The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

restriction of the hours of labour to ten hours ; and, secondly,
that the parties in GI tagow woo had made this proposition
had not acted with a bona fide intention. He could tell the
hon. member fur Cockermouth that the parties in ques-
tion were as honourable men as any engaged in the cotton
manufacture, and if he would look to the report of the fac-
tory inspectors he would find that they had done all they
could to early into effect the provisions of the Factory Act.
It was hard, therefore, to charge them with coming at the
eleventh hour, and interposir g this proposition for the purposes
of delay.
Mr. AGLIONIIY.—I suggested exactly the opposite.
Mr. F. MAULK said then his ears deceived him. This
proposition showed the deism of the masters to meet the
operatives, and he hoped they would go on in that course.
It was of great consequence that if this bill paned it should
be with the consent of all the parties concerned ; for be fore-
saw that, if that was not the case, if it was forced down the
throats of the masters, it would be worked with the system
of opposition on the one hand, and of vigilance on the other,
which would lead to disputes and heart-burning!, and the
effect of the bill would be rather a curse than a blessing to the
operatives If it was the intention of the house to interfere
between the masters and the operatives, he entreated them
to avail themselves of every opportunity of conciliating both
classes, and to pass this measure in such a manner as to
secure a willing co-operation on both sides.
Mr. AOLIONBY, in explanation, said that he never
stated that the operatives were determined to swept nothing
but a ten hours' bill. What he did say was, that they were
determined not to accept the claws proposed by the hon.
member for Glasgow. He had carefully guarded himself
against laying that the master manufacturers had brought
forward this preposition at the eleventh hour for the pur-
pose of delay, but he said that as that would be the effect,
they ought to have made it earlier. He agreed that the
gentlemen alluded to were highly respectable, and he re-
=ted the notion that he was making any charge against
Mr. W. BROWN, in shortly supporting the amendment,
espoused his surprise that the advocate' for commercial
freedom should support this bill, and agreed that it would
tend Is Injure the great commercial power of this country,
whisk had enabled her to resist the power of France and of
all Rumps mentrined.
Mr. P. BORTH WICK said that the bon. member who
had just sat down had supported this proposition by argu-
ments against the principle of the bill, and therefore es it
seemed to him (Mr. Borthwick) that it was intended to
make it a means of delaying the measure he should oppose
any postponement, even for two hours. He feared to yield
now to delay lest the measure should again be defeated, as
had been the case In the year 1844, when the evils produced
both to employer and workpeople were incalculable.
Mr. BRIGHT wished to nay a few words on the subject
which had been presented to-&y by the noble lord the mem-
ber far the City of London. It would be remembered that
some time ago a memorial, which had since been laid upon
the table, was presented to the noble lord, signed by nearly
400 manufacturers and spinners engaged in the cotton trade,
'genet this measure, and he (Mr. Bright) could state posi-
tively that those memorialists represented five-sixths of the
capital invested in the cotton trade in this country. These
parties aMxed their names, residences, and the number of
perm, employed by them,—es., nearly 120,000. The
noble iced had not thought fit to act upon that memorial,
bet to-day had presented a petition which stated itself to
come from the master oottoe.apinners of Yorkshire, lAD.
mein, Cheshire. and Derbyshire, in favour of this bill. It
was true that the first name to the petition was that of the
brother of the hoe. member fur Oldham, (Mr. Flekken) and
that after it there followed the ppm of several preens who
were stated to live in the seinhumbood of Rockdale. Of
these, with one exception, though they lived within a stone's
throw from his (Mr. Bright's) reediest, he had never had
the felicity of hearing of these inclividuski either es maau-
hetarers or cottonopianers. Bat there went other 1111111111
who professed to give employment in sem asses to std end
in other to only two or three operatives. Other igrteres
were thoseof persons who denribod themselves es • waste
dealers," groeers, and dyers, and on looking over the pi.
tion he believed that the majority of the petitioners bad
little or no connexion whatever with aeon power or water
power, or the espied which was invested in machinery. in the
cotton beds. Now, a petition of this kind, praying the
house to past a bill to limit the amploymptof capital invested
in that branch of manufacture, amounting to 100,000,0001.
sterling, gained importance when presented by DO less a
personage than the Prime Minister, and the noble lord must
have been very much imposed upon to have been led to pre-
sent this petition as emanating from many hundred master
manufacturers, in favour of • ten hours lull. He (Mr.
