The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-05 00:00:00

Education. The Hon. Mover had alluded to no lees than did not know how the House could better employ its tiros
be granted to him, on the subject. The next point he fifteen topics of inquiry for this Committee, and to these than in considering the des seated and wide-spreed mg,
would refer to was one of the most important—ree effect the lion. p-
Seconder had added several more, such, for in- discontent that at present existed among
the working
of the strikes on the manufacturing workmen. In stance, as the extension of the franchise--primogeniture— classes. He hoped therefore it would receive the early
Sheffield, great numbers of them had been reduced to die- the currency, and the Corn-laws. lie would say that it and anxious attention of the House.—( Hear. )
tress through the trades having been driven away. The was quite impossible for any Committee to sit and report Mr. WAKLE Y thought the motion was of so extraor.
cue
workmen had, by their own violence, reduced themselves with utility on so many important subjects, any iof which dinary a character that the House would not have He
tto penury, But no means had been given of securing the was entitled to a separate consideration—besides, he to its details for more than a very few minutes.
be-
trades against fluctuations. A Bill had been passed to thought if the inquiry was to be undertaken at all, her hewed if a Committee wan appointed in accordance
viw_tith.
enab,e the working-classes to establish Benefit societies, Majesty's Ministers were the only proper persems to direct its terms, that Committee might sit for thirty years_eishe
to secure themselves provision against such variations ; but it. If the Committee were appointed he hoped the Merv,- out coming to any practical or satisfactory result. He
ono
they did not seem aware of it. The experiment had been bars for Durham and South Northumberland would be on upon a Committee for two Sessions involving 00nn1......tbe
tried, of a society which gave a premium on the deposits it, as those districts, what with colliers, seamen, and menu- point included in the Hon. Gentleman's motion—the
of the workmen, and the experiment had so well succeeded facturers, contained an enormous population of the labour- working of the Poor-laws—and without investigating the
that more than 800 families had, in a few years, joined it ing classes, twentieth part of the subject, they made a report %_s_l7.l
There never was a fluctuation in the demand for labour air. HUM E thought it was incumbent on the House to was not and could not be satisfactory to any one.. hY,
without producing strikes, and consequently violence. He inquire what ought to be undertaken by the Ministers. the proposed Committee would be a Committee sitting on
held in his hand a return of the fluctuations in the demand Her Majesty, in her speech from the throne, bad alluded " the miseries of human life. "—(Hear, hear.) The work-
for labour in various districts, and the strikes that had to the state •f insubordination and contempt, and to the ing classes knew we!! the sources of their present discon-
taken place in the course of a number of years, the result distress existing in manufacturing districts, and had stated tent, arid they knew that the House also was aware
of which had been to drive their best manufacturers from that she confidently relied on their loyalty and wisdom for of it, but that they would not take the matter
the country ; but he would not trouble the House with the the promotion of the true interests of the empire. Would seriously into their consideration, not having either
details. But there were reasons why they should now take the House be acting in accordance with that recommends- the disposition or the capacity to apply the remedy.—
up the question, with a view to legislating on the subject, tion of her Majesty if they did not make this inquiry. He ( Hear.) The people knew that there was excessive taxa-
beyond any other period, and the first of these was the regretted to say that a petition which had been presented don, that there was a system of Corn-laws which mode
great and increasing competition of foreignmanufacturers ; to that Rollie last year signed by 1,200,000 persons had not food 40 or 50 per cent. dearer than it ought to be, that
many articles which were previously exclusively manufae- met attention, and to the neglect manifested by the House there had been a profligate expenditure, and cruel and
tured by them being now manufactured in Switzerland, on that occasion, he attributed a great deal of the existing useless wars which had entailed an enormous National Dsht
Germany, and other places. The next ground was the discontent. The artisans were not so ignorant as the upon the country. Now, to none of these would 048
constant immigration of Irish labourers into the large Honourable Gentleman thought they were they House venture to apply a remedy. If the Comrnit',ce
manufacturing towns, who became their rivals in the la- possessed knowledge and activity, and were well was appointed, he was satisfied that
it would be productive
beur market, and the House might rest assured that un- aware of the situation in which they were -- he of nothing bnt disappointment and delusion, and he should
less they raised up these persons (as he hoped they would considered that the Noble Lord, when he brought for- therefore oppose the motion.
be able to do) to their own level they would pull the Eng- ward the Reform Bill, had raised hopes which had since Sir H. VERNEY thought the Hon. Member had
lith labourer down to theirs, He held in his hand a rc- been disappointed. In bringing forward that Bill he had introduced too many subjects into his motion, which it
turn of the number of Irish labourers who had been said that, according to the ancient constitution of the would be impossible for any Committee to investigate, and
landed at the port of Liverpool for the year ending March country, taxation and representation should go together, he was, on that
ground, inclined to vote against it. He
1136—the number that year was 74,340,
of whom
only He believed the Noble Lord was sincere in the expecta- should, therefore,
move as an amendment, on the sugges-
-50,400 returned to Ireland. The number landed in the tions which he had excited, but after seven years the tion of the Noble Lord
J. Russell) that a Select Com-
year ending March 1a37, was 45,500, of whom 41,200 people complained that they had been disappointed, and mittee be appointed to inquire into the condition of the
returned. The number landed in the year ending March they have been denied a remedy. Housa
salt_ working classes in the populous manufacturing and mining
1838, was 45,473, of whom only 39,250 returned. The ported monopolies w hich checked commerce, and pro- districts.
