The Sun. — London, England, 1819-03-06 00:00:00

COTTON FACTORIES. The following are the Statements and Deduc tions to which in a former Article on this subject reference was recently made in our Columns; and we venture to think, that they will be found to justify the promise which we then gave, of " a brief unvarnished tale, which will nit require ten minutes for the perusal, and which, once read, can never be forgotten." FACTS AS TO THE AGES ANtl HEALTII OF' PER SONS EMPLOYED IN COTTON FACTORIES. It is proper to premise, for the Reader's infor mation, that it has been an object with certain of the Master-Spinners to spew, that both in re spect of Happiness and of Health, the condition of the Persons employed in their Trade is good, and not less favourable than that of those eu gaged in other Trades generally. It seems to have been with this view, and in order to inva lidate the purpose of Sir Robert Peel's Bill, that in the lait Session of Parliament they presented in evidence before Committees of the House of Lords, certain Reports from eleven Cotton Fac tories in Manchester (see Apr, to ihe Minutes of l?,vidence before the Lords), exhibiting the Names of those employed therein, with the Age and state of Health of each Hdividual. lts !tine of those Schedules tie time was also specified (luting which each Person (k , irb a very few exceptions) had worked in a Cotton Mill The ag , ,iregate num ber thus particularized in those nine Factories is 4 938. Although the Factories in question were select ed by the Master-Spinners themselves, and their purpose in that selection is to chew, that the Health of their Labourers is good, they have un warily supplied Documents which go to establish inferences that very little Correspond with such a result. This , is deducible on the following grounds :—The Ages of the Persons then actually employed being given, and, also the N um b er o f Years during w hi c h eac h had been in that occo pation, the difference is presumed to be the Age at which the said Persons first began to work in a Cotton Factory. Un this presumption we have from those aforesaid Reports the followiug re sults, viz : discs (at the time when the Schedules were made out) of the 4,938 Individuals employed in Nine Factories, selected by the MaSter-Spiuners themselves, viz :- 80 of them under 9 Years old 764 1 - 271 781 715 533 25 to 2 9 do. 30 to 34 do. 2tl igc 317 ... 10 4,938 Their ages, on their first going to a Cotton M. appear to have been as follows, viz : 1658' 16(57 . from 9 . to n, both inclusive.; 770 371 ... .9.33 • 16 to 19 do. 20 to 24 do. 25 to 29 do. 30 to 34 do. 3.3 to .99 do. do. 21 5O and upwards. 4,933 It follows, therefore, that upwards of a third part of the above 4938 persons began to work in a Cotton-Mill before they were vine years of age, and more than two-thirds before they were twc/re; and, strange as it may seem, it is a direct inference from the said statements, that of 3326, who be ran their labours in a Factory when tinder time age of 12, only 197 had attained to their 30th year ; Ig to their 40th, and two to their 50th years. The Reports, from which these Statements are drawn, having been voluntarily presented by the opponents of the Bill, it is reasonable to con clude that they were as favourable to their cause as circumstances would admit of ; and this inference has the more force when it comes to be consi dered, that the Factories whence they were fur nished have the reputation of being well-conduct ed establishments. On the presumption, then, that these woiks exhibit a fair standard of the state of Cotton. Mills in the town of Manchester ; and that the ages of ttre persons employed in them generally (at the time of their first going to wwk in a Cotton Mill), have been, on an average, for a series of years, commensurate with the ages at which tl►e above 4938 persons began tl►e like work, and that, in other respects, they were similarly circumstanced, the following conclu sions will necessarily follow, viz.