearing the speech which had just beets made. On the former evening, the Hon. Gentle matt opposite had osited whether it was the inten tion of Government to enact a separate l.egielalure for Cape Breton, and lie had now turned round. and taken an opportunity, through the medium or . presenting a Petniou, of criminating individuals in their absence, without Riving any notice or ills in tention, or under circumstances in which it were possible to be ready with an answer to the impute t. lie had cast on iertriii individuals in his Ma justy'ip service. The Hon. 31ember It id done this without calling for any papers, or knowing whether they would be grouted or refused, without moving for any inciniry which might bring the subject fully and lairly before the House. He (%Ir. G.) had previously heard of the tonne of Mr. Gibbon stand ing forth as an accuser in the colony, not, indeed, against Governor Ainslie, but sigaiust two of his 'predecessors (General Steeple and another). If the hlentlwr really meant to call for all inquiry tutu the conduct of the Governor or the Chief Jus tice at Cape Breton, he knew there was a irroper course of doing so open to him, and that it was difs &relit from the one lie now pursued. As to the alleged conduct of the Chief Justice, there was one circumstance which deserved to be mesitumed. The Petitioner bad complained of certain duties imposed by the Local Authorities, and these were subsequently declared invalid by the Chief Justice. who, in that instance at least, sheered no inclination to court the favour of the Governor, with *hose concurrence the regulations were entered into. He certainly complained of this mode of proveeding, where the parties accused could not possibly reply. • . The Petition leas then brought up anal ordered to be printed. It chiefly complained of the Prti tioner's being arbitrarily dispossessed of certain fee sitt►ple property ut Cape Breton, by the Local Authorities. POOR'S LAWS. On the motion of Mr. Stußuts BOURNE the f• of the l'om's Laws Aniendisittit Bill, and the Parish Vestsies MIL was postponed until 'Mon diy next. NEW PLAN OF FINANCE-BANK QUESTION. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose PaHl will, that it would be all accominialation to him if the Right I loos. Gentleman oppos to would postpone lions Monday I Wednesday next Isis motion on the subject of tlw Mink liestrietiou Act. He apa prehended that the Right Honourable Gentleman wos.ld see the coovemence that would result from this postponement when he informed him, that on Mot►day next he meant to lay before the House, or rather in the Committee of IVuys and Means, an important financial arrangement. which he had souse time in contemplation, and the understanding of which would facilitate the di.ctission the Hight Hon. Gentleman opposite had in view. After a few words from Sir JOHN NEWPORT and Air. TIERNEY, on the subject of precedence for the mon of the latter on Wednesday, it was peremptorily fixed fur the first business on that day. Mr. TtEanEy also gave notice, that on Friday next lie meant to subn►tt a motion on the subject of National Ex peildi t u re. GRANT TO THE DUKE OF CAURRIDGF.. Mr. IiIIOGDEN bruCgill up the Report of the Connuittee of Supply. On the motion fur the second reading of the Resolution for the additional grant of 6,000/. a year to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cum bridge— Mr. LAMBTOTI rose, and fur the purpose of re cording his opposition on the Journals, moved as an Amendment, that this Resolution be read a second time this day six months. The Amendment was negatived without a divi sion. and the original Resolution read a second time and agreed to. On the motion for the second reading of the Re solution for the grant of an annuity of ti,ooo/. as dower for her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cumberland— Earl CowEtt rose and raid, that he was *Who. rised by her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cum berland to express her satisfaction at the provis which the House had agreed to in her behalf. She stated, that though her first impression was a grate ful anise of the kind summer in which she had been treated by the House, et that from a delicacy of feeling, mid all anxiety not to be understood as cmicurring in any measure which would seem to separate her interest from that of her Royal Hus band, she had intended to decline acceding to any arrasigement which 'would seem to separate their interests. nut i; being the anxious and ear- • \ • ' V , . • \ • • nest desire of her ltoy al fiListaand that the should not sacrifice her own interests to that feeling on the present occasion, she acceded to the proposed ar rangement, Mild with the greater satisfaction. us it saw one of the ii.iture of • contingency, which could not be considered as immediately bearing, for her interests. on the !turd ens of the people of this coon try.—(l bor.) Lord CASTLEREAGH had to confirm the eltirgatia. tjoit just given or the views of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cumberland on the subject of the dower provided fur her by that (louse. Her Royal Highness hail explained to him that she yielded her repugnance to being considered us in any degree a burden on the people of' this country, to the earneste;titreltiri3, he may say injunctions, of her Royal Husband on this occasion. And he had fur ther to say, that if the vote had been sine of direct, instead of eventual advantage to her Royal High ness, and subject to a change of situation which she earnestly hopes may iletrer occur, it might have been impossible to have induced her to overlook the view which the at first took of this subject. or to come to the conclusion she now did of receiving, with grateful kindness, the provision made for her by Parliament, its the event of her surviving her Rapti Huth) nd.