The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-09 00:00:00

ING CLASSES.

The Bishop of LONDON wished for a few moments to
direct the attention of their Lordships to a subject, which,
though not one of great political importance, was still one en-
titled to grave consideration. He had some petitions to present
to them which were important on account of the signatures to
them, but still more so on the subject to which they related.
That subject was intimately connected with the welfare of the
labouring classes, and he craved their favourable consideration
to them. The petitions had reference to the establishment of
baths and wash-houses for the labouring classes, and prayed
that they would pass a law enabling boroughs and parishes, of
a certain size, to borrow money to form such institutions.
The plan was sufficient to pay an ample return for the capital
that might be laid out upon it, but he must remind
their Lordships that it was useless to attempt
to improve the moral condition of the labour-
ing classes unless they at the same time paid some attention
to their physical comfort. Their Lordships might in vain at-
tempt to improve the political and social condition of the
labouring classes, unless they at the same time took the
trouble to promote their individual and personal interest.
—( Hear.) They must first remove the poor man from his
extreme state of destitution, and then they might
endeavour to experiment upon the best means of improving his
spiritual condition—they must relieve him from his extreme
misery before they attempted to attack his as a moral agent,
and this was the only way in which they could at all
expect, with any reason, to improve the moral state
of the labouring classes of society. Their Lordships would allow
they had tested by experience, on a small scale it was true, but
still sufficient to justify their making the experiment on a much
larger scale. In asking, therefore, for an allowance from the
public funds, he was only asking for that which would
make a large return on the outlay of capital that
might be used for the formation of baths and washhouses
The first petition he had to present was from the bankers and
merchants of London, and was signed by the heads of more
than 100 principal firms ; the second was signed by the Chair-
man and Deputy Chairman of the London Dock Company,
who had many thousands of labourers in their employ-
ment. The next was from the churchwardens and over-
seers of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields. The next was from the
guardians of the poor of the same parish. The next was
from the perochial clergy of the metropolis, signed by 120
clergymen ; and he felt assured that if time had been allowed
it would have been signed by every member of the body from
whom it emanated, for they felt it would be bring-
ing the poor more within the sphere of their spiritual
ministrations, and would tend more than anything else to
improve the labouring classes. It should be recollected
that great complaints had been made that hundreds of
thousands in the metropolis were crowded together,
so that one family occupied one room ; but, in consequence of
the numerous improvements in the metropolis, in many of these
instances, there were now two families crowded into one
room. It did not appear that any provision had been
made against this evil in carrying out those improve-
ments. It should be also recollected that the step
which he now advocated was only as a drop in the ocean.
In consequence of this system of things, a gradual deteriora-
tion had taken place in the physical and moral condition of
these classes. About twenty years since, when he was a
parish clergyman, he knew a house in which there was
sixteen rooms, and in each of these there was a family
consisting ofj four persons, in all, sixty-four individuals,
but that was not so bad as the present condition of things. In
houses thus thickly inhabited it would clearly be seen the in-
jury which must be felt by washing the linen of the family,
as the houses would be in a constant state of humidity from
the steam. He found that in the town of Liverpool, where
an institution of this kind was established under the sanction
of the corporation of that place, the greatest eagerness was
manifested on the part of the working classes to avail them-
selves of the benefit of the bath. In the year ending 28th of
May, 1846, there were used 3,832 cold baths, and 16,764
warm baths, making altogether 20,596 baths. The receipts
for the year were 3831., being an increase on the
preceding year of 6,667 baths, and 1501. on the receipts.
This showed a desire on the part of the labouring classes to
avail themselves of the benefits of these institutions. A
similar institution was established lately by an association of
benevolent individuls in Glasshouse-yard, a locality where
probably none of their Lordships ever penetrated—
( Laughter)—and the lowest and poorest classes of
society, who could not even be called respectable la-
bourers, were in the habit of resorting to it.
