The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-04-28 00:00:00

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

Mr. W. WYNN, undermanding the Svrjennt :;t
Anna had taken Thomas FergutJa into cuAudy,
begged leave to move—
" That the Report of the Committee of Privilrees, and
the Resolution of the House of Friday last, fouuded that ou.
be uuw read."

This gas accordingly done. The Reprrt stated,
that the Committee, having examined into the cape
of the alleged interference of a Peer in the election
of a Member of that House fur the County of
Lanark. the Committee had to report, that the
letter respecting such illicit and corrupt
tuter-
ference, had been established, faun the confes-
sion of Thomas Ferguson. to he tiw ritinz and
composition of the said Thomas Ferguson, and had
been addressed to Wm. Dykes, wilhout any pre-
vious communication or authority from Lord
Douglas, who was innocent in the transaction.—
The Resolution of the House was—
o That the said letter Wall an offence against the free-
dom of election, and a high breach ur the privileges of that
Iluuse."
Mr. W. AVytiN then moved—

" That Thomas Ferguson, in n esting aii.l scodinz the
said letter, has been guilty of a moron! -memo to sishvert
the freedom and independence of election, and bid thereby
committed a high breach of the privileges of the House "
Agreed to new. eon.
Mr. W. IVii-NN said, the next motion he was
directed by the Committee to propose was, " That
the said Thomas Ferguson be committed to his
Majesty's gaol of Newgate." Undoubtedly, on
commleiation of the subject, the Committee felt
that this was not the only proceediog to which, se-
cuitling to precedent, they tingi t Inure reconise—
and Lids, consistent with that kittens regard to
their iiidepentlence and dignity, that hail
distinguished the douse of Commons,
to adopt. Lt the evidence befine Cie (.7oininittee,
it was stated, that Thomas Ferguson oas !ill..
veyor of hi. .1 laiesty's revenue—and,
situation, h.. ci line was greeter thou if he ha.; hers
tut indifferent iudisiiival. In the only iiistatice
which le knew, where a person in the employ of
coilO e•uerpisiiiiont.iti.tilliatil beeiske proved
itod, guilty
sreniovit of
irfo.
o his situa-
non wax called for and carried. By the lUtli of his
Majesty, tiny person holifiiig a situation in the
customs or revenue was ptuliilnted from tuterfettog
in elections, under • penalty of 1001. aud a rtis
move!, ipso
,faciu, from office—and also be retidert4
incapable of Itulattig any situation under Ciotti-rm.
meta. 1311 this pond the Committee hod not deem.
ed it expedient to state the evidence they load rs.
ceived ; bet be on out, us soon a. the Contruotte
had timshed their Libours, to bring this r.rt of if
subject, which related to the removal of sloe •
fender. litfute the llouse.—(Hcar.)—Lt a
most 51111ortmit now that they air

proaching to a dissniution, to *hew nuts
situations in the excite anti cutouts,

tau,: til:lst
was is
ire Ml*.
Is, that

they would not be permitted, with impunity, ter
interfere with elections. He should uow ooly
town.—

• 'that the said Thomas Ferguson Ito, for his said of-
tener, ensamitted to his Majesty's glad of Newest., and
that the Speaker do issue his warrant icienliogly."—Agrosti
to Ma. too.

EDUCATION ItIF THE POtlt.
Mr. nitOUGNANI, in Moving for the committal Of
the Bill fur the Eduction of the Poor, expatiated
his regret that it had not before Picard disciiseion,
%repulse had that been the case. many Inisreptesees-'
tatiosis that had gone abroad would Mire been dor-
'acted. There wli3 snißeitlinsg so exceedingly deli.
dote in a matter relating to public charities, that he
would say a word or two, to prove liow'roid of !pre-
tence the reports oh this patentor point trete.
The present *as stated to be it Bill which would
inteifere with the management of charitable foods.
A in..re grow. misrepresentation ilever'rras set *Boat.
It was a Bill, lint to interfere with the atiretikesibil,
but with the mismancigelhent of charities—and that
by inquiry and report. It was neat stated, that
the Bill went to trench on private prunerty. 'his
was as gross a inisrepriventation as the former, he
tact was, that persons receiving money for charitable
purposes, were, as Much a. ruy OtfiCir of the Go-
',remittent, intrusted wifh patilic prOperty, and had
a right to account for it. The tattlers of the Bill
'were not greater than those granted to theCnronlis-
sinners of At...omits in /781, to the Commissioners
of Naval loqiiiry in 1803. and of Military fitquiry
in IsOi. The Learned Gentleman concluded with
moving the Order of the Day for the Ilifitse resolv-
ing itself unto a Committee Olt the laid Bill.
Mr. CANNING did not mean to oppose
,the
Mouse going into a Committee---but lie hoped it
would be understood, that, by leitiog
`through this stage, he did not give up his right ..f
opposing, at some future period, the duration and
constitution of this measure.

