The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-08 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed:— I
Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast, and Ulster Railway Corn-
panies ; Caine Railway ; Droylsden Gas; and Oswestry
and Newtown Railway (Additional Capital, Bre,)
THE EVICTIONS AT CASTLEBAR, IRELAND.
Mr. MAGUIRE gave notice that he would ask the At-
torney-General for Ireland whether it was true that a
troop of hussars had been sent to assist in the evictions at
Lord Plunket's estate at Castlebar.

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
Mr. WISE moved for a return of all sums paid for in-
durating or preserving tha external stonework and the
iron rocfs of the Houses of Parliament since the year lea,
as well as the prices paid for sueh work rer superficial yard
—und, copy of any corresponthnce with the parties whose
processes have been used. —Ordered.

---
VACCINATION.
Mr. B. SEYMER moved an address for return of the
number of public vaccinators in the metropolis; with the
extent and population of the districts fur which they act;
the days and hourkin the week on which they vaccinate;
and the number of cases vaccinated. each day during the
year 1859.—Ordered.

GREAT BELL IN THE CLOCK TOWER.
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS asked the Chief Commis-
sioner of Works if he could afford the house any informa-
tion as to the condition of the great bell in the
clock tower ; and if an early expectation may be entertained
of its tones being heard again ?
Mr. COWPER said the bell was cracked in no less than
five places, but whether that was occasioned by the ham-
merte being' too heavy for the tenacity of the bell, or the
metal boing too brittle for the capacity of the hammer,
he could not say. (Laughter.)
THE NELSON MONUMENT.

In reply to Dir. IlArxgr,
Mr. COWPER. said that is months ago Sir Edwin
Landseer had received instructions to complete the lions for
the pedestal of the monument, but he could not state when
they would be ready.
SAVOY AND NICE.
ry

Sir J. %VALSH asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs whether he would lay on tho table of the house any
corresponpence with the Government of France relative to
the affairs of Italy, and the annexation of Savoy, which
had taken place subsequently to the date of the last papers
communicated.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the correspondenil in ques-
tion was prepared, and he would be able to lay it on the
table to-morrow. He took that opportunity of ap.
pealing to the honourable member for Bridgewater with
respect to his motion for Monday next in reference to Savoy
and Nice. That hon. member had thought proper on a for.
mer occasion to presshis motion, but he trusted he wouldnot
pursue the same course as regarded the motion in question,
as it would be attended with inconvenience and injury to
the public service.
Mr. KINGLAKE said that after the appeal of the noble
lord, who took upon himself the responsibility of the
statement he had made, it would be very wrong of
him (Mr. Kinglake) to attempt to proceed with his motion
on Monday. At the same time he assured the house
that he was so deeply convinced of the importance
of a careful and earnest consideration of the subject of
his motion, that when an opportunity arose when he could-
not be told that its discussion would be productive of in-
jury to
to the public
ic service, he
his m
would bring
ring it forward. He
would,
Mon-
day week, and he wished it to be uncle
till
rstoondextthAaltoni-t
was not his intention to imply any censure on the course
which the Government had adopted.

CHINA.
Mr. B. COCHRANE asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign, Affairs whether he would lay on the table th

dr apatehes which had passed between her Majesty's Govern-
meut and Mr. Bruce, our Ambassador in China, up to the
present time:
Lord J. RUSSELL said that he NyJnid lay thew papers
on the table on an early day.

THE WEITWORTH RIFLE.
Mr. W. EGERTON asked the Secretary of State for
War whether it was true that the offer of Mr. Whitworth's
gratuitous services' to adapt the Enfield establishment to
the production of rifles on his system had been refused by
Government, and, if so, whether he had any objection to
state the reason why ; and whether any calculatiJn had
been mule of the probable cost of the Whitworth rifle, if
made at the Enfiel 1 establislunent ?
Mr. S. HERBERT said such an offer had been made in

18:58, and no doubt it was refused on the ground of the ex-
pense that would be incurred in carrying out the proposal.

CT`SIOM.s hrsol. Ti()N5,

Mr. HORS PA LT, at0;e1: the Cha,neellor of the F,xche-
quer whether he intended to propose for the 'acceptance of
the house, Nos. 11, 12, and 13 is the Customs Resolutions,
and Nos. 1,2, and 8 of the "Ways and Means Resolutions,
and if so whether lie was prepared to state with what modi-
fications he intended to propose them.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
-that with respect to resolutions 12 and 13 he would be abie
tola,y them on the table in an amended form to-morrow. As
regarded resolutions 1 and 2 he hoped to be able to lay
them before the house in a day or two. As regarde i reso-
lution 8, it was not really a matter of finance, but related
to the building trade, and the house should have ample
time for its consideration before he asked lima. members to
agree to it.

