The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-18 00:00:00

of the corn-laws urged in support of their repel that they
were the greatest disadvantages with which they had to
contend, whether in China or America, against foreign ma-
nufacturee, because they were debarred from wing the corn
and other provisions of the same parties.—(Hear, hear )
lie said, therefore, that the manufacturers had receiveel
great advantage by the repeal orthe cotton tax, and next by
the repeal of the corn-laws.—( Hear, hear.) Tue duty on
h
wool had also been taken off. It was etatede!?!?
of the working men, that the passing of this Bill would
cause much loss to them, by reducing their hours ouaris
far
work, and in consequence their wages.
as he (Lord John Russell) could judge,trs, dm working
Bill.—(Hear,
men were willing to risk a trial of a ten
hear.) The manufacturers could notasshtuobkeyr,wboeociadusdek, they
would would not give so much for less work
-Union to the Bill,
greater quantity. It was urged, ins
that the quantity of manutactureav°et7tirtt,
throughout o uwta.s the.l3 year,l to
mills working twelve hours ade
and that if the hours were reduced that,v the quantity of pro-
duction must be diminished. Now that as not correct:7-(dr.
Yet hehad.,hheard theflon.Gentle-
Bright said itwas correct.)
man state this fact, in connexion with les own mills.--( Hear.)
There were n any etner mills werking short time and that
short time was ten hours or eight hours a day. That hap- !
pened very often three times a week, or three days in the
week. He said that the production Ives not what it seemed,
but it was diminished nhet there had not been suf-
ficient employment. It did seem to him, that if
they intr. duced a Bill for eleven bursa the conse-
quence ampald be, that there would not les a strain to
preducePne eutetity that could be manufactured ineweive
hews, but th .t there would be a more steady employ-
ment throughout the whole year than there was at the
present moment. It might be that in a certain time there
would not be a sufficient number of milts to furnish the
demand, but at least lv.! thought it was not the case at the
present time. No one could exclaim that there was at the
present time a deficiency of power to produce all the
manufactures of cotton which might be required for the
demand of the world--:nd if that were the case,
so far from thinking it an inconvenient or a bad time for
entertaining this question, as they were told, it seemed to be
peculiarly a fit time, because the same production which
they now had in Lancashire and York would be continued,
and that without the addition of a single mill or a single
power-lo mto the manufactures of this country. For his
own part he should expect, that if a Bid, limiting
the time of labour to eleven lieu .s were to pass,
that the general production would be fully equal to that
which it then was. He believed that there would be fewer
fits and starts. He believed that there would be a more
equal employment, and the manufacturing capabilities of the
country would be brought in force—when it was not so at
the present time. It was said that after all they must look
to the keen competition that was kept up, and they
said that unless they had all the time which they
had at present they should be unable to meet that
competition. Why, if
_that were the case, he asked
how had these parties been enabled to meet that competition
hitherto. lie was obligee to ask-a at, because they said that they
were working under a disadvantage which, according to their
statement, h overwhelmed the men ufact ure of this country.
Let them take Russia. He believed t: at the Russian people
were allowed to work ninety hours to the week. At the
same time, money was advanced by the Government for the
support of the cotton-mills in Russia, which were subjects
of especial favour with that Government. There was
no tax upon raw cotten. If such were the advantages given
to the cotton manufacturer of Russia, lie must naturally ask
what had enabled the manufacturers of this country to keep '
up the commercial prosperity which they had done. He
believed that this fact depended on somewhat more than
the mere circumstances attending the manufacture, which
were not in themselves of paramount importance. his
belief was that this country had derived it from its
general freedom and from its manufacturing skill ;
advantages of which it would not be deprived by reducing
the hours of labour, if these young persons were to work
eleven hours per day. He could say, that in those countries
where manufactures had sprung up, it was impossible to say
that injurious facts had followed measures of this nature, or
that the manufacturing prosperity could at all be estimated
by these measures. He would then take the case
of America. It was said that the competition
of America was very dangerous to this country,
but at the same time he -believed that the,e was a law
Massachusetts that pe.-eons under fifteen years of age should
not be employed reore than nine months In the year, and the
owners are obliged to give them three months to attend
to their education. If there w'ts such a law in this country,
by which every person under fifteen years of age should
have three months' absence from the mills, they would
be told at once that the measure would be fatal
to the manufacturer, and that it was quite impos-
sible to keep up a competition of such a description,
end vet America had kept it up, and he b. lieved world keep
up the competition, and furnish a greet part of those maim-
facteres which go to ditte. ent parts of the world. Ile be-
lieved that these things depended not on the general
