The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-14 00:00:00

Wes, that if they worked less they would get more, that
'nee' had nothing to do but to make what was cheep
dear to secure better wages. They reversed the rule
upon which the country had been acting for the last hurt-,drede years. He believed that they themselves would
u 4
she first to suffer—first in their wages,
afterwards in .the increased price of everything
'which they had to purchase, and lastly through
the shock which would be given to forcing a trade. The
,
Bore Member for Usk-care complimented the Noble
tLhoartdn,oettitg
lileeauti.til displayed in his proposal. He said
mild be easier than for them to retrace
their. steps. Why, he believed there was hardly an in-
taece in the co:nrnorcial history of this country in which
a lost trade had been recovered. lie was much more
inclined to say, with the Hon. Member fer Pontefract, that
the Neble Lord and those who supported him, had lit a
rtile i's the c eantry, and he was glad that that
Lease had the tenver to put an extinguisher upon it.
Ile could not agree with the Noble Lord the Member fur
Seteleriand, that the Government had acted in a despo-
'tl••
ineneer by refusing to take on themselves the respon.
o
,°ility of a measure which they disapproved. He
leiielit tl:ey
4'h had acted in a most constitutional, upright,
,e "-mi here meable manner; they had certainly greatly raised
m elves in his estimation by the course they had par-
Sited. There never wag; question in which the feelings and
Pls'ioin of the people were more deeply interested, or
te°re easily brought into energetic and vehement
tietioe• lie trusted thepresent discussion would lead to
the i
neon
.. ~ . . •
:n: o of tree-trade principles, for he felt con-
vinced, that when these principles were brought into
Practical operatien, when England would be the cheap-
est as well as the most productive country in the world
te-whee food Iv is abundant, and at a moderate price—
t,an
, .. , . eee
nee I be apprehended from foreign competi-
and the operative ll care little whether it was
tahlt.:en,, Hours' or a T:eelvewou Hours' Bill that was passed
toe4eels that ilem,e.—(Cheers.)
irr'tarilt:G-TidA.c,' Ely said he considered this a very
thievii,o_R‘si.,,,,qiiutestion. Ile did not consider the arguments
Hoe. Baronet the Secretary. of State for
the, u.le Department, however specious and plausible
for '',l might have been, were based on just principles,
thi the Right Hoe. 13aronet's argument, if good for any-
boUr"s:1111°;:
reetle% emd the e propriety of non-interference with la-
Right lion. Baronet's policy had a di-
facio-rye°,lltreraireY,et,rvet. lie (Mr. I\ VG.) visited several of the
of
the qu,e,stions
aeverel - l''
trice' 'll Company with Mr. Horner, and put
to factory labourers; but the substance
a .iv.eekeniestions was this : Which would you prefer, 12s.
a-week' and work twelve hours daily ; or have 10s.
and ivorl- ten daily ? general answer
was a „ef,r • hours
nished'h "lice for the diminished pay and the duni-
hethe ours of labour. A weaver, aged 32, when asked
h "esti" se 'd the smaller wages and
hnir, - ,• al he preferred .
heurel ''' w°i.i• ; for, said he, what I earn by the extra
hear', pay in doctor's bills.—(Loud cries ofHear,
an, ) Another operative, aged 24, a dresser, had six
i'jin'rP, three of' whom could not work. He said he had
la-e 4 over the matter with his wife, and they preferred
the wages and less work. The lion .Gentleman quoted
e;enPinions of several operatives, all wageshich were in
eit,'"ur of the short hours and the short g. Amongst
others that of a young woman, who was blind of an eye.
asC ° supported an aged mother, and she preferred
lone,. hours of labour, that she might have an
.}PrirrtenitY of going to church oftener. Really (said
pr ""re Gentleman), a much higher tone of philosophy
anetr,liis among the humble classes in the manufacturing
h:orwte than is generally supposed. In short he came
far„'t from the manufacturing districts with the most
ire -n,rshie impression of the intelligence and right-
Illeedite -
that -es of the inhabitants. He had been assured
Ere (Ping men and women, even to the ages of twenty-
set lad thirty, were constant attendants of Sunday-
th,°'''', and they preferred being pupils to teachers that
TheY_ernight have greater opportunities of improvement.
