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London, England, 1849-07-18 00:00:00

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had worked favourably, and he begg,d him to forego his
"e opinion on this occasion, and give leave to bring in
this Bill. Tne case of other labourers might he consi-
dered when they came forward. He thought it would
e a bad effect to take from these poor people all hope.
The number with their families, in the metropolis, was
?bout five and twenty thousand. He did not think that
interference would be incompatible with the spirit and
genius of their free institutions. They should, at all
events, see whether something could not be done to re
needy the evils of which they complained.
Mr• COBDEN said that, to ask the. House to fix the
?lira of labour of adult persons, was asking them to
Wept a new principle. The principle of the Coalwhip-
Pers Bill was the amount of labour, not the time spent
11Poe it• His principle was perfect freedom of labour, as
Illartdhley trade of corn and everything else. There was
a trade that could not be proved to be noxious to
Prue extent. If they begun with the principle of inter-
ference on this subject, there was no knowing where it
Weald end. The principle they were asked to sanction
Was nothing but communism. It had been tried in Paris
las
dit Year, and the working classes were doomed to severe
u,3aPpointtnent from the failure of this attempt. Louis
'`.lane had sat in the Luxemburg, and invited all the
shoemakers and tailors, and the mass of the operatives,
in°,:werk; and what was the result? A bloody revo-
lution, arising mainly from the misery and disap-
ratraent it occasioned. The attempt would assuredly
l in this country now, for the grievances of these ba-
ort If their grievances were so great, why did so many
Why not
come so far from the north to undergo them?
not leave the trade to the Londoners ? He
teressed he looked with suspicion upon these cow-
:aints. He should vote against the principle of at-
el:tilling to manage the affairs of adult males in this
rY.----(Hear.) He warned the House against the
consequences that would follow from the attempt to
sneer upon this principle. It would not only end in
appointment, but in makiag the condition of the
working classes worse than it was now.—(Hear.)
Sir, G. GREY said that they had opposed the ap-
pointment of a Committee of Inqniry, because to grant it
wellld be • -
the House..couragin4 delusive hopes, and because they
had already a mass of information on this subject before
If they sanctioned this principle once,
thyeLroerdwee
carried. no it to the extent to which it might be
ROBERT GROSVENOR said that as the Go-
merriment held out no hope of its assistance, it would be
me.aessary to go to a division, that these poor people
iglu really
(Rear see who were their friends. in that House.—
fr .) In every instance in which they had deviated
otti the principle so much denounced, it had been fol-
lowed by unmixed good, and he felt convinced that the
sanction of a deviation in the instance of the bakers,
tould be followed by equally beneficial consequences.
tie should persevere in this motion, in order that the
bakers might see what chances they had of success.
The Rouse then divided, when there appeared—
For leave to bring in the Bill 19
Against it ... ..• ••• ••• 77
Majority against the Bill ... —ss
SMITHFIELD MARKET. _

,_Mr. MACKINNON rosee Committee
tocallthe
on Smithfieldattentiono
Market. In the few
of the
geese to the report of th
words he had to state he treated
that he should have the indulgence of the House. In
the first place, he wished to state that he did not seek
the office of chairman of the Committee. Two distill-
gtaished Members of the House having declined to take
up the question, the ditty fell upon him, and he under-
took it. In naming a Committee, he selected eight
Members of the Committee who sat upon the
an interesteinquiryin
1847, and as many other gentlemen who felt
in the question merely as it concern(d the epnr rest
wht
health
and convenience, but a ho bad no personal ins
ever in the removal of Smithfield market. He theught
it right distinctly to Sla O.
that it was
B°ll3t, parties that this question was
brought forward thought by
With a view to peculiar interests. On behalf
14 himself and the Committee he most distinctly
Vad positively rebutted that charge. Not one of the,mr.
ad any interest as to the site of any
new
acts and therefore he thought he might claimformthe,
report the credit of being the unbiassed conclusion 015 honest and honourable re .n. He would now, in a
'yore' few words, state to the Roue,- the nature of that eport. It was, in brief, that Smithfiel 1 market was de-
ficient in size, inconvenient in accommodation, and badly
situated, and therefore it ought to be abolished.—(Hear,
Committee
ehere a new market should be established the
Ministers. left
tee was happy to state that the motion he
:o...iii, about make was sanctioned by public opini in.
vrtlle had been gratified that day by seeing, in what the
'"'on• Member for Sheffield called the " great Bade light
of public opinion"—the 7 imes— tri article stro
thet°ndemnetory of the continuauce of the market. Ante
seat moment, when we had the cholera amongst us,
„.. importance of the question would be admitted. It
g,711,5e with much how a few thousands might be pro-
aiedsty,sabeubticeheetrse meat, but how two millions of her
might be kept in health. The
report a the Committee was to the effect that in the
lined.