Lord FuLtsecitsit stated, as a round of objec-
lion to tlii. Bill, that, whilst it opened the road to
invitoiptimi generally into the appropration of
the funds of institutions of a charitable °muse
throughout the kingd.im it made an exception as
to its o;ieration to a few learned bodies, includ-
ing the Universities of Oxford amid Cambridge.
He considered this in itself a strong ground of ex-
ception to the because each of these Warned

hoilirs bad actually the administration and applies.
tion of fluids or charitable donations connected
With the education of the poor. Hence they had
been excepted without reasons Ife had heard from
a (ientler's:lo Mr. Parry), who hail taken tam-
pains to investigate this subject, and wit.% more
success than even, he feared, would crown the la-
bours of the Committee, that, in the county of
Berke, not one-fourth of the money devoted or ap-
propriated to charities had been ►eturned into the
Court of Chancery as they should have been ; and
that the returns of Web charities 'lately made by
order of the House, contained statements of less
property appropriated and applied to charitable
'lmposes of this description by '2.000/. or 3,006/.
per annum thou similar returns made thirty years
ago.
Mr. BATPU RS? replied at Considerable length
to the ',taros -oils of the Noble Lord. H• had,
when the Bill was proposed originally to the House,
inquired whether its object was solely to investigate
anal parities connected with the education
of the tear; and had received assurances that it
had reference alone to such institutions. The Bill
now introduced had reference rather to those hi-
stitutions of a higher class, and even the Charter
House, Christ's Hospital, and ethers, had not been
excepted from its operation. He hoped the House
wouid proceed with great caution before it deter.
that the great foundations of a charitable or
endowed nature connected with edilcation should be
put into the bands of Commissioners, to he ap.
pointed under this Bill, without its thing even al-
leged, much leas proved., that any abuse or neglect
had been detected iu the administration of these
learned

Mr. BwoUullmit suggested, that neither the
Right How Gentleman nor the Noble Lord were,
by permitting the Bill to go through this stage,
pledged to give their assent or support to it in any
oilier stage of its progress; and the question Might,
with equal advantage and facility, be argued upon
the principle of the Bill, whenever the mourn,
should be again pat that the Speaker leave the
Chair, for the purpose of recotarnitting the Bill.
At first sight it might be imagined the Bill had not
confined itself strictly to the purposes to which it
was intended it should apply itself, namely, Chari-
table foniid.itiont fur the education of the poor;
hut it appeared Upon exisitimation, that even
throw gredter bodies, not excepting even the
Uoiver.iiies, had part of their funds or endow.
inents derived from donations expressly g.iint-
ed with a view to educate those whose means
were too contracted to admit of the expeticrs en-
tailed on students at those seminaries et colleges.
lie could most heartily have wished that those
five excepted /tamed four.dations had challenged
inquiry into the atirdibistration of their affairs, and
repelled the Nil imputation against the Annuli-
tration of their aff sirs, in the same way as a Noble
Lard (St. Vincent) had done, when First Lord Of
the Admiralty, and a Coentivisition had been ap-
pointed to inquire into alleged abuses in the Ad.
miralty—the result of which had been the Com-
mencement :nal foosideioh of almost all the good to
the country which had since accrued in the iodine of
ittthlic lllVefil intim Whet' filed tip in the Com mil-
fee and the House would more readily per-
%wive the teorteney of the 1.1111. In introducing the
Mode of tioinioation of Commissioner's into the Bill,
he hod out beet, instigated by a jealousy of Go-
vernment, of a suspicion that it might wilfully
abuse the trist!onage thus treated, but hail strictly
followed the precedent laid down by the well-known
Bills re.prentig Naval and Military
ommiwion-
era ; the grata(' deriderulagm ui bitch II Cai•V bring,
that out one man should be on the commis-
who ates not competent to the discharge
of this important trust. He hoped these tegu-r
button. would prevent the possibility of even one cy-
pher heti% admitted amongst these Commissioners.
He regretted to say, that nuterithstariding Mr. Gil-
bert'. Art on this ieubjeet, it had been ascertained
abut tit Brikeeliire three-fourths of the propriety up-
preepenitrit tee these charities had Areal altogether
nit let .11 for-5,0110/. out of 2.11,000/. Boding its
it to Ihr propseeerd destination,. Not
inure th.o 7,0001. out of L.20,000i. had, under the