Bright) could state that the petition did not in any. degree
represent the opinions of the manufacturers engaged in these
trades. The noble lord at the head of the government had
not, on either the fire or second ocinion when the bill had
been before the bone, entered upon a discussion of its pro-
visions. On both occasions the noble lord had been invited
to speak, but had refuted to do so then, is now, when they
were about to go into committee upon it. Tills alien* of
the noble lord did not befit him in his position of Prime
Minister. He had always looked upon the noble lord as a
man of sound judgment and undisputed courage, and he had
rather been on ell occasions disposed to follow the noble
lord's steps, and for the sake of the noble lord hems grieved
that he had not yet stated the grounds upon which he was
prepared to give his support is tkta bill. On a
former emission it was tree that the noble lord
had stated that the question was not one of prin-
ciple but of degree but whichever it might be, surely it
was a question of enormous important*, and in his position
the noble lord ought not to have allowed this bill to have
gone so far without declaring the course which he had de-
cided upon taking with 'upset to it. What had been the
result of past legislation on the subject of the restriction of
the hours of labour ? An article published in the last num-
ber of Chambers' Magazine, from the pen of an individual
for whose accuracy he (Mr. Bright) could vouch, answered
, the inquiry. The article to which he alluded was entitled
" Two Days in Dundee," and gave details as to the indus-
trial schools established in that town. It showed that so
small were the wages to be earned by children in the mills,
in consequence of the limitation to choir hours of labour,
which had been fixed by act of parliament, that parents had
taken their children out of the mills, where they could only
earn fifteen pence per week, and had sent them out as
beggars for one portion of the day, and to the industrial
schools, where they got three meals, for the remainder. Was
this a spent which was calculated to improve the con-
ditionra moral or physical, of these children Again, it was
p by the retinue of the factory inspectors, thst from the
year 1636, when this system of legislation came into
operation, down to 1839, between 20,000 and 30,000
children under thirteen years of age had been ex-
cluded from working in mills and factories. But
had their condition in any way been bettered ? (Hear,
hear.) For such a system as this legislation, Robert Owen,
who was now submitting • similar scheme to the American
government, ought to have the credit, and it ought not to be
claimed by any sensible British statesman. He (Mr. Bright)
believed that this legislation and interference was so much
in the teeth of the opinions of the great mass of the cotton
manufacturers of this country, that it would be impossible it
could work advantageously to the labouring classes It
would increase necessarily
.the number of ii.t.ors—it
would Mae new transpemsone—fines and penalties would
be isiressel—helation on the past of the masters would
follow, sad if legislation did net succeed in injuring the
trade it would ailemet be successful in • a formidable
combination en the wt of the irritated eapi • embarked
in that trade. Beai this, there would be disappointment
to the working demos. At this moment those classes ware
suffering extreme dishrees. Few mills in Lancashire were at
present working tall time, sad be gehed if it would be fair
or just to them to %wee ups them a law which would
event them in 160 (shield beds reeve) from making up
full employment for the awillirhage which they have in
I 7 endured. The p brought forward by the
bon. member kr Olive Mr. Deesisionn), all=ti him
(Mr. Bright) to be witheeediseebis ,still
he would vote for them pelpsement eft he comittal this
bill or any other molisiwhieh might teed to 118/4114114. He
was aware that the speak sf the hes mambarkr lielbrd (Mr.
Brotherton) the other night had made a eciasideralth
ia-
prraiw upon the brass. He invited, however, that lea.
member to bear is PP that there were others in that hews
who had been in a hetery as well as himself, and that game
the dip 1111111 the hon. assmberwera him &inside a
awl aim to the resolution whirl be had &sewed, a late=
panel by whisk me add them the as. of thirteen yews
amid be aththysd la as:Massemo thin six hours. Let
the lea. member aid the remember that at this
meant there were in shops more young perm'
hem thirteen to eighteen years of age for twelve hours a day
in se bad an stotagithe as say theory weld prawn; then
were employed ot op k el the sells.aistsaise
put together. 'Whythat .