first place the arena of Smithfield market was too It was was a
ape, f singular fact that it had been in exist-
-84:" 'aye hundred years, and even at the commence-
n"leas objected to as isufficient. How much! more
e ovv, when the population was tenfold greater
be
!hof the objections to le removal of the market would
at the OOO/Corporation of London would lose between, ioii. and 6,000/. of yearly revenue. He did not see
beattzwadas: uaeY objection'
because that amount might easily
by giving them a share in the tolls levied on
the p
be
lasts sent to the new market; besides which, though
ra
k.a Co is
recommended that a square should be
eelt, clear on the site of the present market, yet the large
ilp-set nandsonee houses that might be built on that square,
uld also tend to compensate the City for any loss. To
.4114vr the insufficiency of space it was only necessary to
leoll e, that in 1731 the total number of cattle
4 ta-n e to market during the year was
8-e ; whereas, in 1846, there was 310,000
th-ezt`l3llght of cattle, and 1,600.000 sheep; that, he
conclusive as to the insufficiency of the
'"'11- In 1828 a Committee reported against it OR this
'ground. But besides this objection, the market created
rllest injury to the grazier, to the public, and to the
teher. It created an injury to the grazier, because he
~,,,t°llld not superintend the sale of his own cattle. The
'4l°o:lent they arrived at Smithfield they were placed at
'the disposal of a salesman, and considering the depressed
m4tate of the agricultural interest at the present time, that
ITist be considered a great grievance. It would be a
T great advantage to the grazier if he could have the
it4nosel of his own cattle. That conclusion was
laPPorted by the evidence of many persons practically
acquainted with the subject, all of whom agreed that
-under the present system it was impossible for the
'owner to sell his cattle at his own valuation. He
must take what the salesman gave him. Great as
this inconvenience and loss might be to the payers,
lbeea wlthas of of opinion that the loss and• injury to the
t nfold greater importance.
the public
wastt of
id ev .7rice that the circumstances
rnfss'underrewohricOhwaenn gaveimalswere driven to market, and the way
in which they were slaughtered, was calculated to make
it putrify much sooner thanitowouldos Mme.t,her
vise
The p
do, andrt
;that it was consequently most nwbioo
'1 or said that there was no country intherworldar.
'where so much pains was taken to bring a sup nio
eicle to the market, and none when brought there was so
•ill-used. One of the results was, that cancer was
:Much more frequent among the lower classes than at any
of period. H i
Ile did not undervalue the mpor.
'lll drainage, but urged the necessity of the meat
'4laufShtere.l at Smithfield was a matter that ought to be
'considered in connexion with public health. Another
point, though of less importance, was the driving of tne
Anorals through the streets on the Sunday evening,
and the desecration of the Lord's-day, besides the
dagger to life and limb which arose from the practice.
At this moment Smithfield was most unhealthy, from the
.110xious vapours arising from the slaughter-houses in
that vicinity ; though naturally, he believed, that as it
laY on a rising ground, it was very healthy. They
had also evidence to show that it was a source of loss
,and
in,
to the butchers; and if it was so, and also, as
ebe had shown, injurious to the graziers, who paid for it
rl:aal_
_the lone run ? Why the public had to pay for it in an
uced 'price of meat. The mode in which the animals
%.' re drawn into a ring to economise space was produc-
ltve of
,_
ase great cruelty, and this, though no very string
'lionnot
tor the removal of the market, was a considerate
,tattle
and
do beheeleost sight of. The large number of foreign
'which, especially eWhich were now imported, many of
pox and the other sheep, were infected with small-
greater diseases, formed another reason why
in
a
map should be given for the .It was,
''wereetr cases, impossible to tell whethermarket these animals
l
~o ese isea
closesed or not, and when they were driven into
pens, they infected clean sheep. He knew of
...tohn_e flec;k.of. 2,000 which was thus infected. Say what
_erly might in favour of Smithfield-market, it was a nui-
-1.110ee; and so far from the corporation of the city of
44 ndon losing by its removal, he believed they would
benefit b '
y it. He monslbelieved the corporation was unani-
eyin_ favour of its removal.—(Alderman Sidney—
, no-) He understood the Aldermen were so.-
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY reminded the Hon. Gentle-
/n.141 that the Common Council represented the Corpora-
tion of the city of London.—.)
„Mr. MACKINNON (Laug,hter
only referred to the Court of
for cent
eseiderasen. At all events, there could be no doubt that
belie At
it had been an abomination.—(Hear.) He
ved it was only now maintained by a collusion be-
ll ,loose n
it the salesmen and other parties who were interested
I
, and by that means meat was made at least 2d. a
!ore] dearer than it would otherwise be. It was curious
1 h t the market had been for centuries the scene of in-
-1 sslerance and cruelty. Ignorance had supplied witches
egad religious bigotry its victims in Smithfield-marker.
--(Hear.) The subjsct was one too
i n the hands of a private Member importantittwas
one
which t obeeelhelfdt
only be dealt with by the Government,i which. should, in
his oninion, issue a commission to neveees.timgaatrekethteeswhohoollde
subject, and decide where the site of
be, and whether there should be one or two in
I with other questions incidentally connected with the future,sub-
I
leo% It had been suggested to him that the slaughterine
t .1 cattle could be carried on by machinery, and the animel
i leprived of existence without being subjected to all the
1 Ain and brutality which characterised the existine
I Ystew. He thought the plan recommended a good one,
I ud taken in conjunction with the establishment of
4 battoirs, would be productive of great benefit. publicln
A vent of this taking place the price of butchers' the
me et
A -could fall, and the quality of the meat sold to the
üblic
It meld be more wholesome. The motion which hep Pi toed submitting was, that a respectful address be
pre.
pre-
at 'rated to her Majesty, praying that the report of
the
mithfield market Committee be taken into early and
Si Thous consideration.
Mr. 0 GORE seconded the motion.
Mr. OSBORNE regretted that the Hon. Gentleman,
4 'Stead of bringing forward the p.esent motion, had not
/tieesevered with his Bilt ter the prevention of burials in
%set's, which wag a practically useful measure. If it
°. ild he proved that the present position of Smithfield-
tea. rket ha Pantightinterfered seriously with the public health, then
a case had been made out that the Govern.