The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-16 00:00:00

the health and-constitutions of those persons who worked
at these manfactories. In all cases in which the. -manu-
facturers exercised a choice in the selection `of those
females who work in their mills they invariably chose
married feniales who had children, because those persons
were more inclined to work regularly and finger, in
order that they might gratify their attachment towards
their offspring, by giving them more of the comforts and
,the necessaries of life. With respect to the unmarried
"females," he thOught, from the ioformation which he re,
;ceived, from sources which were well qualified to forth.
an opinion upon the subject, the large manufacturers
always 'preferred • the married. females, although they
were, generally speaking, untidy and slovenly. In the'
year 1839, chit of 22,694 persons employed in mills in
.Manchester-and-Stockpory, in: 42 mills,' -only 123- at-
stained the eke- dr4-5-yeari, led whom were retained by
especial favour; He - had lately received, a; letter- from
Bolton, from a gentleman there, which fully justi-
fied him in asserting that the Bill for the limitation of
labour within certain .hours was likely to do good. A
similar system prevailed in France, but in Russia the
Emperor put an end to the ' system which he (Lord
Ashley) had been for 10 years endeavouring to do away
(Hear.) The:present system tended to prOmote
debauchery, ' intemperance, and vice.--.-(Hear, hear.)
At one mill in Stockport, out of 1,264 persons
employed, not less than 846 were feniales.
On this -stibject:(the condition of Temitles in
:factories)
he had letters from several manufacturing towns ; One
of them was from a medical man at Stockport ; it bore
out the statements made by surgeons in other Places,
that-modest - women, Working :in factories with Males,
were not able-to avail themselves of those opportunities
absolutely necessary, and Which any; one - would- tinder
stand -without farther reference -to them,: 'The state-
ment would not apply to all - mills and factories, but
very many of them were so managed as not -to be
exempt froth' the censure.. This was the testimony
of Mr. Rayner, a.pnblic medical officer at Stock-
port. There were ether -evils:- to which he must
allude. --The females were superseding 'the males in the
work of the factories. In consequence of this the men
Were obliged to stay at -home to mind the household
affairs,-and the:whole burden of supporting the family
was thrownoti the women:: Other evils again rose from
'this state of things. The females were not only occupy-
ing the-place of the males, but acquiring all the . Avoca-
tions, manners, and habits of men. -There *ere now in-
stitutions called- female clubs ;, fifty or silty females,
married and single. formed, a club, where they met
together ostensibly-for mutual:protection; -but- hi-reality
to eat; drink, sing, andsMoke; and their language atthese
meetingSwas represented its coarse., .bintal,. and disgust-
„in. Sometimes -the men were obliged to cal Lat these
clubs toget their wives to come hoine, and it was not
unusual for them to refuse; 'On one occasion when a
man went with 'a -child in his arms to fetch-his wife, she
said—" I have.. to keep, thee and the bairna too,". and
would` not return. But now, let the House observe'how
were occu .
gradual), the women ping the place of the
Men.; as they had imposed on them. the duties and pri-
vilege of supporting their husbands and families,
disorder, :violence,. and insubordinatiOn of every
descriptiOn • were intredueed ~ into their house-
holds.. The -woman said she. would pay no at-
tention to her. domestic duties.; the duty no longer
devolved upon her ; if she had the toil and
_the burden
she would alSo have the -amusement. The same system.
Operated equally injuriously on the children ; insubor-
dination to their parents Was one -of the most frightful
features of the whole manufacturing system.. If a child
was corrected bYits, father, it.would turn round, and say
with an oath, " We have you to- keep."--(Hear, hear.)
They-said their parents had no right to interfere-with
their control, as, without their labour they could not
sabaist. -And this was said-by children of tender-years,
by many under-thirteen and fourteen yearsof age. One
woman stated 'that when her -husband chided his
two` 'daughters for. going . to public-houses, they said
they. would not come -home—they- had their father
to keep, and not he them. • And look -what a ferocity of
Chareeter 'this produced in the -women. They might
recollect the outbreak that took place- in, the -ear 1842,
and what ferocity the. females exhibited on thatocea-
sion. He had beentold- by 'one female, the mother of
children, that churches and chapels were all. of .no • use,
and that-all the talk about schools and education was
idle, if the children while young had no time-to go
there. She added that when he went to London she
hOped that ,e would tell the House of Commons to
change all this, or ' the next time the women
Would turn out; and then let the sOldiers fire
on them if they dared ; they might, depend on it
there would be a -break-out- if the. House of Commons
did not make a change by taking the wives and daughters
out of the factories, and sending the men and big lads
in., hear.) What said -Sir Charles Shaw, the
superintendent of police at Manchester? He said that
the women, by being employed in the faetories, lost that
station to which they were ordained, and became like the
.female followers of our army, bearing the form" of
Wealth, biit actuated by the worst 'passions. of men.
