The Express.
London, England, 1849-02-03 00:00:00

3-

proper atteatiote. He thoutht the evidence ought to be nos
Wu& with some istutioa. The inquiry wu adjourned till
Tuesday next.

MEETING ON THE TEN HOURS BILL AT
MANCHESTER.
The recent decision of the Manchester borough
magistrates, and also that of other benches in the neighbour-
h:od, span the legality of the relay system, Las centrally
mooted considerable speculation amongst the operative elan
in this district, and as it is considered calculated entirely to
frustrate the objects sought to be gained t y the Ten Hours
Bill, a wide-spread agitation has been raised against such an
infraction of the original spirit of the law. A meeting of the
factory workers in Manchester was held on That Re'ny even-
ing in the Corn Exchange, Hanging Ditch, to take into con-
sideration " the best means to be adopted to suppress the
present system of working by relays: oho to device the best
means ofan universal working of ten hours for adult factory
workers." Shortly after 7 o'clock, the chair was taken by
Me. Thomas Mawchley. There was a twine eons attendance,
chiefly of operatives.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said, it
would be always a source of pleasure to him t 3 assist his
fellow-operatives in the hest way he could, in the attainment
of laudable objects. But he regretted that it was still
nee, nary to asxmble publicly in order to ado et means by
which the Ten Hours Bill could he kept invvelate. If it
had a fair trial it would afford remunerative annloyment to
factory operatives, and enable them to keep their wives at
home, and there perhaps raise up a much improved class of
workpeople. But the Ten Hours Act was completely
neutralized if relays of women were allowed ; and he, there-
fore, trusted that the magistrates' deeisloss would be set
aside, end the Ten Hours Bill have a fair trial, and
if so, he had no doubt all their expectations with
regard to it would be realised. (Hear, hear.) The
chairman then read the notice ccnvening the meeting,
and said ho thought the best minus of preserving the law
from violation was to estah'ish a uniform time of work for
ell ndults, male and female. He charged Messrs. Clarke, of
Pollard-street, with repeated vilation of the law, which
however it wu very difficult to prove, and always would be
so' until one uniform tune of wonting was app tinted.
PETER CLARKE, a working man, moved the first re-
solution
That the factory operatives wimposing this mectinsr, after matins
de Memnon, and Fame experience In the working of short Yours,
affirm their determination to maintain inviolate the provisions of the
Ten Hours Act, as it now Weals the working et ASZlalet and young
pervious in factories, as hy law establisticiL
Mr. JOHN BRAISSON 'avided the motion.
The Rev. J. IL STEPHENS raid that the violations
of the (sooty act in hie own district, A-Itton.unde '-
Lyn., were most notorious in every quarter. No use
mode could he conceived of this violation which was nut un-
blushingly perpetrated by mill-owners, who were also ma-
gistrates on the bench. The working men there ttsemblcd
did not ask for the repeal of any statute. They found a
Law cn the statute bcok, and they merely :.eked that it
should he properly enforced.
Mr. G. LU BTH proposed the second resolution :
That we deeply term the nementy of r;vivffig the agitation for
Me most Important and longoeught for !immure, but es the previa
gaud the Ten lbws Act have been grossly siolated by many
masters, and as these violations of the big hove been sanctioned by
magistrates, who had aolimaly declared upon their oath their deter-
initiation to achnitio.ter justice without affection or favour to Amy one,
we we resolved to waist by every mesas in out re to maintain in
all its integrity the present factory law, and we plc re a•:,r,okra to
give imr most hearty support to the officers of the government
nettll 'l.ll`trithillFttirffinseßeltdtd°%:tretuett.

Mr. RICHARD OASTLEII. next addreszed the meeting,
and was received will great cheerirg. Before commencing
his observations, he asked the people a stmbled whether or
not they were met in favour of the Ten Hours Bill [A
unanimonsaffirrnative was given.] That, said, Mr. °ostler,
fe a sufficient tearer to the government, the Home Secre-
tary, or, the Queen herself. His (the speaker's) work had
endea with the passing of the bill, but he would still
addrea himself to the parties intrusted in tae short
word " law " parties who, if that word had
as signification, had no posserions nor rights
themselves. It, had mentii ued the Queen, and
he was convinecei ot bee approval of the Foamy Bill.
Many would ree4llett the pledge ho had lormerlv given in
Brown-street, to agitate for the Ten limns Bill as long as he
lived until it 'was ohtaineil. That vow he bail kept. And it
in defiance of the o.iinioa of the tc.terney.Generat. the Soli-
citor.Gew:ral, and the stipenliary magiatrat.s, there infrac-
timis corstinued, then let the people demand, not petition, the
exclus'.ou ot every one in any way c :named with Intones
Iron: the judicial teat when the...! qu slums were lrought
b'rward. (Loud cheers.) lie had heart that to a recent
trial the brother-in-law of the defendant sat upon
the bench. (Shame.) He hoped that gentleman
would, on his knees, implore forgiveness of his tied. The
factory operatives demanded justice alone, and that
the sacredness of that law should be preserved, which
they had received as an act of mercy, and which was looked
upon as the birthright ot the factory labour:T. The
speaker cited the opinions of Mr. Cobden' Mr. Rohl. Hyde
Gregg, and H.B.H. Prince Albert, in favo..e of tie views
which ho had a Ivanerd. Ile advised the people to be t.er.
1 featly quiet; when they stood by the law they were nom-
suitable ; but, sui soon as a movement was made in paha-
went by the masters to repro the Ten Hours Bill, then
let the people buckle on their armour, a, the
did in the old campaign, and demand an eight hours bill.
Atter contending that the winking of long hours had an in-
jurious effect upon the employen as well as the workpeople,
Mr. °ostler concluded his speech amidst great applause.
The third resolution, moved by Mr. T. HARGREAVES,
was as follows :
Thu the (eatery operatives of this city, who have experienced the
adviustage of working ten hours a day since the let May last, are
tally convinced of the advantages that must result tu thew, Lutl. in is
mural and physical point of view, from Its uniform adoktion ; and
firmly resolve to nee their beat endeavours to ensure the uniting of
that period per day; ant that, re- the legislature the wen laws
I to regulate Walt labour, we now take our affairs into our ineti bands.
1 and endeavour to effect by combination an abridgment et °Le time 41
ten hours a day; and that, therefore, all adult factory up-naives bo
invited to join the association now formed for that purpoee.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. H. GREEN, tup•
ported by Mr. W. I'. ROBERTS, and carted.
The ,ucceeding resolution was:
That the best thanks a this meeting arc due and hereby riven to
Lent Aailey, Y.P., J. Illitkil,
Eq.,
J. itrothcrton, Ems., M.P., C.
Wadley, Eq., M.P., the Lion. WV Cowper, M.P., W. It. Fernald,
Esq., the Karl of klkaniere, Lord Pever.ham, the Hight lice. the
Bench of Bishops, J. Wood, You.. J. Welker, Erg., the ltiv. J. S.
hiA the Rev. C. D. Wray, And all other friends who iwei,etil tie in
uning the Ten flours Act.
It was carried by acclamation; and thanks having been
voted to Mr. Fields, and the Cbairmao, the pratTedings
terminated.