The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-19 00:00:00

THE QUESTION

BETWEEN TILE COTTON-SPINNERS
AND TI AIR LABOvicEics. -
TO TAR
PRINTER of the MANCHESTER GAZETTE.
Illete.fir Robert Peers Bin, now ruder the consideration
of Parliament, which involves ilsegrand tinestion at issue he-
toren the Owners of Coteau kartinies on use hand, and the
Friends of-Hustistee on theother,eouceitno TVS ENTWINE
INZASORICe Or LAMOUR AT EMINENT IllrOsTO OM GIAILDILIM
AND Klatt, IMMO% MD IN TIMODI FACTORICA, II calculated
Wintered Ike *THORN of every neon whuse heart is alive to the
cause of troth slid justice, mid urea to the tender claims of
wealosees aril of youth. As one who is not insensible to
say of these impreadons, and feels, besides, some regard fur
the reputation of the town of Manchester, I beg to offer a
few reflections us this most importaut and istemting sub-
ject to the notice of the candid wed the humane.
And tLat I may not lose sight of Justice in remembering
Werg, let me first profess that, deeply as I deplore the evils
of as. antes! which seeress to me to rival in wretcheduesi that
of a sl;olie 'phonation under the Torrid Zone, yet am I far.
from imPutilig cruelty of dispessitiou to the owners of cotton
mills indiserinsinefety. That there are amongst them gen.
ticmen of enlarged minds and teat benevolence I em
dis-
posed to believe, and it is the owe lamentable to reflect, that
the associatious of habit asurielf-interest should have 'power
to warp even the gentlest whirrs, and blind the must dirt o-
um( and honourable Naiads. It is me this principle, No doubt,
that we art to areetout fur the hoc of condors which, I um-
diestand, has been adopted by the 'proprietors of these
estoblishmesets, iu die 11111 l usly opposing the Bill now before
the House of Commons, for cup tailing the present exorbitant
hours of labour ; fur surely those are exorbitant hours, which
• übliire children of even six, seven, and right years, to toil in
heated rooms fur roURTKEN and WIFTELN hour, iu a (ley,
and grudge the little labourers the fresh air of Heaven, and
the uuou.tide rest, enjoyed ley the eery beasts of burden
, There is a written law, Sir, that Will sot, I ant sure, be de-
nied by the gentlemen in (location, which says, a peed mars
is metreifel to his beast. Huw much rather, I would ask,
will be be merciful to his servants? rot the case, then, that
those servants are animist:it, how gentle end how jest wilt
be the goad man's authority over the meekest and the gen-
tlest of.the bunion tare! But this is a strange world, sad
society teems with toutradictions. There seems to we some-
thing in the nature of a cotton-mill, I know not whether it
be steam or bad air, or the scintillations of leers amidst the
preciuus forks, that can work up lab activity the worst ports
of our nature, and deface the best, so that the weep of hu-
man kindness. (to speak iu the idiom of " the trade") shall
become, as it were, lust in the torritof sordid gaits, and the
man be no longer recogaised in flier mannfiselaree. Certain
it is, be the cause what it may, that iu those towering build-
ings, 'three at t and Si !cure contend fur pre-einisieuce, and il-
lumination bursts from au hundred windows which are tlee
property and under the control of persons lout wasting, iu
general, either iu virtue or philanthropy in those splendid
fabrics; I say, practices are resorted to, amid miserier engen-
dered, which require wily to be Amnon, to revolt the minds
of all good and enlightened men, and suffuse every Cbrietlan
eye with tears. Shall l disclose the secrets of the prisms-
house? Will it be credited by a British public, that cacti
ore the extreme measures of labour exacted in sumeuf these
factories, that it is found necessary to have recourse in an
evening to ropes and straps, to rouse the little wearied vie.
tints, and force exhausted nature fawn squiring into sleep iu
the midst of its dreadful and inhuman task? (!aa it lit
beard, without emotion, by any man who knows the cense-
- quence of breathing heated air, that the temperature in
which these wretched children perform their Egyptian toil,
is nut unfremseotlyfrom 80 to 00 degrees ; that in general nu
lime is appropriated for breakfast, or even the afternoon's
repast, but that they must snatch a mouthful of refreshment
as they can dining the progress of their stated work ! yea,
to crown the whole, that it is actually a common practice in
most of these establishments, during three ur four, and in
some of them even five love iu the week, to employ she
children during the time that should be spent at dinner in
cleaning the machinery, and quickening those wheels which
revolve fur nearly fifteen bolus a day—too lung, alas! for
humanity, too swift fur mercy's claims! yet nut lung enough,
it seems, nor sufficiently swift sit keep pace with the avari-
cious propensities of man!
Duth any reader startle at such farts as these? Seems it
incredible to hint that he should have been living for years inn
the neighbourhood of such enormities, uuconscious, perhaps,
of their existence ? Let not this too much amaze him.—
There are intelligible reasons to account fur she mystery,
and were be near to my elbow, I would whisper them in his
ear. Meanwhile, let nos request so much of his confidence,
as to rest for the iwcscsit in this solemn assurance, that I
have indisputable authority fur the truth of my statements,
and proofs within my reach, too many, God kuuweth ! and
too •ffecting, to leave eves the shade of a doubt as to the
accuracy or the certainty of these sad realities. It may be
staled generally in part of seek proofs, and those the Miss
adlictiug, that numbers of the unhappy subjects of this op-
pressive servitude, become in consequence deformed in their
legs, knees, and ankles, and still greater Numbers radically
injured ere they reach maturity, sad doomed to waste *lust
should be the best of their lives, in lingeriog disorders which
end in an nutineely grave!