Vieth iambi the Wallas*mm
mks a
protest in favour efesee =gime& la milk whoa • math
pester number Ines earned to moreorrere'laboar in other
employments ? Per the pert he (Mr. Bright) had taken' is
this gustion, be had bees impend to much blame and
°bkpg.', tuts that ha did mg sass. On this and all other
the strempst smithy with the weridas
=sad be wadi seam spree them deceive that pth.
km of his haw esaalrymea. He heemtly believed
this bill to be se be bad beim declared
it. All eseaufectorers, sad all great whom trek the
mate slaw of it se be did, and he therefore felt
banal in sapped the reposition for a postponement of its
committal, With rasps** her Majesty's government, he
truer' they would see that there was nothing so blundering
as ihslism, sr so Mind se party ; and that they, seeing the
coneemmumse at a slopareses from true principles three ram
ago, would new avoid that retribution which would surely
overtake thaw, end by which their character and hikera
with the arestrywould otemed' trebly suffer. (Hem, hear.)
Mr. BIRD theard the attack which had been made
upon the aside loth at the head of the government for his
et.se ea this bed been most unjust
on aneelled
Ise whim it wen remeadared that n two pre.
lass.
emaithas aside Lad bed boa precluded from ad-
dressing the he.., is essweirems of the 'protraction of the
Vof asstabser--em the lest day by that of the
bas ea. breath the Mamba !se Temweeth, to the boar
at Aids, eassedas to the edablithed rude en thole days,
the hems was Wird to Masora.
cm des (Hear, boor.) He (Mr.
Iftollay) &sal asChsve dem semalom, bat
kr Om girth delleered today by tiMt. mambas he
Smith Lemesake (Mr. Biwa), in width be bad ameba
Ile ihessesadess en his am elk of the brim Ho (Mr.
Malay) bed ever amnia* the armed freedom tarag
Om th M dee ammaketarse thie wmatry
Ise the were et thsat =the did not think that
whimsy in any degree with en anxiety that
dies sarmi *add be' pall to the mend and phyla' *oath
lism et these who made tie reds which were to be ax-
is the course of tree trade. (Hear, hear.) Nor
waaVelsgskr in that heikg. What had been "toted in
that hews by the aestreleiged champion of free trade ?
In 1844 Mr. Cobden. speak' on the factory question, said,
"he could tell the km. member
for Finsbury, who called
himself the repreemeadec of the working classes, in the first
place, that the wishing deem was ao awe the advocates

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17.
The SPEAKER took the ebair at 12 o'clock.
PRI . ATE BlislNEoes.
[SECOND READMOS.—Edleburgb sad Perth Railway, Geometer
sad liererord Railwsy sad Ousel Purchase, Turk mid Negress& Hall.
way (Mnia Line losorsumwat, he.) Bills.
PUBLIC 11171112410111.
hem moor
Tea fah ;IS
elge•
ll474ilree Y Irseaddre rd Vii =hie& le
Mere— perk= =war menalek 991 Mai= fems.—ler.
Mesa= wererelnelleme tom= ellbet—ir. Dem= pone= tram
parties vie had missrMed to pay ma make the= ef WaW!
pow ter cosine kerns a oesseade of the sales deb= they
wet he amen= deg the W. —Mr.lllacsotav, he
nes otOiserew, la low et the MIL—Mr. Lewes% tieraie=
sad West faction. loamy Compaq, maim* the Redeem Mk—
Mr. CIIIIITOPECII, trom • pier he Umehiseira sad= the has he.
maul Act.—Col. T. Wens, tram ammeasttax auMes et Mass=
for increased reemmersikm.— Her Geosioa RTILICKLAND, tram Itesesisse
cesiees, tor Mallen et light dues.—Mr. Eleumeaa, Novena. yolilless
la femur of the Rallocat Tealems. aßill.
COM3lllTRE.—Pasteries Sill.