The women were always, the exciters and the leaders of
the . young men .to: violence. in every outbreak in the
manufacturing districts. 'The language
.they indulged
in was Of the most horridalescription„ and while they
were demoralised -themselves they -were the contami-
nators of all within their reach. -With this he would
conclude the statement he had to make to that House •,
and. now, he asked, would any one assent - that such
things 'should -be permitted to exist ?—(Hear, hear.)
.Would Any one -hesitate to lay -the axe to the root
of the tree, or, at
.least, to endeavour to lop off
some of the branches ? What arguments from general-
principles would they adduce against his statements,*
what arguments drawn from peculiar circumstances ?
-Would it be said--surely itcould not be urged-rthat the
peculiar -condition-of- England -begot peculiar- results?
Wherever this system prevailed, and it prevailed in many
countries in Europe, hey found it -producing the same
result; r In- France, in Prussia., in Germany, in Switzer- I
land, and in RuSsia, and,' he might add,- in the -United
States, it produced the same results. -He saw by the
papers .of -February last, that .a 1311 had been- brought
into the Legislature of Pennsylvania,-to ail-the
persons under sixteen-years. of:age; employed in manu-
factories,.. wider the protection of a ten hours' liill.l In
October last, he visited a-great establishment-iteAustria,
in the. vicinity, . of-- -Vienna,- employing several' 'hundred
Men ; he Went over it with the manager, and he detailed
to him- ell the ~severe_ -mischiefs—all the severe 'cense-
qftences.2.-that he had rio*.related; labour prolonged 16
or 17 hours a dayr;4ntense a'atigne-r-erifeebled forins—
frepient consumptive disorders; and earlydeaths-Tyet,
the localitr.had every, advantage—the houses. were well
built,.it stoOcLin a. fizie open country,and in a completely
rural 'district.- Nevertheless, se injurionewere the conse-
quences of- thesystent itself,that the. manager. stated that
within-, -ten years, 'there would scarcely: 13. e-. in
all -Me `';neighbourhood one - men. -able: to : carry
amusket. -Ile had fonnd a great change among:those
who- were formerly opposed to him. In .1833,:he.could
scarcely procure twelve master manufacturers to support
him, . Now:he, could.. have: them by hundreds.—(near,
These were
hear.) They had already before them petitions-signed
mbyan3yooimn
openly, and: many, secretly, who hesitated to proclaim
iltinwelloglnrssirraeYiwitf°ailasoliTnigkarted hitn—some
'Even among the Members of the Anti-
cthoernir-aher
League;
ladwence.
he Could- boast of having many firm
and efficient supporters.—(Hear,-hear.)., Now, under all
the aipeets -in which the question could be put, the Sys-
tem -must -be abrogated or restrained. ,It for Med a per-
petual grievance--it: disturbed the-'order of .naturei and
the rights-of thelabenting man. Byconsigning females
to theworkshop, it obstructed them in the perfOrniance
of all their domestic -dutiei—it' exposed them to almost
insufferable toil, at half, the. wages . that Would
be . given to the. males for ~.their , subsistence.
Itaffeeted,. nay, -it-almost annihilated, the whole-arrange-
ments of domestic life and management; thrift ,was
altogether imposSible ; if the 'Operatives.had twice the
amount of: their. wages,- they would scarcely derive -any
• benefit from it. Everything, ran to waste. If the woman
had a child, it was deserted; the Wifecotild do nothing for
;her -husband or her- family—she could neither cook, nor
, sew, nor take .care of an infant: . Everything must be
paid for, and, in, ,fact,, everything was paid for:out of
their.scanty. earnings ; and yet,-after all, everything was
imperfectly done. Ignorance and recklessness were in
full operation. -If the woman had no time to learn in her
youtle_no leisue in her riper years—if women were -
taken to work in. the mills, and' factories, everything I
must go to ruin, for the males could not .discharge every
one of the , duties especially appointed by Provi,
dence for the feinales, There was no occasion, for
him to , dilate at length on these topics ;
they -were • amply stated in the. report of the
Children's-Employment Commission.: . Considering the
subject in a physical point of: view, would. the House
turn a deaf ear to all these complaints and sufferings ?