It is with serious pain, Sir, that I have sketched the
outline (fur it is wily an offal's's) of this melancholy picture,
moved thereto by ou selfish or party feeling, leariiig so con-
nection with trade, and a particle of jealousy or
mll-
will towards the gentleineu who are owners of cotton-factories
—some of whom merit and possess much of my iespeei
the facts sad reflections which I now submit to you, have nu
other desio then the simple exposure and reprobation of a
system which I judge to lie barbarous, and therefore unwar-
rasinilde, which I Imam to be the seance of witiumbered ant
Prior.* to the rioting generation, and therefore feel it a duty
at such a crisis to hold it up to the millet of the frieuds of
humanity in this seat of commerce, distinguiabed as it has
hitherto been, not more fur its trade than fur its known
philanthropy. Wouhl it faro a fresh title to hosionrahle
fame, awl raise fur itself an imperishable monument of the
purest praise' Ao oppoe lowly is not wanting to siegmosit
its laurels. !limy with a weeping eye invokes the man of
benevolence at this inonieut to come forward and support
her cause, sod make *generous effort for her afflicted chil-
dren. The time is propitious*, the extremity a great on.,
the evils of the case...4low sad ! aueWsuw tremendous ! The
cries of the sufferers from the houses of their bondage
have reached the ear of the British Senate, anal touted an
honourable advocate in that high Assembly. Honour and
success attend him ! Crimmins's yet unborn "bell some bin
high corundum. The resigner( good tarn are with him ;
his own conscience yields an applause that is better than a
ilimisaad tongues--what du I say ? Providence itself is en-
gaged on the side of rawer, and promises him blessings,
glory, mid reward! And can LoMicitorra behold the ge-
nerous enterm ise in apathy sod in silence? Shall ttfisittieds
sim of hauily hold their peace, and good men be t to
view wills indifference the providential love-scalier ? It must
not, and it cannot he. flointaft AID Continuum, ARE
•GAINIT THE SUPPOSITION JESTICN, COMPASSION,
PATIIIO,IPM, AND RKLIGINag, IINJOIN IN MGM AND
PalllNlrTellY TARNS onvent
Masa/alter, .U'urcli 1?, !RIO.

* rrlcvS.