RATING OF TENEMENTS BILL.
The second rearing of this bill (which stood Ant on the
list of orders of the day) having been moved by Mr. WAD-
DINGTON, Mr. Ferrand, Mr. Brotherton, and several other
members urged that both it and the Juvenile Offenders
Bill should be postponed in order to allow the Factory Bill
to be proceeded with. A lengthened discussion ensued, in
the course of which Mr. Waddington and Sir. J. Pakington,
who had respectively the charge of the two bills in question,
proposed that the second reading should be taken sub We/S-
-tip, reserving the discussion for the question of going into
committee. This course was also advocated by Mr. A. S.
O'Brien, Mr. Newdegate, and Mr. Miles; but Sir G. Orel,
Mr. listen, Mr. lie;dey, and others objected, unless it was
distinctly understood that the house was not to be held as
pledged to the principle of either measure, while Mr. P.
ope, being opposed to the principle of the first bill alto-
gether, declared his intention of dividing the house against
it if it were premed.
At length Mr. B ROT MERTON (amidst loud cries for a
division) moved that the house do adjourn ; but the Speaker
having informed him that it was not consistent with the
standing order, for meeting at 12 o'clock on Wednesdays. to
put that question, he resumed his seat amidst cheers end
laughter. After much confusion the galleries were cleared
for a dine= but none took place,
Mr. BRIGHT having moved that the debate be adjourned,
whereupon another noisy conversational discussion took
place, which did terminate in a division.
For the adjournment of the debate
Against it
JUVENILE OFFENDERS BILL.
Sir J. PAKINGTON having moved that this bill be read
a woad time, several members called for an adjournment,
and a motion to that effect haring been made,
The house divided—For the motion 93
Against it
It was understood that both bills were postponed to next '
Wednesday.
THE FACTORIES BILL.
Mr. FIELDEN having moved that the hour go into
committee on this till,
Mr. DENNISTOUN said that while he would not offer
any &mires opposition to the further progress of the bill, he
should not be deterred by the denunciations of the hon.
member for Knaresborongh from moving that the further
enasideration of it be postponed. The utie of the bill he
regarded as a delusion, a mockery, end a man for while it
purported to limit the labour of young persons and females
only, they all knew that the inevitable result of it would be
to limit oleo the labour of the adult to the same extent. The
right hon. baronet the member for Tamworth said that
the proposed change would be equivalent to an income tax
of 12 per emit lie (Mr. Dennistoun) calculated,that it was
equal to 161 per sent. Now the inceme-tax had at least the
merit of leaving them on whom it was imposed free to M-
ere= their isargess, sad In that way endeavour to make up
for the km ; bat by imposing this tax, he might call it, of 16
per cent on the income of the factory speradve, they tied up
his heads, and reneged him from making any such in-
cisor& exertion. He looked upon the bill as nothing more
nor lam than a boon to foreign competition. They had
dye countries to compete with—Amerka, France, Prussia,
Swine/land, and the Tyrol. Omitting America, on
=eon= of the number of holidays, whereby the labour of
the operative was reduced--there was already, as regarded
the rest, a comparative advantage over this country of 14
per met, and, adding to that the proposed reduction of 16
per cent., they gave to the manufacturers of those countries n
&net advantage over this country of 30 per cent. Takiag
the manufacturing capital of the country at 112,000,0007
per annum, a reduction of 16 per cent. would at one blow
strike off from that capital no Ices than 19,000,0001. a year.