—(llear. bear.) The Resolution was then agreed to. Mr. %Vista suggested. that accordir4 to the ancient practice iu cases of this kind, it would be proper thst these grants should be charged on the hereditary revenue of the Crown, instead of out of the Consolidated Fund, us was intended. Lord CASSIA:REAMS stated, that it proper ar rangement would be made on that point, though; at first, n difficulty arose in consequence of the number of grants that had been matte chargeable on the Consolidated Fund. COTTON MANCrACTURERS. _ . Admiral FRANK stated that he had a number of Petitions to present from persons concerned in the working department of the Cotton Trade, against the Bill now before the Douse, fur limiting the num ber of working 'word in the manufactories. lie also corrected a mistutement which had gone forth the other day ou the subject of a Petition hr bad pre sented—it was aguilist the Bill and not fur it. The Hon. Member then presented Petitions from the IVorknien employed in 'Manufactories at Mansfield, ut Lingwithe,at Paisley,isi thecounty of Derby, and from certain !Mechanics and Labourers in Notting against the Bill before the House.— The Petitioners were confident that the injuries they would sustain by the reduction of wages, which must accompany the limitation of Ilse hours of work, would be far greater than those against which the Howe meant to provide. These Petitions were ordered to lie printed. Lord STAN LET stated, that on a hor n ier night lie presented a Petition ou the subject of the Bill which stood for discussion th's night (Mir It. Peel's), since that time he understood that a pamphlet had been carefully circulated among the Members fa vourable to the Bill, which contained reflections on certain individuals connected with the cotton ma nufacture. These individuals coinplained of these injurious statements, and called by a Petition, which he had olive to prevent, for an inquiry into the matter thereof. The printer refused to give a pamphlet to the Gentleman against whose conduct it was directed, or to give any other explanation, except that he was desired not to give a copy to certain persons. He held a Petition from these ,in dividuals, and they ent tea the Howie to name u Committee to inquire o the statements which h had been so cudeetine circulated against them. lie hoped the lion. aronet would postpone his motion until after this inquiry was ivatituted.—The Petition was brought up. Sir It. PEEL saw no connection between the sub ject Aluded to by the Petitioners and the Bill he had before the House.—llieur4 Mr. Coaws:is thought the subjects were closely connected. A statement had gone forth to support a poi nod:lr question then pending in the House— it vilified the conduct of certain individuals whose interests were to he affected by the Bill, mud tended besides to create a prejudicial view of the question, so as to influence certain Members. The aggrieved individuals came forward and offered to repel the charge by direct evidence ; surely they lead Pi right to a priority of hearing. The opinions of medical getillemeo relative to the state of health in some of these manufactorie s , had been publish ed. The Petitioners sought to have conflicting opinions of other medical Gentlemen submitted, and a eonfereuce had with all, so as to get at the whole merits of the ease. He was persuaded that the effect of this Bill must be the adoption of a general system of legislation for every other branch of trade ; whereas, if Parliament did not interfere, the manufacturers world, after what lead passed, remedy any defects that had grown up iu their own system: Sir Joust NEWPORT complained of this mode of anticipating the discussion on a Bill fixed for the same evening. Mr. BROUGHAM said, that there was nothing in the prayer of the Petition to justify the !louse in postponing the consideration of the main question, which had already gone forth front Seasion to Ses sion without the adoption of any detiiiitive regula tion. The statement in any particular pamphlet would n o t justify this postponement. lie tenant]. tiered when ■n attempt of the same natnre had been made with Mr. Pitt, in 1804, to induce Ilion to put ill the measure for the Abolition of the Slave Trade; but that Minister very properly re jected the application, and observed, that the Le. gislature could never arrange its business, if it were to await the settlement of particular views pro nounced by individuate, or promulgated elsewhere by pamphlets.—/ /fear.) Lord LAscELLes condemned the mode of disse minating partial information by pamphlets clandes tinely seta forth; and lie thought the parties at tacked should be allowed an opportunity of vimli eating themselves before the House pronounced upon their case. On the menu of the case, ha begged to be understood us not giving any 1 1 11160f1. Mr. W. SMITH (lid not think the pamphlet al lued to,could at all cliat.ge the nature of the sub ject. The House had long bud the evidence taken before the former Committee under examinttion, and needed no additio n al information to decide 4,n their view of the case. Ile, for one, was prepared to ligislate on the evidence already had, and lie be lieved the majority of disinterested Nlerulit if, not colmected with either of the partief at issue., was \ 1 • of ilia same opinio... lie comicial:tell rite or stigmatizing persons not interested iti the re.oiti as if they were less pore or honourahle than do-- really were more directly concerned . ut the issue ul the measure.—(lleir.) Mr. PHILLIPS hoped his Eton. Ftiend wonla hear the Net, if he would not the individuals. here were a set of persons vifified by # psinplikt. who merely called for au opportunity of delentiong their own characters from tool nod unjust saner pions. He stated the manner in which the pamph let had been printed and circulated at Manches ter, and honed the Home would let in more fatt4 belore they decided on the case. Mr. Itowawa was against aratting the merii. at this moment, when it only tended to produce warmth perhaps natural, but certainly unfavourable to calm deliberation.