Could they be indifferent* to
.the,phyaical effects of the
system on the rising generation ? They had .the tes,
tummy of Dr. Hawkini, Who; in speaking of Manchester,
said he had never Seen a town in Europe, of -which the
popuiation :exhibited such a alegeneracy in form and
colour from the national standard. He had- also -the
,
testimony of a mill-owner, epee an ardent entagonist of
his, who said that if this system wereContinued,.Lan-
cashire , would .become a province of .pigraies.-r(Hear,
hear.) The emploment of females in the hardest toil
was-characteristic . of savage. life,: but in the . midst of
their refinement and, civilisation they impo,ed...on the
wives and daughters of this land burdens from which in the
barbarOns East they-would be exempts-iii
`countries or in India, But every consideration of physical
evil sank into nothing compared with the moral-eon-
aideration of the subject:. • poisoned every 'Source
.of order, Of happiness and .ofreligionthey *cut up root
. and :.branch; • all the relations of domestic- life—they,
broke all the connections and- relations„ decreed by, Pro-
vidence itself, There was a time *to five a time to
be born,' and a time to die—that they all *adinitted; • but.
was there not alsda time. to' live for the diseharge of
every conjugal and parental duty. They might talk of
the advantages of education, and of the necessity of re-
ligious instruction. 'lt Was :all in 'vain. . There was no
national system of eduCation—there was no system of
education whatever to supersede the influence Of parental
example.. Parents were ordained by Providence to exer-

cise an alinost unlimited power over the years of child-
hood. Whether prince or peasant---all that was best,
all that was highest in the character of a man; he had
learned at his. mother's knee, or at least' of
Some pious woman, who, with that tenderness
tindself-denial'pectiliar to the sex, acted as the substi-
tute of the Mother.- 'Let- them search the records of
past years,. they would find that all the best and most
distinguisbcd men,, with very few exceptions owed the
earli cultivati4n Of, ,their minds, and the discipline of
their hearts, to the affection and intelligence of a mother.
These sources 'of moral and physical mischief mUst be
dried up, for the sake of the health of the females, • the
care of families, the control of parents, .the duties and
conifortt of home, the decencies of life, the relationship
of husband and wife, for' the peace of society and the
laws of God ; and never would he believe, till
vote of that Honse Should hoe beengiVen 'that night
—which God avert--;-that there could be found within
the,..witlis of the House Of Commons one single individual
who could conscientiously and delibetately-hipose

the - wives- and daughters of England a burden of sympathy With, and Wished for the motion of hle
insufferable toil.—(Hear,' hear.) He knew that dis- Friend, and if he believed, it to be consistent.
claimers were but little regarded when uttered by per- good 'of the community, and the interests of n°
sons who were listened
,to with suspicion. He had been faeturing labourers themselves, he would not h~td
charged with•acting from the single and fixed purpose 'tate to give his support to the proposition. Iv nh footed
of- exalting-. the landed aristrocracy by depressing to the master manufacturers themselves, they.ev
se e°
the manufacturing interests. He knew that his to all the restraints which this Bill sought to ImPti`:,Go.
personal character was buf of little importance, but it them, but they did so on the understanding that
was necessary to clear himself of the charge, for vernment were resolved to stand firm after haling gee
the sake of the-influence it might have on others. Dis- and fairly considered the subject. He was quito ~_„0
trust of his-'motives might injure the cause he advo- that the Chamber of Commerce of ManchestFr et
cated, for have entertained this question, if he had not believe
rtcalat
" Zeal grows cold, WhenJUdgment grows severe. her Majesty's Government would resist this Paul inel
These unworthy: motives .had been attributed to him— point, With regard to the feelings or the a.'
_, an.
