The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-28 00:00:00

DOVER HARBOUR.

Mr. E. RICE begged to ask the Right Hon. Gentle-
man, the First Lord of the Treasury, when the Commis-
sion respecting the formation of a Harbour of Refuge
at Dover would be formed ?

Sir R. PEEL said that he had this day signed six
letters to naval officers, requesting theni to act upon the
Commission.

THE FACTORIES BILL.

Lord SANDON thought it advisable to take that op-
portunity of requesting his Noble Friend the Member
for Dorsetshire to state what course he intended to take
on Friday night next, in reference to the Factories Bill,
and whether he intended to follow up the challenge
which he had thrown down to the Government?

Lord ASHLEY said, Sir, my first impression—which
has since been confirmed by the opinion of several friends
—was, that I should not offer any opposition to the Go-
vernment's withdrawing the Bill on Friday night—
(Hear)—and it is not my intention to offer any opposi-
tion.—(Hear, hear.) I know that in so doing I surren-
der many advantages which I already possess. But I
think it is (my duty, when I can, without compromis-
ing any principle, to consult the convenience of
the House and the Government.—(Hear, hear.)
I take this course on the understanding that the Go-
vernment will immediately introduce another Bill, and
will take the discussion upon it on an early day after
Easter.—(Hear, hear.) I presume that the House will
not ask me now to state what course I may feel it my
duty to pursue on that occasion—(Hear, hear)—but I
beg leave to state that on Friday I shall offer no oppo-
sition to the withdrawal of the Bill.—(Cheers.)
Sir JAMES GRAHAM—I may perhaps be permit-
ted to give notice that it is my intention to move on Vri-
day, that the Order of the Day for the House resolving
itself into Committee on the Factories Bill be discharged;
and after that Order of the Day shall have been disposed
of, I will give notice that I shall move for leave to bring
in a Bill to alter the existing laws for regulating labour in
factories. If the present Bill should be withdrawn,
and leave to introduce a new Bill should be obtained,
I shall move that it be read a first time on
Friday, and printed, and shall fix the second
reading for an early day after Easter.—(Hear, hear.)
I, therefore, give notice, that on Friday next I shall
move for leave to bring in a Bill to alter the laws regu-
lating labour in factories.—(Hear, hear.) The first
motion on Friday will be that the reading the Order of the
Day for the House resolving itself into Committee on the
Factories Bill be postponed to that day six months, but
I shall not be at liberty to make the motion of which I
have given notice until the other Orders of the Day shall
be disposed of.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir R. PEEL—I rise, Sir, for the purpose of correct-
ing a mis-statement of a single expression made use of
by me the other evening. I should not have made this
correction, had not the misstatement to which I allude
been made the subject of comment. I have no doubt
but the misstatement was owing to myself, for I am
aware that I spoke in a very low tone,as I was suffering
from exhaustion at the time I spoke. lam reported to
have said that this was no party question ; now what I
really said was, that the factory question was no depart-
mental question.—(Cheers and laughter.)
COUNTY CORONERS' BILL. _ _

Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that before the • Order
of the Day for the further consideration of the re-
port on the County Coroners' Bill was read, he felt it
his duty to move for the insertion of certain words re-
stricting the powers proposed to be given to magistrates
at quarter sessions. He had given notice of a motion
for that purpose. On further consideration he
was convinced that it would be impossible to restrict
those powers by the mere insertion of additional words
in a clause, but it would be necessary to introduce a
special clause for that purpose. He, therefore, proposed
to have the clause printed in order to give the House an
opportunity of considering it, and he hoped his Hon.
Friend would consent to the postponement of the mea-
sure for that purpose.
Mr. PAKINGTON consented to the proposition of
the Right Hon. Gentleman, and moved that the Order
of the Day be read, for the purpose of its being postponed
until Monday.
Mr. HUME said if the Bill was to be postponed till
Monday, he hoped the discussion would be taken at an
early part of the evening. •
Mr, PAKINGTON said he would endeavour to bring
it on at an hour that would admit of its being properly
discussed.
MASTERS AND SERVANTS' BILL

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said, he believed the question
now was, the reading of the Order of the Day ; if they
allowed the Order of the Day to be postponed on one
Bill, there could be no objection to its being postponed
on another ; and he had an objection to the Bill that
stood No. 7 on the paper—the Masters and Servants' Bill,
which he intended to' propose should be postponed till
after Easter. This was one of the most important
Bill that had been introduced during the present
session, not excepting even the Factories Bill, or
the Commons Inclosure Bill. The labouring popula-
tion had been taken quite by surprise by this Bill.
The Bill was totally different in principle to any which
had preceded it ; and it had been altered in almost every
word, from the preamble to the last clause contained in
it. The Government, under such circumstances, ought
to discharge the order for its committal, and bring in a
new Bill, as they proposed to do on the factory ques-
tion. He had several petitions to present against the
Bills, all of which went boldly to the point, by calling on
the House to scout it from their corsideration.
Sir J. GRAHAM thought, after what had fallen from
the Hon. Gentleman, he ought to state that the Bill was
disclaimed by the Government as a Government Bill.
There was but one new enactment in this Bill, and that
was the 4th clause, which applied to contract work ; and
he thought it highly expedient that it should be well con-
sidered. He (Sir J. Graham) was for the most part
favourable to the new enactment, but he was not at all
pledged with respect to it. He certainly thought this
Bill ought not to be proceeded with in the absence of
the Hon. Member for Somersetshire.
Mr. FERRAND said, he had that morning received
numerous letters from persons in the manufacturing
districts, all expressing the greatest alarm as to the
effect of the 4th clause of this Bill, if it should become
law. That clause provided that if a working man should
not fulfil a contract—
The SPEAKER said the Hon. Gentleman could not
go into the merits of a portion of the Bill upon the mo-
tion then before the House.
Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE said he should then move
that the Order of the Day be read, for the purpose of
having the Bill disposed of.
On the motion that the Order of the Day be read,
Mr. HUME objected to the Bill, because he thought
it would tend seriously to impair the interests of the
working classes.
Mr. DALLY KNIGHT said the motive of this Bill
was to enable magistrates to assist the working men in
deciding the points of difference between masters and
servants. He thought if Honourable Gentlemen knew
as much as he did of the difficulties which surrounded a
magistrate, in the cases between masters and servants,
they would not oppose this Bill.
Mr. FERRAND denounced the principle of the Bill,
and said he was confident that before the Bill again
came under the consideration of the House the table
would be covered with petitions against it.
Mr. HAWES thought the Bill in its present shape
was much more satisfactory than when it was brought
forward by the Hon. Member for Somersetshire.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that he had a perfect right
to press his motion, and if' he stood alone lie would do
so. He did not care a straw for any man.—(Hear, hear,
laughter, and cries of " Chair, chair.")
Mr. Hume attempted to address the House amidst
loud cries of " Hear, hear," " Chair, chair," and great
eotifilsion.
The STEAD Eli tip:might tbet the Hop. Member fcir
Finsbury avid the Member for Montrose hitd a perfect
right, according- to the rules of the House, to press their
motion ; but the effect of it, if carried, would be to
prevent the other Orders of the Day from being read.
After a few words from Mr. DUNCOMBE and Sir R.
PEEL, the motion was withdrawn.
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