This was the principal reason why he was opposed to the
hill. With respect to the proposal he had submitted to her
flejesty's gomument, and which appeared to him, as it did
totbenobU lord, feasible, his only objection was, that it went
a mat deal toe far, for it entirely admitted the ten hours
peple of this bill as applied to the number of hours' work
in the week or in the year. The advocates of the bill say
that females and young persons should not work more than
fie hours a week. The manufacturers from wham
Iv
asked that
emanated, agreed to that. They only
that in conceding that principle they should
be allowed to carry it out upon their own plan—that
was to say, that ft moles and young persons should be
allowed to work 12 hours, and 8 home on alternate days,
in so instance working mon than 20 hours in two con-
secutive days. A system of relays would render this per-
fectly practicable, while at the same time the productive
power of the country would not be trenched upon. If the
manufacturers whom he represented gained that point, their
great obct would be attained. He thought it a fair pro-
r. lie did not callupon the house at one. to adopt it,but
eidl did ask that the measure before them should be delayed
for a single fortnight. The hon. member for Enaresborough
objected to that delay as calculated to prevent the passing of
the bill in that house until after Easter. But he put it to
the bon. membri for Oldham whether thermos the slight=
chance of his getting the lall through soother stage before that
period ? He therefore proposed that they should go into com-
mit= on the bill that day fortnight, in order to give time to
the manufacturers of the country to consider his proposal and
my " aye "or"no " to it. To more fully elucidate that
proposal he would suppose that a manufacturer with 100
operatives would be enabled to distribute the amount of
wages he now paid to that number, to 120 persons, adding
20, who were not employed before, to make up for the re
&action is the time of labour from twelve to ten hoses, the
mine ratio of wages being paid. Of the 120, 60 would work
twelve banns and 60 eight hours on Monday. On Tuesday the
TOTEM would take place, making the 60 who worked twelve
hours the day before, work eight hours, and these who
worked eight hours work twelve. This would go on until
Saturday when the hours were reduced to nine, and when a
similar arrangement would take place—the whole 120 per-
sons, however, working in all probability not more than 57
hours in the week, being two hours lees than was
by this bill, This plan would limit the number of vcirl
.ciff, end at the Ede time keep up the modesties power
of the estry, end be thought it was not to much to ask
the bee" set to nisei the anymore, but to go inte escomitte•
rase AM=
Xr. di =Sion
Mr. FINCH mid that the prevention of the ben. gentle-
man was eefliwatly not inbred= he delay, bat was toad
Me. (Heardeeer.) It seemed, however, the the plan
which he peered was objected to by the ben somber for
Oldham on the ground that the system of relays was
Nevi
He should, therefore, proceed to argue
the question gesenft. He thought that the ar-
gument that this redudon of the number ef hours
was, in fen, an income-tax on the wages of
labour, was not tenable, and that it could be shown that
the rate of wages would not be reclined. The ben. gentle-
man, after adverting to the different argumens rebid had
been adduced against the bill, concluded by igniting his
intention of voting for it, and hoped it would be anted out
as a ten hours bill, which was the only mode of settling
the question.
Mr. AGLIONBY nee hr the purpose of auk boo.
member who were in *near of the bill not to ins time in
erasing the principle. The mingle and sole gaieties was,
wield the Mese rani So the peepseltket ef the ben. mem-
bsr he Olnwietpeetpene eenditese 111:=1
Kb (Ile s) gnat eraest was %ra
and be Omagh* the clause erapoledt
by the him. sesm-
ler might he aosidered then This ben gentlemes bed an
dont any ground Oar the
pripating analties. Then was
me neendy for telthrathe *lnd demean end the brad
end so reed await weld sales den la Iltecepeelibm of
the lee. menhir wield net be eseeptable to
The swedes timelbse betesr be decided by raldb:N.
se-
Ohm et the those Y ammdites. There was en
shaved that the resl====eturers had no
ilenticie et pespedranyelarafer the benefit of the
aimed sr they wadi have ems inward with this
thin bin, and eitheugh be di net himself make fay NA
aceendes what he genii set bet say that it wee en
AR unneseenble
Lord J. R I rani with the boo. gentlemen
who has jest sat down, that ear bet course is to ge din►
diately into committee on the bth, end that we sheedi sot
anent to the preposition of the boa. member for Glasgow.
If I had bed en opportunity ef ranking beton the time at
which the hens die es Weihndy, on this day fortnight I
wouldhew Ends seen remade on the general question. It
wee meal* net de dank of the opponents of the bill that
I did net de se, de the right hon. gentleman the
wmwder Tamen= mail nearly six o'clock, he was
tee damn =Mad away by by eats and prolonged his
speed beyond what he when he rose. I will
forego speakinc now rather then give rise to a debate.