-- That of those who are subjected to the labour and confinement of a Cotton Mill at all ages un der twelve, not more than one in sixteen, who have attained to the age of 30, is (wind in any such works, nor more that► one in 170 who have reached their 40th year. . - That of 4938 persons engaged in these Cotton only seventy who survive to the age of fifty remain in the employment ; and it is a re markable fact, that only eleven out of 4466, who begin their labours in these works at all ages un der twenty, are of that number. That of 4914 persons who commence their la bours at all ages under 40, only 242 who arrive at their 40th year continue to be employed in any such Mills ; and only 86 out of 4466, who 'begin the work at all ages under 20, are of that number. That of 4888 persons who commence their la bours in a Cotton Mill at all ages under 35, only 427 who arrive at their 35th year continue to have employment in any such works ; anti' only 218, out of 4466 who begin the work at all ages under 20, are of that number. That of 4841 persons, therefore, who begin their labours in a Cotton Mill at all ages under 30, only 698 who arrive at their 30th year con- linue to Lave employment in One tracle of Cotton Spinning. That of 4719 persons who begin their labours in a Cotton Mill at all ages under 25, only 1108 who arrive at `them- 25th year ar•e found at such employment. That of 44(36 persons who begin their labours in a Cotton Mill at all ages under 20, only 1573 who arrive at their 20th year contiuue to be en gaged in the business. Surely when such facts as these come to be re flected on, and it is considered that they are de duced front the statements of the Master-Spin ners themselves, it can be no question with any sensible or huMane person, whether some Legis lative confront is not wanted for a systent of labour, which subjects to the operation of its exm bit ant hours Children so extremely young, whose numbers ar•e even now immense, and, front the growing extent of the trade, must be con tinually on the increase. The opponents of the Bill, it is presumed, can not justly complaio of these statements, as the grounds On whicn they are formed were furnished by themselves, and taken from Factories of their own selection, Had the friends of the Bill select ed Factories of a less high character, the results might probably have been still more favourable to the cause they have espoused. But-even adu►rt ting that the Returns from the nine Factories selected by the blaster-Spinners present a Lair specimen of the state of the Cotton Mills in .Man rhester generally, still, even a cursory review of the preceding results will, it is presumed, excite in every mind reflections and comparisons of no ordinary cast. The question instantly arises, what must be the fate of a . great majority of the children brought up in Cotton Mills:? for it is most evident that Only a small proportion of those who do not die very young can be continued in the b►rsirress when they are grown up. The dif ficulty of their obtaining any miser employment is well known ; and might, indeed, have been pre sumed from merely reflecting, that their consti tutions are generally enfeebled, that they have been habituated to no other business, and are, for the most part, in all otl►er respects, extremely ignorant. Neither can it be said that they base any reasonable hope of obtaining, 6r, if ob tained, of holding, for any length of time, those advantageous situations in the Facto ries occupied by grown-up people ; as it is natural to conctode, from all that has been stated, that for the most part they become incapable of undertaking these offices in the Fac tories, to which they would otherwige, front their proficiency, Lie most eligible, but which, for the greater part, are supplied by adults,: who come there with all the disadvantage of being sirangers to the business, and whose chief recommendation is (what the others have unhappily lusty, a re quisite suffi'ci'ency of bodily power. Even of 422 individuals whocommenee their labours in a Cot ton Mill, at all ages., front 20 to 34 (and therein with every possible advantage on the score of strength), only 180 who attain to the age of 40 coatinue such employment, and 3l only who ar rive at their 50th year It is left to the opp o n ents of ►he Bill to explain, if they call, what actually becomes of the rest. Until such explanation is satisfactorily given, all that can be fairly inferred is, that- they must either go to an early grave, or • have su c h worn-out constitutions