The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-18 00:00:00

PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.

Mr. W. SMITH presented a petition from Nor-
wich, against the punishment of death for forgery.
Mr. W. PEEL supported the petition.
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON moved for an Ac-
count of the duties on are insurance for the last year.
—Ordered.

Mr. F. LEWIS postponed his motion for a Bill
to consolidate the offices of Treasurer and Paymaster
of the Navy till this day week.

Sir L. kiNt A TCHBULL presented a petition from
Romney Marsh, and from a parish in Kent, com-
plaining of distress, and praying for relief.
Mr. WILBRAHAM presented a similar petition
from Stockbridge.
Mr. HUSKISSON presented a petition from
Bolton, Lancashire, against the truck system.
Ars. Ln
c
presented petitions from various
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complaining of great distress, and
i,cier;
praying for a reduction of the duties on malt and beer.
Mr. LOCKHART presented a similar petition
from a parish in the city of Oxford.
Mr. LIT i'LETON presented a petition from the
High Sheriff and Grand Jury of the county of Staf-
ford, complaining of the great charge of passing Scotch
and Irish labourers. The Hon. Member also pre-
sented four petitions from the Lord Lieutenant and
Magistrates of the county of Stafford, and from a
parish in Stafford, against the truck system.
TRUCK SYSTEM.

Mr. LYTTLETON then rose to make the mo-

tion of which he had given notice, for leave to' bring 1
in a Bill to prohibit the payment of wages in goods.
He stated it was the wish of a great number of his
constituents that the truck system should be
abolished ; but though lie was desirous of attend-
ing to those wishes, he was convinced of the evils
of this system, that had they not pressed the matter
on him he should have been ready to take it up and
remedy the evils. He did not mean absolutely to
prohibit masters from keeping shops, but though
they did, he would make them pay their men in
money. At present many manufacturers made so
much by keeping shops, that they did not care if
they lost by their manufacture. The difference of
price in what were called tommy shops and regular
shops was very great. The Hon. Member the❑
read a great variety of statements to illustrate the
difference. He earnestly intreated the attention of
the House to a subject which appeared to him of
more importance than was generally supposed. The
mischief's of the truck system pressed with greater
severity upon the working classes, and did more to
keep many of them in a state of pauperism, than
Hon. Gentlemen could form any idea of from the
mere statements generally in circulation upon the
subject. He requested it would also be borne in
mind that a great number of petitions hail been
presented on the subject ; and such were its visible
effects, that no man who felt for the circumstances
and condition of the working classes could refuse his
sympatby, or could decline doing all in his power to
put an end to that most crying evil. Honourable
Members could not credit the extent of mischief
which prevailed, unless they had opportunities such
as he had of making minute personal inquiries. The
Hon. Gentleman then referred to several letters,
affidavits, and other documents, the greater portion
of which were only confirmatory of each other. They
went to show that the quality of the goods given to
the poor working men in lieu of wages were greatly
inferior to what might be purchased from any dealer
in those commodities—that the masters who paid in
goods often realised six or seven thousand a year
solely from the truck system, in addition to their
other profits—their charges often exceeding 25 and
even 50 per cent. beyond the value of the goods,
even supposing them to be of average quality—how
much more beyond their value when it was the fact
that the goods so trucked were far below the ordinary
standard ! By that system three classes most mate-
rially suffered : the working men themselves, the
retail traders, and the masters who paid in money.
It might be said by an lion. Member opposite, why
did not the operatives quit the truck masters ?
that might not prove so easy ; the labouring classes
were often in debt to their employers ; and even
were they not so, many impediments presented
themselves to a change of employers. He had had
himself recently a communication► from Staffordshire,
stating the number of blast furnaces in one district,
and stating that forty-five of them were at present
out of blast. Of that forty-five, there were fifteen
only belonging to truck masters, which showed that
one only out of every three was out of employment ;
a proof that the truck system enabled those who
practised it to carry on business, when their rivals,
who paid money, were unable to do so. Another
effect of the system, if allowed to continue, would
be to displace the coin of the realm, and substitute
for it the truck notes. The only mode of establishing
equality would be to put an end to the system alto-
gether. The Hon. Member then stated briefly the
purport of the principal clauses of his Bill. The first
went to prohibit all payments in goods, either di-
rectly or indirectly ; the second to empower Ma-
gistrates to compel the production, by persons ac-
cused, of their books and papers as evidence ; and
the third clause made a very serious addition to the
penalties for offences. The Hon. Member concluded
by moving for leave to: bring in a Bill to render
more effectual the laws requiring the payment of
wages in money.

After a few words from Mr. HUSKISSON, Sir C.
COLE, and Mr. HERMES, expressing their assent to
the propositions of the Hon. Member, but desiring
to postpone the discussion of a measure of so much
importance on a day not usually devoted to public
business,

Mr. HUME agreed to postpone his amendment ;
and the Debate was accordingly adjourned until to-
morrow.

GAME BILL.

The Committee on the Game Bill was, for the
same reasons, postponed until Monday next.
The Ellenborough Divorce Bill was brought up
from the House of Lords and read a first time.
The House then adjourned at a few minutes
after Seven o'clock.