The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-06 00:00:00

THE WORKING CLASSES.
____ . _

Mr. SLANEY moved for the appointment of a standing
committee or unpaid commission, to consider and report on
practical plans (not connected with political changes) for the
social improvement of the working and poorer classes. He
mid that this subject was of considerable interest, inasmuch
as the reports of sanative commissions clearly showed that
the working cleans were greatly depressed in a social point I
of view. Toe increase of workmen in towns had, in this
course of the last 50 year,, doubled the increase of workmen
resident in the rural districts, and their condition, so far as
health, cleanliness, comfort, and ventilation were concerned,
wee deplorable. The handloom weavers wad railway la-
bourers suffered severely in these respects; and this state
et things led to an immense increase of crime,
passperlam, dines*, and death throughout the country. The
average el the atonality in England was little more than 2
per cent. In five of the neglected towns it was 3 per cent. ;
sad the avenge of deaths in one of those towns was 5 per
OW. The merclunes,on =average, lived 37 years, the mid•
elle dames 27 yeare,aed the lower duns 20 years in the towns.
He metered new to came to what should be a fearful mot'.
tloa to that house, sad that was the state of crime. The
ensiaak a madurd is England and Wales were in 1801
4,000; is 1816, 7,800; Ia 1821, 16,600; in 1831, 19,600•
In 1841, 27.000 sad upwards; la 1847, 27,800 ; and in 1848.
30,300, Was it sot a serious feet that the committals for
aims had increased sin times as feet as the increase of popu-
lation, in spite of all the increase of wealth ? Summary
convictions in England and Walie had also increased from
14,800 in 1805 to 3.5,700 in Is4B. Then the returns of pri,
Vein brought beft re the justices la the second seaport is
the kingdom showed that the numbers wen is IMO,
17,400; in 1846, 16,000; in 1847, 19,000; and fa 1848,
11,000. la the metropolitan district the number of eons-
Initials was is 11138, 3,400; in 1840, 4,000; iu 1844, 4,300;
km 1846 4,100; and in 1847, 4,900. Therefore, whatever
part either kingdom they took, whether they took the me-
tropolitan district or the second seaport is the kingdom, or
whether they looked to summary convictions, they found
that crime bad increased three times as fiat an the population.
Me would now cell the attention of the house to a'rettun
which he thought would lict interesting t-sgentlemen opposite,,
who might imagine that crime wu confined to towns. tom

1806 to 1641, is de agricultural maiden, with en Wormed
population of 65 per mat., the heneeet is crime wmalilial
to that of six nuniafeatariag towswiii an iscrisma ,e
latices of 92 per cent. A calcolatkeiliad bees Naas by a
anawittee of the house as to *deed Maims 10/101Vemled,
end, tilting that u a data %Tr podineulting dine allow
seen be ventured to Sts mot of edam would be ,
foiled to amount to seines 14.= =Min a year.
This, with the poor rate, the • to berpitak,sthe
losses from illness arising free preveadlis eausm, made
together • total cost of 22 millions and aMN psi awn for
Engtatid sad-Wales; and it fev-
Scotland sad Ireland, they balm a Isla Mal of so less
thin 40 millions, which woo toloselimiaisheff. ell he llamas
effectaally, by mesas takes he Improviag Um hi
ps of
the working classes of this team. They might say, m What
is your remedy ?" He mid the 11111110611111 of the walking
classes had sot boss looked Web, gavessmeat. The mea-
sures for odaostion, for the inmenensent of their health,
every IMMO of that Mad that be sad& recollect, had been
brought forward by eau private sirdlobeit nasmisted by go-
vernment. Hitherto government MI illOissiaing ; but in
his opinion it was the duty of gewevamest to look to the son.
*den of this large class. There were three thins which he
thong* Wyss their duty to do. Ose was to afford instructioa
to the eliadren of the working claws ; soother was to
abed protection to their health ; and the third was to afford
them fair play and reasonable facilities to aid their fore-
thought and triathlete their industry. With respect to
public health, a measure had been carried which be trusted
would do a gnat deal of good • bet if they had had • stud-
WI coommince taken from each side of the bowie, they
would Iwo had remedies for these great evils that he had
spoken of long before. And with respect to due eneourege-
mint to industry, he Raked for a standing committee in order
that they might inquire what practical measures might he
brought forward from time to time for the improvement of
**condition of the workirg classes. The bon. gentleman
esiedaded by moving the resolution.
