The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-04 00:00:00

THE FACTORIES ACT.

-Nr-
DEPUTATION TO LORD PALMERSTON.
Yesterday evening a general deputation from the cotton,
woollen, worsted, silk, and linen trades waited on Lord
Palmerston, her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home
Department, at the Home-office, Whitehall, in reference
to a circular letter lately issued to them by the inspector
of factories, commanding them to boa in all the shafting
and mill gear of their factories, so as to guard against the
recurrence of accidents.
The deputation was attended by delegates from Bactip,
Blackburn, Belfast, Bradford (Yorkshire), Burnley, Car-
lisle, Colne, Leeds, Tees, Saddleworth, Leicester, Preston,
Wigan, Wilsden near Bingley, Halshaumoor, Bury (Lan-
cashire) , Cleckheaton, Gomersal, Bolton-le-Moors, Chorley,
Staleybridge, Hyde, Manchester, Kendal, Keswick, Clithe-
roe, Stockport, Halifax, Lancaster, Todmorden, Accring-
ton, Huddersfield, Rochdale, Oldham, Ashton, Lisburne,
Newry, Deighley, Glasgow, Dewsbury, Hawick, Gala-
shiels, and Macclesfield. These were accompanied by
several members of the House of Commons. _ _

Lord Palmerston, in reply to the deputation, after de-
tailing the instructions which he had given to the in-
spectors, proceeded to say that at times like the present,
when, he regretted, the best feelings did not exist be-
tween the employers and the employed, he thought that
the former should be anxious to show to the latter
that they had a lively interest in their welfare and
safety. The question he had to consider was one of
detail, first, as to the amount of accidents, and next, as
to the degree to which precautions could be taken to
guard against ishem without involving expense, trouble,
and interference beyond the necessity of the case.
If they took place either from want of caution on the
part of the workpeople themselves, or by reason of
children undertaking duties for which they were too
young, or from persons going through the works iu dresses
not suited to the
,place, it might be that the rnillowners
themselves might, by certain regulations, obviate the
danger ; but if; on the other hand, those distressing acci-
dents flowed from an unguarded state of nla,qhipery, it was
clearly the duty of Government to step in and insist on an
alteration. They had, however, he thought, shown suffi-
cient cause for a reconsideration of the order, and in the
mean time he should . give instructions that the order
should be enforced. _ _ . _ . .

The deputation, having thanked his lordship, then
withdrew. • •

THE ADMIRALTY PILOTS.

. ..
The, following memorial has been addressed to the Lords
of tits Admiralty froth the gentlemen appointed to act as
pilots to the Baltic fleet; it is to be observed that they are
Younger Brethren of the Trinity-house, Hull :
' " Hull, Feb. 18, 1854.
",My Lords,—We, the Yeuliger Brethren of the • Trinity-
house,
at thisallace, selected to form part of the expedition
in H.M. steamer Hecla, appointed to survey the ,passages,
harbours, &c., &d.; in the North Sea and the Baltic, beg most
respectfully to complain to your Lordships of the want of
berthing accommodation on board that vessel. Some among
us are shipowners and retired from the sea, and the remainder
are masters in the merchant service, and we all are accustomed
to the comforts of a respectable home or cabins while afloat.
Before we accepted the appointment in the Hecla, which in-
volved great sacrifices and pecuniary losses on the part of
several of our number, we were assured that our position
would be respected, and proper berths iu the after cabins al-
lotted to our use. Your lordships may therefore imagine our
astonishment and disgust when we were informed that ham-
mocks were slung in the cockpit for our reception. Such,
my lords, is the accommodation provided, in her Majesty's
service, for gentlemen about to be employed on an arduous
duty requiring considerable knowledge and skill, We cannot
for a moment suppose that your lordships are aware of the
degradation thus imposed on us (and desire to acknowledge
with thanks your lordships' order that we are to mess with
tho .fac....,), u,ithe'v (10 y,e atta,Lti .1.11 Illctuav e, 6nc,av bvnti,
men, from whom we have received the greatest kindness, and
who have uo better berths to offer us ; but we humbly submit
that the Hecla is unsuitable for the purposes intended, both

iu this and other respects, and we entertain no doubt that if
a steam-ship of a superior class had been despatched, we could
have induced a large number of able seamen from this port to
accompany us as volunteers for H. M. navy. In conclusion,
we beg to state that nothing but a solemn sense of the duty
we owe to our country at the present crisis, to which British
sailors will at all times cheerfully respond, if properly treated,
would have induced us to embark on board the Hocla. We
are aware that this appeal will come too late to admit of a re-
medy being provided on the present occasion, but we would
respectfully urge your lordships' attention, should our ser-
vices be required hereafter, that orders be issued to provide
suitable berths for us among the commissioned officers on
board H.M. ships, and that the indignity of huddling us in
the cockpit with the men before the mast be not again prac-
tised upon the Younger Brethren of the Trinity-house of this
port.—We have the honour to be your lordships' very obe-
dient servants."—Shipping Gazette.