The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-29 00:00:00

THE TEN HOURS BILL.

At a delegate meeting of the operatives of Lancashire,
the following letter from Lord Ashley was read to the
delegates : "London, July 18, 1844.
" Sir,—You have done me the honour, in conjunction
with the other Members of the Short Time Committee, to
request my advice respecting the course you should now
adopt in pursuit of a Bill for the further limitation of the
hours of labour.

"In the first place, I most heartily applaud your zeal
and determination never to relax your efforts until you
shall have obtained this just and worthy result of so many
years of anxiety and toil. So far as my services are of
any avail, they shall be unceasingly at your command,
though it may be treated as a serious question at your
meeting, whether you ought not to find some other
Member less obnoxious than myself, and whose name is
not associated with constant defeat.

•• In the second place, I would counsel you to begin
by an address to your employers by an appeal from
the work people of each mill to the proprietor of it,
and earnestly, though respectfully, to entreat their
sympathy and co-operation towards the abatement
of your excessive labour. It is a matter of the
highest importance that this great end should be at •
tained, if possible, in unison with the feelings of your
employers, and not in despite of tin m. I cannot too
strongly urge the expediency, nay, the necessity, with a
view to the speedy and happy adjustment of the question,
of a good understanding between master and man. You
will, most certainly, by such a line of action, win the
approval and sympathy of the country. Should you be
successful you will have attained all that you desire ; and,
should you fail, you will have, at least, the satisfaction of
having made every reasonable and becoming effort, and
of proving to the world that amendment is altogether
hopeless without the aid of the Legislature.
lam deeply thankful for the success of the Factory
Bill, which has just become law. My great difficulty
was to combine the safety of that measure with the con •
stant assertion of our ten hours principle. I was sure,
even on the night of the first majority, that eventual
success was beyond our reach in the present session ;
I bent, therefore, all my efforts to secure this enactment,
and yet lose no proper opportunity of demanding more.
We were in constant peril ; but, by God's blessing, we
saved the Bill ; and I venture to anticipate from it very
great and lasting benefits.
" With many and fervent prayers for your public•and
private welfare, believe me _

" Your very sincere friend and servant,
" ASHLEY.

" To the Chairman of the Lancashire
Central Short Time Committee, Manchester."

WEST INDIA PINES.—On Friday there was another
sale of about 5,000 of this esteemed fru►t in Pudding-lane, so
that their importation will soon cease to be a novelty. They
were from New Providence, in the Bahamas, and landed
from the Urania, after a passage of twenty-nine days. Ori-
ginally, the whole cargo was of good quality ; but many had
suffered much from injudicious package. They realised an
average price of 3s. to 4s. 6d., and found ready customers,
the whole of the previous cargoes having sold well by the
fruiterers.

PROCLAMATIONS OF OUTLAWRY.—ThUFSday being
county court day, Hemp, the officer of the Sheriffs, made
proclamation in the usual manner, and the fhllowing persons
not answering were, declared outlaws at the suit sof their
several creditors Milton, Bamford, H.T. Ryde,
Thomas Read Kemp, John Charles Trevanion, George C1a4,1,,
Thomas Delahaye, Chanel. the Count flp Tier, Wrjglai;
William :Pole Tilnex 1,0.9 g Wellesley, William Fine,
bta4ciiOle:GtibEri: Bolton; Anthous,.. Elmsley, t.',:krge Haw.
idns, Sarah' GreijoUni (at the 011 it or two several creditors);
1111144 st4gfi q 4.4 iyafau Francis Harrowby.