Most bitterly and angrily attributed to him. But he themselves, he did believe there was tli3:,iend
utterly denied the imputation. He would ask them if animity amongst them which his Noble.
they could think him wicked enough to act from them— supposed. He bad high authority for o:Yu:ago
ivhether they • could think him fool enough to pursue the labourers, themselves naturally enough stinill.!_ tuose
such a course ? Could any one in his senses the desire of gain, invariably preferred going I.°o those
do otherwise than believe that - the • permanent masters where there was mist work dope, than • bed
prosperity.- of the manufacturing body in all its where the work was limited. On this very day une in
o
aspects, -physical,- moral, and. : -commercial, Ras received two communications from working men,
_nd the
not essential, !lot_ only to the welfare, but to the very favour of the proposition of his Noble Friend,7_._-fentb
existence of the Britis-h empire. *They did not envy the other-as decidedly opposed it, declaring Nit the Kiedic
greatmanufaCturers- the- increase cif their political in- clause was decidedly hostile to their interest
fieence, their immense traffic, their stupendous Wealth. beginning of his speech, his Noble Friend said that
May peace be within your Walls, and plenteousness would not enter into the commercial part of the tont
within your palaces." "We ask you," concluded the ment. Now this appeared to him the most i.tnl'it'o'tbe
Noble Lord; " but for a slight relaxation from grinding consideration. If he could show satisfactoril,Y__„-0
toil ---- for a.
.time to .five and a time to die -- a Committee that the inevitable effect of an abridg7"49 of
time for the enjoyment of some of the com- the time of labour would be to diminish the "5,,F rd f 0
ferts that sweeten • life—time: to • perform some of those employed, then he would say that,' with
btll
the duties. that adorn it.—(Loud Cheers) Therefore it the interest of the working-claseses themselves' drig
ebatej
is, that, with a fervent prayer to Almighty God, that he . understood, there never was a graver question,o4lo
will be pleased to turn the hearts of all who hear me to in Parliament.—.( Hear, hear.) The improTement-Attot
justice and mercy'; I- now finally commit the issue of this took place in machinery in latter ds were so ral)-vcato•
qtiestion'to the judgment and humanity 6f- Parliament." t had to be renewed in twelve or thirteel,.l,,,, 011
—(The Noble. Lord sat down amid loud cheering from He was told that the master manufaeturers had red,
both sides of the Houses. For some time before he to pull down and re-erect machinery not w1;70 to
ronelbded he seemed to lahour under great exhaustion, machinery, in fact, that was qeiteperfect, and
aled
and in some passages was very indistinctly heard.) Substitute for it new machinery with '19;400
Sir J. GRAHAM said he never rose to discharge any powers, in consequence of the itnilr(3 • cs'
duty in that House which he felt. to be more painful or that were continually being 'Made. Now` the
morediffieu* 4 was-rendered difficult by the eloquence pital expended in' manufacturers, as well • use of
of the Noble Lord, particularly by the sentiment of the interest on that capital, depended on the,.
~ vies'
passage which marked hi&conclusion.• The-Noble Lord machinery. Let them see, then, what was
had asked blether any man could be found in that tion. It was necessary that they_ should rervSll;
House who would. resist the proposal he had made ; and chines in the course of every twelve or thirteen 'he
he had, by. his- appeal to their sense o justice and mercy, and they. were now discussing whether .theY..o.loa,
intimated, at least indirectly, that resistance to his nlO- abridge by one-sixth that period in which ear
riod ot
tion was 'inconsistent both with justice and With mercy, replaced and-outlay restored: Why even the Ptridgea
lie, for pne, the other hand, on the part of himself twelve years was hardly sufficient, and if the/ alio st-
and of the Government,' was. bound to oiler to 'the pro- it by one-sixth they would render impossible si
nce
position of the Noble Lord his decided opposition.' tainment •of the advantages under the an
?woe°
doing so, it would be necessary to trespass fora short The first and inevitable effect of such an iiterowner.o.
time on the. attention -of the House .; •he would not at- would be the lowering of wages by the
tempt to follow the Noble Lord through. all the, details That principle was thoroughly understood, nol,-7.010.
he had addressed to the- House. If he had thought master manufacturers, but by intelligent operatl%l.oo'
it-necessary to do so, he did not possess that detailed constituted the 'great majority of their chtsa•
information which' would enable him to do so. firmation of this opinion, he would read them th?`ri, sto
His Noble Friend said the time' was now come when of' a person who was very intimate with the siihrefew
they should lay the axe to root of' the tree. Before which would put the matter in .a clearer Pei Tit. be re"
doing so, he would entreat the Committee to consider- than he could hope to put it before the.Ho'ye-ijorrier:
what that tree Was.-:--(Hear, hear:)' Was he suspected, (erred to the reportof his egccellent- friend, Dis' tae''
it was the tree of the eommereisi-greateess.of the coup- presented in 1841-7-0, getqcleinan who discharrowisi.