Mr. TRELAWNY said it was impossible not to feel
that this motihn had bees brought forward from motives of
benevolence, but he should oppose it on this ground, that
he wee afraid it would tend to disappoint the expectations
of the working classes. He valued the working elegem ea
much as any member in that house ; the more be had known
them the more he had admired them, and the more he had
felt disposed to extend the franchise. At the MOO time he
would not be a party to practising a deception upon them ;
and be thought such a measure as this would have no other
effect than that of deception. The bon member talked of
interfering in all sorts of cases wb misery existed. Ii
that awn anything, it meant that as soon as a grievants
existed the legislature should interfere. But the hon. gen-
tleman did not give them anything like a plan to remove
thus groat grievaacee. The hon. member begged the whole
question in making it a function of the government.
Mr. SLANEY—I never said that, I spoke only of remedial
meanies.
Mr. TRELAWNY said it amounted to the same=
He wee ens of those that wished the people not to
upon government.
Sir G. GREY maid he was fully convinced of dm bomb
volent motives which bad induced the hon. member for
Shrewsbury to bring froward this motion. He was boned
also to testify, from the private communications he bad had
with the hon. member on this subject, to the liberality of his
intentions with regard to defraying any expense which might I
be incurred in improving the condition of the working
classes. The hon. gentlest* bad given ample proofs of bas
readioess to devote nis time, attention, and property, to that
great object. (Hear, beer.) But he did not think that the
meager, he had propounded to the house would be a prac-
tical plan. The proposal itself was very vague and inde-
finite; and, after listening to the hon. gentleman's state-
ment, he had been unable to aseertoin what was
the precise nature of the duties which be proposed
to devolve on this standing committee, or unpaid commis-
don. He presumed that by a standing committee was
meant a committee to act continuously during the rooms ; or
if a commission, that it should be seleved by the crown
from the various parties in that house, without any exclusive
political complexion—that it should not be en exclusive
body in sny sense, but should merely retain; suggestions
with regard to the improvement of the working demos, and
consider any plans that might be suggested by others for
that object—ail object 111011ttWOOTt•lit is itself, but which
would sot be in any degree aided or promoted by the pro-
posal of the hon. gentleman. It would only lead to the
collection of a large number of blue books, whereby
parliament would be overwhelmed with information
of which they were in possession of a great deal
at the present moment, and would be no better
able than now to remove the causes of the distress. The
hon. gentleman was wrong in supposing that parliament had
the power of removing many at the causes of those evils
which he had enumerated. He proposed that the body
whom he would constitute should consult as to public health,
education, industry, crime, emigration, and the poor laws ; I
and he presumed they would have to recommend any changes
which might be deemed expedient in the laws affecting thew'
subjects. Was it possible that a committee of five or six
gentlemen, taken from the different parties in that hotter, I
could, with any practical benefit to the public, devote so
much of their time to the consideration of extensive absiges
of the law oa those subj its as their importance re-
quired ? There was much force is the objection taken
by the honourable member (Mr. Trelawny) as to the
undefiord expectation of great legislative changes,
which would be excited in the working classes, by the ap-
pointment of such a committee or commistion. With
regard to tome of the objects, means were al-
ready provided, as far as could be done by the
legislature, for their attainment. There was now
a bard of health, which combined with its deliberate
functions the executive powers that had been confided to it
by parliameat, and which he believed had been exercised
with benefit to all classes of the onninunity. The hen gen-
tleman proposed that this committee should be altogether
excluded from considering any measures connected
with political changes. How the line was to be
drawn, he confessed he Gould not see. litany of the
subjects which the hon. gentlemen had alluded to were
political questions; sad it was absolutely impossible to drawl
the distinction, unless by political m sssss es were meant
only thou affecting the campositioa of parliament, or the
exercise of the franchise. H. looped his hon. friend would
not press his motion to a division; is in that ease, while
giving him full credit for the benevolence of his views, and
admitting the importance of the subject, but differing from
him widely in the mesas which he proposed for attaining
the end, he Mould be obliged to vote against it.
