The Sun.
London, England, 1833-03-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

LIOUSE OF COMMONS, AtscHl4.
The Gallery of the House was opened to-day for the ad-
mission of strangers shortly after tour o'clock, in conse-
quence, as we understood, of the order for the ballot on
the Knaresborough election hav'ng been agreed to be
discharged.
Mr. GORE LANGTON presented a petition from
Frome, in favour of the Bath Road Improvement Bill.
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a petition from the
proprietors of the Imperial Gas Company, praying for
leave to bring in a Bill for the improvement of their

works.
Mr. O'CONNELL brought up the report of the Dublin
Steam-packet Company.
Mr. A. SANFORD presented a petition from Frome,
in favour of the Railroad Improvement Bill.
OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.
Mr. TOOKE presented a petition from Truro, in favour
of the better observance of the Sabbath.
Mr. O'CONNELL observed that he had a similar peti-
tion to present trom the parish of Sr. Michael, Dublin,
agreed to at a public meeting of the inhabitants of that
parish of every sect, supported most strongly by the Ca-
tholic Archbishop of Dublin.—(Hear.)
An Holz. MEMBER, who said he had been intrust-d
with several similar petitions, sincerely trusted that
the Honourable Members would not allow a single
hour to elapse after the conclusion of the presentation of
petitions oft the Irish Coercive Bill before they pre-ented
petitions of a similar nature to those he had adverted to,
and he trusted the House would receive such petitions
exclu,ively.—( Hear.)
Sir M. W. RIDLEY deprecated entering into discus-
sions on the presentation of petitions, or the allowinz of
particular petitions to be presented to the exclusion of all
others, as the adoption of such a course would put an end
altogether to the usual course adopted by the House.
CORPORATIONS.
Mr. TOOKE presented a petition from the Mayor and
inhabitants or Truro, praying f.r a revision of their tnuni-
cipal code.—Referred to the Corporation Committee.
LAND TAX.
The Hox. MEMBER also presented a petition from St.
Andrew's, Holborn, above the bar, praying for the equali-
sation of the land tax.
Mr. WILKS, in reference to the latter petition, stated
hat to gra. t the prayer of it would lead to no beneficial
result, and would interfere with the rights of property for
century hark
Mr. TOOKE stated that the petitioners were prepared
to make out a case that would he site:factory to all parties.
LABOUR IN F.aCTORIES BILL.

