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

THE FACTORIES ACT.

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 Secreta of State for the Home
-Eepartment, at the Home-office, t hall, in referlirs-
to a circular letter lately issued to then by the inspbctt,
of factories, commanding them to boat in all the shaftidg
and mill gear of their factories, so as to guard against the
recurrence of accidents. •
The- deputation was attended by delegates from &cup,
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 aad
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 them 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 in dresses
not suited to the place, it might be that the millowners
themselves might, by certain regulations, obviate the
danger ; but if, on the other hand, those distressing acci-
dents flowed from an unguarded state of machinery, 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.

TEE ADMIRALTY PILOTS.

The following memorial has been addressed to the Lords
of the Adniiralty from 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, 18.54.
" My Lords,—We, the Younger Brethren of the Trinity-
house, at this place, selected to form part of the expedition
in H.M. steamer Redd, appointed to survey the :passages,
harbours, &c., die., 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 Heels, 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 in 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
the officers), neither do we attach any blame to those gentle-
men' from whom we have received the greatest kindness, and
who have no better berths to offer us ; but we humbly submit
that the Hecla is unsuitable for the purposes intended, both
in this and other respects, and we entertain no doubt that if
a steam-ship of a superior class had been despatched, we could
tiavto-inrilinod a rerianlNir of ahlo aanraan 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 Hecla. 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.

RAILWAY PASSENGERS ASSURANCE
COMPANY.

The ninth half-yearly meeting of the proprietors in this
company was held yesterday at the offices of the company, 3,
Old Broad-street, City, Sir John Deal Paul, Bart., in the
chair.

From the report it appears that the following is a com-
parative statement of the number of tickets issued during
the half-year ending 31st December last, with the same
period in the preceding year :—Single journey tickets, first
class, 1852, 23,424 ; 1853, 29,754. Second class, 1852,
49,683; 1853, 55,548. Third class, 1852, 72,342; 1853,
75,229. Double journey tickets, first class, 1852, 2,977 ;
1853, 4,877. Second class, 1852, 5,431; 1853, 9,514. Third
class, 1852, 12,299; 1853, 15,665. Periodical tickets, 1152,
2,715 ; 1853, 2,910. Policies for terms of years, 1852, 47 ;
1853, 32. For life by one payment, 1852, 44 ; 1853, 34. For
life by annual payments on a decreasing scale, 1852, 173.
1853, New policies, 216 ; renewals, 126. Total, 342. The total
amount of the premiums on the insurances effected during
the half-year is 4,9251. 14s. 3d., which, added to the receipts
of the previous six months, makes the total income of the
year 1853, 11,9001.155. Bd., against 7,4221. 12s. 6d. for 1852.
The amount received to the 31st December was 4,0171. ss.
making, with the balance of the preceding half-year, and the
interest on investments, the sum of 6,2751. ls. 7d. to the
credit of revenue account. Against this are placed the working
expenses, the Government duty, the amount paid as compen-
sation, and a second payment of 1501. towards the replace-
ment of preliminary expenses, leaving 2,7631. 7s. Bd., to the
credit of the revenue account. A further investment of 6001.
in the 31 per cent. Consols has been made as a reserve on ac-
count of sums received for term and life policies, making the
total balance invested for that purpose 1,6001. In addition to
the amount in hand and invested, the sum of 9081.95. ld. was
due from the clearing house and agents, which increases the
available balance to 3,6711. 16s. 9d., from which the direc-
tors recommend that interest for the half-year on the paid-
up capital of the company, at the rate of 4 per cent. per
annum, froo of income-tas, should bo paid, and the, re-
mainder, after defraying the charges for Government duty
and commission unpaid at the close of the year, should be
reserved to meet claims and contingencies on existing pe-
riodical tickets. The sam paid as compensation shows a
considerable decrease on that paid in previous half-years.
The number of claims have been more numerous than usual,
but the injuries were generally less serious. The number of
claims settled during the half-year has been 34, in respect of
which 5511. Bs. 3d. has been paid, against 19 claims on
which 1,9011. 13s. 7d. was paid in the preceding half-year.
Two claims remain unadjusted from the nature of the inju-
ries received. The total amount of the compensation paid
by the company since the opening of the office now amounts
to the large sum of 11,8751. 55. 7d., and affords the best proof
of the utility of the company.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the adoption of the report, said
he might confidently address the proprietors langutoletho,
congratulation at the close of the most prosperous year
existence of the institution, the practical utility of which was
now widely established, in proportion as its advantages were
more fully known and appreciated by the travelling public.
At the terrible accident which had i happened in Ireland only
one gentleman was insured, and it was remarkable that he
was seated in the same carriage with the ladies who had been
killed. He had, however, escaped, and received as compen-
sation 251. At the accident at Thetford also only one of the
passengers was insured, a commercial traveller, who had
taken out an insurance ticket. Both of this gentleman's legs
were fractured; but he was happy in being aisle to state that,
in spite of these severe injuries, he was progressing favour-
ably. He was happy also to say that, at the request of a
large majority, of influential travellers by the line, the Brighton
Railway Company had at length consented to issue this com-
pany's tickets. He trusted that the South-Eastern Company,
which was the single existing exception, would also allow the
travellers on their line to avail themselves of the benefits of
this assurance.

After a short discussion the report was adopted, and the
proceedings terminated.

CIISTOMS.—The change in the hour of attendance of
the officers of the landing and waterside departments of
the Customs generally took place on the Ist inst. From
this time until the Ist of November the hour of com-
mencing business will be eight instead of nine o'clock,
as during the winter months. As the hours of attend.
ance at the Customs regulate the transaction of business
at the great dock establishments and the waterside
generally, the extension of time will take place at those
marts of commerce for the receipt and delivery of all de-
scriptions of foreign goods from the bonded premises in
the port of London.
GOVERNMENT Ergaitancil.—Her Majesty's Emigra-
tion Commissioners have given notice that they are ready
to receive tenders for the supply of two ships to carry
emigrants to New South Wales and Victoria, to be ready
to embark pawners on the 18th of April next.