try, he was satisfied, though some of its fruits might be faithfully the duties of Inspector, and who cc't the Linfr
bitter; yet, that on the Whole,' it was productive ()flint -cated to the tub)? in-the most faithful' manne-
greatness, wealth, and prosperity which made those formation. he had Obtaiited.: .4„disettssing the Q. ev,t
small islands remarkable in the history of the civilised- !of .the restriction •or the hours.;of work, he said
world, which; on the whole, diffused happiness amongst she bad made an estimate of the loss which s e()„, hot•
ll
their great'
community, and which rendered' the 'won't :sustain by working eleven instead of tae" wow..
nation one of the most civilised,. if not - the :` by working eleven tours a day the 1°5% Al
most civilised,:natiori .of the world.—(Loud cheers.) !amotint to 150/.; while by working only ten hou's, not?
His Noble Friend begged of them not to turn-a-deaf ear 'it would amount to no less than 1,5301 It weometrr
W the cry-of distress among the' working population. 'mere doubling of the Toss,: but it proceeded by ge,oia !
He (SirJ. Graham) believed that the subject under cell- cal progression. 'Unless the millowner could out'
sideration was one of the gravest ever debated in Parlia- proportionately higher price for his commotlitiess;io
merit-7(l4er, heir)----liecause it. involved the physical •be forced to reduce the wages of his workmen or f frerir
and moral condition of 'a large portion of the working- his trade. The reduction of was in the ease ('„, eest;
classes, whose grieVatices were entitled to be redressed, ing only eleven hours per day would be IS .25 Pei
if they 'could be• redressed—(Hear, hear),—and if they while in the case of ten hours it would be nearlYi.,e. bad
could not redress them, they were, at all -events, entitled cent. That was the statement of a competent jeuPerrect
to their most serious consideration.—(Hear, hear.) He :he (Sir J. Graham) believed it was perfeetlYlogl,
was on this account the more anxious that the question The question they were discussing was, whether Te,
should be fully, and dispassioeately, and impartially diS- out the manufacturing districts. they would make 'ere's!:
cussed:—(Hear, -hear.) He wished to steer clear of den and general fall in wages to the amount of 25 P
if Ii
all angry topics.—(Hear, hear.) He had said that His belief was, that the adoption -of the motion .0, be'
the physical and moral well-being of the: working popu- 'Noble Friend. would produce that effect, and.e'aeperto
lation of the country was involved in the question ; but, •lieving, he could not recommend the House -,lboar !f,
on the .other-hand, justice compelled him to say that :from the present enactment, which limited ';.,,,dt10
the question of the commercial and manufacturing in, twelve hours. With respect, to the failure of.; Orr
dustry of the country was also involved.—(Hear, hear.) the manufacturing districts, his Noble Friend nvie,"t
After listening. o the- statement of facts:made by his much deceived himself. The subject was a 1:11 serf
Noble Friend, lie thought that the conclusion he had portant one, but unless he (Sir J. Graham) filet; a!'
arrived at would be to propose the 'abolition of female much misinformed, it would be found to be the,,,,as of °:
and infantine • labour altokether. But the question when there was full work, and even Come e,x" bourn'
turned out to be—not whether females should be bout- •in point of time beyond -the tvl4'" ef
...-
employed 'at all, but whether they should- be ern- with, however, : good wages, the
pleyed g
' for • ten or twelve hours. At present
manufacturin districts was in a sati
children were not worked longer than eight hours a day.- On the other hand, with short time,
The proposition of his-Noble Friend was, that the time the number of hours proposed by h
should be reduced to six •or six and a half hours. His when there was a failure of demand
Noble Friend had said truly that this was a question of andthe manufacturing interests were
detail, and not of principle; He therefore, thought it. quence, as happened a few years ago,
unnecessary to enter upon the principle. , When the 6cts a period-of work as eight hours,
detailed by the Noble Lord had become known, and *ages being irelatively low, it was
were . brought before the -House, an inquiry had been disease spread through the •manuff
made in 1833, and it led to the correction- of the abuses; joined with immorality and-distrel
and regulations were made, imposing checks on the that the adoption of the motion of ,
,employment both of „children and females. In the would invert the whole order of pro
dcommencement of . speech• the- Noble Lord districts, and it measure founded ilk
talked- with something like despondency of • his' violently resisted. -As far as the
:former 'labours, and at the conclusion of his speech were concerned it would be' fatal
he alluded to imputations, most unworthy imputations, interests, and inconsistent with
'upon the motives which actuated him. He (Sir,James happiness of this country; while the
'Grahairi) belieied-the motives of his Noble Friend were would enjoy the benefit of a shorter tit.