Lord ASHLEY preseaed eevera, petitions from Gies-
Merry, in Yore•hite, Chorley, St. M .ry-at- Hill,
London, Little Bolton, in Leicestershire, and from certain
citizens of Lonclun, agreed to at a public meeting. of which
the Lord Mayor was Chairman, in favour if the Bill limit-
ing the hours of children's labour in factories to ten hours
d ; and elso against ahe granting of any commissions
to examine witnesses.
Mr. STRICKLAND had been requested to support
the petition ttom Batley, and he dial so most heartily, tee-
ing that the Bill was absaute y necessary for th- sake of
humanity.. (Hear, hear ) He hop d that no delay svould
take place in tee progress of the Bill, which he fared would
he the case, if the commissione to examine witnesses were
issued ; and the consequence might tie, that the Bill would
ae lost this session, as it was the last. He would not
oppose any commission, provided it was likely to produce
my new fa• ts, but he could not conceive aow any per-
son could le qtere evidence to prove that an unfortunate
child should not he compelled to s and fifteen hours a day
at a marhin worked by steatn.—(Heat, bear.)
An How. MEstaza, whose name we could not learn,
denied that the motion of which he had eiven notice Ice
the appointment of a coimnisaion would cause any delay
in the parsing of the Bill. His only 0. jCt was, to d
justice to the master manufacturers, agaii.st whom ampu
t Akins had been made which were wholly groundless.
Those imputations bad been printed by order of toe House,
and it was only fair that. the masters should he
allowed to refute them. That was his only object, and he
had no desire to delay the Bill. The Bill could not creme
into operation, as he understood, until July, and he would
undertake that all the evidence necessary to he collected
should be obtained without delaying the Bali beyond the
period at which the Noble Lord (Ashley) proposed to
introduce it.
Mr. ROBINSON thought the effect of the motion
would be to delay the Bill. He was at a loss to know why
any thing more should be necessary to induce the House to
legislate upon the subject. The suppovere of the measure
had never charged the masers with cruelty ; but they
had declared that the system was a cruel one. Tne
Legislature was bound to protect those children, and he
conjured the Legislature, alter the evidence which had
already been gone into, to go hand in bawl, and promote
the objects of the Noble Lord's Bill.—( Hear, hear. )
Lord ASHLEY stated that the Bill was direc'ed
against the system, and he hoped that no motion would
be made to delay its progress. The system was one
which the country ought not to tolerate. Imme-
diately the Bill was printed, he had sent elf one
huntied copies into the country, and, consequently,
its provisions were generally well understood. He was
quite ready to give as much time as was requisite for the
mature consideration of all its contents ; but with the
facts and evidence already before the House, and with so
many Members who were connected with the manufac-
turing districts, the House was quite competent to dis-
cuss the subject without any tedious inquiries before
another Committee or a commission. He could not pos-
sibly consent to the commission going forth, because he
felt assured it would so delay the progress of the Bill as
to render it impossible to push it through both Houses
before the conclusion of the session.
Mr. WILBRAHAM was a friend to the Noble Lord's
Hill, and thought that a prima facie case for the inter-
ference of the House had been made out, but still a fair
ju-'gment could not, he thought, be come to, evidence on
only one side of the question having been heard.
Mr. C. FERGUSSON said that the Committee had
been appointed for two purposes, first to show that a
grievance existed in working children beyond the
hours which were consistent with their health,
and in the second place to show to what extent that
over-working injured their health.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
Now it had been established by evidence not ~,to
be controverted that children were worked 13, 14, and 15
hours a-day, and that ten hours was admitted to be the
utmost that the strength of infants could endure in those
factories. The evidence, t-eerefore, had established the
grievance ; and he trusted the Noble Lord would press
through his measure with all possible expedition. While
they talked of Commissions and delay, the infants were
perishing.—(Hear, hear.) The system was cruel and ab-
horrent to every principle and feeling, as it at present
existed in these factories. This was the cause of hu-
manity, and the House would not do well in the sight of
God and the country, if it delayed one single moment
beyond what was necessary to carry this Bill.
Mr. O'CONNELL said it was a question of humanity
and religion. The clergymen of all persuasions in the
district where the factory system prevailed, complained not
only of the misery entailed physically upon the children
as to bodily health, but also of the impo, ihility «f com-
municating to them any moral or religious instruction.
The means at present adopted for this purpose were to have
small slips printed and put under the sleeve of t. e factory
children, and sorry lie was to say that when these slips
were discovered by the masters, punishment immedioelY
followed.—(Hear.) As to the Committee which had been
appointed, under whose evidence the House was called
upon to legislate, he beeged to state that Mr. Sadler had
opposed its appointment, and it was therefore unfair to
complain of its proceedings, who it had actually been
promoted by the opponents of the Bill. It was the duly
of that House to protect imams from the inistortune and
vices of their paeLts, and from the affects of the avarice
of their was era, who, under the present system, had no
interest to coneult th it health and happiness.
Mr. WARBURTON thought it advisable that a corn-
miesion should be issued, hi order, as the petition stated,
that the opinions of manufacturers should he taken, not
so much to enable them to rebut the evidence which had
been given, as to lay before the House information ae to
ori.at would be the operation of the clauses of the Bill.
Sr far from prejudging, the prosecution of she measure, he
believed it would be the very best mode of facilitating its
progress.
Mr. C. WYNN had been opposed at first to the ap•
pointinent of a Committee, hut when the Hoe, had
determined to enter into inquiry, and receive ev.dence on
one side, he considered it would not be rimming justice to
those individuals against whom serious charges were
brought in this report, if an opportunity was not given to
tree themselves from those imputations. The charges
bad been made against them in the lace of Parhatnent
arid the country, and an opportunity should be given them
of c raring themselves, anal 'abutting the ch rges that had
ben made. Charges having been in .de against the
master
manufacturers, the 1-I,use cote(' taut refuse giving them
en opportunity of eel: juetification. He thought it would
be a it-ILA:Luta on the House to delay this Bill beyond the
present session of Parliament, tinstherefore he was will
ing to consent to any ins ructions being given to the
coirmaissietters to prevent unnecessary delay, and hasten
the pru.uction if the report.
Mr. BROTHERTON said that the factory system had