The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-14 00:00:00

MR. .110.P.LEY ON THE LONG•HOUR

SYSTEM

After showing (in his second lecture on bodily
exercise) how spinal curvature and various other
diseases are induced by insufficient exercise among
the inmates of ladies' schools, Mr. Hopley continues
as follows :

" A few words more. We have been contem-
plating some of the many errors which exist in the
training of the higher classes of society ; and
grievous, indeed, they seem, both in their commis-
sion and in their effects. But shall we forget, while
thinking of our own families, the far more grievous
errors which exist among the poor ? Look again
to the working-rooms of the imprisoned needle-
women, and see there kept up for 16, 18, 20 hours
a-day, the same positions that have curved your
daughters', spines and ruined their constitutions.
Are not these daughters of England too ? and are
we to improve systems for ourselves alone, while
diseases are invited to attack the poor ? Look again
to the little children of the manufactories, silent
and sad at their various occupations—' running '
their lace, or drawing ' their threads, or heading
their rAns—and know that such is their employ-
ment for 10, 14, 16 hours together. It is well to be
anxious that in our own growing families every law
of health may be carefully observed ; but should
these continue to be treated as they are ? I ask
you not now to consider the condition of adult male
operatives, with whose ways of labour some might
argue we have no right to interfere, but I am anxious
to impress upon your minds the condition of hun-
dreds of thousands of helpless women and children in
our country, who are forced to undergo pain and suf-
'firing, who are forced to sacrifice health, happiness
—nay, many years of life itself, in striving for the
.means of living.
"To those among you who have not looked into
such matters, it must: appear incredible that some
of these children are set to work as early as five
and even four years old ; that for years from their
period of commencement, or, until their little lives
are too far withered to beiirriitther service; they•
are never in, bed before ten, and more frequently
later ;' that it is common for little girls of six and
seven 3,2,-ars old, but whose stunted growth makes
them appear much younger, to be occupied in
small close rooms from ten to twelve hours a day
'kexclusive of meals), during which period they are
neither allowed to move nor speak ; that children
of nine, eight, seven years old, girls as well as boys,
are, as a usual thing,' made to work for sixteen
and even eighteen hours without intermission ; '
that children frequently faint at their work,' and
more frequently sleep at their work,' and are
shaken and beaten in order to be kept awake. To
those who have not looked into these grave matters,
it must be difficult to believe that it is common for
many among our female slaves to have no rest for
20, 30, 40 hours together ; that it is a very common
thing for them to ply the needle the 24 hours
through, two or three times a week ; that it- is not
uncommon for them to pass three or four consecu-
tive days and nights without even taking off
their clothes ' • that they are frequently com-
pelled to work themselves blind—to work them-
selves almost dead; that instances have been brought
to light where labour has been protracted for seven,
eight, and even 'nine days and nights consecutively,'
without any change of dress, -without any regular
period allotted to repose, without so much as time
allowed for meals. I feel that I am speaking of facts
which must appear to many incredible ; * but what
will,you say—what must you think of our Chris-
tian country—when you are told that all these
things have been known in the highest quarters—
have been known to Government, to Parliament, to
the heads of our Church, to all who are or should
be the leading men of our nation, for upwards of
fifteen years, and no steps whatever have been
taken by our legislators to crush this crying sin ?
What must you think when you are told that the
leading men of our nation are perfectly aware that
tens of thousands of our women and little children
are being annually killed through over-toil, and yet
they let these things continue ? What must you
think when you are told that as long ago as 1841,
a Commission of Inquiry was formed to investigate
these matters_? that the Commission brollabt to
light not only such facts as we are now considering,
but many far more fearful facts than these ? that
they were formed into blue-books, and put before
the Government, and members of both Houses ?
that by many they were totally disregarded—by
others taken up, perused, laid down again—and
there an end ! The evils could not be abolished—
there were difficulties in the way And for
what, I would ask, are distinguished men raised to
distinguished posts of honour if .it be not to cope
with difficulties ? There were difficulties in the
way !' And so thousands of the Queen's subjects
are every year to perish miserably, and thousands
more to grow up dwarfed and deformed, and
so, by natural- law, become the -parents of—ti
dwarfed and deformed progeny—and why ? Not
because it is impossible to root out the shameful
wrong—not because the whole legislative body
have strained every energy to find remedial mea-
sures, and strained in vain—but because there are