wine Act:lieett returned to the Court of Chancery,
it applicable to this species of chantable education.
Comiuhtees*n this subject above stairs might be
req well, as 'Tar is theca went ; but every thing
t,ruved the aright necessity there now existed for
the appointment Of Coaraissioisers, who Would have
of poriatiny Of goint 'boat the country, Owl
being eye-witnesses of the truth or falsehood of
allegro! *Woes. He could not avoid wishing too,
that the Cumatissiosiers should be empowered to
the ,plaster, of Lion, %Vineheoter, and
Westminster School., es well as those of the Chanter.
Situate and Christ'o Hospital.
Sr Joan Netvroite—When he had formerly
drawn the attention of the House to this question,
l!'s had to regret that a stand was made against
empowering Commirsiontro to act in the same
Manner as the Bill authorised its Commissioners,
Merely, forsooth, that it was a ',regained inculpation
of the conduct of the Master., or Governors of
such charities or schools. Much had been then,
hitch more had been since discovered; yet at the
Period to which he alluded, all the Members of
Geverument, and particularly the Law Officers of
the Crown, were embattled in one phalanx against
env appointibent of Commissioners, for the reasons
before- stated. People, he was gigot to see, had
since groom wiser, and the work of improvement
and redress went hand in hand with the develope-
ingot of abuses. Nothing could be a greater boon
to Ireland than a measure of this nature.

Mr. Net. defended his Right Hon. Friend from
the imputation of being unwilling or averse to any
inquiry into the appropriation of the funds of these
charitable associations : he had only said, he was
averse to the mode of doing it. The Hon. Baronet
had done himself great credit by the part which he
had then taken, when he had moved an address on
this subject, principally with reference to charitics
of this nature in Ireland. He, for his part, felt
disposed rather to extend than limit the exception
fn this Act, and wished it had embraced not only
He'Charter House and Christ's Hospital, but even
arrow and Rugby Schools.
Mr. BATHURST explained.
Mr. BROUGHAM felt compelled to call the atten-
tion of the House to the case of the Charter House
School some years ago, when it had been suspected
that the funds of 11141 establishment had been di-
verted from their original purpose, the education of
the poor, to the education IS the rich, and it was
attempted to be exemplified in the case of the son
of a clergyman, having a living of 8001. per annum.
In ...it rase the Committee proceeded to examine
their Charter, which they at first refused to pro-
duce, requiring, in not very respectful language to
the Committee, to know how they were certain they
had ally foods for the education of the poor. The
Committee very calmly answered. Skew us the
Charter. and we shall tell you whether you have or
not." The Committee next resorted to the steward
of the foundation, an attorney, the Charter House all
the while couiplai 0000 og of the ill usage it received—
from this attorney they endeavoured to extract the
rerplired information, who replied, 4' Do you know
who are the Governors of this foundation ? There
is my Lord the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Lord Chancellor, the Chief Justice of the Court
of King's Bench, and others, all Lords." The
Committee replied, that this was the reason they
had laid their hands on him, for the purpose of
getting at the information from him, as they knew
the Governors, who were Members of the Upper
(louse, would not attend their summons. The
official Gentleman was thus forced to afford the
recoiled information. The balance sheet was emr
mined, and he as well as uthera concluded this
inquiry mooch more satiatied with the management
of that foundation than he had begun. •
Sir JOHN NEWPORT and Mr. B. BATHURST e 314
The House went into Committee on the Bill.
The Report was thorn brought up, read, and ordered
to be printed, and the further cousideratiou of it
ordered for Thursday next.

