The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-19 00:00:00

neighbouring house that employed the people an hour more
daily.—( Renewed and continued cries of " Oh, oh," and
" Divide, divide.") It bad been said that the gentlemen
engaged in trade should make some arrangement amongst
themselves to pat an end to the system.—(Divide, divide. )
But he had no hopes that the gentleman could do so, nor
would any thing effective be done by the freedom of individual
industry. —( Confusion, cries of " Oh, oh," and " Divide.") The
operatives of Lancashire had banded themselves like the people
of Ireland—(Oh, oh)—to force their employers; but such a
state of things was pregnant with the greatest evils
( Extraordinary interruption, with cries of " Divide.")
If he were not interrupted, he would not detain the
House long.—(Cries of " Divide,"and " Go on, go on.")
He (Mr. Hindley) wished it to be understood by the House
that the working men were quite alive to the probable conse-
quences of the proposed abridgment of the hours of labour, and
were quite prepared and willing to abide by them. It should
be recollected that in 1833 they were warned of the fearful
consequences that might arise to families, their emplo3ment,
their wages, and their comfort, by the interference with chil-
dren's labour, which then commenced. But in spite of these
warnings and prophecies, control and interference were or-
dained, and at the present moment there wore more children
in factories than ever.—( Hear, hear.) He believed that
some of those Honourable Members who intended to
support the amendment of the Noble Lord ( Ashley) still
were perplexed with doubts as to the working out of the prin-
ciple; but, for his own part, he bad no fears whatever either
of its soundness or its results in practice. There was proved
to exist in the factory system a great moral and physical nui-
sance, and therefore it was the duty of that House to interfere
for its abatement. He asked the House to give a security to
the country, that the comforts of the labouring classes should
not be further abridged, and their condition rendered still more
miserable.

Mr. COLLETT and Mr. Hardy rose at the same time, amid
loud cries of " Divide, divide." Both I-ion. Members remained
for a considerable time on their legs, at length the latter gen-
tleman gave way, and Mr. Collett attempted to address the
House, but a scene of indescribable confusion ensued. At
length the Hon. Member was understood to say that he was
opposed to the motion, on the ground of its interfering with the
rights and freedom of labour, and with the liberty of the
subject.
Mr. HARDY then rose, but his attempt to address the
House was the signal for a renewal of the confusion which pre-
viously prevailed. There were loud cries of" Ok, oh," "
Di-
vide, divide," and the Hon. Member finding it impossible to
obtain a hearing, said he would move the adjournment of the
House. He then moved the adjournment amidst most mani-
fest and vociferously expressed signs of disapprobation, and sat
down. There were loud cries of "Go on, go on," •he Hon.
Member again rose, but was again received with the same dis-
couraging symptoms of impatience ; he again sat down, but
rose a third time and begged that he might be heard for a few
minutes, if only for the sake of those who sent him there.—
( Loud cries of " Hear," " Oh, oh," and " Divide, divide.")
No arguments had been adduced to convince him that the
Noble Lord who had brought forward this motion was not
pursuing the right course. —( The Hon. Membe: was repeatedly
interrupted by cries of " Divide, divide.")
Mr. AluNTz would vote in favour of the motion of the
Noble Lord, not because he believed it sound—( Hear, hear)
—for he thought the whole measure unsound—( Hear, hear)—
but because he thought, if they intended to try a principle,
they should try it well.—( Hear, hear.) For his own part, he
thought the whole subject was out of the reach of legislation.—
( Hear, hear.) He believed that it was not the disposition of
the working classes to overwork themselves or their children.
It was their necessities made them overwork. He thought all
the people in this country were worked beyond what they
ought to be.
Lord ASHLEY rose to reply amid cries of " Divide,
divide." If he succeeded in the motion he had brought for-
ward, he should be most happy to agree to the proposition of
his Hon. Friend the Member for Leeds. His reason for
advocating this amendment was because he thought it would
tend considerably to promote the permanent prosperity, happi-
ness, and stability of the empire.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the Committee
divided, when the numbers were— .

For the amendment
Against it
Majority against Ministers -9
On the gallery being re-opened we found that
Mr. COLLETT had moved an amendment, for inserting
the hour of " six o'clock" in the clause, instead of " eight
o'clock."

On this the Committee again divided, and the numbers
were—

For the amendment ...
Against it
Majority against the amendment...
On the opening of the gallery,
Sir J. GRAHAM was en his legs. He said that the Com.
mittee having, at that late hour, decided that they would
adopt a Ten Hours' Bill without any modification, to which he
must confess, with all due respect to the decision to which
the Committee had come, be had an insuperable objection—
( Cheers)—he still did not think it necessary to drop the Bill
upon the Bth clause. The Committee would have an op-
portunity of reconsidering the question in a form more sub-
stantial than that which they had now discussed. He would
therefore, proceed with the Bil. up to the Bth clause, when he
thought that his Noble Friend, consistently with the decision
to which the Committee had just come, would move that a Ten
Hours' Bill be substituted for a Twelve Hours' Bill. Having
stated this to the Committee he would now move that the
Chairman report progress, and ask leave to sit again on Fri-
day next.
The House having resumed,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL begged to know from the Noble
Lord in what mode he intended to 'trove for a Ten Hours' Bill?
Sir JAMES GRAHAM suggested that the Noble Lord
ought to take time to consider the subject.

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