th_ e certainly was great difference of opinion among
di"raittiwaster manufacturers regarding the propriety of
Justiceg the hours of labour, but he must say, in
ing s to this class, that there was a strong feel-
inerli favour of a diminution in the hours 'of toil
nitetnt amongst them. This country had already
°f the 1 twenty millions for the emancipation
eeeesi s ayes, and the Government went so far on that
hentl(t),a as to abouth hours of labour. Why, then,
eper'ati- so much. putting the same principle into
se in "in the manufacturing districts, where it was
that Theratively reqnired? He trusted, as he believed
Peor„e,re was a growing disposition in favour of the
Witenealt the desire would increase, to carry out,
emit tin tf reference to party feelings, measures of amelios
Of the ' r the moral, physical, and intellectual condition
Air IN'TP!ee•
Just s' at n SUTTON said the Hon. Member who had
operatives had correctly stated the answers of the
tlatahe .es ; lout he had not stated that by far the greater
fase, saidr "f the hundred, in
~ operatives, seventy out of a
their "R'y would not 'willingly bear a diminution in
s'iveswge's• Ile contended that the operatives them-
Propeetve but a quitlified and partial support to the
Ptie, . I''n or the 'Sale Lord. They believed, also, that
en, isl,,wwoeld rise by the limitation of the hours of labour.
hot tot ewer, believed that this was a result which could
ale," ePtee. The imossibility of wages rising had been
tine J ;ally established • the proposition was a diminu-
t el_,
a
such
a emcee' Productive power of the country, and to
it
would :in that the whole reduction of the exports
twelfth 40, se, would amount to 4,500,0001., or nearly one
41-13• one i. th'' whole export trade of the country. Would
the det4 i him,
(„. then that this was but an alteration in
teive' them. 3 the system? With respect to the opera-
lb them them elves, it would have a most detrimental effect
‘"41:1 8- ' " 't would subtract from their wages no less
4013
N•' 41L ay ear. The evil effect of this would not
the wh'utlii them it would extend to the shopkeepers, and
the 10..,, ! trade of the manufacturing districts. He was
te In; t" eoueeive how the misery and destitution of
herthellenfacturing classes could be alleged as a reason
eesel neirninution of their wages. It should be remem-
liesk, teat the distress of' 1841 was not caused by oveAr-
-1.-.)o 'l''t by the want of work and reduced wages.
felon.l3l4on
„ Was once made in that House, by the Hon.f
/IIeL ''''• lina.resborough, for granting a midlton. o
'ate Jno`t° the manufacturing labourers ; yet this wastoa
tike fro, ranch exceeding what it was now proposed
Gee Air, B. them.—(Hear, hear.)
ne ' IVESsaid, the arguments of the Hon.
Heise,„
Tof alt-,ewl'o had just spoken, had the common
ehe e tee ar
latise-n'e
fart ;fitments on tla .
bite ait:lents would apply again to all Legis-
ask en rrten, , ; he had to
111 eeisele ee whatever. The quest.on .
B°astir e was tl • was the present a practicable
e e , __,,., us— .
"w flan), . 'flat were the evils that must necessarily
rived it an_
fr . and were there any benefits to be de-
Isel °at it e
h4ted int, lie did not look ore, it as a single,
ly-i'clt dasure, but as one of many measures
Tiss iintiri'S House must be prepared to dis-
e it 4
ultimately to pass.—(Hear.)
th,, had no A Perhaps,
security limit
n.,Lhours '-t'eubt they might with perfect d
in,,ld. for ticin labour if they had a free trade andida fairnot
ea -1`
ce thYsir industry.—(Hear, hear.)
lie
Perhaps it
~Ild n 1 iftestion as an isolated one.
sure that
t-ttler measuresustified in itself, but lie
was
s render
ire evil,
e must flow from it which would
wasi and
creme Noy. I,Peeted as the consequence ot i
t 0 The object of political econom to in-
ke Ineenswealth of a nation; but legislation must take
all —l4 of a nation its object. (rhe Hon. Gen Iv then as
Intl reted Mr. Mills to show that neither body nor
l'ith„enal be too long a period
_ In engaged in labour for
of a
;7;?0,,) affecting the morals or
happiness the
beet 44 e admitted difficulties surroundedhad
real Or' allsides. Great evils
it eted f been
tees eons the appointment ofinspectors, and
.
