The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-22 00:00:00

vernment, that he felt bound to support the mea-

sure.

Viscount REMINGTON proposed a clause, excepting
adult women from the operation of the Act, which
was negatived without a division.
The NouLB VISCOUNT then proposed a clause
enacting that none but medical practitioners should
be appointed inspectors under the Act. This clause
was likewise negatived.
Mr. LEADER moved a clause empowering manu-
facturers to make up time lost by injury to the ma-
chinery at the rate of one hour per day.
Mr. BRIGHT seconded the motion, which, after a
short discussion, was lost by a majority of 63 ; the
numbers being—for the clause 31, against it 94.
The report was then received, and the Bill ordered
to be read a third time on Friday, on the understand-
ing that a day should be fixed on which the debate
on the third reading should come on.
The Naval Prisons Bill passed through Committee,
after a short discussion, and the report was ordered
to be brought up on Friday.
Lord GEORGE DtNTriics withdrew his mntion for
copies of the correspondence between the Foreign-
office and the Governments of Spain and Portugal,
on the subject of the arrears of pay due from the
former country to the British Legion, and on the
arrears of military pensions due from the latter
country to the Duke of WELLINGTON and Viscount
BERESFORD.
The House adjourned at Six o'clock.

Happily for the character of Parliament the long-
delayed, long-agitated, and long-desired measure for
a diminution in factory labour cannot continue inde-
finitely before the Legislature. As in all sublunary
matters, there must ultimately be a termination to the
discussion upon Mr. FIELDEN'S Bill. Even the
question of preference between ten and
eleven hours daily occupation must, in the
end, be settled. But that Experience assures
us that no Parliamentary consideration can
acquire for itself a perennial freshness, that it cannot
be fanned into immortality as by the breezes of the
island of CALYPSO, we should be disposed to date
the Royal sanction of the Bill (which is so perti-
naciously squabbled over on Wednesday mornings) at
the Greek Kalends—certainly not before ! Hap-
pily, however, Time is perpetually gleaning
both after the harvests of human mortality and the
harvests of legislative mortality. The waifs and
strays of our senatorial dilatoriness are gathered up
in their allotted season. So must it some time be
with the Factory Bill—even with the Factory Bill !
The very garrulous opposition which has
been excited against the propositions of Mr.
FIELDEN are absolutely becoming intolerably
tedious. Yesterday afternoon the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman, the Member for Bath, explained in some
measure, the origin of this opposition ; he stigma-
tised the scheme then submitted to the deliberation
of the House as a species of punishment inflicted
upon the manufacturers by the agriculturists—as,
in short, an invidious compensation for the accept-
ance of the free-trade principles ! That then is
the delusion, that is the hobgoblin, that is the
spectral monstrosity which has affrighted the
susceptible imaginations of so many honourable
Represesentatives. Why, now that the " mur-
der is out," the apprehensions entertained for
so long a period may be very readily dissipated. The
terrible phantom which has appalled so many
stalwart gentlemen may be as easily shown
to be a silly device as the veriest village ghost may
be proved, on inspection, to be a turnip, a rushlight,
and a sheet!
Never was a really philanthropic measure so
monstrously traduced as this measure fur the eman-
zipatiun of the over-worked and neglected factory
lrtiaans ! A plan that has originated in the purest
and loftiest benevolence is stigmatised as the offspring
of rancorous animosity and pitiful spite. Accord-
ing to, Mr. ROEBUCK, that battle of High Principle,
which has for several years been eliciting the admi.
ration of the GoD-adoring and Man-loving multitude
is in reality nothing better than a Faction Figh

According to the hypothesis of Mr. B. ESCOTT, Lord
ASHLEY is—notwithstanding his partiality for the late
anti-corn-law agitation—an unconscious implement
for ensuring revenge to the Protectionists. Accord-
ing to the suppositions uttered yesterday in the
House of Commons, her MAJESTY'S Ministers
are very innocently, but very energetically, carry-
ing into effect the invidious projects of Lord
GEORGE BENTINCK and his followers. Deluded
Lord JoaN RUSSELL! benighted Privy Coun-
,illors! deceived Commissioner of her MAJESTY'S
Woods and Forests! are you then, out of the very
plenitude of your charity towards the suffering
children in the manufacturing districts, degenerating
into the tools of your bitterest antagonists, of the
lovers of a fiscal bondage, of the so-called, and satiri-
cally so-called Country Party ? Alas ! for the pit-
fals and quagmires of political ambition !
But, seriously and solemnly, it is maintained that
the Ten Hours' Factory Bill is nothing more than a
er talliation for the triumph of free trade, and most
seriously and most solemnly we aver that never was
any true struggle in the cause of humanity so shame-
fully and causelessly traduced. As well might we
designate the charitable labours of him who is com-
monly called ST. VINCENT DE PAUL 39 efforts for
the destruction of all pedlars and costermongers ; as
well might we distort into the patronage of im-

morality the immaculate sentiments uttered by
Howswn to the inmates of foreign dungeons.
Despite these absurd misrepresentations, however,
the Bill introduced by Mr. FIELDEN has progressed
another stage. In the teeth of a virulent animosity
it has advanced through the ordeal of Committee—it
has passed unscathed over the burning ploughshares
of amendments and cavilled-clauses. On Friday
evening it is to be revived for the third reading, con-
ditionally—in other words, the third reading will
then come on, with the understanding that it will be
postponed for another occasion. By this quibbling
procrastination the discussions have been spread over
a great multitude of hours already; yet, thanks to
the innate goodness and vitality of the principle at
stake, there has been nu escape through any one of
the thousand loopholes to reach which its opponents
have striven so perpetually. The numerous

obstacles which the Bill has already conquered form
to us a guarantee that it must ultimately prove

victorious

A very interesting discus ion took place last night
in the House of Commons in Committee on the Naval
Prisons Bill, of which the object is to substitute im-
prisonment for corporal punishment in cases where
naval officers are at present empowered to inflict the
latter
without the intervention of a court-martial. To
invest
officers with this alternative would be at once
tauwrei,seanadnd hweurnh aavnee aneet odnouit)ht ethpaatrtthoef
discretionaryt e L gi sl a-
power now proposed to be *yen
woul
able to the commanders f
ships. Heretofore the officers
given
d be accept-
o whesheerfi.
t AIAJESTT'S
maintain an efficient state of
uhndausvhte felt
y is to
discipline,rs
themselves compelled to resort to corporal p
ibecause they have not had the power in theirmoewnt,
hands, nor have there been available means, for emu_
miffing the refractory seaman to prison. And thus
it has frequently happened, that an excellent and
humane officer, who has only faithfully discharged

Lord JOHN RUSSELL regretted the defeat of the
eleven hours' clause, but be did not feel justified in
withdrawing his support from the Bill on that ac-
count, but as the ten hours' plan had never been
tried, he was not quite sure, but that the House
might, in some future session, be called upon to re-
vise the course they had adopted.
Mr. ROEBUCK was surprised at the course adopted
by the Noble Lord.'
The House then divided, when there appeared—.
For the amendment
Against it
Majority .
Mr. BROWNE then moved the clause of which he
had given notice, authorising lessees of steam or
water power to make a proportionate abatement in
their rent for the time during which they would be
deprived of the use of such power by the operation
of this Bill.
Mr. BROTUEETON supported the clause.
Mr. ROEBUCK considered that the Bill was sup-
ported by the agriculturists solely with a view to put
a thorn in the side of the manufacturers.
Afters short conversation, the clause was with-
drawn, on the suggestion of Sir G. GREY and of Sir
R. PEEL.