—(Neer, hear.) Mr. BUTTERWORTH was about to read some es:. tracts from the pamphlet that had been Glandes. finely circulated, hut the loud cries of " Question ." compelled him immediately to desist. Lord STANLEY rose amid cries of " Question."' :mil said, that his only object wao to procure for the Petitioners the opportunity of rebutting the impu tations which had been cast upon them. On the motion of Mr. PHILLIPS, the Petition was then ordered to he printed. Silt ROBERT PEEL'S COTTON FACTORIES BILL. Sir ROBERT PEEL. moved. tl►at the House resolve itself into Committee to re-consider the Bill for re aulatii,g Labour iii Cotton Factories. The House having gone into the said Committee, Mr. PEEL stated, ►n a few words, the nature of some improvements be intended to introduce into this Bill. Mr. WirbratoacE stated his objection to the proposed classification of children, and the allot intuit of hours of lotionr u appropriate to those classes, which bud been introduced in the Bull. It had restricted children between the age of 9 and 16 years, to certain hours of labour. Now it was cruel to imagine that children of 9 years of age were able to sustain hibour us long us those or 14 or 16 year?. fir should propose instead, that there should be two clar:see; one Containing those from 9 to twelve, the other thrice from I 2 to 16. Sir R. Pete had, as a person tolerably well ac quainted with the stature and interests of the cotton factories, prepared the Bill in such a way its was most likely to give free scope to the operation of the remedial part of the Act, without trespassing very nviterially on the convenience of the put prittors of those concerns in which such consider. able properties were frequently necessarily embark ed. He hoped the House woo.ld see the expedience of reconciling the relief of the labouring class to the interests of the proprietor, and suffer the Bill to proceed through the present stage, that (he Re port might be brought up. Mr. PHILLIPS had before stated his objection t. the Bill, and was determined to oppose it in its details, as well as principle. He regretted that owing to misrepresentation considerable prejudic ,, had beets excited in and out of doors, respect. tog the aystem of labour now adopted in thes.r manufactories, but should content himself with waiting for an opportunity to deliver his senti ments on the principle of the Bill (4n opportunitr winch lie had unfortunately lost, on the second reading) upon the bringing up of the Report. Lord LASCELLES, though he admitted the time had passed for the discussion of the principle of the Bill, and although he would have nothing to do with the Bill as respecting the interest of the mas ters, so US to secure to them a profit proportionate to the abuse of labour, still, unless the House had a mind to let the Mover carry the Bill, or rather run away with it, us it were, by acclamation, the persons interested against the Bill ought to be heard a 4 to their interests at the bar of the House. Though lie would not 'pledge himself to any course upon the future stages of the Bill, he would still observe, the House should proceed with great deli cacy to interfere between the employer and labourer. It was true, it had been denied this was free labour ; but though it might be true the children were sub ject to the will of their parents, who were themselves generally employed in the same factories, it would be rather too much that the House should proceed to take these children out of the hands of their pa rents, who must be considered their natural pro. tectors.—(lfear.) Mr. Rom NSON regretted the present awkward sitnatiou in which the House found itself placed respecting this Bill, owing to the course which had been pursued. The Bill had now found it. way into the Committee, without the House havilig even debated its principle. Many had gone arse on the supposition that nothing more than the iiit mite parts of the Bill would have been discussed ; whereas it might be collected that it was the Mkt-- lion of the opposers of the Bill to introduce into it • chute or clauses which would overturn the object of the Bill altogether. Mr. WYNN suggested, the only way to open the question to the Hon. Members who wished to op pose its principle, would be to move, that the Choireness of the Committee do report progress, sud ask leave to sit again. To this Mr. Rontosow assented, and moved, that the Chairman should report progress, told gook leave to sit again. Mr. PEEL regretted it had not been discussed on principle before, as time must thus inevitably he lost, and there existed a considerable degree of fer ment in the manufacturing districts respecting the proposed measure of relief. . . Mr. WM. SMSTM, although lie mast say opposing party had lost their opportunity of chi cussing the Bill through their own negligenve, yiss still willing to let them in to discuss its pnticiple in any way not inconsistent with ameliorating the guest object of relief to the parties. Sir Jnu ts NEWPORT thought there was abundant ground to suspect the House was proceeding YYtili rather ton much haste to legislate in. a ca,e of g reat delicacy and importance. Mr. BLACKBURNE holiest the supporters of the Bill would not, in so thin a House, sliest an unbe coming anxiety to proceed to a hasty great conclusion. upon a question affecting so a proportion o f property, and so wide a range of interests, in the county of Lancaster. Mr. Husittssuß asserted, that there had been al ready proved, from the very ferment stated to exit in the country on the subject, that there were struill grounds to expedite the Bill. It had already beep I th foi I ro ef ait Art •;;n of y Ci