pure . and benevolent in the highest sense.,---(Cheers.) wages would be proportionally reduced
He did not belieVe that any public • man laboured- more the greatest evils would be: inflicted:oL
honestly, nore zealously, or with more single-minded- and although his (Sir J. Graham's) feel
nesi of purpose.—(Hear; hear.)- Arid sofar from having_ were with his Noble Friend, still, his at.
to look back with despondency to his former exertions, more clearly pointed out to him the con.
•
Elie (Sir JamaGraham) thought it was owing to them pursue thanon the present occasion, and, - °sine_
that alterations of' a most important kind had been made luctantly, but firmly, he must resist the prOP 0
tto
With regard to. Sat:tory labourers.—(Hear, hear.) his Noble Friend. laill sit
Ile was a party to the late enactment on the subject of After a few words from Lord ASHLEY 11,1"_.x..pse
labour in factories,' and he begged his -Noble Friend ' to. of some matters which he had stated the
raluh'
consider that, under that enactment, .there was a • close speech, inspection of the nature of the labour in factories. Mr, MILNER GIBSON said he ' had received ted
. the
Reports were made on the .subject, and; if. any abuses communications in reference to the Bill proposed for
existed, public-opinion was brought- to bear upon them.` Right Hon: Gentleman, the Secretary of s coolie
—(Hear,-hear.). A m,,st important- limitation alio Home Department, and although __there was. r, leeio
existed, with regard .the• hours of labour. No child, recognition of' the principle adopted in fact° iteste'4.4
under 9. years of sge, could -be- employed at all ;
,no tier', yet at the same time there had beenlnr,„o,lo
child,: between 9 and 13, wars allowed- to work longer far as his knowledge went, from all parts,..7greetii
than 8 hours, and between the ages .0f 13 and 18, the la- operatives- and master manufacturers, .a2141"11.041,
hour wa.s limited to 15 hours, including2hours' relaxation. take the measure which her Majesty's Goyerl'inie
These were limitations_ exis'ing under the present committed to the House. That, approbati"-to, by deq
His Noble Friend dwelt very much on the improvetnents perhaps, extend to every little matter of de ;hich'.s.„o.,.;
which had taken place.in machinery, and the•consequent certainly did -to that important alteration f
increase of labour to the persons employed, The House measure introduced, namely, the diminutionoo eielitoe
would-allow him just to remark, in passing, what he be- during which children should be employed fro o
lieved to be the case, that though the provisions :of the half-past six ; and also the limiting the labour,.a, is
Factory Act -were humane in intention- and were par • persons and women of all ages to twelve 11_°1.7.45,-4t
tinily in operation,• yet he had, no doubt their practical proposition had , been received rhe'shie. 1,101 •'
effect had been to stimulate improvements in machinery, he was told, by master manufacturers and of
for the purpose. efsuperseding ,manual labour.—(Hear.) operatives. With regard to the proOst ld !tgj;ete
His Noble Friend had entered. with great accuracy of. Noble Lord, the Member for Dorsetshire (L°r.thot
detail into the working of machinery, and calculated that he could not say it was within his knowledge :s_
_teF.lo• 4
the distance travelled by each.workman was thirty-seven was any approbation of it, either 'atnongst 1000-o'47f:
mites in twelve ,hours. (Sir James Graham) thought operatives. ,He had made it his business to •i-atllpf,
that this was physically impossible. His Noble Friend- ascertain, to the best of his ability, _what the-wog:oy
had.giVen a description of the. mode in which he
_made the operatives themselves were upon. this frbekeil. toferie,,,
the ..calculation.. But the, lion. Member for Oldham, shortening the hours of labour, and he haa. kingl/V
who made a calculation of the same kind, came to the many of them, evidently, intelligent and th'°ehiss
conclusion that only `twenty miles was the distance tra- fives—persons who influenced: their interroqf
yelled. He was quite satisfied that the restriction of the they had considered it : improPer rty,
hoers of labour, impoied by the Factory Bill as it with the value of the oelY. • • Pr'fid
now stood, -had the. effect of improving machinery, had to -dispose of, namely, theirlabour, a
The Noble Lord had made an important admission, could not agree to that proposition whatever