difficulties in the way !' And can we wonder
that the world is so diseased ? wonder that plagues
afflict our people ? wonder that upwards fifty of
thousand human beings are annually perishing in
England from consumption alone ? Shame on all
Governments that have not the moral courage to be
just. My friends, I speak not as a party man : I
address you as a simple lecturer on education. The
true educationist is the bigot of no political party
—of no class section. He never advocates the in-
terests of the poor against the rich, nor of the rich
against the poor—of the employed against the
employer, nor of the employer against the employed.
His fight is against cold-heartedness, wherever it
exists. His struggle is against the selfishness of
the world. His arguments are against the folly
of those who, to their own detriment, will regard
themselves more than they regard their neighbours.
He casts his eyes around, and wherever he beholds
any infringement of the Creator's laws—those laws
which are ordained to regulate the conduct of the
human family—whether the infringement be
the deed of the wealthy or of the indigent, of the
many or of the few—whether it affect the mental
coneaution by acting on the body, or the bodily
constitution by acting on the mind—he knows
that such infringement must lessen human happi-
ness ; and he feels it his duty to lift up his voice and
say, These things are contrary to the laws of
God. And all the infringements of nature's laws
which we have been contemplating in this and
former lectures—whether observable in schools and
private families, or in the working-rooms of such
employers as love their gold more than their fel-
low-creatures—all are infringements of the laws of
God. And all of you who will receive these
truths, and will help to spread abroad these
truths, will be expediting human progress ; will
be augmenting the general happiness of the world ;
will be employed in working out God's will.
There is not one here present, however humble he
may be, but is gifted with this mighty privilege.
In your own families, in your own circles, you may
do much ; in the schools to which those among you
who are parents have been accustomed to instruct
your children, you may do much ; with all who
have anything whatever to do with the training of
any who are near and dear to you, you may do
much ; for to such it is your right, it is your duty,
to express your sentiments ; and thus may you
effect much good. Nor is this all. There is not
one of us but has it in his power to improve the
condition of the over-toiling, ill-paid poor—not one
but has it in his power to aid in the extermination
of the giant wrongs which everywhere encompass
them; for though no good results may seem to
spring directly from the expression of our senti-
ments, still, believe me, it is utterly impossible to
constantly speak truth, and not do good. Every
fresh voice raised against an error tends to en-
lighten the world's mental darkness ; and at the
dawn of every new-acknowledged truth, a whole-
some public opinion ever rises. Public opinion,
Heaven be praised, is already dawning on the mat-
ters which we have been contemplating ; but be it
remembered that every one here present
risingresent of hast
power to facilitate its rising, and th
pub-
lic opinion—even though it should not cause em-
ployers to be just through a sense of shame, or
make it palpabie to their senses that it itstos
usefultheir
interest to be,so---will be sure to effect this
of the
ti at length
obj
whichct ;dim
i t willh the
eyes disperseef
legislators,
hardthe y shallte
doj
discoverusiee thattto
t ialfet after
poor."—The
h tms
Third
d veryv
Hopley's Series on time Education of Dian.

* Mr. ilopley's statistics of " Wrongs which Cry for Re-
dress" prove, beyond a doubt, the truth of his assertions,
—ED.

SHIPPING CASUALTIES.—The gale with which
the eastern coast was visited at the close of last week did
not spend itself till Sunday night, and two other casualties
occurred off Lowestoft. The schooner Sunshine, Tunell
master, from Totness for Sunderland, with timber, struck
on the Newcome Sand and became a complete wreck. All
hands and the captain's wife took to the boat, but they had
only one broken oar to force it through the heavy sea. Two
of the crew held up a shawl for the purpose of assisting the
but the
progress of the boat, which made Lowestoft harbour in
safety. The Margaret schooner, Haskell master, from Sun-
derland for Southampton, with coals, was driven on Lowe-
stoft beach. An effort was made to get her off/
When the
had three and
violence of the weather was so great that the m
in the task were obliged to be drawn ashore ell engaged
gale moderated, it was found that the vessel
a half feet water in her hold, and she will 3.0 have to be
lightened and stripped before she can be got 0;