nature of the Liaitte ions, but on the co.nmercial enterprise
and manufacturing skill ef different countries. It was clear
that such 'wee the case, thr Russia, with all is
advantages, was unable to compete with this
country; while Ainence, whica was under great
disedvant age in this respect and ii wages, which were Is. 3d.
more than those of Russia, had lieen enabled to sompete with
them. He believed that the rate of wages in America were
lea to 153. 100.—a much greater sum than they were here. •
At all events it could net be denied that there were great re-
strictions. His belief way, that if they were to restrict the
hours ref labour of young persons and of women to a period
not exceeding eleven hours a day, they woeld find that the
fears which had been so lenity expressed on titre sebj-ct
would shortly after the alteration give plate to confi-
dence. They had repeatedly seen that measure.; of this
kind had been itdreduced, and thev had seen them
obtain complete SUCCCS.4. 11',), had seen the people
better oil; in every respect, after these measures
were gassed. At the same time he thonght that the cc n-
sideration was so very serious that it would be far better to
introduce a Bill to reduce the number of hours to &even
than to go on with a Bill at present to limit
the hours to ten. He thought it would be
tar better to adopt that which had bete proved by experi-
ence, than to go at once to the extent of the limitation pro-
posed. Ile did not himself. think that manufacturing prouertv
would at all suffer by the change; and he did think
that if it were possible to introduce such a change, that they
did owe it to the rising generation to make an alteration
which would be beneficial to them. He could not look with in-
difference to the statement that a great part of the people 01
countrythis had only to work, eat, sleep, and die.—( Cheers. )
In his ooinion it was the duty ef the State to en-
deavour that they should have a 'People, in the first place,
sauce of the di ctrines of their religion. In the nest place,
able to cultivate their domestic happiness and domes•ic
affection ; and, ;n he third piece, to up to the laws and
Government of the cntu:try as their probates f;-"m undue op-
pression and undue haiictions upon the youth of the country.
Ile confessed that he did not see that that object had been
attained, or that it was likely to be attained, so long as the
hours of these young persons were permitted to be protracted
as they had hitherto been. Ile-could not conceive himself that
a girl of- fourteen years of ege, employed for twelve hours at
at work, and for two hours af.er in the fectory, corning
home every day tired and exhausted, would be ete e •
to do anything but rest, in order to commence
the. lateen -a of the next day. lie did not under-
Stand how such a young girl would be brouebt
up to be a good wifb or a good mother, and
lie was wilting, therefore, to incur the risk, in the
hope of improving the condition and alleviating
the condition of these people. Ile might be mistaken in that
-view, but he would orgy' go according to what had appeared
to hint, after :seriously coesidering this subject, to be the
case. He war, therefore, ready to go into Commit: ce
on th:s Bile He was ready, when the Speaker left the
chair. to vote fur the clause restricting the time of working
to eleven hears. II; wished the Bill to remain in that shepe,
as Ire thought it would give considerable advantages to those
persons whe were the r !eject, of it. Ile would be reedy to
_telt' these who were dispeeed to do anything for the welfere
of t•l'Ais country.
The Houee then went into Committee.
Mr. DieNNISTOLTN rose to move the aljournment, but
there here crie of. hGa on, go on."
'Mr. HI; el g said that in his epiiiion, if they were to g,) on,
they bit teeter go on now, f•r he was firmly convinced that
the matter would not be settled in the coentry until the
eight hours were ebtaieed. For his own part, he should
not move eny Amendment, sad he would advise all his friends
to absteen from doing a, also.•
(Ri the Chet clause being put, the ohiect of it being to limit
the trot kind in factories to eleven hours each day after tee
Let of May in the preeent year,
Mr. BRIWIT rose to ask when these hours we'e to be
taken, for the Bill did net pe., ify when the mills were to be
In cperarien. Ile presunnei the bill was to be perpetual, and
therefore tine point c ught to be setthel.
Mr. FIELDEN mi.:leered that this Bill weal, of course,
be regteated, as to its con oructien, by the other Bills wheel
Lad beets paseed tin- the e guettion if factories.
Sir G. St RICKLAN J n ;stied to know whether it was ir-
tended to limit tee operation of the cause to two years, le t
JO replh a-es given to the que.4ion.
Th. 4 elatt,e Was then passed.
b) tee second clause being put,
Mr. FIELDI,N said gilt as there seemed awish entertained
by several Here Members, he would propose that the time
for briefing the la:-our to eleven hems a (ley seould ex-
tended one year, and fte wi-hued therefore that the Ist of
18 0. should be sub-tented le- the Ist of May, 1818.
Mr. ROEBUt;K grime dismenoved of the Bill ale getter,
'but, as it was to be paused, Ise should prefer that the ten
hours' system be adopted at once, and he would therefore
move that the Ist of v 1618 be inserted instead of 1849.
-Lord JOHN RUSSELL thought that the Honourable
bletn her who had cheree of the Bill ought to use
his own discretion as to what time he inserted, but, for his
own I art, when the clause for Hurting the hours to ten a day
came under consideration be sheurd move for its omission
altogether