In the second half-year the number of bathers amounted to
14,124, and the number of washers amounted to 19,937, a total
of 63,142 persons benefited ; if to these were added the number
of persons for whom articles have been washed, you
will make a total of 87,0';0 directly benefited,
and the whole of this good had been done
for a sum not greatly exceeding 400/. He need not point out,
to their Lordships the immense beneficial effects which must
necessarily arise front such institutions, they were sufficiently
known to their Lordships, and he would not there-
fore trespass upon them further than to quote the opinion
of a medical man of some experience on the subject.
The petitioners stated that the returns would, in all probabi-
lity, amount in the whole to 13i per cent., and furnish ex-
cellent interest on the capital invested. The petitions were
from a large number of merchants, bankers of the city of
London ; the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Asso-
ciation for the Establishment of Baths for the La-
bouring Classes ; from the Board of Guardians of the
parish of St. Martins-in-the-Fields; one signed by 121 paro-
chial clergymen, which was entitled to special consideration, as
they complained that the want of accommodation for forward-
ing personal cleanliness, interfered with the attendance of the
poorer classes at church. He hoped steps would be taken to
meet this state of things, and that the recreation and innocent
amusement of the labouring classes, which had been so little
attended to for a long time, would be now considered.
Unless they provided baths and wash-houses for the poorest
order of the working classes, so as to beget habits of cleanliness,
it would be vain for them to provide amusement. and instruc-
tion for them by museums or otherwise.
The Marquis of NORMAN BY thought that the Rev.
Prelate owed no apology for introducing so important a sub-
ject. It was a most important question, and in con-
nexion with a subject that had been before the other
House of Parliament —the dwellings of the poor
one entitled to their greatest consideration.—(Hear, hear.)
The Right Rev. Prelate was the first to draw the attention of
the Government to this question and he deserved great praise
for his exertions, and he trusted that he would not confine himself
to simply erecting baths and washhouses, but go to further
improvements necessary to the health and well being of the
poorer classes of this metropolis.
Lord KINNAIRD said that it was impossible to imagine
the distress and misery existing in this metropolis—it required
occular proof to give any one an idea of its extent. The poor
were crowded together in consequence of the improvements
taking place in other parts of the metropolis. There were
buildings new going on at Bethnal-green, and there was not
one sewer provided for them, and this, he thought, showed
the necessity, and, indeed, he considered it high time that a
Board of Health should be established.
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
Lord KINNAIRD said he had to present a petition on the
Electric Telegraph Bill, the report of which was to be brought
up this evening.
The Duke of BEAUFORT objected to its reception, as
being needless.
Lord KINNAIRD said that the petition was based on public
grounds.
Lord BROUGHAM—Give us its prayer.
Lord KINNAIRD said that this was a subject of great
public interest, and the object of this petition was to prevent
the carrying of this Bill without further consideration. The
petition was not opposed to the Bill itself, but, according to
the prayer, to provide for its being carried out. From these
it appeared, that if the Bill were carried in its
it might prevent the improvement of the
if they gave the power sought by this
oraoru'ld assuredly create a monopoly. This evil
pssßytraisel ttise:emmn
itet; n
ft
oswfr,
had already been largely felt by the water and gas companies.
The report was to be brought up this evening, and he thought
that if a clause were to be introduced at some future stage of
the Bill, obliging all companies to give this advantage to the Go-
vernment, it would in a great degree hinder the mischief which
the petitioner anticipated, and he should niove that the'petition
be referred to_the Committee.
The Duke of BEAUFORT stated that the report had
already been brought up, and the object of the .petition had
already been answered. The petition indeed had been pre-
sented, and had been fully considered by the Committee.
CORN-LAWS,
The Bishop of DURHAM presented a petition from Durham
praying their Lordships to pass the Corn Bill as speedily as
possible. He considered it would be of great benefit to the
agricultural portion of the people of that county.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY concurred in the prayer
of the petition. The Noble Marquis defended himself against
the charges which had been brought against him of
having changed his principles and formed an alliance with the
Anti-Corn-law League. He had always stated, both in public
and private, that no Ministry could long resist the repeal of the
corn-laws.