44444" the manufacturers would give up their
Witte hrae
to
be h
the nts in consequence of the supervision.ls
had
ea" • Y Were subjected, but none of those evils etnnerified
'cal
oril.) 'el ° person liked to be restricted.—(lromio
tci tettaes Great stress had been laid on the reductipc
Ass which would follow from this measure.
_t‘
tilethatbut
te fore PoWer of the House to more than compensate
ef k tht 1
Mayor
ens kith loss, as he would prove. The
P.h.441t Pressedeat
411,,_r had published a statement which showed
th eae arts°l on the means of the working classes.
jfealeser telea which took most of their wages from
er,the bread and meat,butter, and potatoes.—(Hear.)
th'igee_ Baye!, on those articles were removed they
e-en,fore ,n- t 2 Per cent, of their earnings. He would
tat greater
this measure a lever, by which to effect
ithiwing ne Then he had no hesitation in so
r, '; tette': Of It. mother of the family would be
Zi this, .;-)te more of her time to her domestic concerns;
Ree 41", woul Ibe saving to the working man.
ten ark
at deal , ( a
I„,rl‘et. le , had been said of the loss of the foreign
t;;" th,ite"")• the same thing had been predicted before,
e e toren,. had not suffered. On
ter,
.. ontree . ,n trade
If 4". . A, the foreign trade was never so ex-
:.4°)- sent,o'ere ivies no fear of their foreign
no
st 'eat en ',:t °lily remove those restrictions which. at
thli 'lee in e'lued and restricted it. There was no in-
sen.rql to w,hieh. restrictions from trade had been re-
eirinr,, forawt. tile trade of the country did not immediately
104. tia.,t:il• Such had been the effect of the policy
hp eetild '.'ssoll, and the same would prove true now.
ti
Ivo_
..i. give tile Right Hon. Gentleman data, which
vet!' ll'itt'ol_teli! well if he followed. This was not a ques-
titee „fgtlb_er 9f a Ten Hours' Bill, because the prop°-
, "tittee Nobleniii".°, Lord was equivalent to an Eleven
4' ten lio'ut'ithe was not sorry that it was treated as
t, ,- an
. isolatedill. Looking to the measure, not
l'oein.• one, as he before said, but
it,har .at it as one that must be followed by
i,,. rnor'r_'eiasatires, believing that it would improve
e'lltl elesse'L.nd intellectnal condition of the work-
' rltr. ' that the trade and manufactures of the
reeet d would
ni,, fullowe, not be placed in danger if the Govera•
lest regard a sound and wise course of legislation
,neen ti'n, intu corn and suar—that it would tend to
a'.'llht ruse ,i, stility of the people to the social state (they
4() ' °ilea Ili°
lIW !HO tho„ I " stripe which took place a short time
1,„• tlennt_ 1 g , the disturbances had been put down,
~tttln,se n,e It of' the people still remained) ; looking to
;Ilardn,i `l,l;lle4iet e thought that an opportunity was now
tress
thel they might effect great social good,
h‘,..lerts eon_
ee affections of the working classes.
undet n ,
.unn din his own mind, that whatever evils
the. L baPPosed
ee Period of. ~1,-likely to flow from this limitation of
th,l'ltety set
about
tntohuer, if they would honestly and sin-
hetit "vij" would besuacsial irrtrovement of the people,
Ins which
.____,,,
result nothing compared with the be-
h; 4-4, net isoCruttti from the change.
tetiaerte he ,'"le\ GTON said, that on every occasion
Z.ae,
of
thesa.rl given his support to proposals similar to
r.it ich Niilkie Lord ; but when he found a Govern-
lier nwu Plat ad never shown a disposition to force
1... been
Per its Against the opinions of the House, he
th'etlts he liaireenxel
din the extreme. During the Easter
tit%!th' Metnberas yled the majority, and he had found
had of the
o the great commercial towns and
h' suPPe t d empire, and the Members for Yorkshire,
hint
th r e the Bill. Medical had informed
talieh. --at tperiod men
st 4
e_
thee . of tea hours was as
r ,a 4 liven stnews could safely sustain.—(Hear.)
r_ eiet rnie. Plainly intimated by the Right lion. Ba-
'el '"'''• d• Graham) that 'f
1 carried, i the Noble Lord's propo-
ee 'aids_,the corn-laws must be re ealed. Then
itiendat,a) that if the corn-laws did r P rote inty°7lt he should be the first ma rest on so rotten a
"' weir repeal, e 11 in the House to
—kCheers from the Opposition.)