The National Register.
London, England, 1818-05-03 00:00:00

those little children to endure. Petitions had been presented
from medical men and clergy of Manchester, playing that
little children niiAt not lie subjected to •o intolerable a la•
hour. lle th^ref•ire hoped the House would allow tl►r. Bill to
FO into the Committee.
Lord Srsost.Er had some difficulty in opposing. this Inca-
:sore, recommended as it appeared t be by hismataity but
.t involved much of the intertsts Of the county which he re.
presented. Ile tilts persitaded that this iueast►ra, if adopted,
'soak' have the itlect of i.oremiiii.; the difficulties which our
erauttfac titres at present i'elt in their competition unit the
foreign mat kit. Convinced that the n►e.►anre, if %twitted, •
aslant] be productive of inn ,h ill, lie would move that instead
of now, the ituthic should go into a C tee on this Pill this
day tour mouths.
Lord LASCitiLLLS H►outlit that the gneation should he re.
(erred to a Committee of Etiquir, wei that the House al Id
nut decide on cx-pur le statement,. Another ohjtettois lie hail
to this measure nos, that if the House once euinineiteed ,Isis•
species of legislation, they must apply it to all branches of
Inallaa et it res alike.
Mr. fear;:. proceeded to enter into a review of the state of
labour in thu factories, and contentleil that the system was
one most injurious to health. If it was so; and lie contended,
it could not be dehictl, lie need only to state that in Al:inches.
ter alone there were 11,00 children employ cil iii the cotton-
factories, and then ask it this was not a ca•c of importance.
1; appeal s,trom the statements of luau), celebrated physienin4,
cud nmotigst colons, of Sir Githeit Rhine. that the average
number of deaths in England and %Vales, was one in 50 tilt
noally. Now lie Ins I heard it asserted, that in tlic Cotton
/item). of Me•srs..Findiay and Co. at Glasgow, where 808
children wel: employed, the average 111194ilef of deaths for
throe veto•.., was two in a yt•ar. He recollected in one of the
tides of the Poet Latireat en the Birth Day; •the poet in beau-
tiful language invokes the Goddess of kiLaltli to take her
station oil the head of his Majesty. The Poet proceeds to
• enquire where the Goddess residaml—asks was it at 514tiock,
vies it at Beth, c. He recollected the following lines :

"'Say, in what craggy e.cll
Of health the timldr:at deigns to dwell
Say, in what 61nuly dim retreat
The nytnrlt seket. her thv'titi. scat."

- -
The Poet, at the time he wrote these tines, little inspected that
the " dim retreat" which the Goddess had selected was the
Cottou Factory of lessrs. Findley and Co. at Glasgow,—in
which the proportion of deaths in a year was only two in
80e, whilst in the most healthy spot in England and Welty
the average of deaths was one in 70. 'flit RigliKionotirable
....tent. pi oecedeitat length to argue hht favour ot the Bill, which
be said should have his warmest support.
Mr. PHILLIPS SlSppuried the amendment proposed by Lord
Stanley ; he conteuiled that the statements which had liven
made uf•the ill mate of healthef elithiren einpioyed in the
(Acton., were gross exaggeranens. Even bOisie of the meth-
cal men, who, deeds e,: by i»isrepresentation, bad signed the
• Petitioes to the !tease, ou enquiry, finding out the um-stale.
menus upon which they hap acted, hail declared their regret
at haviug tagned them. '1 he work iu the factories was light,
tile wap.eA ‘‘ere good. those employed in them were welt led
and well clothed, and•on these accuuuts they did enjoy•better
health. Wile inspect to the injury sustained by persons em-
ployed in factories, hv, wag nrepared to say, that more vectsr.
red to Injure the health of the Speaker in the Chair of the
House ot L....lumens in one Sessions than there did sc injure
the ilea:Ill or a person employed in a well regulated factory
for lo e ears. With respect to the looks of pie sons employed
in factories, it was nut to he expected Unit in these large as-
semblies in large tenets florid complexions were to be found.
Even in the House ofiiiii ons very few pictures of florid,
rustic health were. to be fotind.--Itieotlemen might lough Uut
it wes•true. He was persuaded there was nothing so injuri-
ous to the manufactories of this eountiy 'es combinations
amongst workmen. The Petitions now before the House
had been procured in a ,sn to encourage those combina-
tions; they had been sent into the factories by discontented
workmen, and the aegttlitetit used had been," sign, aud have
less work and more wages." He asked why it was necessary
to legislate l'er cotton.spinning manufactories, rather than for
woolieu. The reason, he believed, was this—that cotton was
•an exportable article.
Mr. W. SMITH dieclaiineitany wish to give countenance to
combinations among workmen. If the House were these-
lore of opiniuu, that it was not right to work adults for 13 or
la hones a day, children should nut-be compelled to labour
beyond their strength. The evidence of the masters them-
selves furnished ample proof iu favour of the Bill which had
his warmest support.
Mr. FINDLAY admitted, that the hones of labour were too
long; but the effect of the Bill would he, to drive them to a
species of labour still harder, and to deprive the masters of
the children, who would be compelled to null out other ens.
ployinent, more dangerous to their health, and more laborious.
He thought the Bill was not caleelated to remove the ex-
isting evils, aud should therefore vote for the inetiou of the
Noble Lord.
Mr.J. SMITH stated, that he had presented the Petition
" _`tout the workmen of New Lanark, who had by their conduct
secured his regard and iespect • and they had declared, that
!hey were eitauled to du es munch work iu a shorter space of
thne,• as ()flier factitiers, ill the protracted hours to
which they were cumpelled to -labour. lie supported the
Bill. •
Mr. ROBIIIION considered the e,nostion as surrounded with
difficulties. The•result oithe.discussious on this subject had,
however, convinced him of the necessity for passing the Bill.
Whatever ditterence of opinion there might be in the milieul
geutlemen, it was evident that the strength of the children
was materially injured before they arrived at maturity ; and
above all, it was clear, that the present hours of labour were
greatly injurious; for it was seldomthat a man, above the age
of tie count lie found labouring iu the mills. 'the House then
divided. For going into the Committee el—Against it 26
Majority O.
On our re-admission, Mr. FINDLAY moved that the Chair-
man should repuct ptogre,s, and ask leave to sit again.
.titer a variety of onvervations is OM Lord Stanley, Sir. J.
Mackiatieli, Mr. Findlay, Mr. Lamb, and F. Robinson, Sir
l. Peel consented to postpone tile Committee till last sitting,
on en understanding that there should then
.be uo objection
to the Speaker's leaving the Chair.

TUEIDAV.

WIDOWS' PENSIONS.

Mr. 1.-i7Piut 'n•4 said that the question stood not merely on
grounds of gunerosity, but of strict justice to the army. He
had, therefore, nut thought it right to wuive his intention of
submitliug a motion. It a system of rigid economy wa% prov•
e‘l to be necessary in all branches, he, for onc,• rams very
ready to agree.° it; but tt A went to aback the common