The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-08 00:00:00

THE T N HOURS BILL.

The death of Lord Wharncliffe, and the consequent
elevation of the Hon. John Stuart Wortley, M.P., to the
House of Peers, having created a vacancy in the repre-
sentation of the West Riding, the Central Short Time
Committees of Yorkshire resolved that the ten hours
question should be promptly brought before such candi-
date or candidates as might offer themselves, and that
the secretary sould solicit an interview for a deputation
from each of the Short Time Committees of the manu-
facturing districts of Yorkshire.

On Saturday, Dec. 27, the Right Hon. Lord Viscount
Morpeth, having, in compliance with a numerously
signed rk quisition of the electors, offered himself as a
candidate, intimating at the same time his intention of
declining to visit the several large towns, as on former
occasions, the secretary of the Cr ntral Short Time Com-
mittee immediately proceeded to Castle Howard, whence
his Lordship's address to the electors was doted the day
previous, for the purpose of soliciting an interview for a
deputation from all the Short Time Cemmittees of the
West Riding on this important subject,
He arrived at Castle Howard on Saturday evening,
and was must courteously received by the Noble Lord,
who, in reply to his request on behalf of the Short 'rime
Committees, that Loru Morpeth would fix a day upon
which he might be pleased to meet the deputation from
those bodies, expressed hi* readiness to meet them at
York. His Lordship at the same time stated, that if the
delegates thought proper to send him a written com-
munication, he would give it the same attention, and
save the deputies and himself the trouble of a long
journey. After some conversation on the factory
question, in which the Noble Lord showed considerable
interest for the improvement of the condition of the
working classes, the secretary returned, and on Monday
summoned a meeting of the delegates at the New Inn, at
Bradford, for Tuesda‘ , the 30th ult., which was presided
over by the Rev. W. Morgan, 8.C., incumbent of Christ
Church.

After considerable discussion it was decided that Lord
Nlorpeth's suggestion should be acted upon, and the
following memorial was unauimously adopted, to which
his Lordship's answer was received on Monday :
"TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD VISCOUNT NORPETH.

" dly Lord,—We. the delegates of the Short iime
Committees deputed from all the large manufacturing
towns of the West Riding, beg leave most respectfully to
state to your Lordship that the existing Act of Parlia-
ment allows the working of young persons in factories
for 12 hours a day on five days of the week, and nine
hours on Saturdays.
" That these hours of labour iz factories are most op-
preasivo, and that the shortening thereof is absolntely
essential to the well-being of the crowded population in
the factory districts.
" That the large proportion of females and young
persons employed in factories renders it the more neces-
sary to lessen this anreasonable length of toil, and that
the hours of working should be from six o'clock in the
allowing proper
intervalsmorning six 'k in the evening,

" That 'a majority of the House of Commons, includ-
ing most of the leading members of all parties, did in
the session before last give their support to Lord
Ashley's measure of ten hours working per day, but in
consequence of the oppositi,,n of the Government to this
just and necessary limitation their decision was subse-
quently rfversed. That the factory system requires this
term of daily labour to be enacted for the purpose of
giving to the working classes and their families the
means of obtaining social comfort, with moral and reli-
gious improvement. Lint this great question can never
be settled until the claims of justice and humanity are
conct ded by a legislative prohibition of the destructive
toil which many hundreds of persons are now doomed
to suffer in factories, inflicting upon these unoffending
individuals two hours longer labour per day than is re-
quired from adults who perform their daily labour at
other trades out of factories.
" Your memorialists, therefore, most earnestly en-
treat your Lordship's sympathy for their oppressed con-
dition, and in the event of your Lordship king again
called to take your seat in the House of Commons as
the representative of the West Ititittig, that you will
gratiiy the expectatiOns entertained from your Lord-
' ship's benesolent character, by giving your influence
wol support to the Bill which will he introduced by Lord
Ashley, for the restriction of factory lalioltr to ten hours
a day for five days, and eight hours on SEc urciayst
LORD MORPETHS REPLY.

•• Castle Howard, Jan. 3, 1816.
" Gentlemen,—l have been favourt 4 with the memo
rial of the Delegtites of the Short 'rime Committees of
the West Riding of Yorkshire.
•' I willingly promise to them the sympathy they re-
quest with so much propriety and forbearance of lan
guage, for the whole body which they represent, and for