The Sun.
London, England, 1838-07-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, JuLr 20.
Thu Loan CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wootsack at Five o'clock,
VAGRANT ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
On Vie motion of Lord REDESDALE, the Vagrant Act Amend-
ment Lill was read a third time and passed.

HIGHWAY RATES BILL.
Lord PORTi\IAN moved the second reading of the Highway Rates
Bill. Although he approved of the principle of the Bill, yet he wa,
rflaid their Lordships would not consent to its details. Indeed, he he-
' bin in its present shape was such as no Quarter Session could
If their Lordships, therefore, by allowing the Bill
apprond of its principle, he should move that
day. (se mouths, and that would enable the
=
' Session sun. s. -1u )n principle, but less ob-

Itevea t.
carry into ctr,
to be read a second to.
the Bill be committed tio.,
parties to introduce a Bill nms
jectionahle in its details.
The Marquis of ,SALISBURY thobb._
candidly stated by the Noble Lord, their Las.
in thinking they ought to oppose the further pros.
opinion was, the Government ought to introduce some
After a few observations from Lord DACRE and Lord Wo.
!tilting the postponement of the Bill,
Lord PORTAIAN withdrew the Bill, stating that he should 'nth._
duce a similar measure next Session.
The Administration of Justice (New South Wales) Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The Bishop of GLOUCESTER presented petitions for the better ob.
servant" of the Lord's Day, from Sidmouth, Kilmington, Axminster,
Kingsbridge, and several other places; also a petition for the abolition
of negro slavery, Great Shelton!, Cambridgeshire.
Lord COLCHESTZR presented a petition praying that all able-bodied
paupers might be allowed .‘o attend Divine worship in their parish church
on Sundays.
On the motion of Lord LA NGEis kLE, a Bill simplyfying the law relat.
ing to the devise of estates, was read a .."P'w,na.d,4;timAeD.. A
THE CHURCH IN o
from the Rev. M. Tay.
Lord WFIA RNCLIFFE presented a petitio7 •
lor, Bachelor of Divinity of St. John's College, e. sJord, and Rector of
Woodstock, Upper Canada, praying for the support o. the Established
Church in Canada. The petition was entitled to great. weight, not
only as coming from that gentleman individually, but as be.l.ng the
delegate of a great number of the Clergy of Upper Canada.
Lord GLENELG said it was his wish, as it was his duty, to support
the Interests of the Established Church in Canada as much as possible.
The Bishop of EXETER rejoiced that this petition had been pre-
sented by the Noble Lord. It was the duty of a Christian Go-
vernment to its colonies to see that the Protestant Church was
supported there, more especially when that Government had encouraged
thousands to emilt7rate from their native land to those colonies.
Grcat responsibility att,:ched to the Government. Under such circum-
stances that responsibility w. 7., of a nature as should almost make them
tremble. If the Noble Baron (t.7.lenelg) were not bound by the tram.
mels of office, he (the Bishop of Exete7) was sure that he would be the
first man to advocate with him the policy' and justice of sending the
saving truths of the Gospel wherever our doilvdnions extended. The
Noble Baron had said that the Protestant Clergy were Pot necessarily
connected with the Protestant Church; but he must entertain notions
widely different fromhis (the Bishop of Exeter's) regarding !he Church,
if he did not consider that the clergy of a country must be cnnne:ted
with the Church of a country, and that:the Protestant clergy meant the
Clergy of the Protestant Church. That was the language of the law' of
England ;he defied any Noble Lord to deny that. By the law of Eng--
land the clergy was, and ever had been, a word connected with the
Church. But the Noble Baron had laid down another position, which,
if advisedly made, was one of the most dangerous positions which had
ever proceeded from a Minister of the Crown. The Noble Baron had
insinuated that this case was net in the hands of the Crown, and that
the Ministers of the Crown were not responsible, inasmuch as
the opinions of the Crown Lawyers had been taken upon the subject.