The clause, as originally proposed, was then agreed to
without a division.

z

Oa cb 3 being proposed,
Mr. BOUVERIE called the attention of the Committee to
what he considered would be the serious result of passing
this • measute upon the children employed in factories
by forbidding them to work, and not, at the same
time, providing for them any other kind of cm-
ri,vir en+, or aeoding them the means of education.
tord MORPETH would not trouble the H use at that
late hour with his reasons why he thought this clause should
be expunged. He wished, however, to say that lie would
not consent to a greater reduction than one hour till he had
greater experience of the operation of such a reduction. It
had been found_ by a number of manufacturers that the
eleven hours had worked well, and he was not disposed to
go further at present.
Mr. FERRAND thought that wha- the No`ale Lord stated
was a reason why he should consent to rcduca the hours to
ten instead of eleven.
Mr. Du--- •
if upported the expunging of the clause, as,
carried, k.;,
trade of th e was persuaded it wo seriously injure the flax
regard town of Dundee, wlich he represented. Tht.
regard to the Gentlemen entered into some statistics with
The shortcoming x trade of Dun lee in support of his view.
(Divide, divide)g )_and in
was no less than 2,33'2,0001b5.
few pieces of late, when we article we had exported only a
use to send out ship loads. II
they reduced the time thee would be doing away with the
whole of' the reigns commerce the coantiy, for if they
dividen.7er
once lost their mers, they Ivoul be able tJ regain
thein.—(Loud cries of "Divide
The House then divided, when there aPpeared.....
For the clause .................... ...... ........
Against it ...................... 144
Majority in tavour of the clause... 6678
The clause, therefore, stands part of the B it. The re,vlt
of the division was received with loud cheers.
The remaining clauses were then agreed to withoutarnend.

went.
The announcement wa' received w:t 1 'oud deers.
The House Iptving resumed,
Mr. GREENE broug up Lne report, which Wa3 order; d
to be taken into constd :ration on the 21st of April.
The other orders of ile day were then disp,)s,:-A o; an(' the
Haase adjottrued at a t:!,!, fo Si 7( o'clock.

The following is a I,4iie, ii,(...,u.it co the speeches of Mr.
Smythe and Lord Palm ;anon than appeared in our Morning
, _, Edition of ve.terday.
...,.,_ , ._----,--I i:-11 , Sir. SMYTHE—As a
;* our debate has ,_ purely nair cm question the subject'
been 53 completely 4,2psed Of ill the 4135 d