Sir Ctitaat.es SAXTON presented a Petition from
eertain goseinors of charities in the town of Abiug.
don, complaining that certain unfavourable repre-
-0...A311011S had been made in that House of the cots.
duct of the trustees of the charities in the town of
Abingdon, as having perverted, through selfish and
interested motives, the bolds of the charity to their
own advantage—a charge ofs most calumnious and
disfounded nature, the charities of this nature hav-
ing always brew conducted with the strictest pro-
bity and attention to she public interest. It con-
cluded with expressing their desire that
CuwKtis-
siouers should be dppointed to investigate the sub-
ject._

-
Mr. Bitocrnu*ai stated, the petitioners had pro-
ceeded upon a misrepresentation of what had been
said in a debate on this subject, wherein it had been
remarked, that .25 institutions of this nature had
not been returned to Chancery, as they had been
required : nut, as had been represented iu the News-
pullers, that Sts of these, near Abingdon. bad beeu
abused.
Mt. Waoryssteir observed, that it Had been
admitted on all hands that some inquiry iu this re.
spect had beam agreed to be absolutely necessary ;
and it had been inure particularly ascertained that
Berkshire had nut reported adequately to its endow-
mein' into the Court of Chancery. Indeed through-
tit' England only twenty-one counties had wade
these retiirci at all ; a circumstance which, When
coupled with late complaints, guest just grosnd to
suspect there existed somewhere a very and
rrineliensible neglect.
The Petition having been read—
Mr. Bant:wan olij.cted to the terms used in
this Petition as Ingiily improper, and derogatory to
Parliament. It had Complained dust in the debate
a tuluniniolia statement had beets insult, tither by
his or others in the !louse. The fact, however,
VI:IS, that these Abingdon gentlemen &implanted
of what did not pass in that House oixthe debate,
but bad taken a inistaterssent Irons the Newspapers,
which had reported it inaccurately, as had already
been eaplained, and then wanted to make the
Ilemie answerable fur the sentiments thus attriblt-
rit by-the-li)e, in die most questionable, irre-
gular, and estatsthairibtell Way} to butt or to, the
I louse. The Petilinii, lie therefore conceived, !nub)
not lie received, having reffeettd um the conduct of
the ileisoe.

Mr. 11A•rduasi e'orrected the
of the cir.

Mr..W considered the Petition reflected

upon the proceedigs of the Nome in a very un-
becominglllllK.
Sir C. SAXTON agreed to withdraw the Petition,
as he perceived there wilted considerable ol..icctiois
to its reception.
The Petition was then withdrawn.
CHURCHES 511.1..
The Ctsice.t.on of the Eacticituya moved
that the Order of the Day be read for going into
Committee upon the Churches Bill.
Sir Ronal Nat rose, and hoped the Right
Gentleman would permit the Cotton Maim-
factories Labourer. Bill to precede his motion, as
time matter had now lain over for • considerable
time, not without exciting in the poor people's
ds who were mted concerned in its passing, that
the cause so dear to their hearts was about to be,
or had actually been, abandoned.
After 14 few words from the Staaasa, as to the
order of proceeding—
The CH•NCELI.O• of the EXCHEQUER agreed
to the Hon. Baronet's motion having precedence,
and the Report of the Churches Bill was tiled for
consideration to-morrow.