—(Hear.) Now he (the Bishop of Exeter) maintained that the Crown
on its own responsibility selected its legal advisers, and upon its own re.
sponsibility adopted or rejected the advice which those officers might
give. The Noble Baron himself had almost admitted the necessity of
an additional Bishop in Lower Canada; but though he stated that the
Government would offer no objection of others could find the means of
establishing that bishopric, he added that they could only sanction the
measure, not pay for it. He (the Bishop of Exeter) must beg leave to
say that that was not the mode in which the interests of the Protestant
Church in that country ought to be treated. But mark ! What has been
the conduct of Government to a Bishop of the Church of Rome in Cana-
da ? At the time when the resolution of Government:had been announced,
to the effect that they could not hold themselves liable to give those sale.
ries to the successors of the then bishops, which they had hitherto paid,
they did grant an allowance of no less than 1,000/. to a person, then a
Roman Catholic Bishop in Lower Canada. It was right that he
should state that in the estimates for this year there was an allow-
ance of one thousand pounds a year to the Bishop of Quebec, in.
steep of his former salary, which was 3,000/. ; but, whilst they gave
the successors of the Roman Catholic Bishop LOON., nothing had
been done towards supporting the Bishop of Montreal, or establishing
an additional Bishopric. He must say that there was not equal dealing
with the Ministers of the two Churches.
Lord GLENELG would assure the Right Rev. Prelate that his
belief was that ample spiritual instruction had been provided for
the Protestants of the colonies. The Right Rev. Prelate had im-
puted to him a sentiment that the opinion of the law officers of the
House exempted the Ministers of the Crown from all respor.siblity ; but
he never uttered any such opinion. He complained of incidental
discussions of this sort; it led to the greatest injustice and inconveni-
ence, without taking into view the whole state of the colonies, without
looking at the whole subject, to take one detached part of that subject,
and upon that incidentally to pronounce a decision, and to brand the
Government with the neglect of the Protestant faith and interests, be.
cause they were not prepared to throw everything into confusion by a
gross violation of faith and right feeling with the colonies, in whose
prosperity and well-being they had so deep a concern. The Right Rev.
Prelate had talked of dereliction of duty. He should indeed be guilty
of a great dereliction of duty if, having made an offer to the House of
Assembly with regard to the distribution of the revenues of the Colony,
which they had accepted, he had come to that House and proposed to ap-
propriate a proportion of those revenues. That was a breach of faith to
which he would never consent.
Lord WH A RNCLIFEE, in reply, contended that rectories eusht to
be established throughout the colony as in England.
The petition was then laid on the table.
The Bishop of EXETER would now ask the Noble Baron (Lord
Glenelg) the question of which he had given notice, and which was
this whether in the instructions or official letter to the Earl of Durham,
there had been any variation from, or modification of, the standing in-
structions given to his predecessors so far as related to his conduct to-
wards the Established Church, and towards those who were not in
communion with that Church, especially the Roman Catholics.
Lord GLENELG said that there had been no variation from the or.
diaary instructions; but to satisfy the Right Rev. Prelate he would have
no objection to produce the document.
The Bishop of EXETER—Then I will move for it now.
Lord GLENELG—No: on Monday.
The Bishop of EXETER then gave notice that on Monday he should
probably ask some questions upon the subject of those instructions.
On the motion of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, the third
reading
,of the International Copyright Bill was postponed till
Tuesday.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE gave' notice that on the same
day he would move the second reading of a Bill for rebuilding the
Royal Exchange.
The Treasurers of Counties (Ireland) and the West India Prisons
Bills passed through Committee, and were reported without amendments.
Several other Bills were advanced a stage.
Lord GLENELG presented a petition from the Wesleyan Itfetho.
dists of Caernarvon, against the encouragement of Hindoo idolatry.
Lard MELBOURNE presented a similar petition, and also pcti.
liens against the Irish Tithe Bill, and in favour of a reduction of
postage; but we could not hear the names of any of the places from
which they came.
THE PLURALITY OF BENEFICES BILL.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY brought up the report on this Bill.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY, on clause 2, proposed the in.
sertion of certain words for the purpose of introducing the limits.
Cons, with regard to the distance, joint-yearly value, and population,
which he wished to be affixed to the privilege granted to Archdeacons
holding two benefices.
The amendment was then agreed to.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY then brought up four clauses,
of which he.moved the insertion in lieu of the 113th clause of the Bill.
The clauses of the most Rer. Prelate, as w,e understood, related to the
mode of ascertaining the real value of two livings in cases where they
should be held by one incumbent.
The clauses were agreed to.
The Earl of CA WDOR suggested amendments, which, at the re-
quest of the Archbishop of Canterbury, his Lordship consented to
have printed, with a view to their better consideration on the third
reading of the Bill.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY suggested some amendments on
several of the clauses, most of which were agreed to.
The Report was then received, and the Bill ordered to be read a thirst
time en Monday next.