NON-INTERVENTION WITH THE POPE.
Mr. SCULLY asked the First Lord of the Treasury
whether her Majesty's Government, being all Piotestant.
while a large portion of the Queen's subjects are Catholic,
it was intended by the present Government to observe the
principle of absolute non-intervention, so far at least as re •
garded the territories and sovereignty of his Holiness tho
Pope.
Lord PALMERSTON could assure the hon. member
that the foreign policy of her Majesty's Government was
not influenced either by the religion of Ministers, or of any
section of her Majesty's subjects. That policy was founded
on much larger and higher considerations. (Hear.) He had
already stated, with regard to the affairs of Italy, that the
principle which the Government endeavoured to inculcate
was to leave the people of that country free t.) arrange their
own affairs according to their own notions of what was best
for their own interests. (Cheers.) He trusted that they
would be able to make such arrangements as would secure
their peace and prosperity. (Hear, hear.)
EAST INDIA.—INDENTURED LABOURERS.

Mr. CAVE moved an address for copies of correspondence
between her Majesty's Government and the Government of
France in respect to legalising the exportation of natives of
British India as indentured labourers to French colonies.
Lord J. RUSSELL made an explanation, to the effect
that the treaty was intended to prevent a revival of the
African slave trade, but it was not yet signed. The corres-
pondence was very voluminous, but he had no obiec.t'on to
produce any extracts that might be required.

THE TREATY WITH FRANCE—ADDRESS TO
HER MAJESTY.
Mr. BYNG rose to move a humble aCclr.ms to her Ma-
jesty.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

WRONGS WHICH CRY FOR REDRESS.

Mr. Crook's bill for the Protection of Women
and Children employed in Blench Works, &c., will
be proposed towards the end of March. If, be-
tween this and then, popular opinion is not brought
to bear on this most atrocious question. it siatt; be
no fault of ours. We purpose that this article
shall appear in our columns frequently, until the
bill has again been brought before the house; and
we implore our brethren of the press to help the
country, and especially the Legislative Body, to a
right way of thinking on these horribly cruel mat-
ters. Our extracts are taken almost at random
from Mr. Hopley's pamphlet :
Samuel Price examined—" I was in the employment of
Messrs. Ainsworth, near Bolton. They employ about four
hundred people. It was mostly from eleven till twc o'clock
in the morring before we left off. In the last ye ir I w
with them, from April, 1853, to April, 1854, we were busy,
as well as I can remember, through the spring and through
the summer, for six or eight months of the year; that is,
we went to work from six to half. past six, sometimes at
four, and left off from ten to twelve, one or two in the
morning, and sometimes after that. * * All the
people in the works averaged these number of hours—some
even more."
[Observe that this dreadful toil was not an occasional or
, exceptional fact. Girls and boys were thus working,
"through the spring and through the summer, for six ,r
eight months ofthe year."]
"At times, if a sudden order has come, we have not been
in bed more than 16 or 18 hours in the week (averaging
more than 211 hours of unrest out of the 24 during seven
successive days and nights for girls and boys, some of
them no more than 12 years old)." Report of the Com-
missioner appointed to inquire how far it may be advisable
to extend the Provisions of the Acts for the better Regu •
lation of Mills and Factories to Bleaching Works, pp.
10, 11, Nos. 81-81.
William Johnson, finisher=" I am twenty-four 'years or
age. I was eleven when I first went to work. I worked
first for Mr. Fletcher, Leylands, ten years. At my com-
mencement" (that is, when he was a child of eleven) " I
began at twelve o'clock on Sunday night, and worked till
eight on Monday night (20 hours) ; then we started at
six o'clock on Tuesday morning, and worked till 12 at
night (18 hours) ; and we did that for two or three months
without stopping. * * I have been at a worse place
than that for long hours since ; at Mr. Whowell's, '1 wo
Brooks. * * * There were a deal of young girls, cne
or two under ten years of age.—lbid., p. 9, No. 68.

[To have a fall perception of the severity of this toil, it
should be borne in mind that a very large number of the
workers in these establishments are standing and " work-
ing hard" (as rapiPy as possible) during:lllll°st the whole
of these lengthened perioes. It is shoWn in evi lenee t'utt
sometimes for days in am cession the girls and boys have
no opportunity whatever of sitting down (save for their
hastily-snatched meals during the whole of the time spent
at the works.—Reports,passi»i.]
John Hamer, finisher—" I have been 15 years in the
bleaching trade. I was employed at Messrs. Hollins',
Tootle Bridge, Bolton. * * * One morning we went to
work at five o'clock and worked till six the morning after"
(25 hours.) " All the sets were working 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 bed-side when I get up of a morning,
and my fingers are so stiff and sore that I cannot dress my-
self. If I feel thus tired, what must Elie young girls and boys
eel ?"—lbid., p. 8, Nos. 61, 64.
Ann Simpler (14 years old), Elizabeth Hilton (15)
&rah Higsun (16)—" We came to work last Friday morn-
ing at half-past six" (at Mr. Ridgway Bridson's Bleach-
works; Bolton). "We worked all Friday night till half-
past five on Saturday morning" (twenty-th: ee hours). "Wo
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 hours' sleep— and with the clothes still on—after
twenty-three hours' work) ; " then we went to breakfast for
half-an-hour, and then came and worked till ten minu
past Pleven."—lbid., p. 25, No. 236.
William Crompton—" I tun 17. I have been four years
old)an dn half"(that
the
d I.e s ss
n sinceshop he we .
Wes twgooenlyteillydeiaffres and a
different hours,
sometimes early, sometimes late. I worked once three days
orke since
five began
on w ,
and three nights" (he is only one, remember, amen; mul-
t
itudes—children as well as adults—who toil in the sense
morn-
ing Ray); t "and
four not
ot longworked
hours). " I mostly slept at meal times, and only stopped
en. hour for meals ; the rest I ate while I was ki "
Ibid., p. 26, No. 20. working."--
ng.