as to becom e a burden on the public, or else betake theinselves to some new business at a lime of lite %viten steep a change will scarcely ever be voluntary, and can only he resorted to under circumstances of the grereest privation to the individual, and such as are barely adequate to preserve him from present starvation., From all that has been advanced, we think the inference is undeniable, that the Cotton Factory system, as nt present conducted, is destructive even to adults, who do not engage in the busi ness till they are 20 years old or more: how ruinous, then, must it be in its effects to young children, who have no strength to oppose to its fatal operation 1., LONDON JOURNALS. FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY. {The Tiniest} Our Private Correspondence from Paris con , firms the opinions which have already prevailed respecting tl►e determination of the Ministry to put down the assailants of the Election Law. One writer says that new Peers would be cre ated.on or before last Thursday. Another states, that a Royal Ordinance, adding 54 Members to the Upper Chamber, had been actually signed on the 2.811) ult.and would speedily make its appear ance. The measure of dissolving the Chamber of Deputies seems to have been abandoned : a post or two must enable us to judge more p6sitively as to the truth of all these rumours. A letter from Madrid contradicts the rumour of General Elio having been disgraced by the Spa nish Governmeot, which is said, on the other hand, to have loaded him with honours ; nand himself acknowledging to this General, that lie has been twice indebted to him for Isis Crown. Eighty, many of them. di,tingnisbed by rank and services, had been seized at Valencia when the post came away ; and the number liable to arrest throughout Spain, flout -a supposed connection with the same plot, amounted to the alarming number of 4700 persons. [Mornin g Chronicle.]' DUELLING.—A letter from Paris, dated Feb. 25, says :—" The fury of duels increases every clay ; twelve Officers of the Guards du Corps, and twelve of the Garde Royale, were to have fought, on the lath, twenty-four at Buonaparte's Half-pay Officers.—Luckily for the former they were put under arrest." The statements which have appeared in most of the public prints, that Mrs. Garrick is at this time in the 106th year o►` her age, is not the fact. Mademoiselle Violetti, no► , Mrs. Garrick, was married to our inimitable Roscius in the mouth of July, 1749, when she was about 24, consequently her age does not exceed 94 years.--(Mid 1 THEATRICAL REGISTER. Per Armed Last tyight. THEATRE ROYAL, c.OVENT - GAWDEN.—:I(i Oratorio'. THEATRE ROYAL, DRuRi-LANE.—No PlAormance. To conmEspoNDENTs. We shall attend to the request of ANuLo HIBERNtJS early next week, as well as to other Correspondents. *** FOE,,,ALBERT'S SECOND LETTER, see the First Page—For the PaattameNTaair PROCEEDYNGS, see the Last Page. PRICE O 1 THIS DAY AT T 3 pet Cent. Red. shut 3 per Cent. Cons...73ii 7 , 1 U 31 per Cent . • . shut 4 per Cents .shut 5 per Cent. Navy Ann. 104i1 Bank Long Ann • • shut' STOCKS wF,LVE o'CLoCK. Imperial 3 per Ct. Ann...sbut India Bonds. Us. 345. pr. South Sea StoCk .... .81 Exch. Bills, 23.....25. 4s.dis. Cons. for Atcount 74Lifii ARtuv.zu- , -t Palin, 1 Waterford, 1 France. DIY E—l Water ford, 1 Guernsey and Jersey, 1 Lisbon. 1 - 11 CH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TOMORROW. Morning, S minutes after 11. j Evening, 28 minutes after 12. THE SUN. BOLEN' QUIS DICERS Fit I.SUM AUDEAT ? LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1819. We received this ititirtiing the Paris Pipers of Wednesday last. The proposition of the Mar quess de BARTHELEMY, respecting the Election . Law, was discussed and adopted in the Chamber of Peers on Tuesday, as will be seen in the fol lowing extracts, but not a word of the discussion ' is given in any of ti►e Journals : " CHAMBER OF PEERS. " The printing of severat speeches Was ordered " Other speakers stiii remained inscribed on the list for speaking, when the Chamber closed the discusbion. " T(►e votes were taken by Appel Noimnal, on the question fur adopting or rejecting the pro position. " The number of voters was 153 ; the result gave 55 votes for the rejection, and 98 for the adoption, of the proposition. The adoption was pronounced. " The Chamber adjourned till Thursday to bear the report of the Special Committee charged with the examination of the projet of law relative to the financial year. " In the same Sitting the Chamber will hear the developernent of the proposition moved by the Count de Caste!lane, fo•r the revocation of the law respecting seditious expressions. " ?Altus, MARCH 3.