COTTON FACTORIES LABOURERS BILL.
Sir KOIERT PEEL regretted. that the lion. Gen-
tlemen opposite hid neglected to oppose the Bill
in the stage when it could have been done with
least incoeveuien.•e. He, however, had acted to-
wards those Gentlemen with the utmost fairness,
and the House had also departed from a point of
form to enable these Gentlemen to resume the dis-
cussion. About sixteen years ago he had been in-
duced. through humane motives. he trotted—
(Hear)—to introduce the Cotton Spiuners A pprev-
tiers Bill, to obviate the hardships these youvg
persons then laboured under. If his Majesty's G.
vernment and the House did not now lend their
aid to his attempt, the evil would, and indeed load
assumed a new and more alarming feature, and the
former benevolent endeavours of the House would
be rendered abortive--(Hear.)—The former Bill
had been rendered nugatory by the change which
had taken place as to the character of persons
now employed in these factories. These factories
are now carried oil is large towns, where, although
ten times the number of children were employ. d,
compared with that period when the Apprentices
Bill had passed, none of theirs were bound by at-
tides, or any thing in the nature of a permanent
contract. Thus the children were not entitled, nor
could they rely on the protection hitherto afforded
by masters to those in their employment. if they
met with an accident, or were ill, the masters
were not bound to look to or provide for them.
The difference between this and the former
Bill was therefore materiel. The former re.
gulating the treatment of apprentices, by the
then law entitled to protection from their mar.
tens—this providing for the treatment of those
who had no legal, or often no natural protector.
Their ease was truly distressing, being compelled
to endure continued labour for fourteen hours a
day, an exertion far above their strength, and
which • very short time rendered them unfit for any
thing in the shape of exertion.—(Hear.)—The
subject had been strongly recommended to the in..
terference of Parliament by numerous Petitions—
amongst others, one from the medical gentlemen
of Manchester to the amount of thirty ; another from
twenty-one of the clergy ; several from the spinners
themselves, and even the master maiisfacturerv—
the sole motive of most of whom, therefore, must
be, a benevolent wish to alleviate their situation.
There had been an allusion made to general princi-
ples, and it was said to be impolitic to interfere
with free labour by legislative acts. Could this
fairly be denominated free labour ? or, if it were
even considered to be such, which he; for one,
could never concede, would not the House feel it a
duty to yield to the pressing remonstrance of the
medical, clerical, and all other respectable classes
of society, who had too interested object in wishing
its repeal, and had stated the dreadful effects to
these little children, and even to adults, resulting
from this incessant application to laborious occupa-
tion in strongly heated apartments, and which had
been found, in the case of the younger children, to
prevent their arriving at their full growth, or eves'
assuming the appearance of maturity when of full
age ? He concluded by entreating the House would
maturely weigh the merits of the Bill before the
HOOP!, and support it if it should appear to be
cal/misted to alleviate the hardships and sufferings
of these little helpless and unprotected victims of
our manufacturing prosperity.—(Hear, heai.)
Lord STANLEY regretted he felt it his duty, and
a duty lie owed to his cousititorents, amongst whom
for the greater part these factories were curried on,
to oppose the present Bill. Io Lancashire this oc-
cupation formed the staple of the country. It had
been said this eras timely an amendment on the
42d of the King ; he could nor see how this sprung
out of the Apprentices Act, more particularly if,
it had been said. the system of apprenticeship
had totally vanished in these factories. After a
considerable body of evidence had been laid before
the Committee above stairs, and reported to the
House, the Hon. Baronet's Bill was introduced ;
and the mtnufacturers vrefe istoniihed to find their
interests had been decided upon without any op-
portunity being given them to represent their case
to the House, or be heard by Counsel at the bar.
He could not but object to any interference in free
labour—and here it was particularly objectionable,
as these children or adults were themselves free
labourers; and often the children of free labourers,
who were upon the spot to watch over their interests.
Another point of consideration was, that it at once
militated against the exercise of particular trades
without the previous qualification of apprentice-
ships. The professed object of this Bill was to in.
terpose between the parent and the child, the mas-
ter and the juvenile workperson, and to hold out to
the public that those whose duty and whese in-
terest dit'Aated affection and care to those about
them, were indifferent to the first morat obligiatiosui
they were bound to consider. The proposed Bill
struck directly agstist that established pritociple
wine) gave the parent the labotw of his chill during
his minority, so long as lie gave him adequate sup-
port. It did this by fixing the minimum of the
child's age for tabunr, and the restriction of his
hours of work. The restsh of ouch a regitlatioi► must
iHrvitabh! 6e, that the children would erase to be
employed, and their parents would lose the value of
their labour, while the choldregi were consigned• to
unprofitable idleness.—(Hear.)—lie "MUM also

