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

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 N 0.7 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 consideration.

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. GALLY 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 2f 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. lIANVES 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 he would do