—The Duke and Duchess of Orleans visited the King yesterday. • " The Doke of Gloucester visited on. Friday the Establishment for the Edocatimi of the Daughters of the Members of the Royal Legion of Honour. • " After hearing the developement of M. Laf flue's proposition this day in the Chamber of Deputies, for maintaining the Election Law in its present state, the discussion will be imme diately opened on the question, whether it flirtl be taken into consideration and sent to the hu• reaux for examination. " The celebrated Portuguese Poet, Francisco autiel, died at Paris the 2.51 h ult. aged 84. " The Archduchess Maria Louisa set out the 14th ult. from Parma, with a nu►nerous suite, to proceed by the way of Verona to Venice, to meet her father, the Emperor of Austria. " By a Royal Ordonnance, dated the 28th ult. the Electoral Colleges - of the departments of ll nistere, Rhone,Sarthe, and Loire Inferieure, are to be assembled on the 25th instant, to complete their deputations. Tuesday. PIPE PER CENT,. . 681. 50 c. DEFrEIItED STOCK Of the 22d March, 1817, RI f. 36c. 22d Sept. 1817, 79f. 35 c. 22d March, 1818, 77 f. :' , sc. 224 Sept. 1813, 75 f. 65 c." NVe have received Baltimore Papers one day ater than the last arrival. Front The Baltimore Telegraph of the Ist February.] 110 USE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JAR. 30. The following Message was received from the President of the United States : " To. the House of Representatives of the United States. " In compliance with a Resolution of the House EULLF,TfN OF THE SITTING OF TUESDAY, MARCH 2. " At one o'clock the Chamber assembled, on the breaking 111) of the Bureaux, which had been occupied with the examination of the proposi t ion taken into consideration at the last Sitting, rela tive to the modifications of which the Election Law may be susceptible. " I'he Order of the Day was read for the dis cussion, in general assembly, of this proposition. The right of speaking was successively and alter nately granted to the speakers incribed to combat or defend. " The Chamber heard against the proposition, the Coon( de Itichetrourg, the Count Lanjninais, Peer of France, Minister of the Interior, and the Marquess de Maneville ; and in favour of the proposiiion, the Marquess de Clermont To:►nerre, the Dike de Leoudeauville, and the Marquess de Fontanes. itt c to com munica t e any init o.inAtion, not aYe rn 90munnicated, to be laid before the House, vi be ' ther Amelia Island, St. Mark's, and Peilse cal yet remain in the possession of the United Sts t e° and if so, by what laws the inhabitants - are g °• yarned ; wh e th er art i c l es i mport ed therein (I° l, foreign countri es are su bj ect to an y a nd wha t ties, and by what laws, and whether the 111 r d duti . 6 are collected, and h ow; . whether v ess l i arriving in th e U n i te d S tates f rom Pensacola an Amelia Island, and in Pensacola and Aine ll6 . Island from the United States, respectively, are,, Considered and treated as vessels arriving fr °°l foreign countries,—;-1 transmit a Report from 114 Secretary of the Treasury, and likewise onerr°lll the Secret a ry o f War, which will afford all 1" information - requested by the House of R e p re senfatives. _ . cc Jarivary_ 30, 1819." %7FLOS' " 'JAMES Al°" -- Message and doennients read, and refer"" I the Committee on Foreign Retafi ons. Another Message was received, as follow s s ' . " I transmit to the [louse of Itepresea" t i ve ; in complia nc e w i t h t h e i r Resolution o f the -41- inst., a Report of the Secretary of Sta te 1,1 cerning the appli cat i ons w hi c h h ive been 1113('ip I any' of the Independent Governments of S°ut t America to h ave a Ministe r an d C o nsul- 13°e-3 ,1 accredited by the Gnvernment o f the linijeg States, with the answer of this Government to t applications addressed to it. “ Jan. 59, islp.” "JAMES NIV NIt Nessage, &c. o r d ere d to li e on the t a ble , 41' o be printed. J. EXTRACT FROII THE CORRE3PONbENC B 5115.. 