~:'

assert. without fear of contrail.etioo, that there was
nothing ,a the nature of the cotton trade to nuke
it the subtrct of peculiar regulation in this nu r.
It was idle to talk of ib unhealthiness as an in-
ducement for legislative interposition. tVas it so
unhealthy as water-gilding, us employment its the
glass works (particularly the manufacture of plate
glass), or us in ',rimehes of the weaving trade?—amid
who ever heard of legislative interference in rubor
of these branches'? The /Noble Lord tlitairgute4
out that in these trades, whitth he stated as brint
far more exceptionable than the cotton trade, the
working people were exposed to the vicissitudes of
excessive heat and cold, to damps of every
as in the coal and lead mines, and every sinews of
bodily infirmity, and yet he repeated nobody ever
culled fur legislative enactment is. the management
of these concerns.. fie would again contend that
this Bill went to disconnect the parent front the
child, the child from the master; sod rimier the
plausible pretence of tatting care of the health of
the infant race, *eat at once to undermine it, by
depriving the individuals of the means of procuring
adequate comforts for their maintenauCe, which tiny
were able to do by the exertions of their unlimited
industry at present. The diminution of *ages at-
tendant upon the proposed alteration would work a
far greater evil than it was proposed to core, and
on this subject he differed from the opinions of the
medical men whose names had been quoted, for
they rather relied oil general speculative statements
than on particular facts. He could speak from his
own knowledge, as an ofteer of the Lancashire
militia, that lie never saw utsy appearance of this
reduced state of health among the cotton factory
workmen ; on the contrary, be thought that their
advantages, as compared with other labourers, were
conspicuous. His main objection to this Bill was,
that it sanctioned a principle never before recog-
nised in this country, amid which, if adopted in this
case, must be carried to others, to the injury of a
free trade, or what was called a free trade. Out the
whole, he was so convinced of its impolicy, that he
felt it necessary to move, as an amendment to the
motion already made, that " this House do resolve
itself into the said Committee this day tour
months."

On the original question being put from the
Chair—
Lord LAMELLES rose sod said, OW he could not
suffer this question to go to a vote without stating
his view of the main points at issue. On the prin-
ciple of the Bill, he would say a Few words, and
he agreed in the opinion, that if applied here, it
must be admitted inotheresses, and, as he thought,
to the injury of all. He was fully aware, that, on
a subject of this kind, the matt who seemed to
stand up against what was called a question of hu-
manity, must doom at the risk of being immediately
run down; but ibis would not deter 1 from the ex-
pression of his sentitnetivs—(Hear)—and even as a
question of humanity, he cautioned the House bow
it proceeded on mere feeling upon such a subject.—
(Hear.)—lf tins principle of regulating every
branch of trade, and affixing the degree of labour
to be employed in it, were to be sanctiolied by
legislative interposition, the comequence would
be fatal to the goieral interests of commerce,
and the result in this particular instance would
be, that all the children under sixteen years of
age would be thrown front the factoriee on their
parents, and from them to the parish fur Imp-
port.--(Heai.)— •If even they were relented,
the effect of the limitation of hours would be, that
they obtained an accession of idle time, but not any
means of making that time productive in any
respect far themselves. A great evil appeared to
be, the mode of working up back time, when ally
of those accidents happened to the intiks which
either occurred from waist of sufficient water, or
from an excess of it. One of the Hon. Members
for Coventry had said. on a former night, that We
deterioration of health in those employed in the
cotton factories was observable at SI first
in the distorted hinhs and utihealthy appeurance of
the objects. These may be facts so fair us to the state
of the individuals, and yet without the imolai
trade being answerable for them ; hut if the trade be
really the cause of slick evils, the blow ought to
be struck at the whole system of the trade, and mit
at a reduction of the hours of work. Ile lied had
some experience in the inquiry from which this men-
sure originated. Had it sprung from the Hon.
Baronet alone (Sir K. Peel), to whose experience he
would logy great deference, then indeed lie might
be inclined to give the subject a closer attention ;
hut he rather thought it (iu part at least) sprung
reran another coiner—that it furtuedaa part of that
system of moral education which wigs projected by
an iiidividaal (Mr. Owen) iii the management of
this brunch of trade, who said, that Iron) his own
experience at Lanark, the reduction iii the hours
of labour, se far from being injurious to the gene-
ral produce of the factories, rather tended to in-
crease it. Thii was a privation beyond his (Lord
Licacellet) comprehension. He was totally un-
connected with any of the parties at issue in this
IN. salon ; but he thought it only fair that
els inquiry should take place befoie a Select
Committee. into the specific grieiattites puler
which children were said to labour in the cotton
rectoties: this at Iciest should precede any legi-
ilative interference. At present the House *ere
called on to proceed without sufficient groom)* to
justify such a course, and in the ableoce of that
decided information which the ease called for, to
obtain u just and Inci couilusion. Its bad no
doubt that souse port of the system acted upon was
wrong ; but the queati was, whether it wise aroog
to the extent that Called foe legislative inquiry, in
such a manner as would establish ati inference Olt
the parent, the child, mud the master, had distinct
cud seporate interests, iiicomputilde with the real
state of each other's duties amid coinforta. He was,
therefore; decidedly of emit: nu, that a Contittitt,•e
up stairs could alone get at adequate inlornottioo,
and that this rten slonuhl precede the contrnittol
the Bell in the I louse. In t!eioring this course, lie
was only actuated by is sincere desire to do justice
to all partira.—(llea,, hew.)
Mr. Peet, said, it was unnecessary for the No-
ble Lord to :moue the House of the sincerity nod
candour of Isis views, us these were as manifest as
that los lionmisitty was uinpiestionable.—(Hear,
Aeue.)—lie begged leave, however, before he en-
tered into the general que.tjon, to object to one or
two of the allusion% of the Noble Lord, which had
a tendency to impress Upon the House a prejudice
%rine the BM, on the grouud that it bid the