A sunrise or so ago, we paused, as once Wordsworth
paused, on Westminster-bridge, and, smitten by the
scene, fell, like the poet of Rydal Mount, into deep
philosophic thinking. We thought of the Abbey, and
of the two-pences taken at its doors ; we thought of the
dean and chapter, and their tenants; of the Almonrv; of
the rejected statue of Byron, and of the onslaught of
Baron Fitzhardinge. And then we turned towards
the rising walls of the new Houses of Parliament,
and, thinking of their cost, asked despairingly what
is the good of them? Yes, fellow-countrymen, we put it
to you—are not Houses of Parliament, old and new, vain •
and useless as •Eg-yptiati.cenotaphs ? We put it to the
industrious and di passionate man, who, with a patience
that must surely be a set-off to some minor sins, plods
his way through the daily debates of Parliament—we
nut it to him whether the business of the country, as
it is gravely e fled by some droll talkers, might not rbe
mare efficiently performed by some mechanic in,-ans,
than by the six hundred and fifty-eight learned indi-
viduals who meet in February to do everything, and
separate in A ugust, having done nothing? Really the trick
is now so old, that we wonder at the courage; of any
set of Ministers who can repeat it. At the opening of
the session how beautiful is legislative alacrity ! Mea-
sure after measure is promised--nay, is fairly brought
in—has one, perhaps two readings, and is dropped for
another session, to be dropped again. A night or two
since Sir R. Peel, with one of his blandest smiler, in-
formed the House that he would let it know w hat
time it had lost upon Bills not to be proceeded with ;
yes, he would count the addled eggs, and in the
ensuing session . they might poor, defrauded
geese!—sit again. If Herr nobler or the Wilard of
the North were to conjure after this fashion, the audience
would tear up the benches. Returning to the new
Houses of Parliament, we must again protest against
the money lavished upon them. For what business, we
ask, has been effected in the present session that might
not have been as efficiently transacted in a ientry-box ?
Wherefore, then, these costly buildings for men to do
nothing in ? Why, indeed, should we have Nlembers of
Parliament at all, when sure we are that Mr. Babbage
would construct a legislating machine, which, in the hands
of Sir R. Peel, would fully answer all the purposes of living
senators ? We are serious. We therefore propose that, at
the next election, every gentleman desirous of affixing,
M.P. to his name should, on his election, send his
proxy machine to the House of Commons, setting the
instrument at "Aye" and "No," as Mr. Babbage will'
instruct him, on certain questions, and suffering the
Ministry to take their divisions accordingly. Theires.ult
of the present session convinces us that the " businessn
of the country" will he got through quite as well fts by
the present mode ; with this advantage, that the ma-
chines may be put anywhere.—Punch.

THE PITMEN'S STRIKE.—The Marquis of London-
derry has published the forowing notice:—" July 20,
1844.—The Marquis of Londonderry has given qrcteis
that no person, pitman or workman, is to be, per-
mitted to come in his carriages, or any of 1 their
families, to Seaham Harbour, for the purposes of
marketing or buying goods, who are not bona fife at
his work, and employed in his collieries. Lord Loidon-
derry again warns all the shopkeepers and trail men
in his town of Seaham, that if they still give ere it to
pitmen who hold off work, and continue in the u lion,
such men will be marked by his agents and overrnen,
and will never be employed in his collieries again ;
and the shopkeepers may be assured that they i will
never have any custom or dealings with them from
Lord Londonderry's large concerns that he can in
any manner prevent. Lord Londonderry further infrms
the traders and shopkeepers, that having by his n,ea-
sures increased very largely the last year's trade to Sea-
ham, that if credit is so improperly and so fatally given
to his unreasonable pitmen, thereby prolonging the in-
jurious strike, it is his firm determination to curry back
all the outlay of his concerns even to Newcastle. Because
it is neither fair, just, nor equitable that the resident
traders in his own town should combine and assist the
infatuated workmen and pitmen in prolonging their Own
miseries by continuing an insane strike, and an unjust
and senseless warfare against their proprietors and
e—aoftenrnTochiu, rswda.vs,chtiouitlie4,
masters."
183C9t:RaIto
three
C(o,,teighc,ctkp EiNnC EthS•
leftham : Londonan o
nvvTithhurtshdeayp,o
July 4(A,
dliBv4-i4si,ona)t
it.ohrreel3iorm'cliii:cl-
in the afternoon, Joshua Scholefield died at Manchester
buildings in London. On Monday, July 15, 1839, all
burnings in the Bull-ring took place; and on Monday
July 15, 1844, R. Spooner was officially declared Mimi
ber of Parliament for the borough of Birmingbanil.—
Leantinyton Spa Courier.
THE ISLAND OF IcurastoE.—The brig Grace, Ity
Newcastle, Captain Wilkin, arrived at Shields on a
turday last, from Ichaboe, bringing 300 tons of pri
guano. The Grace left the island on the Ist of M y
1 and there were thirty-seven vessels than loading (
waiting for cargoes, with others coming every deb%
2
From a statement made by the mate of the vessel, ve
learn that the stock of guano is one-third gone, d
i that 100 vessels have taken this portion away. ' e
thickness varies from 30 to 40 feet; but a few feet of t e
surface consists of the skins of birds and other rubbish,
which has to be removed before getting at the genuine ma-
terial. After this they dig in facing, each ship their own,
and then it is taken to the shore in bags and barrows, and
carried along ajetty(erected with the vessel's spars,planks,
and yards) into a boat, and thence to the ship. The vessels
lie about 300 yards from the shore, and at times the surfis
very heavy, so that thejetty becomes a matter of necessity.
The Grace's boat once upset with eight hands, and tit
was with difficulty the crew reached the shore. 14 ves-
sels can load at once ; and those which are waiting their
turn help the nearest loaded vessel, and then take hqr
place. A large boat was purchased by the captain of the
Grace to load with, and he sold it to another when he left.
There are a few labourers who live on board the ships, and
also companies at London, Liverpool, &c. The shore
is quite desolate, as far as regards inhabitants; but there
are Innumerable quantities of seabirds, called " pen-
guins," and another tribe, called by the sailors " shags."
One or two eggs of the latter bird have been brought
home by the crew, which were found at the depth of 30
feet in the guano, quite perfect. The cargo was quite a
speculation of the captain's own. The vessel having
been at the Cape of Good Hope, and having heard there
of this manure, he took the ship and succeeded well.—
Sunderland Herald.