'ERRED To. General Clementi, Minister Plenipotent" at nom Venezuela to the United States, " vi"6f t e , rived at the Seat of Government,-transmits a to the Secretary of State, infortnin , hint th' iri is ready to p rocee d i n t h e execut i on o f the dut:;ff; .. committed to hint by his Goverwnvnt. be; t° lowing letter front Mr. Adams, i n reply, decli ,.l e - all nego t ia t i on th roug h the agency of Mr. ti'e menri with his Government. , he s s [We print it ent i re , to s h ow w i s h what a d . we can give the qu i e t us to a R epu bli ca n Ath' isf o e' ; who, it seems , h ad mere l y exerc i se d the s ; power ex e r c i se d b y Dr. Frawklin in Franc e, (bail' our Revolution.] TILE SECRETARY OF STATE TO DC"' I"El4° DS CLEMENT?. cc INpartnirnt of State, rite' 16 ' I ' l l !: Note of the 11'111 inst. bas aid before the President of the U n it,d States' _ ....___ ‘i'hose direction I have to infoz'm you that, Y °Hr name having been' avowedly affixed to 8 P a Per d rl' it'l (1 tip - mithin the United S ta t e s, putr itilit ; be a Commi ss i on ; to a foreign Officer for taking and execiving an Expedition in violati" ° the laws of th e U n i te d S tates ; an d a lso rin' tilL F paper avowing that Act, and ot h erv viir to our Government, which !pipers have been tru g i. _ 'flitted to Congr ess - by t h e Ille , isage of the Pfes... dent of the 25th of March List, 1 ant t"itb() ... rized to confer with y ou . and monica is tions will be received front you Department. that no Int tl:er9t " " I am, &c. " J. Q. AVA The following is copied from the Board at New England Coffee "loose " Nr.tv YortK, Ftat , 5 . 15 1 0# `c The bri4 Mary, Smith, of Middletown, i 3 wree l "' 4 l 4"' rocks near Bermuda ; vessel and car 4o lost, crr vi sa ve "; r " Tire brig Triton, Casliey, in 55 dais, from Liverrv,:tle lived at Janiaira, hut not being able t o reach Por t " ( , j ;e4e' drove ashore in a heavy s qua ll on t h e 6t l, D ece mbef , : vi , l ,l' Plumb Point; her Toasts Were cut away in hopes of ';',00 ,1 her, but without effect ; crew and letter ha.; sav ed, ,rgtY hopes were entertained th a t th e greater p ar t of the would also be saved. The schooner Cornelia, Hatch, from Charlston for ' . l of Augustine, was, On the Gth inst. stratrded on an sand, off Little St. Sifuott's ; crew and part of the-Farr') o i 3 isTand is above rt feet above high water mark , never covered except in heavy gales. r k. " The Lydia, from Bourdeamt for 'New oar' brandy, fruit, &c. was strand e d on t h e 15th Jkill", ar i c ' a rel Bermuda ; vessel lost; the cr ew , , ni l m o st, of - t" e saved. The Lydia was 117 flays out from Bour de2i3.l :cs• was blutrn off the coast of N ew Y or k th ree different tin , eg• limirtmorts, JAN•shorc " All armed schooner, f u ll o f' d ry goo d s , was l u 'A j a b be on Holland's Istand on flintiay night last. It is sal" • in the j/t/S3CSSIOII of the Collector of Annapolis." We beg leave to refer our Readers to en portant article in our Paper of this Fla}, otx the CovroN FAcTottus, which, we doubt n ot ' will be deemed highly int cresting to every Class of the Community, f or area hurnao • as well as a loyal People, and our National CI I3- racter, in these respects, thank Heaven, w ill nut stiffer on account of the hruta!ity of the Bar" dethies, who are a rfisgrace to mankind. l II° importance of health to the rising generation, part iculat ly of the Manufact wing Classes,canno t tie questioned, and we trust, that it 'will powerfully operate upon both of our Legislative Bodie s, 35. well as upon Alinisters,who,we are persuaded, We', sincerely at heart the happiness of the People, and the honour and interest of the Empire. ' [ 'b e l)ocument referred to is founded upon irrefri" gable statements and proofs, and consequently deserves the particular attention of every friend 1(1 t i likt'4 Or ttle 1, A 4 , h e ti) ' , lt 1., tr ied .s t Pi( )t Uc Of ' AN! fi ve " 'Pe 1 I ) l 4ce v . 41 it ior lef t iv td ,1 10 Pl 4 u tp L et. l it 4 Of t!i3ll;.la with fro m llnfo br o k, te n fl h aste t aken I Q thi "°Uli 41► d t 1 4n eco the ~I Aster i ; t ti es is f or oil ‘1 1 , 10(