The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-13 00:00:00

TEN HOURS BILL.

Lord 3fORPETII presented petitions from the manufacturers of
Bradford, against the limitation of the hours of labour, as proposed in
the Factories Bill.

Mr. ALDAM presented a petition from the manufacturers of Leeds,
of a similar nature with the foregoing.
THE FACTORIES BILL.

On the order of the day for the adjourned debate on the second
reading of this Bill being read,
Mr. COLQUHOUN said, on a former occasion his Right Hon.
Friend, the Secretary of State had stated; that the Ten Hours Bill
would very seriously affect the great staple manufactures of the
country. On the contrary, he believed, that their manufactures
would be greatly benefited by it, and all the benevolent manufac-
turers, and they formed the great majority, were of opinion, that the
restrictions oflabour,as proposed, were advantageous, and not injarious
to their interests. What was the evil to be apprehended from restriction?
It had been said that injury would result to the carpet manufacturers
because the hours of labour on the continent, in France, Austria, and
Prussia, were longer and therefore the English manufacturers would
be unable to compete with the foreigner. It was his belief that the
French labourer working fourteen hours a day did not produce so
much workmanship as the English labourer who worked only ten
hours a day. He could not conceive, then, that injury would result
to trade from competition with foreign countries because the
hours of labour were diminished at home. If advantages had
been given to the manufacturers which were more than equivalent to
any tax that you were going to impose, ought not, he would ask,
that to be a reason why some alteration in the hours of labour should
take place ? Great competition on the part of capital and labour
tended to reduce the wages of labour. It was therefore the duty of
Government to interfere, and restore the equilibrium which should
exist between the employer and the employed. He believed the ma-
nufacturers to be as humane and intelligent a class of men as any in
the empire.—(Cheers.) Let them be sincere—let them be perfectly
sincere—let the operative see that they wished to obtain advantage
for him as well as for themselves. Messrs. Holdsworth and Gregg
had stated that the reduction of wages would be about *4 per cent.
upon the amount of 10s. 3d. But he would prefer the evidence of
Mr. Leonard Homer, the factory commissioner, which was upon a
wider basis. According to his evidence the weekly wages was I Is. 7d.;
so that on the yearly earnings of 311., the reduction would be 21.45.,
leaving him 281. 16s. The operatives said they were quite ready
to assent to this reduction. But what was the effect of the compe-
tition? Why, according to Mr. Horner, from 1828 to 1841 the fall
had not been 7 or *4 per cent., but from Bs. to 7s. per week, and
from 4s. to 3s. Gd. ; and in one mill Manchester the fall had abso-
lutely been as much as 17 per cent. He did not think that high
wages were always advantageous to the operative, or by any means
a criterion of the benefits of his position at any time ; for he believed
that moderate wages, with moderate labour, was far
better, both for his moral and his social advantage ;
and when they were called upon to secure him
against that undue imposition of labour under which he now suffered,
there was a case made out which imperatively called for the pro-
tection which the operative sought.
The House was subsequently addressed by Mr. Labouchere, and
some other llon. Members, after which the debate was adjournel.
The House rose as usual at Six o'clock.

TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.
WHITEHALL, MAY 9, 1846.
The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be
passed under the Great Seal, constituting and appointing
Thomas Flower Ellis, Esq., barrister-at-law, and Thomas
Bros, Esq., barrister-at-law, her Majesty's Commissioners for
inquiring into the criminal laws now in force in the Channel
Islands.
The Queen has also been pleased to appoint Charles Clark,
Esq., barrister-at-law, to be Secretary to the said Commis-
sion.