w° Wl°
he begged of the. House to bear. .in -mind. their neeessities—whateeer the emergenc!-P,
net air
He told the House that the working of machinery might hard. to , earn • a livelihoodthat they Cottle' da.iAf,)/
be accelerated by one-third of its velocity. Now,:if the • being prevented working twelv,e roc°
hours were, reduced by one-eleventh, or one-sixth, the factory whenever: employment : offered 'ils_..o,en
consequence would be that the labour would be ren- It might be thought that by preventing Y°,„.":th.!;,euf
dered, much :moreintense _upon those who worked in and women of all ages_ from working ,r!laq, P`vpr
the factory. His Noble Friend had said that the amount hours 'a
-day, they did not interfere. wit",
..,f0.,21010
of female and infantine labour had- an injurious effect of: . male adults. But that was• 11°' to- 440
upon-the-people. He (Sir J. Graham) believed that all to • enact such a limitation of work ,fitcte
severe labour must have a deleterious effect upon the was in effect :to enact that • - the`to se
health of the Workers. Mit he was not disposed to call en themselves, the machinery, the engines-74hsoreln the • . the House to increase the stringency of the regUlations whole of the operations should not go on ling al htll,'
on the subject.. He said this in reference to what•his hours every day. They were-not solely dealing vat•t,el!
Noble Friend had. said of superanuations. As he' had labour of women and young persons, but e,Led el! on.
.stated, the. consequences of the. proposition of his labour of adults; and the application of
_n:iiight.
roveg.
:Noble Friend .wpuld -to increase the rapi- which had been so ably dwelt upon by Infurlo*!
dity of machinery. This. would call for in- Gentleman the Secretary of State. The'l°..ttd he
creased . strength. on the part, of those employed, persons and women was inseparably coinle hours;
and.ypunger and more active persons would be required of:adults, and the. effect of diminishing the
tTieted vta.oooo •
to perform the duties incident to a, factory life. The manner proposed would be an injury 'n tluoltbsiPa)
consequence of-this would be a displacement of those great staple of. manufactures of not less
ihiplt,;bo ,f
now considered 'subjects . for superannuation, and the -per cent The Noble Lord seemed not_t!'_: vilor if
evils which it was their object, to cure would enly, be important part of the question, Out he (Da. ~.,ot, lox
'augmented.—(Hear, hear.) His
,Noble Friend then maintained that it was a most importantjtsiertog
O
drew a comparison between-manufacturing and agricul- they destroyed the profit of the mann ne 10 of
tura' labour, and said. that the latter- was a much more destroyed the manufactures altogether. tie/ Des r
pleasing and healthy occupation. ..Ire (Sir J. Graham) two hours. of the labour of those person!, the nanstlietneo
believed, it was a more, pleasing occupation, but. he enter- effect cut off all labour from them, and
tallied grave doubts as Wits being a more healthy one. obtaining a subsistence. So that, leviiiistshtohnet.ll6l::,:fL!:oof
—(Hear, 'hear.) ..When he took into consideration-the volent motives, they might, in fact, inflict
_they iv,,tie231,78
inclemency, of the weather to which. the agricultural la- of all possible evils upon the very
bourer was exposed, his. continuing in wet clothes, and benefit,-,(fleer, hear.) As the Right destq,ertl.oo,
other circumstances, itwas doubtful to him whether; on the alluded to the great importance of not
the,
the, II op
.4
whole, the vicissitudes of the weather, to which hewai sub. profit of the manufacturer, he would till'e ort"o,
ject, were not more injurious to his health than anything to reading the remarks of Mr. Senior aPre°e othe'districo,
which, the manufacturing labourers were exposed.— ,That
.gentleman, accompanied bY turing legieeo
(Hear, hear.) But he would ask whether there•svas any doWn the-year 1836 to the manu ietorY „„atc,i
practical advantage fir discussing the /question?4--I(Hear, with a s hew. to ascertaining the effect ot:e."eircue;doert
hear.) They had arrived at a stage of soeiety'when, tion, and of making observations upon
_tja_egt W.yOlerc
without commerce' and -manufactures, this great :corn- "of the factory population. The "
d9cedult6 *l;e 010
munity could 'not be suPported.—(Hear, hear. The March 28th, 1836, and was addressed
read t do. .