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• .
support of a gentleman (Mr. Owen) who
iticul-
catrd certain specedahve opinions oo subjects of
political economy. There was ao strength ii sods
an argument—for. if true, it on'y wrist to ibis,
that whole subject shotild be merged iu the tortes-
creel views of a particular advocate. Against soul,
it doctrine he would proileat notifisami, thot
the question must rest of its ewe. merits, rend not
Cu any adventitious support. The Noble Lord
.required further docutudato to throw a light on
the subject, and, therefore, called for a Committee.
in answer to this call, he (Mr. Peel) would only
say—not Bost other olocurneuts nary not throw
light on the subject, bat hail not the Noose
teddy before it eilotigh to establish the orcessily of
adopting they Bill ?—(Hear.)—But lie would not
rust the mutts of this question tot the general evi-
dence in its favour ; he Nook' be content to prove
its efficacy. on the statenweits of those who were
its oppouents, and to their ulwervattons he w 01,1,1
chiefly confine his colon/elate. Frolo these it was
quite clear • great grievance had subsisted—a
gilevance which It was most desirable to remove, If
it could be done without a COlilfilVelllllol of cultic
priocitale. The opponents of dila measure iioay he
divided into two classes—one id which was soaisolole
of the great evil of excessive labour,- tioole the coo.-
stitution of children, but who ore at.
to establish a plinciole of interferveico•, (ion he
carried too far. The tf. I class 'lewd ille
altogether, and Mallard may legislative alit. I 1,,,!..i:•01:•
With respect to the Ist class, he was at a hiss to we
bow it could be teremtaiiied, that it 11616%1111e eio-
plied to • particular et II eiiolf hr at ed lipan .1
precedent in other cases chore that tail did not
exist. To say the principle was to. ...hoot r precedeot
was contrary to the Net, for it was critistaolie
acted on in commercial regulations where petit,.
liar eiceptiona from the geneo•ol lode of trathog
practices called for 0 1101111:U10r 'node of relief.
Now, did the cotton trade present suck an earep-
boo as called for Ile upplicaurioo of thi% remedy ?
thought it did, and low this a tason —lt was cal-
rwil me in immense Incildtogs, in auauy of 04111
more than 1,000 were kept at %took. la„,
14, and minietentes 15 hours a clay—(llear)—no
111%111101011 10.111 g between I:re child of die
tenderest age and the most grow:4 or In toe,. the
imbecile ailed the strong. The !loose would also
bear in mind, the frequency of accidents to which
the mills of the facto, les were ottliie, t. and the
mode taken for bringing up tare ill-frair of
manufac-
ture, by making the children look up Ilse lost tone
by an excessive application of extra boon; on the
future days of work. Adele dto alit. root 'Mui of this
extra labour, was the heated atmosphere iu wheel*
the children were obliged to work, and the degree
of tempriature in which they wear kept four hold-
big the threads, in particular branches of the ma-
eitlacture, if the evil were a bill ill une, then le-
gislative interposition may br WilWt:ebbnry, ou the
'onion, de ntanianis non enrol lex, but here the
evil was confearwelly great, for in Nlatieliesfer alone
leo leas than 11,000 children were employed in this
trade. The Noble lord had objected to may to-
terpositiole, on the ground that it would ether the
relations between the parent and the child, the
child and the master, ti aid street that arottigetneut
of free labour, or, as lie afterwards qualified it, by
what was called free labour."