Surely all this is very terrible. But read on :
" James Thomson (Mr. Wallace's Bleaching, Scouring,
and Finishing Works for Cotton' and Woollens, Burn-
bank, Glasgow)..-c, I am manager of these works, and
nephaw of the owner. In summer some of the hands work
occasionally
week
from 6 awed.inat . ttohils2 pt;mst .': (18un hours)
summer several
twiulizeoil.e
Three days we worked 20 hours each day. The ages of most
of our girls is from 10 to 18." (Observe these ages—soma
of the girls mete children.) " The stove-room 4 in which
they work are in winter heated up to 100 or 110 deg. ; in
summer the heat is from 120 to 130 deg." (and at times very
much higher, as stated by the same witness in evidence
given at a subsequent page.) " I feel, when lam urging'
atAlignight,loainodf
the females to work thou :hug hours that I am doing what
goodsi sn o right,
finished. b
then we makes place for Bloods o
lie down upon in a stored
ISolm"e-teimbceesnthuerygSeslat; hdeoreit
room upon the pieces of goods unfinished. Sometimes 1
or more will pass the night in this manner, after work-
ing 19 hours, and coming out of those hot places dripping
wet with perspiration, and their clothes wet through with
it."—lbid., p 59, Nos. 643-045.
And this in the country which.is energizing thrJugh the
, world to put down slavery !
Alexander King.—" 1 work at Mr. James Young, and
Son's bleachwor Aiedhousefiehl, Pollocltshaws. 1 here
aro about 300 hi ndred hands employed ' • of these 250 are
females When we are busy the number is about 400.
* - * * Sometimes, about once a week, one shift will be •
gin at 6 a.m., and go on till G the next morning" (24 hours).
" I his has happened once a week on an average for the last
sic months. The females all work in the stoves."—lbid.,
p 61, Nos. 682, GS3.
mind,
deg,,i nt
the
What a spectacle—what a hideous, sickening spectacle—
must 40) workers present at the close of their 24 hours'.
field, Burnbrae,
toil I " The females all work in the stoves I " Among
iuiesatiloinneinOe'
them "will be some from 10, 11, to 13 years of age ; the rest
t
clock upon
temperature,chiefly between
extel
eme
dt
ianngd, 2boy;"6-01toneili2n0g,dbeega.reirn3m0
s o n begin
it o'clock on
geEneirizaalbteetmhpriereantduerresomfia(nmlrn.
Cdilaanrks,usmi3mieaerchl
MondayA 1 i ll engo
morningsod ) . "lVaen and
w sometimesork
Monday night" (20 hours), " and sometimes
day night, and get home at six o'clock even
all
Mon
(29 hours from the time ofon Tuesday morning"
commencing
for four hours and out here ag • work).—i 4 Home
up to 11 and sometimes 12 o'clock again at ten o' elock, and work
day we should come out at el that night. The next
that may go on fir a few d x and work the regular hours;
should commence, as before,days or a week, and then we
seven in the evening at night-work, going home at
the night. Weetfor one hour, and working through
It op from 12 till one in the night for re-
freshment.was rather before Cm new year when we
commenced to be so
rc busy,
ah 24 and it has been going on this way
up t!) this time (M
)."—.A. quarter of a year
such. No. of such
toil as this I—llid ,p. 66, 7s3.
Elizabeth E " dge--- I am 14
years of age. I have worked
here"
(Id Mr. Seddon's, Breightmet Bleach-works) "four
years. Three months since I worked" (and of course she
was not working alone upon the occasion) "two nights and
two days. I slept four hours the first morning, and not at
all the next night. I have very often worked till twelve."
—lbid., p. 49, No. 491.
If there be any one thing which more than another adds
to the enormity of this national iniquity, it is the fact that
there is not—nor ever has been—even so much as a ' dill-
eulty,' worthy of the name, to prevent a stop 'tieing jut ti
all these terrible shames by just legislation.
Mary Ann Smith.—" Last Saturday I was 12 years o)-y.
* * * 1 came here nearly three years ago. Six t in, ..
in that time I have worked from six in the mornir
half-past two the next" (twenty hours and a half) ~" till
I worked from six one morning till six the next - .' ' Once.
(24 hours). " I have to rub my instep every nit gas ruing
can get my clogs off. The skin cracks, and Ica illi before I
sometimes. One of my fingers is gathering f, leiot abide it
by the selvage, and the other is running." tem being cut
No. 457. ,—./bid., p. 47.