THE LATE LORD ELDON'S WIG. During the
State Trials" in the House of Lords, lately, Sir
Thomas Wilde apologised to the Lord Chancellor for
not being in full costume, and requested to be and
was permitted to address their Lordships without
his wig. This reminds us of a story told by Mr.
Horace Twiss, in his " Life of Lord Eldon," just
published :—Lady Eldon, in all her anticipation of
her Lord's judicial promotion, had been much
fretted by the consideration that he would have to
assume the ordinary head-dress of the common law
judges—a powdered bush wig. She bad therefore in-
duced him to sit for his portrait, while he was yet
Attorney-General, so as to make sure of preserving a
record of his features, undisguised by the obnoxious
peruke ; and this portrait, which was painted by
Sir Thomas (then Mr.) Lawrence, and which remained
in Lord Eldon's possession till his death, is dressed
in exact accordance with the toilette which he prac-
tised till his elevation to the bench. In compliance
with Lady Eldon's feeling Lard Eldon applied often
to King George the Third to allow him to dispense with
his wig at times when he was not engaged in perform-
ing official functions. He pressed on the King the fact,
that in former days wigs were not worn by the judges.
" True," replied the King. " I admit the correctness of
your statement, and am willing, if you like it, that you
should do as they did ; for, though they certainly had
no wigs, yet," added his Majesty, facetiously, they
wore 01.4 beards." 'l'he King further added, "No, no,
no, innovation in my time."
A CURIOUS OLD HOUSE.—Among the various
buildings in West-street (formerly called Chick-lane),
now about to bepulled down for the Clerkenwell improve-
ments, is a house, supposed to have been built at least
300 years ago, once known as the Red Lion Tavern,
but for the past century used as a lodging-house, and
the known resort of thieves, and the lowest grade
of the frail sisterhood. It is situated on, the west side
of the Fleet River, now called the Fleet
Ditch, and
used as a common sewer ; and from its remark-,
able adaptation as a hiding.plaee, ' with its various
means of escape, is well deserving a visit of the curious.
Its dark closets, trap-doors, sliding panels, secret re-
cesses and hiding places, no doubt rendered it one of
the most secure places for robbery and murder. It was
here that a chimney-sweep, named Jones, who escaped
out of Newgate, about three years since, was so
securely hidden, that, although it was repeatedly
searched by the police, he was never disco-
vered, till it was divulged by one of its inmates,
who, by incautiously observing that he knew where-
abouts was concealed, was taken up, and remanded
from time to time, as an accessory to his escape, but who
at last, tired of prison fare, and prison discipline, pointed
out the place to obtain his own liberty. He was concealed
by parting off a portion of a cellar with brickwork well
besmeared with soot and dirt, to prevent detection, This
cell. or more properly den, is about four feet wide by nine
in depth; and during Jones's incarceration therein, he had
food conveyed to him through a small aperture, by a brick
or two being left out next the rafters. It waslaere, about
seven years since, that 0. sailor was robbed, and after-
wards flung naked through one of the convenient aper-
ture; in i'the wall, into the said sewer, for which two
mon and a woman were transported for fourteen years.
A skull, and numerous human banes, have been found in the cellars, some of which have been taken away by
Mr. Taylor, the police medical officer. On one occasion, thongb the premises were surrounded
n seven police-
fficers, a thief made his onar,-e by
its COMMUniCatIOII3
with thQ ttijNuttio out
,uses, which were all let to the
c
lowed. taractPrs: Numerous parties daily visit the pre-
mises, among whom have been many of the police and
county magistrates.