reduction in the number landed, as shown by that return duecd stress. Therefore he thought that the House Mr. BAINE S seconded the amendment, and con'-
in the course of a few years, was owing. he crelieved to the was bound di
to institute inquiry. The working classes planted of the state of the sewerage in many of the
improved condition of the labourers in the South and West were not incensed against our institutions so much as large manufacturing towns, by which the health of
of Ireland, of which he (Mr. Slay) had witnessed many against th e abuses of those institutions. And it was his, the working classes was seriously deteriorated.
instances lately. To show the large number of Irish that (A Flume's) honest conviction that no intuir as to lie was decidedly in favour of. the motion, limited as it
were permanently located in the country, he would state their situation could really be beneficial which did ,
that the number resident in Liverpool was 40,000, in brace the great questions of such monopolies as the Corn- that it would be advisable that they should give the
ynot em- had been by the Hon. Baronet. It has been justly said
Manchester 60,000, in Glasgow 50.000, with a very large laws, and of the extension of the franchise. Te Go- labouring classes habits of providing in their humble pros-
additional number in the surrounding districts; in Birming- verument had been accused by Sir James Graham of perity for the days of distress. With the views he enter-
favourable to Chartist rinci less He Nlr. Hume)
hasp from,2o to 25,000, and in Greenock 10,000. Now, after being
rained, he cordially coincided in the amendment of the
the-statement he had made of the destitution of the work- wished they were more favourable Pto those principles than Hon. Baronet. The question had, perhaps, been at first
ing classes, he trusted the House would feel satisfied that they were ; they would thereby increase the peace and expressed in terms too general, but in its amended form
it was their duty to give some aid an assistance to these the contentedness of the people. He was sorry that Chartist he thought that its adoption might lead to great advantages
persons to enable them to ensure themselves from the great should be so generally spoken of as unreasonable.—( Cries to the humbler classes of the people.
calamities which were about to overwhelm them. It was of " Oh, oh.") Unquestionably some of the advocates of Mr. SL A7s. EY rose, and said he was satisfied with the
for their own interest and safety to do so. There was lino_ these principles had used language quite unjustifiable. amendment of the lion. Baronet.
ther point connected with these strikes, and he hoped it Yet it was no more fair to throw the odium of that upon The amendment having then been put,
would receive the attention of the House, se as to
the whole Chartist god}' than to. rest upon the Conserve- Mr. WA K LEY said he was sorry that the Noble Lord,
enable them to bring about some satisfactory adjuetment of tive party in general theyre reproach of the discreditable lan. the Secretary for the Colonies, bad not addressed the House
the differences by which they were created.
lit France guage which had been erniplo3 ed by some of that party. after the amendment had been proposed. The Noble
they had a Council or Tribunal composed of ;ill equal Certainly, if the Chartists had -taken his advice their de- I Lord could not intend to support that amendment. It
number of masters and workmen to whom all differences of mends would' have been more moderate. For, while he I was well known that in the mining districts and the large
thast sort were referred for adjustment.
IL - that agreed that every Englishman had a right to state boldly towns the penpie were in a state of great distress and
some such Tribunal should be established in this country, those which he considered to be his rights, he yet con- commotion. But was there no distress in the agricultual
and which he was certain milt be productive of the most siderod that they thould not press demands so utterly in. districts, and were the farmers, because trey were not in
Hear, hear.) He knew how •
beneficial effects.—( tiresome consistent with the opinions of the vast majority of their a state of disturbance, to be treated with neglect by the
details of that nature must be to the House, but he fellow count;men, that they excited resistance even to House? He had himself just received a letter from a
felt the importance of the question, that I
and, caring little how those claims which would be admitted just. No change gentleman in Devonshire, from which he learned
his opinions might be treated by one side or the other of would result in any country, of a beneficial nature, unless wages there amounted to no more than 61. or 7s. a w_ee
the House, he was resolved to do his duty,_(Hear.) it arose from the conviction of the majority. Was it 'us' The same might he thought, be said of other districts'
From the Report of the Comm ttee on Education, it ap- that five of six males should have no political righjts'; iHe would not support the 1=0116110'1;
peered that in Manchester the church room 'el did not be con-
fer c was such a state of things could not exist in the present to be made on the subject, tie hoped it won. n
tend to
for 26,000, while the number who had no• but that it would ex
accommodation altered condition of the working classes. On these grounds fined to a single class, and if inquirY `sae