Mr. SOTHERON considered that the measures alluded
to would be much better carried into effect by private
benevolence, than by the operation of say parliamentary
committee or commission.
Mr. IIUME said there was a precedent the hon. srentle-
man might tallow with greet advantage— that of Sir Thomas
Barnard, in an association which he formed for improving
the condition of the working classes. That object could not
be so well attained by a parliamentary committee, as by an
association of benevolent Individuals.
Mr. M. MILNES believed that a commission of this na-
ture would tend to relieve the government from some of
their respoasibility. He hoped the discussion would sug-
gest to the government the duty of amistiorg benevolent
individuals in their exertions for the relief of distress.
Mr. H. HERBERT said he had a petition, which he
should short y present, from Rochdale, atoned by about
3,000re/eons, who had eus'eined an enormous loss by the
failure et an institution which they believed to have the
=of government. (Hear, hoer.) He should tiring
this subject again when the right hon. the
Chimisellor of the Exchequer introduced his measure on
eavioge banks.
Mr. CAMPBELL objected to this =emote, first, because it
Male *nate so unpaid commission, and the working of each
sestmlosions had not been at all favourable to them. The
=would be much better accomplished by a paid eons-
. Last autumn a searching inquiry had been hied-
laud into the condition of the working classes by the pro-
pristan of the Morning Chronick ; the result had been the
collection of more valuable information than could ever
have been brought together by an unpaid commission.
Mr. STANFORD said he had long taken an interest in
improving the condition of the working classes, and he felt
that it was impossible for any individual to urge too this homes
measures of improvement with such effect as might be doss
by a commission duly appointed for the purpose of drawling
up such measures. On two subjects, public loathe and wash.
Imam sad model lodging houses, some legislative measure
WOO y desirable, especially in the metropolis. He no-
that the house had not listened with greater attonw
to the proposal of the hon, member for Shrewsbury.
Lord R. GROSVENOR, highly apprcving of the motives
which had actuated the hon. member in submitting this mo-
dem, thought it would not be advisable to prose it to a
division.
Mr. SLANEY said that after the expression of opinion
which he had elicited from the
_goveromeut, he would not
press his motion to a division. (Hear, hear.)
The motion was then by leave withdrawn.
THE FRANCHISE.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that as the motion which his hon.
friend the member for Westminster had on the paper related
to a subject which had already been fully disused, on the
motion of the hon. member fur Montrose, and as there was
a bill before the house with regard to the franchise In Ire-
lead, he would out it to his hon. friend whether it would not
be inexpedient to provoke • general debate on the subject
before that bill was decided. (Hear, hear.)
Sir D. L. EVANS said that, although the motion which
stood in his name was deeply interesting to many members
of that house and to the people generally out of doors, be
would not on the ground stated by the node lord, namely,
that it was desirable to hate the question of the franchise
for Ireland disposed of in the first instance, press his motion
that night; but he would certainly bring it forward on the
first opportunity after that bill was disposed of. (Hear.)
I'OSLAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LONDON
AND PARIS.

Mr. MACKINNON, after presenting petitions from Lon-
don and Manchester, in favour of his motion, proceeded to
move fur a " select eoesenittee to ',certain the moat expedi-
tious and lout ',pensive mode of pastel communication be-
tween London and retie." The importance of establishb.g
the quickest communication between London and Paris—
the capitals of the two most civilisedcountries in the timid—
he need not dwell rpm. The reason why he brought
it beton the house was, that in the early
pert of January last, an express which had been
sent to the Times °Mos from Pane, had reached London
yin Boulogne ia shout eight hours, and was printed and cir-
culated here at 8 o'clock in the morning, whilst a despatch
which had been sent at the same hour end by the same snail
from Paris via Calais did not reach L'indon till 4 in the
afternoon. Eight hours elapsed between the two arrivals,
SO that it appeared private communication" took precedence
of the public information. In m.king this motion he did
not desire to be understood as casting the least blame
on thu Post-office authorities, fur nothing could give