must,toster commerce.and manufactures in this country- Thom son. The Hon. Gentleman the fours Pef sod, o(r
'--(Hear, hear)—but they must avoid, as- far as in their which showed that in working twelv nrofil_,:e cut ~
power, all- the evils incident to their existence. His last hour was that which turned .in, wreici
Noble Friend said that some of the master manufac., then-proceeded to argae that if that it, rime
turers and the labouring classes were anxious for his the' prate of the 'capitalist must g°„:"1,-)yindotrol to
proposition, and that thrift and care were uncommon quently he must hose the means I)ferCit C thils
amongst thein. He (Sir James Graham) had seen this tives, whose means ofsubsistence won e jo,
. very day a deputation of master manufaCturers and a With respect to the statement of t_n by • t_tr
deputation from the labouring classes. One of the gen- the number- of miles walked eachemOt`!„ . with, „:„g
and
tlemen who composed the deputation of the master ma- he (Mr Gibson) heard that statement
oer •
rof:"Tta?
nufacturers was, he believed, an Operative himself at one From the practical measurement °f
the°lol"s'llb time. NOW. he:.was one or the greatest inillowners in Lan- others, and not from any mathematics
.erwiles .o.
rico
cashire or the country,
.and he obtained his elevation been ascertained that the number uf
not tvc•evoiaoriootri,,
by a thrift and economy. which did the greatest honoUr day by the piecers was eight, the
often
,steik
to himself, and likewise reflected honour on h-is 'country. respect to the question of health,towns s
_ r,g
—(Hear hear.) He had by the force of his industry of residence in crowded tooy fa t°:.T4
attained his present position. He also saw a deputation buted to -the influence I-0. b"e
os niuchLi; thof stle
from. the labouring classes, and he was so struck by the It had been said that it was n
fluence whicheliete hot
remarkable intelligence of one Of the deputies, the man- labour as the unwholesome in did not 00,100;
ner in which he stated his case, the propriety of his de- subjected during the laboursta. He
mettnotir, the dispassionate manner in which he argued there was any truth in thef
the
Ineveinl• th%sttloPek
every point made against him ,• that he (Sir J. Graham) said that the great cause of _ the wise:ions?
asked him if he was still anoperative ? He said, "No, dance of labour. - Why not
_t of. _ ,
Sir ; I was lately an operative, but, by care, I havee-been of the evil, by increasing the field
able to have a share in a mill, and lam now-a millowner enabling the working clagisies to
desirOos °t'f' the. `',eas,ure
protect tbae;idg,at
to a limited
Inhereexten ut I
ears still trusted by my-fellow- the- lanclOwners were t Y
labourers, and
operative myself." He must ask his Noble Friend classes, why .did they not 311% Y-11011)CA the P 9.0,
whether his opinion that thrift and care were unknown for enabling them to get bread--`;',...t osot e7of
amongst the manufacturers was not shaken by this ? He corn-laws ? - As to the
.f:1 ar-tb6 of el
would admit that his -own feelings, and be lt,..ne* sent law protected ehilth'enL"..d by the Pi°
that the feelings of every -gentleman present were 14 these were further Pr9t4l?"

,eiesfvfoaerhentemon lisans 't linoc our
ft
ean:eria il
et I
itt hi!
his Noble F nY
distressed in conic'
with even so short
nstead of ten' tileo
s found that ibe -
racturis diStrietel
5 He belief
f • '
his Noble Frogia
ro'cced- • - tboit
a ings iP
0
PI! it rioulti b
re work n
ear::
tat to their . bd.,
the peace pv,
!e weriiaireloisi
ime of jabeat;theirf
4it and thug 00 0
on the
conitatiniti;
'eelinga and wisbei
:vise of duty nefer
coarse he ought to
and, therefore, re;
—; doll P