The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN'f.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 23.
The Lola" CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'Clock.
The Earl of BESBOROUGIT presented a petition
from the Dissenters of Derby, praying that so much
of the poor-law which authorised the payment of sa-
laries to Protestant clergymen attending in union
workhouses, might be repealed.
Petitions against the unions of the sees of St.
Asaph and Bangor were presented by the Bishops of
LICHFIELD and BAN'GOR.
LUNATIC POOR IN IRELAND.
Lord MONTEAGLE gave-notice that, on Thurs-
day, he should move for certain correspondencewhich
the Irish Government had entered into on the sub-
ject of lunatic asylums in Ireland.
LABOUR OF FEMALES.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
men employed in Short's iron works, in the county of
Lanark, praying that females might be allowed,
under certain restrictions and modifications; to
resume their labour in the iron and stone„,
works in Scotland. The Noble Lord said these
females, owing to the intervention of the
Legislature had been deprived of their only means of
subsistence. He would never look upon the inevitable
decrees of Providence as oppressions on the part of
man ; and, therefore, he would never be a party to
anything which, under the semblance of humanity, in-
flicted greater evils on the labouring population of this
country than they were at present suffering.
Not a few of the many occupations in which opera-
tives were engaged, but were quite as deserving of
legislative interference as those in the factories.
Many years ago he applied to that eminent man,
Sir Samuel Romilly, to take charge of a Bill
on this subject in the other House, but that
great and good man refused to interfere, saying that
labour should not be subjected to such legislative
restrictions. Let those who say those restrictions
should be alone placed upon manufactures,
go into the agricultural districts, and there see
the men growing prematurely old at 40, and decrepit
at 50, and they would change their opinions. Would
any Noble Lord or Hon. Member in the other House
consent to have a law which would prohibit their
coachmen from driving them to a ball or
rout, and then waiting until five o'clock in the
morning to the certain injury of his health, or to
prevent a child from being taken at the age of seven
years, and starved and sweated, in order that at the
age of twenty years he might be able to ride a race ?
The question was, whether ten hours' work was to
be paid for by twelve hours' work. Some said that
Parliament could prevent the wages from being
lowered in the same ratio as the hours of work.
" 0 lepidum caput r Those who now advocated
this measure would find out their error eventually,
and that the best friends of the poor were those
who did not restrict their industry.—(Hear, hear.)
If Parliament legislated for one class of labourers
they must do so for another. Those men who said
that Parliament could legislate so as to give twelve
hours' wages for ten hours' work did not know what
they were talking about. Such men were more dan-
gerous than the hypocrites themselves.
After a few words from the Marquis of NOR-
MANBY, the petition was laid on the table.
The Marquis of NORMANBY presented a peti-
tion, praying that Parliament would prohibit the en-
listment of boys, under fourteen years of age, into the
army from union workhouses.
THE CASE OF MARY MILLER.
The Bishop of EXETER rose to move for copies
of all correspondence from the Poor-law Commis-
sioners, with respect to the case of Mary Miller, who
hung herself in the Penzance Union. He said this
unfortunate female's moral character had not been
impugned, and having applied to the union for relief,
she was admitted, when the master, instead of
placing her in the probationary ward, ordered
her to be confined •in the refractory ward,
or, in other words, put her in prison. After
being in the workhouse for some time, she succeeded
in procuring a situation out of the house as a do-
mestic servant, but was unable to keep it, and conse,
quently was again compelled to apply to the work-
house. She was subjected to the same treatment,
although, being rather superstitious, she begged and
prayed that she might not be confined in this cell, or
if so she would commit some desperate act.
Her entreaties were in vain, and she was again placed
in it. After some time, she succeeded in effecting
her escape into the women's sleeping ward, where she
got into bed along with another female; as soon as
the master was informed of this, he entered the room,
where a great number of females were in bed, and com-
pelled this Wretched woman to get up and dress her-
self, when he dragged her down stairs, and with
the assistance of three other persons, dragged her
across the yard without her shoes ; and after inflicting
several violent blows upon her, threw her head-
long into the cell, which he locked. In the morning,
a female pauper went to him and told him that
Miller had hung herself, and his answer was let her
hang. Another application was made to him with
the same result ; but upon the third female calling upon
him, and saying she was sure the unfortunate women
was dead, he proceeded to the cell when he found her
quite dead. Col.Wa.de examined into the circumstances
of this case, and he made a representation to the Com-
missioners in London respecting it, and they imme-
diately sent down a peremptory order for the dis-
missal of the master and mistress. The guardians
refused to comply with that order, and they addressed
a memorial to the Commissioners, entreating them to
allow the man to remain in his situation. The Com-
missioners then and more strongly than before, ex-
pressed their reprobation of the conduct of the master,
and peremptorily insisted on his removal, and he was
then removed ; but his removal was attended with a
vote of thanks from the board of guardians by whom
he had been appointed. If those papers were pro-
duced he (the Bishop of Exeter) would pledge his
veracity as to the accuracy of the circumstances he
had just related.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said there was no objec-

tion on the part of the Government or the Com-
missioners to produce these papers but he did not
think, after the statement of the Right Rev. Prelate,
that any benefit would result from their production.
The Bishop of EXETER said that, if he knew that
the present board of guardi ins were not the same in-
dividuals as those during whose tenure of office the
circumstance which he had related had occurred, he
would not press his motion.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said that more than one-
half of the present board had been elected since the
occurrence took place.
After a short conversation the motion was withdrawn.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that some
time ago the Right Rev. Prelate (the Bishop of
Exeter) had brought a charge against the same
board of guardians with respect to the appointment
of a chaplain to the particular union to which the
Right Rev. Prelate had referrel. In answer to that
charge the board of guardians had put themselves in
communication with the Commissionens in London,
and the result was a full vindication on their part.
Now he thought it would be but justice in the Right
Rev. Prelate to move for the production of that cor-
respondence.
The Bishop of EXETER hoped the Noble Mar-
quis would himself move for the production of these
papers.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved for
copies of all communications made to and from the
Poor-law. Commissioners, respecting the appointment
of a chaplain to the poor-house, Penzance.
The motion was 'agreed to.
Messengers from the Commons brought up certain
Bills, which were read a first time.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH presented a petition
from Caithness against any alteration in the corn-laws.
The House then adjourned.