The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-22 00:00:00

DARTMOUTH ELECTION.

Mr. LYGON moved that the minutes of the evidence
taken before the select committee on the Dartmouth elec-
tion petition, in session 1859, be laid before the house.--
Ordered.

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.
Mr. STANFIELD resumed the adjourned debate, and
was

(LEFT SPEARING.)

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--(YEsiEnDAY.)

SLEACIIING AND DYEING WORKS BILL.

Mr. CROOK moved the second readiniOfthisbill7.
Mr. IT-RIVER moved, as an amendment, that it be read
a second time that day six months.
Mr. RIC'HARDSON seconded the amendment.
Mr. ROEBUCK—I ani about to speak on this question
under somewhat peculiar circumstances. Very early in my
Parliamentary career Lord Ashley, now the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, introduced a bill of this description. I, being an ar-
dent political economist, as I am now, opposed the measure,
and drew a distinction, which I draw now, between women'
and children and men. Women and children I hold not to
be atajuris ; they are not masters of themselves, but are
under the control of other people. I would not interfere
between men and those with whom they make eentracts for
employment, but I would certainly interfere between women
and children and their employers. However, I opposed
Lord Ashley at that time, and was very much influenced in
my opposition by what the gentlemen of Lancashire said.
They declared then that it was the last half hour of the work
performed by their operatives which made all their profits,
and that if we took away that last half hour we should ruin
the manufacturers of England. I listened to that statement,
and trembled for the manufacturers of England—(a laugh)
—but Lord Ashley persevered. Parliament passed the bill
which he brought in. From that time down to the present
the factories of this country have been under State control,
and I appeal to this house whether 'the manufacturers
of England have suffered by this legislation. (Cheers.)
But the hon. member for Manchester still, I find, makes
the same objection. He gets up and prophecies all
sorts of evil if we interfere now ; but he has kept
out of view the evils for the prevention of which we are
now about to interfere. (Hear, hear.) He has not told
us what was laid before the committee, and what Mr.
Tremenheere describes in the course of his investigation.
But I will read some facts from Mr. Tremenheere's report,
and will then appeal to the House of Commons, to the
fathers and the brothers of English women and children, if
they will not interfere to put down this tremendous evil.
(Hear.) There are some sentences in the book now in my
hand which make my blood creep, and when the hon. mem-
ber gets up and tells me that the Manchester manufacturers
are likely to suffer, I say, let them suffer. (Hear, hear.)
I, at least, will not be a party to the perpetuation of any
such atrocities as I find recorded, and I do hope that the
gentlemen of England will not be parties to them either.
(Hear, hear.) Says the hon. member, "the bleachers are
servants to the public ; the demand for work comes upon
them at uncertain times, and there is no analogy between
the case of factories and of bleaching and dyeing works."
Now, I don't care a straw whether or not there is any
analogy In this respect, but I am sure there is an analogy
in the suffering—(cheers) ; and if so, the interference of
the house is as necessary now as it was then, whether the
bleachers are servants of the public or their own masters.
They inflict misery upon the people they employ. (Hear.)
is the question ; and having prevented this misery
in the one case, let us interfere to prevent it in the other.
(Hear.) I will now quote a few passages from Mr. Tre-
menheere's report. Here is the statement of John Hamer,
finisher

" 1 have been 14 years in the bleaching trade. I was
employed at Messrs. Hollins's, Tootle-bridge, Bolton.. .
One morning we went to work at 5 o'clock and worked till
6 the morning after (25 hours). All the sets wore work-
ing the same hours (the young with the adults). . . I
have been so tired, though I am a strong and healthy man,
that I have often to sit at my bedside when I get up of a
morning, and my fingers are so stiff and sore that I cannot
dress myself. I feel thus tired what must the young
girls and boys feel ?"

(Bear, hear) Let hon. gentlemen remember that this is an
inquiry made only a year and a half ago. (Hear, hear.)
Here is the statement of Ann Simpson, 14 years old, Eliza-
beth Hilton, 1.5, and Sarah Hi„ son, 16 :
"We came to work last Friday morning at half-past six
(at Mr. Ridgway Bridson's Bleach-works, Bolton). We
worked all Friday night till half-past five on Saturday morn-
ing (23 hours). We did not sleep any time in the night,
except on Saturday morning at half-past five we laid down
to sleep on the hooking-box, and slept till a little after seven
(less than two hour's sleep, and with the clothes still on,
after 23 hours' work) ; then we went to breakfast for half
an hour, and then came and worked till ten minutes past
eleven."