Adjourned at a Quarter past Nine o'Clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JOLT 20.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
IDOLATROUS ‘VORSIIIP IN INDIA.
Mr. EMERSON TENNENT presented a petition from the Wes-
leyan Methodists of Belfast, praying for the abolition 'of idolatrous wor-
ship in India.

Mr. LOWTHER presented a petition from York on the same subject.
Similar petitions were presented by Mr. Briscoe, from Westbury; Mr.
Settlers, from Sligo; and Mr. Etwall, from Andover.
Mr. E f WALL presented a petition from Andover, praying for the
abolition of Church-rates; and another from the magistrates of the same
neighbourhood against the Beer-shop system.

Sir F. TRENCH presented a petition from Scarborough, complaining
that the offerings made in idolatrous worship found their way into
the ceff.•rs of the East India Company.
Sir E. WILMOT presented a petition from the paor of the Pershore
Union, complaining of not being able to attend public worship on a
Sunday in consequence of the orders of•the guardians of that union, and
praying. the House to repeal that part of the Poor Law Act, under which
the guardians exercised so unconstitutional a power.

KEMBLE przsented a petition from St. Giles's, Camberwell,
against the alienation of Church property. Also a petition from St.
George's, Camberwell, praying the House to take into its consideration
the state of the Church of Lower Canada.

THE FACTORY SYSTEM.
Mr. FIELDEN presented several petitions from places in the North of
England, praying for a Ten Hours Factory Bill, The first that the Hon.
Member presented was from 26 toaster manufacturers of Lancashire,
who collectively work up not less than three per•cent, of• all the cotton
consumed in England, and whose petition stated that from their own ob-
servation theycould bear testitnony to the truth of the assertions of Mr.
Richards, that the present state of the labourers in the mills is
a " state of thraldom ;" and justice to them requires an Act
to be passed, prohibiting labour in factories beyond ten hours
per day. Another from 1,228 inhabitants of Stockport, com-
plaining of the long hours of work, and praying for a ten hours'
Bill. These petitioners, however, express their want of confidence in
the Parliament, seeing that it had often turned a deaf ear to their com.
plaints respecting English children, while the "full grown and ahletic
blacks, at many thousand miles distance, can find more favour at the
hands of a reformed Parliament than the children of your pe-
titioners, amongst. whom many Members of your Honourable
House reside, and not a few of whom have increased their wealth by
the toil of the children of your petitioners."—(Hear.)• From the town
of Huddersfield, in public meeting assembled, signed by the Chairman, a
petition praying that the education clauses of the present Factory Act may
be retained, and an uniform Ten-hours Bill passed; from a Public Meeting
at Hyde, a petition praying for a ten.hours Bill, signed by the Chairman,
from the inhabitants of Eliand, Yorkshire, concluding with the same
prayer, and praying also that the Bill may be extended to silk and lace
factories; a petition signed by four individuals, on behalf of the hand.
loom weavers of Manchester, praying for a ten.hours Bill; from Ashton.
under-Lyne, praying for the sante, and that it may extend to silk and
lace mills; from Todmorden, assembled in public meeting, a petition
signed by the Chairman, praying for the same.
Mr. GILLON presented petitipns against further grants for addi-
tional Church accommodation in Scotland. Also many peitions from
Surrey, Sussex, and Essex, praying that the grievous taxation upon in-
ternal communication by postage might be reduced.
Mr. E. J. STANLEY presented a petition against the Government
sanction to idolatry in India.
Mr. PARKER presented a petition to a similar effect from Sheffield.
Captain JONES presented a petition from the county of Londonderry
on the subject of national education.

Lord SANDON presented, a petition from the Bolton and Leigh
Railway Company against the Mails by Railways Dill; also two pctition•

IVA tr,

from the Mayor and Corporation of Liverpool againstpetitia cefrtainprovieima g
provisions
rout. the Town
Councilin t/ieof Imprisonmenti,eipi, for
protesting Debt
against Dill; ;1..1 ai a
I setts Bill, now be:see the House, by which they wouldonbse
1
idneptrhievedPrai-r
Bridport against
I the poser of appointing
Mr. WA RB UR TO .Nll.7reostileacteedrs oaf tpe;^c:gitaioo
al.
from
(
Hindoo processions.
Sir F. TR'CH postponed
.
s his motion whit h stood for Monday,
to the reward for the discovery t ' onday, seas
e offenders .'a Ireland, to T d
' • UCS ay,
The Prison,
Bill was read a third Ono and pa-ster.