Lord STANLEY here explained, that it was called
free labour, though It was in fact at the coultuanal
of the parent.
Mr. PEEL, resumed, and said that the erroneous
conclusion of thei\uhle Mil- was
sutapwarrd there was no charter, no medium, betoreo
the tonployineut of the children For a period of 14
or 15 hours a (1;17: air their actual discharge front
work altogether.--,'!leer, hear.)—lt was also said
that there wait a greater isaterret in the care of chil-
dren chits eihployeel, 'loot if they were tie the hands
air Masters as iippi entices. Ile 4N1... l'relj ors
of quite a different 1.11111i44.1, for the master luotl au
interest in preserviog the loadell cf his mptorerotice,
piereiculasly during his early years, far he was
bound so to apply his time, its to prevent his being
a burden upon I by elidisposillon fir otherwise
during the subsisting elogrgetteriot it Wilt/ illlp.-tative
Upon tun to inaustant—but ill the fat-tortes elle tea ties
uF rug igenteart weir either daily or weekly, and the
PfdOlietur, io case of illness or accident, tool always
at 1111101 the 1101111 ii of replacing ihr person do-
charged. tie had c ttttt menet(' with stating, that i e
would make out a case from the stutemetets of ilia
oppoisents of the measuie. The partner of ill.,
lionourable Meiotic,. opposite (Mr. Medleys(
lead said before the Coinusitee that the ladl
bore harder the the factories in the country than
an these of Aboichester, liar the Ltier •• woe
nearer the market for labour." What was that
but saying that panda might always hue obtonia
ed lay the Manufacturer with facility, unit, ther,
fore, there existed no sieceseety relax mg :try
part of that system ander wl•iclt so niaioy Nett tatt-
ling to act? Substitutes were thew essay had for
the sick car the weak child, oriel so very great
thiceinent was held out to sheer the necessity
of restricting the hours of Loboter. Look,
la the case of the occident* to sib eh these milts
were liable. and the coliseapietet practice of
melting tip for lost time in the mode of pursuit;;
the business when the ituicleinery was again ell' 1..
motion, and foe (loose moat be at truce struck
With the severe deities imposed slum children. 11.
tot has been raid, the consequentat of this Bill 0111
be that the moods will loppletot the chadors' by
the employment of subtlest then it is clear that the
former are toddy retatiseel for their (abour, sod
that the itotertst of Ih t roaster was pot, had been
assetterl, a sufficient se, 'way for the tientsurot at
the child. Braides, what security Cat there that
the factories Otould nut relapse into tie systole of
had management Irmo which they bail einer.:,il!.
What tecitaity was there that if I).l6l'a:tent with-
drew its ioderference, the arrangements of tl ear
estaloll•hoereits would soot sg in 101 l ado that oile-
golarity and oppressite distribution of habitue which
preeuitii.ly charm-Ivo .zril them? The Tllllll'l'
hours during which children were flop), yeti at these
factories, appeared, from the evideliee of the pee-
!ale toes the nisei we s, to viely, all average, °I
1.1-0111 livtiVle to fifteen lotour• eau+ day. Ile nee
itionufactore at Matichester. oiled' employed fidt),
personas, 374 of them west' tinder 18 tearsnf l'gr
0101 %%hest they coosideled that 11,0)0 diadem,
were dens employed in one towel, it vas au toga-.
latent. a j,Tiuri, ,111,1111111 was itArrtller 10 the obeli
pans sat the 61111.iee1, that, /Mali ltit. Mit& 01.
['unwed. the truant/WI, et•opetineners to the bed&

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