(Hear, beer.) The ho*ne boning twice decided in favour of
the rowel primal the le I take that as
es.ftid, end I Odd thaof t we heel inter go into question essunitree
new di AMMO the amenannt of the hon. member for
Orervii eases ea the leer. I mist say that Om.
friesthe imeaber Oselmeneeth is misled if heilthialts
that this is the preposition of the master denu ress, rag
that they are sot satins with sincerity in dela it tH de
last 110011 St. It is far hem being a pocpielifea
It the
manses spenseally, but erfranetes with men
in thewteem nmedienes there has brae se
et the modwasentheired and they are net
with preprint this and= at the last moment ea 11
and only will a view te delay. It is unneemenry dean
*at praposines now, bat it is better to lean it to the eon-
mines, sad then we will amass whether it shall be adopted.
I repeat that I think the best cedes is to go at wee late
consatittee. It is true there is much
_and amts.
Sou on the subject, and as at any rate the WU enly be
discumed on Wednesdays it will be some time hien it
can pan and I hope we Mid now go into committee.
Mr. F. MAULS said the boo. member for Cadennouth
had stated two points to induce the home to hew any
delay is gong into committee. In the first place, he and
that the nisi& of the operatives were so tally made up, that
it would be arbor se mots any prepaid= to forego the

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 18, 1847.

of nesinepely than the fret-tradere weft; and secondly, that'
the free-trades' wen taking the only rational and practical
means of diminishing (sod it would some to that by-and bye)
the labour of the working olasees—their herd and unreason-
able lours of labour." (Sear, heir.) "If we allowed a
full sad free enbange of oar commodities for the corn, and
sugar, and coffee of other countries, this would be the prac-
tical means of rai.ing the value of our products, and conse-
quently, of raising the value of the labour which produced
them ; so that then, indeed, ten hours' labour might be as
good or better than twelve hours' now, for the pockets of
the labourer." Such were the opinions of the most intelligent
manufacturers in Lancashire, one of whom, employing se-
veral hundreds of men, had only that morning said to him,
that if the House of Commons would take off the restrictions
on trade he would willingly give his hands the same wages
they had now, for ten hours' labour. (Hear, hear.) With
what face then could the free-traders now charge the advo-
cates of this bill with inconsistency ? On the contrary, he
(Mr. Hindley) had a perfect right to call upon them to ad-
here to their promisee. The only one who had done so was
Mr. Robert Hyde Greg, who felt the obligation so much that
he had voluntarily reduced the hours of labour on his own
establishment to 11 hours. But Mr. Greg had not been
seconded, and it was with the utmost reluctance that the
manufacturers would come to the adoption of short hours.
But not only the hon. member for Stockport (Mr. Cobden)
supported these views, but he (Mr. Hindley) had also the
authority in their favour of the hon. member for Durham
himself (Mr. Bright). He found the hon. member for Dur-
ham wee recorded to have said "that he agreed with the
hon. member for 'Stockport in thinking it would be a very
excellent thing if the workmen could live with ten hours'
labour, and he believed they might if the house did justice to
the indutr oft population." (Cheers.) He lamented
the inconsistent position in which • the free traders
had now placed themselves, but he entreated them
to retrace their steps, and show to the country
and the world that they had not obtained free trade
merely for the purpose of enriching themselves. (Hear,
hear.) He (Mr. Hindlev) was anxious to get into com-
mittee on thembill, and therefore would not now trespass
Sather upon the attention of the house. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. FIELDEN, who wee most indistinctly heard, was
understood to defend the petition which had been presented
by the noble lord the member for the City of London from
the attack which had been' made upon it by the boo. mem-
ber for Durham (Mr. Bright). Ile (Mr. Fielden) could
meet that it was a most legitimate petition, emanating from
men the most distinguished in the manufacturing district..
With respect to the protest against the measure, it had
originated at a -meeting at which the hon. member for
Durham had been present ,• indeed he was not sure whether
it had not been drawn up by the hon. member himself. At
all events, he (Mr. Fielden) could state that the protest Pur-
ported to be signed by persona who could not be found,
though inquiry had been made after them. In fact, it had
been got up in an attorney's office in Manchester by a body
calling itself " The Associated Millowners of Manchester,"
but it could not be relied upon, and to say that it repre-
sented the feeling of five-sixths of the capital embarked
in the cotton trade was to utter a greater untruth
than ever had been told. (" Heir, hese," and la hter.)