LAN INDIA LABOURERS.
In answer to Sir JAMES GRA HAM
Sir G. GREY said it was his intention'
to proceed with t.. 'e East Intl*
Labourers' Bill, as he conceived that there were many pros ;skins in it
open to great objection, as it would
these the importation of c. ',dies by
Who were conscientious, and atop
circumstanced. It would not;thereforeega(l,iffzece the traffic traffic of those hot SO
tit that after what hat, been very telaierrpieadrtout by the House. The object oit he Goveernombje': cat
was intendedt
'ships would agree ite..411 biro mesaldieeibnegt defrauded by improvident contracts made in othpereveriett
Indies,
-ess of the Bill. ilia that Oontract shouwledebnepa,rnties, one of whom had full knowledge cf what:
• sucli measure. and the other waa quite unprotected. It was
questionab:e it it was co, in'
.'4IINCLIFFE, manyP ornwthtoo prevent absolutely the emigration of
Ose Hindoo labourers,
were in a state of great poverty. It
was intended, however, to make such contracts void, except within the
limits sf the colonies where entered into, anti with the sanction of the
-,, megistrates who would •
slip. . . , still be continued, though•
,the special
-tes ~,,,ei not,after the expiration of the • magistr. ' Rot the contracts apprenticeship system ;
and the dura:.ke " k was also to be limited.
Mr. O'CONNL:LL .- s ed if the Government had received an Act of
the Assembly of St. vim. •nt's, " for the suppression comb
of
ination
and the settling disputei be t i•..een. master and servant'—an Act which.
appeared greatly to trench upon ahe advantages of negro freedom , and
if so, whether the Government hater, sCeel to sanction it ?
Sir G. GREY replied—He had rvem..ve• i such an Act a few days ago ;
and he did not anticlpatethat the Governwlen t would agree to it.—(Hear.)
Sir R. PEEL said the question was, if it ever., quite clear whether the
Governor.in.Council in India could legally pre. 'ent the emigration of
native Hindoo labourers from India ?
Sir GEORGE GREY said, on that point he must reserve himself
until his Hon. Friend (Sir J. C. Hobhouse) was preeent.
Sir J. GRAHAM enquired what was the intention of the Government
with respect to the Hill Coolies in Guiana ?
Sir GEORGE GREY was understood to say that it itas intended to
1 iseoe an Order in Council which would in all the Crown co 'miles invali-
date all contracts made by the natives of India or Africa, sinless those
I seentreats were made after a certain time.
mr. No'ARBURTON enquired if any answer had been rea.eived to
the returrf ,,'coved for by him, whether under the existing law of ,Guiana
the Magistrate. • had the power to enforce such contracts ?
Sir G. GREY ,said there was on the table of the House the opin.'on
of the Attorney-
Gei:eral, stating that they had such a power.
Mr. M`LEAN enter:ined what course would be pursued by Govers
ment, with regard to the SpOeial Magistrates, where the negroes had
been emancipated ?
Sir GEORGE GREY said their ja'risdiction would cease with the Bill
under which their special appointments' were made. But the Governor
would be authorised by the Government to' retain the services of as many
as might be deemed necessary. It was also the intention of the Go-
vernment to propose some plan with regard to Sti;nendiary Magistrates.
Sir R. PEEL said that upon the point of the OW Coolies, consider.
ing the advanced period of the Session, he felt it to see his duty to put
one point to the Hon. and Learned Gentleman. If he proposed to drop.
the Bill for the regulation in this respect, and could give security for
two years that there should be a prohibition of the practice
of importing Coolies, he, for one, would support him ; but then he
men have a full guarantee that the Governor in Council had the le.
gal poset.7- If there was any doubt on the subject, than he must re-
quire that a.o Act should be passed giving the Governor in Council full
power to inforte' the prehibition.
Sir ('.GREY dial not unaierstand if any doubt existed that it would be
suffered to remain.
Mr. IirLEAN wisher: to kno.
•.' whether any steps had been taken to
alter the judicature in the West It: dies.
Sir G. GREY said that great altaliations in the system of the judica-
ture of that country had been propos,o4a and all that was wanted was
funds to carry those alterations into effect.
FACTORY QUESTI.9N.