We complain bitterly of the hours of this house, and if we
tome at four with liberty to away and dine at seven, and
then don't get home till go
in the morning, we say,
"What a terrible night's work we have had !" (A laugh.)
Well, then, think of the poor child between 13 and 14, or
between 10 and 11, not able to go away and get a good din-
ner, not sitting while at work upon these soft cushions, but
standing upon her poor, tired, little legs for hours and
hours together. (Hear, hear.) Think of her and com-
pare her work with ours. (Hear.) We complain of the
labours which we undergo, but as compared with our life.
hers is the life of the damned. (Hear, hear.) Phithian
Monks says :
"I am foreman of the dyeing and making-up room. I
worked last Friday till Saturday morning with those three
girls, and what they have said is correct."
" William Crompton.—l am 17. I have been four years
and a half (that is, since he was 12 years old) in the dress-
ing-shop. We go on till different hours, sometimes early,
sometimes late. I worked once three days and three nights,
and not long since I began work on Friday morning at 4
and worked till son Saturday night (37 hours). I mostly
slept at meal times, and only stopped one hour for meals ;
the rest I ate while I was working.
(Hear, hear.) Now, I ask you, the gentlemen of England,
if you will bear this. (Cheers.) I hear great talk of huma-
nity—lip humanity !—(hear, hear—about the American
slave. No man can view with more indignation than Ido the
horrible condition of the black in America ; but I cannot help
regarding with at least equal indignation the condition of
the white slave in England. (Hear, hear.) I recollect hear-
ing a story which to me appeared atouching one, and fraught
with a pregnant lesson. Mr Oastler was walking with the
late Sir Robert Peel up his splendid picture gallery. Mr_
Oastler, as we knew, strongly advocated the shortening of
the hours of labour in factories. Sir Robert Peel, on the
other hand, as we also know, was a great political econo;
mist, and was arguing with his companibn upon the im-
policy of State interference. In passing along the gallery
they came to a beautiful picture, I think by Landseer,
which most of us probably have seen—a portrait of one of
the daughters of Sir Robert Peel; and Mr. ()make, stop-
ping suddenly, said, "My God, Sir Robert I And she might
have been a factory girl ! " Yes, any one of our daughters
might have been a factory girl, and is there a man present
with any feeling for his child who could think of her work-
ing almost without cessation for 37 hours ! (Hear, hear.)
Think of her tender years, think of her delicate little hands
I have it in this book that children' hands are often blis-
tered, and the skin torn off their feet, and yet they are thus
obliged to work, the persons 'who overlook them being
sometimes forced to keep them awake by beating on the
table with large boards. (Hear.) For God's sake, then, I
say, don't let us listen to the hon. gentleman ! I don't
want to weary the house, but I appeal to you as men, I
appeal to you as fathers, I appeal to you as brothers, and I
ask you for God's sake not to be participants in this horrible
cruelty. (Cheers.) The hon. member says he is sure you
will not go into committee on this bill. I, en the contrary,
feel certain that if I know anything of my countrymen we
shall go into committee ; that the measure will be carried
by a triumphant majerity, and that we shall not lay our
heads upon our pillows to-night, saying " We have deserted
those whom God has placed under our charge—the weak,
the helpless, the distressed; we think only of ourselves, of
the wealthy and of the great." (Cheers.) The weak and
the miserable appeal to you for compassion and for aid, and.
I, their humble advocate, also appeal to you in perfect con-
fidence that you will listen to their prayer, and will pass
this measure for their relief. (Cheers.)

Mr. COBBETT supported the bill.
Lord J. MANNERS thought the home might safely give
a second reading to the bill.
Sir H. CAIRNS said the bleaching of linen in the north of
Ireland was a very different process from that carried 011 is
Lancashire, and if the promoters of the bill would give
him an assurance that it should not apply to Ireland, 12,
would vote for the second reading.
Mr. RICHARI,SQN and Mr. CONOLLY warmly opposed
the bill, which they considered most unjust to the freedom
of manufacture in Ireland.
Mr. A. EGERTON considered that legislation was ne-
cessary, and supported the bill.
The house then divided, and the numbers were-
-226
For the second reading
39
Against it
—lB7
Majority
The bill was then read a second time.

A telegraphic despatch
troopsd e shpaadt
alreadych fro m
commented Milan
tahnenirOhu
onme e S
that the Frence
ward movement. The order, as you are aware, had been
sent weeks ago to have them ready to move at the firstnotiee.
It seems that this step has been taken in accord 'with M.
Cavour, who considers that the Piedrnontese army is
fully equal to any emergency, and strong enough to
resist any possible attack on them by the Austrians. The
Austrians probably will not put their prowess to the test
just now, unless M. Cavour attempts to strike another blow
for the liberation of Venetia ; and., in truth, M. Cavour
thinks he has so completely the mastery over
his Imperial
ally that he may do as he pleases. The omeward-bound
French army will, it is said, Occupy Savoy and Nice.
INDIAN ARMY.—..k return moved for by Lord
Ellenborough has been just issued, and shows the manner
in which the officers of the disbanded regiments of the Ben-
gal army are now disposed of. Tt appears that of the offi-
cers disbanded 277 are on furlough; 115 on political and
civil employ ; 55 on the military staff; 302 servilag with
irregular regiments ; 118 doing duty with her Majesty's
European regiments ; 36 doing duty with other corps of
the Bengal army; 6 on duty with discharged soldiers
proceeding to England ; 64 with police col ps; 5g
with Commissariat and stud; 38 on public works and
surveys; 3 studying at Thomason Collage • 1 in ter aporary
command of station at Barrackpore ; 14' doing 'duty at
Saugor, Meeanmeer, Meerut, Mooltan, Delhi, Barn ickpore,
kc. ; and 64 unemployed, including 10 colonels re; aiding is
India ; making a total of 1,151. officers. The total , number
of privates and non-commissioned officers whe tr ook their
discharge from the late East India Company's army in
consequence of the transference of the Government of India
to the Crown was 10,185 ; of which numb( br 6,338 were
from Bengal, 1,739 from Madras, and 2,108 f tom Bombay.
nTihenetpsrineselnnt ediaffelactinivensetrgaieng6th,3o2f4,th loca
l drasEi
,11.20,8pe1em79,
anrdegii;
Bombay 2,676 men ; total, 11,879 ; not inclui ling 3,303 re_
eruits embarked for India between the Ist of June and Ist
of December, 1859, and 1,393 recruits for Inc uow at the
depots in England,