He (Mr. Fielders) would not give way to the anortated body
of millowners, who, if they had regarded their own in-
novate, would long since have consented to a ten hours
bill. What was the feat ? Why, the mill of the hon. mem-
ber for Durham was at present at a perfect stand-still, and
yet le asked psrusiMion for hie hands to work twelve hours
a day. (Hear, bear.) If a ten hours bill had passed last
sessien, he (Mr. Fielden) did not hesitate to say that
e Manehater would now be at work ten hours
pTen ta;.etl in
ear, hear.) With respect to the proposition of
the hon. member for Glasgow, it would operate unlade.
lactorily, and as it seemed to him only intended for delay he
must oppose it. As to the feeling among the labouring
classes themselves, if the hon. member for Durham would
meet him at Rochdale, Oldham, or Halifax, to discuss the
merits of the Ten Hours Bill, he would find men in the em-
ploy of the koa. member himself who would beat down his
arguments epithet the mesons', even though the hon. mem-
ber had " the gift of the gab." (Load laughter.) Under
all these circumstances be could not consent to delay the bill
even for a single hour. (Hear, hear.)
After a few words in explanation from Mr. Balfour, Mr.
FIELDEN, and Mr. DENNISTOVN,
Mr STANSFIELD expressed himself in favour of the
motion for a postponement of the bill, to the principle of
which he was strongly opposed.
Sir R. PEEL, who spoke from the back benches, said he
could not vote for a motion which appeared to him to be an
unfair mode of dealing with this bill. The bill bad already
been very fully discussed on two previous occasions, and if it
were postponed for a fortnight, as was proposed, that would
be until the Wednesday preceding the recess, which would '
not be a very convenient time for its diacunien in committee.
The consequence would, in effect, be the postponement of
the-bill until after Easter. The postponement was, he under.
stopt7l4:zeht for the purpose of giving en opportunity for
a being made by some single manufacturer in
Scotland.

Mr. IFIENNISTOUN —From three manufacturers.
Sir R. PEEL.—WeII, from three manufacturers ; but
surely that proposition could as well be entertained in com-
mittee on the bill. He should, therefore, vote &plan the

postponement.
Mr. DUNCAN supported the postponement.
Mr. DENNISTOUN, after a few words, withdrew his
motion.
Lord. RUSSELL—Sir, the hon. member for Durham
(Mr. Bright) has complained very much that I have not
taken any part in this discussion. As the hon. gentleman
has se complained, without entering farther into the reasons
which have prevented me addressing the house, I will now
state, as shortly as I can, the reasons which induce me to
support the measure. But I hope that neither the house nor
the hon. member will forget that, on one occasion, I did state
very shortly the reasons which induced me to support this
bill ; and that, if I did not take more than ten minutes of
time to state those reasons, the cause was that the hon. gen-
tleman, who had taunted me and thrown reproach on my
conduct, had left only ten minutes for me to make my
defence in. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman, the
member for Tamworth, on a former evening, stated that he
expected to hear my opinionsuponthis subject ; and although
I have no doubt that he meant to have concluded in suffi-
cient time to have left me at least some half-hour
for that explanation, it was obvious that he was led
on by the argument into which he had entered,
and that he was not able to finish that argument within the
time in which he bad expected. So that, again, there being
only ten minutes left, I found it would be quite unnecessary
for me to rise, for the purpose of occupying those few
minutes. (Hear, hear.) On this day, the promoters of the
bill are exceedingly anxious to proceed at oats into com-
mittee. I gave up, therefore, the intention of speaking on
the subject; sad were it not that we have now reached four
o'clock without going into committee, I should still have run
the risk of any imputation or charges upon me for my silence,
rather than have delayed the progress of the bill by any ob-
servations which I have to offer. And before making any
such enervation*, I must my I de not think the hon.
member for Durham is quite entitled to lecture me upon my
conduct. (Hear, hear.) That conduct is perfectly in accord-
ance with the conduct which I and my friends pursued in
1844. (Hear, hear.) I saw very clearly at that tune—dif-
fering as I did from some of my friends who were closely
connected with me in party, and who had been connected
with me in office—that, if I were to come into office again,
such differences must lead to difficulty and embarrassment.