On the motion that the Speaker do leave the Chair upon the House
going into a Committee of Supply,
Lord ASHLEY rose to bring on his long-threaten `d motion on the
Factory Question; and as the question was one of great .end paramount
importance, he trusted he would be favoured with the patio; ace and at-
tention of the - House.—(Hear, hear.) Nothing would "ave in-
duced him to take the course that he was then pursuing but a
deep sense of its necessity.—(Hear, hear.) He was sorry to do so,
but had 1:e not taken such an opportunity, no other offering, he would
have doubtcui of his own sincerity—at all events, that sincerity would
have been doubted by thaw who had instrusted to him their dearest
and best interest& The question was one of extreme importance, for
by returns made up only to 1825, it appeared that the persons
actually employed in the mills and factories of the kingdom,
amounted to no less a number than 354,640. The num-
ber of persons engaged in the various branches of the cotton'
trade was not much less than 4,000,000, of whom about 55 per cent.
were females. Since 1816, the perio i when this subject first was
brought prominently before the Legislature and the country,
the labour of children between the ages of nine and fourteen had
been increased fourfold. For whereas the gro,and travelled over per
day at that time by children of those ages was Si ostiles—at the present
period the distance amounted each day to twenity.five, .and in many cases
to thirty miles.—Jlear.) He could prove this upon unexceptionable
testimony ;by the ;stridence, among others, of the Hon Member for
Oldham (Mr. Fielden), who had made the calculation in his Own mill.
He (Lord Ashley) challe.nged issue upon these facts—and upon the
effect of this excessive labour on the poor children employed.—(Hear.)
Lest he should be in errororr these points, he had submitted his enquiry
to one of the first Actuaries hr .Europe, who went into the enquiry with
great accuracy, and not long age onade his report, upon which he takes
credit. He stated that in those districts in which the Factory system
extensively prevailed, as many persons died under twenty years
of age as under forty in any other part of England.—(Hear, hear.)
Not many days ago, he (Lord Ashley) received from Birmingham a
document transmitted to him by Mr. W;ileem Pore, the Superintendent
Registrar, who gave the result of a cominarison between the mor.
tality of Birmingham and that of Mancl. ester. He (Lord Ash-
ley) had submitted this statement to the same A..
ctuary, and the following
was the frightful and disgusting result. In Biraningham one.half the
population attained their sixteenth year, wh;le in Manchester
one half the population died within the first three years. It appeared,
therefore, that the value of life was much greater in Virmingham than
in Manchester, arising in part, no doubt, from the sue'eriority of its
geographical position, but mainly from the supeeior nature
of the employment, and the better habits of the PDrkmen.—
(Hear, hear.) He (Lord Ashley) stated these facts to form
his justification in endeavouring to impress on the House some notion
of the vital interests involved in this question. What was the state of
their morals in those districts ? No less than 60 clergymen had de.
clared the vicious and awful condition of those places, and that there was
scarcely any hope of imparting anything like moral or religious educe-
alms. In 1835, petitions were presented from 200 Sunday school
teae,!iers to the same effect. Sheriff Allison, in Isis view of the state of
Glasgow stated that a limitation of the hours of labour was necessary.
He some was asked whether he considered a limitation of labour would
better Weil condition, to which he replied certainly; and added that
nothing could l'-'e done without it. That was nothing more nor less
than the fulfilment of the prophesy of the late Sir Robert Peel, that un-
less something was done the great efforts by which the manufacturics
of the country' had been brought to their present state, instead of being
a blessing, would prove a curse. Did the Noble Lord really think this
question could be muted ? Did he think it would be forgotten by the
people, because it w.,, ;tot listened to in that House?—;Cheers.) The
evils were increasing Oai:" and hourly, and unless something was done it
would be impossible to newer it. He wished to enter into this matter as if
the Ten Hours',Bill had leo: Passed. A law had been introduced and
passed by the present Gove.-„enent, and what he wished to know was,
whether the Government woulli baive him a full and final answer with
respect to that law. If it were* a good law, would they keep it
up ; if it were defective, would" .they amend it; and if bad,
would they repeal it ?—(Loud cheer's„s The' history and state of
the law was this—in 1833 lie (Lord .Ashley) introduced a Bill
called the Ten Hours' Bill that mee.sure met with the
confidence of the country; and Government 16 `llld something must
be done—they therefore rejected his Bill, and brought forward
a measure of their own. The Government gained the' applause'of the
country by making their Bill more humane in appeeeance—by in.
