The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-05 00:00:00

THE TEN HOURS' FACFORY MOVEMENT.

The state of this
iquestion cantinues to excite a
great deal of 'Beath.' in the Lancashire district, mid the
law as it stands appears to be very unsatisfactory to all
parties. The operatives have ter some time been relying
upon a promise given, as they say, by government, that the
clauses in dispute, and having reference to the relay system,
should be brought before a superior court; but they ate now
said to have become impatient tt at e• long • priod has been
allowed to elapse wi'hnut the promise having been
earri d out ; end have determined on a course of 'cita-
tion as a more certain means of effecting their object. The
master spicnen and manufacturers, it was understood, hail
some overtures tending to a omprem:se to make at the close
of last week, and en Saturday Mr. Cherie. Hindley, M.P.,
with a view to bringing it about, got together a meeting of
some of the principal masters and men, at the Albion Hotel,
Manche star. There were present, on behalf of the masters,
Sir Elkanah Armitage, T. Barley, Esq., president of the
Manche-ter Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Lewis Wil-
liams ; on behalf of the factory operatives there were about
30 delegates, from almost as many towns in Lancashire.
Tue masters addressed tho delegates, setting forth the
advantages which might be expected to arise from an
uniform factories act, and stated that they undentood from
fire to six hundred of the masters were willing
to go with them in applying to government for an efficient
measure for working 63 hours per week. The leading dele-
gates after lis•ening to thew overtures then addressee' the
meeting, and stated that it was hardly fair te ask them now
to relax an la ur a day and call it a compromise, after they,
the operatives, had fought the battle for upwards of 30 years,
every inch of the ground being contested during that time
with them. They Bided their determination not to consent
to any bill that would in ary way infringe upon the Ten
Hours' Act already in exigence. But they would willingly
join the masters in the a 'option of any rcheme which would
render the present tyres unifcrm, end they suggested that
this could be beet done by bringing the points in dispute
before a superior court—in doing which they would willingly
share any expense which might be incurred.
After the conference with the maters, the delegates re-
a.sembled at the Woodman's Hut public-hou e, but business
wax ultimately adjourned until Sunday. On that day there
were 63 delegates present, and the meting which took place
lasted from morning till late in the evening. Very strong
resolutions were passed in favour of the ten hours' system,
and it was resolved to hold public meetings in earl JIB towns
W lay before the operatives the present position of the ques-
tion, and to memorialise the Queen to cause her principal
Seeretary of State to ecforco lie law according to the inter-
pretation already put upon it by the Secretary of State ; and
cause the factory inspectors to carry into effect the ivatruc-
ti ens issued to them by the Secretary of State u?en the in-
terpretation given to the Factory Act by the law of of
the cro an.

A resolution of the central short time committee, request-
ing Mr. S. Fielden, son of the late Mr. J. Fieden, M.l' , to
trke the Vac: of his lamented father, at the head of the agita-
ti n, was proposed, and unacimonoly adopted. Adr putttiun
was appointed to wait upou Mr. Fielded with this resolution;
and it is understood that he has consented to comply with
this request. Mr. Fielden, together with Mr. oa-Ver and
Mr. Ferr.nd, is invited to attend all the meetings which it
is in contemplation to hold; and the first of chess has
been fixed to take place in Manchester next week.
The following is a copy of a printed circular, which has
he, n issued to the operatives by the short time committee in
Bolton :

" The Ten Hours Act —Fellow-workmen, to prove whether
the statement made by the deputation of misters was correct,
to the government that " a number of large manufacturers
to had the full consent of their men for an Eleven Hours
Bill," the spinners in the borough of Bolton have this week
nude known their opinions by halo., and the result is, that
in the whole of the mills, 44 in number, containing 838 spin-
ners, 829 voted for ten hours : 5 voted for eleven hours ; and
4 weutl not vote; so that it is evident that the operatives
are anxious fn ten hours, and no more.—Signed, DAVID
HOLT, Secretary."