It was with my eyes open that, taking the view I did of the
question then before the house, and thinking that a bill of
this kind would be a benefit to the factory children,
I gave it my support ; and I am willing now to
boar the inconvenience that may result from such a course.
(Hear, hear.) But, sir, if the hon. gentleman is to employ
this as a reproach, and to allege that I was then merely
factiously endeavouring to thwart and to oppose a govern-
ment which had not my confidence, I beg leave to tell him
that those imputations of motives are ease retorted—(hear,
hear)--and when it is remembered that the great manufac-
turers engaged in seeking the repeal of the corn-laws, said
that ten hours' labour would be quite sufficient, provided the
corn-laws were repealed—(cheers)--if I wore disposed to re-
tort imputations, I might my that they did so merely to
get the working alarm to support the repeal of the corn-
laws, without any intention or expectation of thia;other mea-
sure being taaBYsd. (Hear, hear.) But that is not the
way in whist I will argue the question. I remember
speaking at that time with gentlemen engaged in the cot-
ton mannfastare who, I am sure, were sincerely pomaded
of what they said ; and I believe they thought that if there
=WI be a loped of the corn-laws, ten hours' labour would
Mau Fele* be 'Efficient, and that by the sgreenmat of
the mast= and the men such reduction of time might then
take dose. I give them every credit for having Wm sin-
cere in that deelarabon ; but now, when they tiodam Meyers
land= to carry it into effect, let not the reprometative of the
satiunra-law league in this house loader with =potations of
ineenektoncy, and declare that I did not Weed the benefit
of the working classes without any ulterior object, when,
in 1844, I supported the bill introduced into this house by
my noble friend Lord Ashley. The form of this bill, an
its proposed object, I think quite unobjectionable. It ap-
pears to me that the intention to limit the labour of young
=to hours to which their strength is equal, is a per-
legitimate object for this house to attempt. (Hear,
hear.) It is said that it will indirectly limit the labour of
adult persons. (Hear, hear.) Admitting that to be the
fact, I say that, as a principle of legislation, there is the
greatest possible difference between legislating for the pro-
tection of women and young children, even if an indirect
limitation is thereby placed upon the labour of the country
in general, and in attacking the principle that there should
be no limitation of the labour of adults. (Hear, hear.) It
would be equally just to argue, in reference to a bill for
constructing a railway from one of our sea to London,
that the °Meet of such bill was to put an end to the roosting
trade, which might be its indirect effect, as to argue that
the principle of this legislation is unsound, because it will
have an indirect effect an limiting adult labour. (Hear,
hear.) But with respect to the limitation of time, I think
the Onset is a perlieetly legitimate one ; and it cannot well
be doubted that peat beat= will be derived from this
limited= et the lehefez d yeehg persons. The right hon.
ramaberihr Tamper= heamK that it ought to be our object to
ebeiseetheweaktgelemie—tearretherieted postiblessaite
he their reithee alai awe" Wheecha, and for the enki-
ndle' at deems* Whether and habits. (Hear, hear.)
Bat, =Mew we may do In that regent, or directly forthat
wilt be anatereated and thwarted by the very long
of perms of diet age in factories, emanating to
hartela bean a day. (Hear.) If a young person between
Wilma ami is to rim at eve in the morning, and
to be tat emu la the evening in a laborious occu-
pation, emend am that then will be any sufficient time,
either it religions instrooties, for the cultivation of their
minds, or In V= doematie intercourse which is so valued by
41 elver in this =Wry. (Hear.) Therefore, it is yam
isy, with rem= to those large classes of the people, that
we ahead emisevour by every means to elevate their cha-
racter, to ease them to acquire knowledge and to cultivate
deseselle bu=st,lad at the same time to require that ler