troducing clauses imposing upon the milLowners tine obli-
gation of a;:Owing efiiiilren two hours every day in the week -
for education.—(Hear) These clauses immediately caught the
sympathy of the public, but these very clauses wet • the very first to be
systeniatically violated to the full knowledge of the Government. The
Noble Lord (Lord John Russell) shook his head I But was it at all
possible that the Government could remain io utter ignorance
of the fact---could they believe that the law was genearany or even par-
tially obeyed throughout the country ? Why, even in August, 1834,
only seven months after the Bill came into operation, ;Ir. Richards
the Inspector for the populous district of Lancashire, sr ated that
the law was systematically and openly violated—that the Act eQs made
a jest of, and unless they were armed with power to carry it out, .
the 'office of instinct:ter would be an useless ode. He (Lord Ash-
ley) would not make out his case from any documents but the public .ae.
parts, made four tames a year to the Ilon-e-office by their own inspectors*.
Mr. Howell had also reported that it was quite im-
possible, without some further powers, to carry the educa-
tion and labour clauses into effect; and in a joint repert of
all the Inspectors stated that unless further aid was afforded
them their exertions would be ,utterly useless. In 1830, .Mr. Horner
reported that she determination of Parliament, that no child under
the age of thirteen should work more than forty-eight home
weekly hail been grossly violated, and would continue to be so
until the Inspectors had greater powers than they at present
possessed. Notwithstanding all their cremplaints no proposition had
been made to Parliament for further assistance to the inspectors.
No doubt the Noble Lord might within the Jest few weeks have le_
ceived letters front the Factory districts stati'v that the law was batter
observed. But was this a state of things to be permitted to continue t
He admitted that if this House was to sit et..tring the twelve
mouths, and allow him to snake a motion every week,
the law might be observed without additional Powers; but
no snorer would the House separate than every enormity
would begin again. In April, 1838, Mr. Horner said there w,,a a great •
intention to exclude the superintendents from the factories, and :r they
were excluded (which the mill-owners had a perfect right to do), tha' law
could not be enforced. What a state of the law was this ! He did not mean
to make any charge in disparagement of the superintendents and inspec-
tors. Their zeal and diligence were greater than their powers. But the
House would allow him to show in a few details the mischievous and
shameful operation of this Bill. By the 31st clause of that Act, the
Magistrates had power to mitigate the penalties imposed on conviction.
Now, to what extent had the Magistrates carried that into effect? Why, '
to such an extent as to neutralise the force of the law. Mr. Horner said in
his report, speaking of the Magistrates, that they, instead of visiting of
fences in a proper manner, treated them with such lenity as to lead to
a future violation of the law; so that the disreputable mill.owner
looked only to the amount of the penalty and the amount of labour;
and on casting up his accounts lie found it much more profitable to
evade than obey the law.—(blear, hear, and cheers.) If such abuses
existed, surely it was the duty of the Noble Lord to do ell In his
power to correct it. As a necessary consequence of this, let Hots.
Members look at the state of convictions between the Ist May, 1836,
nod the Ist of January, 1837 ; between those periods there were 522
convictions, the greater part being tar over.working children without.
aiirgeete.;• certificates. What would the House think when he had told
t hem the nature of the offences, when he stated what the average penal.
ties were-41. be. ? Between 1837 and 1838 the convictions were 800.
Tire average of the penalties timing the last year was I/. •101.
But could the House doubt for a moment that one hour's work
of these poor children was more profitable for the mill. •
owner than the paltry fine 1 Of course, if he employer(
one fur an extra hour lie employed one hundred; and so the Incr.
ciless griping ratian would obtain inure out of these poor wrett lied
cre,tui es, than would pay tire hundred such trifling penalties.
By toe returas before the House, it appeared that throughout the •
who!e of Scotland, so tar as toe Inspectors were aware, slit, Act
tees cbcycd—tor three yeses there had been no prosecution. It
was, however, well known that the number of prosecutions was no
criterion of the number of offences, in consequence of the difficulty
of detection, and the immense difficulty of finding evidence. The
House would hear with surprite that mill owners, sitting upon the
Bench as Magistrates, edjudicated their own cases. There were certainly
many honountble ant/ bright exceptions -both in and out of the House
—and among these he would mention the Hon. Member for Derby
(Mr. Strutt). Mr. Howell stated that magistrates, being millowners
often countersigned the certificates, en masse, instead of iedivide I' '
examining each; and atilt further w ant on to" "
say, As if to {. x,n2.
?life the roNlile of the eauuter.siguature of the Magar-tes