The Duke of BUCKINGHAM, who was alluded to by the
Noble Marquis, briefly explained, and then gave notice that in
the Commit tee on the Corn-law Bill he would move that the words
" until the first of February, 1849," should be omitted.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM presented a petition from a place
whose name we could not catch in favour of an immediate
repeal.
LONDON AND RAILWAY YORK BILL.
The Earl of LOVELACE brought up the report upon this
Bill, and moved for the discharge of the Committee. They
had been now nineteen days at work, and they had passed all
the unopposed Bills.
Lord BROUG HAM considered that the proposition was a
very reasonable one, but he considered that it would be better
to defer it till Friday next.
Lord VIVIAN objected to such a course. He did
think that the Committee had strong claims upon the consi-
deration of their Lordship? House, after having now sat for
nineteen days, and particularly when their Lordships recol-
lected that in all the other Committees of their Lordships'
House, not one of them had such a number of
Railway Bills before them as had occupied, or would
occupy half the time. He was aware of this fact, and thei e-
fore he trusted their Lordships would accede to the propo-
sition.

The Earl of DEVON said he felt quite assured that the
Committee whose duty it was to select members of that House
to serve on Committees, would consider the subject with the
anxiety it deserved.
Lord REDESDALE said it was not the duty of the Covi-
mittee who arranged those railways in groups to consider the
question. At the same time he should admit that the request
made by the Committee was a reasonable one, and that it
would be easy to refer the Bills before that Committee to
another one. No doubt it might be urged that
a great deal of the evidence upon some of those Bills had already
been heard by that Committee; but then he did not think
that the consideration of a few days' additional expense which
would be incurred by referring the Bills to another Com-
mittee should be any reason for refusing the request. He
suggested that the house should decide upon it on Thursday
next.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM said, that the question appeared to
him to open a much wider field for consideration than the mere
question of giving leave of absence to that Committee, and
therefore it should be considered as one of very great importance.
They could no longer go on upon the present system, and he
could not allow the opportunity to pass without observing how
inefficient were the present means of conducting the great
and important system of national intercourse.
Lord BROUGHAM agreed with the Noble Lord as to the
necessity of a new and independent department, not
to supersede but to aid the Parliament, in its inyestigatiort
into these Bills. It would be of more satisfaction to the
country, and to the promoters of these Bills, that a department
should be set apart, to which all private Bills ought to be re-
ferred.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE was convinced that some new ma-
chinery should be adopted to facilitate railway business in
Parliament. He entirely agreed with the Noble Lord oppo-
site (Earl Fitzwilliam) that a change was necessary. Llt
them look to the progress of the present Bill. It was intro-

duced last session into the House of Commons, where it was
considered nbt nineteen days, but eighty-four days. Under
such circumstances, it was almost impossible to get Members
of Parliament to sit so long unless they were compelled to do
so. It had 'hen been introduced into this Howe, in the:present
session of Parliament. They were now in the month of June
considering a Bill which had been passed last year by the
House of Commons. Another company came into the field
this year, and because they had a branch which competed for a
short distance with the London and York Railway, the whole
question was opened up, and the sitting of the Committee was
therefore the more prolonged. He thought it but right, that
where a branch competed with a project for a main line, the
inquiry should only extend to that branch.
Lord REDESDALE was of opinion that something should
be done to alter the present system of opposition in Com-
mittees.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE conceived that the mo-
tion could not be entertained by the House. The better plan
would i.e either to move that the standing order be suspended,
or that the report be brought up on Thursday next. Rut to
this latter course there was this difficulty, that the Committee
were suppOsed to sit de die in diem till the report was made.
This was only a partial report, and therefore it was incompe-
tent for the House to entertain it ; and as the better p:an,
therefore, he would suggest that th Noble Lord should move
that the standing order be suspended.
A conversation, in which many Noble Lords joined, then en-
sued, which was interrupted by
The LORD CHANCELLOR, who suggested that there
were several Members of the House of Commons, who had
been waiting for a long time, but

Lord CAMPBELL said he was disposed to show all possi-
ble courtesy to those Hon. Members, but he had a very few
words to add to the debate, and he could not help observing,
that it appeared as if the Committee wished to throw off their
duty by a side wind.
After some further discussion, leave was given for the
Committee to sit again on Thursday, at four o'clock.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition, complaining of the
difficulty of obtaining sites for the session churches in Scotland,
and praying that some measures might be adopted to remove
the evil. The Noble Lord also presented a petition, numer-
ously signed, praying that the measure then under discussion,
with reference to the corn duties, might speedily pass
into a law.