The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-22 00:00:00

STATE of the MINING DISTRICTS.
The following are extracts from the report (just pre
sented to Parliament by command of her Majest ) from
the Commissioners appointed to inquire rata' th
ineyopera
tion of the Act sth and 6th Victoria, c. 29, anci to the
state of the population in the mining districts, 1846.
This report is extremely lenghty ; and the following
are only a few of the portions of it which well merit
quotation and special attention. It commences thus:—
TO THE RIGHT HON. HER MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRE-
TARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT.
Sir,—l have the honour to acquaint you, in thiS, my
third annual report, that the Act of Parliament by which
females are excluded from working in mines and col-
lieries, and other regulations made for the benefit of
persons engaged in that species of labour, is generally
observed in the portions of the mining districts to which
I have this year been able to give my attention, some
localities excepted, where either the neglect or opposition
of a few employers, or the inveterate habits of the people,
oppose an obstacle to the uninterrupted observance of
the law.
I have reason to believe that the employment of
females below ground in any part of the miniug districts
is reduced to a small number ; and I have received in-
creasing testimonies to the good effects arising to the
mining population from the discontinuance of that de-
grading occupation.
In my two previous reports I have had occasion to men-
tion that legal proceedings have been frequently necessary
to cause the removal of females from the large collieries at
Clackmannan. In consequence of communications from
me the Procurator-Fiscal of Alloa commenced another
prosecution against the oversman and one of the work-
men in that colliery. The cases were submitted to the
Crown agent in Edinburgh, and the Advocate-Deputy
was sent by him to Alloa to conduct them. The result
was, on the 15th of December, a conviction, and a fine
of 51. each upon the oversman and the workman. On
that day the proprietor of the colliery, Mr. James Ray-
ner Wilson, as stated by the Sheriff Depute, John Tait,
E?q., " appeared before the Sheriff Substitute, and de-
posed on oath that the employment of females at that
time had taken place without his consent, concurrence,
or knowledge." Notwithstanding this, the Fiscal informed
me that two days only after this trial, no less than forty
females again went into Mr. Wilson's pits to work.
A lengthened and laborious investigation took place,
and the case was reported to Crown counsel, who, on the
11th of March, instructed the Fiscal "to serve a com-
plaint" upon Mr. Wilson. The complaint was accord-
ingly served, charging Mr. Wilson with " having em-
ployed, or having allowed or permitted to be employed,
within the pits at Clackmannan colliery, eighteen
females." The case came on for trial on the 21st of
March, before Mr. Sheriff Tait. Mr. Wilson appeared,
and pleaded guilty to having permitted the employment
of two out of the eighteen. The Advocate Depute, who
had been sent from Edinburgh to conduct the case on
the part of the Crown, deemed it prudent to accept this
plea, and the Sheriff then sentenced Mr. Wilson to pay
a fine of 20/., and failing payment, or sufficient distress
by " pounding," to be committed to Alloa prison for the
period of one month. There was a large attendance of
colliers in the Court, and one or two coal masters from
Fifeshire and the surrounding neighbourhood. .
It is satisfactory to see that since the termination of
the strike in July, 1844, more activity has been mani-
fested in building school houses, providing trained
teachers, and opening schools, at which the payments
are so moderate (Id. and 2d. per week) as to leave no
excuse to the parents for neglecting to send their chil-
dren. The old private schools, where the payment re-
quired was from 3d. to 6d. per week, were often pre-
ferred by the parents to the old description of national
schools, «here the payments were much less, but where
the children, left chiefly to the monitors, advanced
slowly. The new schools, under properlyqualified teachers,
unite cheapness with excellence. Some of the young
men now conducting these schools have passed through
the prescribed course at the institution for training
schoolmasters at Durham. One was trained at Batter-
sea. They will be found valuable assistants in the im-
portant work of enlightening and forming the minds of
the rising generation.
At nearly all the large mining villages in the two
counties where exertions of this kind were wanting,
they have been made within the last two last years
with every promise of success; and additional efforts
are in contemplation in behalf of localities still insuffi-
ciently provided for.
The Marquis of Londonderry has adopled very liberal
and effectual measures to place the opportunities of a
sound education within the reach of all the inhabitants
of his populous mining villages. His Lordship's
managing agent, Mr. Hindhacgh, informed me that
the cost to Lord Londonderry, of the schools now in
operation, will amount to no less a sum than 3001. a
year. By his Lordship's directions, Mr. llindhaugh ascer-
tained in the course of last year the number of children of
an age tor education in the villages of Pensher, Rainton,
and Piddington. On his Lordship's property they were
found to amount to about 1,000, of whom about 600 are
now, and have been since January last, at good schools,
at which they pay only one penny a week. The schools
formerly in existence were partly supported by Lord
Londonderry, at a cost of about 401. a year.

MONMOUTHSHIRE AND B'RECON.
Wich respect to Monmouthshire and Brecon, the
Commissioner writes:—

The demands of duties in other quarters had, until
December last, prevented my giving attention to the
manner in which the Act of Parliament, with the ad-
ministration of which I am charged, is observed in the
mineral district of Monmouthshire and Brecon, or to
the state of the mining population in that district.
I proceeded thither on the 3d of that month, having
previously intimated to the proprietors and managers of
the various iron and coal works my intention of visiting
the district, and bespeaking their co-operation, if neece-
iary, towards giving full effect to the law.
I found that the main provisions of the Act had not
been generally attended to. In a few of the principal
works they had, I believe, been pretty strictly observed,
and in others partially; but the employment of females
under ground was acknowledged to have been continued
in eight of the works, and also of boys under ten years
of age in several more. The payment of wages in
public-houses, by contractors, was also very common.
About seventy females were, as I was informed by
the respective managers, dismissed from their employ-
ment under ground, in the works alluded to, immediately
on the receipt of my letter on the subject, and many boys
under ten were removed from the mines at the same time
throughout the district.

The demand fcr labour being still so great, and wages
so high, it is to be hoped that nothing more than a slight
and temporary inconvenience may have been suffered by
any parties in consequence of this change.
The managers or proprietors of the various works,
with whom I communicated on the spot, most readily
undertook, almost without exception, to do everything
in their power to prevent any future infringements
of the Act in these particulars. All parties, how-
ever, were anxious that An impartial vigilance should
be exercised throughout the district, to prevent any
laxity arising in any quarter, by which the rest
might be subject to disadvantage. The facilities
which exist for avoiding compliance with the law,
especially in some localities, make this the more ne-
cessary. I have therefore been in communication wits
professional gentlemen, residing on the confines of the
district, who have taken steps under my direction
towards enforcing the penalties of the Act in the above
particulars, as mentioned at the commencement of this
report.