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

MEDICAL REFORM.

Mr P. M. STEWART wished to put a question to
the Right Hon. Baronet, the Secretary of State for the
Home Department. He would be glad to know when
the Right Hon. Gentleman intended to introduce his
measure of Medical Reform, and whether he intended so
to alter the Apothecaries' Act of 1815, as to admit of
Scotch medical students practising in England.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, that considering the
position of the New Poor-law Bill, he must hesitate be •
fore he appointed a precise time for introducing any
other measure. Either before or immediately after
Ester he intended to introduce a Bill affecting the medi-,
cal profession throughout the United Kingdom, and
which, instead of increasing, would tend to relax the re-
strictions which now controlled medical practitioners.
IRISH' FRANCHISE.
Lord J. RUSSELL wished to ask the Right Hon.
Baronet, the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment a citte*tion with reference to the measure affecting

the franchise of Ireland, of wich some notice had been
already given. He wished tc know if the Right Hon.
Gentleman would name a day 'or bringing it forward,
and whether the Bill would he hinted before Easter.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM wont on Monday next give
notice of the day upon which h, meant to intoduce tho
measure, and that day would be bfore Easter.
FEES AT QUARTER SESSIONS.
_ _

On the Order of the Day for !Ding into Committee
on the Factories Bill being read,
Mr. ESCOTT wished to put a qbstion, of which he
had given notice to the Secretary of state for the Home
Department. Previous to putting te question, a few
observations were necessary. The RTht Hon. Gentle-
man would recollect that in the last ession of Parlia-
ment he (Mr. Escott) had called the attention of the
House to a sytem of certain illegal ies, which were
taken by the Clerks of the Crown inCourts, and by
Clerks of Assize, and Clerks of the Pece, at Quarter
Sessions. The statements which were then made by his
Right Hon. Friend, and by the Noble Lad, the Mem-
ber for London, would, he thought, have at an end to
the practice, for both stated, in the clemest possible
manner, their abhorrence of the practice. kt the end
of the session, he (Mr. Escott) moved for a return of the
number of those taken in the preceeding yeke. That
return showed that 20 counties had abolished he prac-
tice, but that 32 counties still retained it to a gleater or
less extent. Now, the practice was simply this ;—The
Clerk of the Assize or Clerk of the Peace demalded
sum of money from every defendant previous ti his
pleading guilty and taking his trial. It had
been contended that this was legal, because an
Act of Parliament gave to the Judges of Session
power to settle the amount of fees ; it was therefore con-
tended, that the clerks had a right to demand a certain
amount of fees from defendants. He was quite certain
that no Hon. Member in that House, acquainted with
the subject of criminal jurisprudence, could think that
the clerks were on that ground entitled to take one
sixpence from defendants. The practice never would
have endured to the present time had it been generally
known. He was sure when he introduced the subject
last session to the House, there was scarcely an Hon.
Member, or at least not more than one or two, that was
aware of the practice. Neither his Right Hon. Friend,
the First Lord of the Treasury, nor the Attorney-Ge-
neral, nor the Solicitor-General, knew anything of the
practice, nor of the magistrates he had spoken to, ex-
cept one Chairman of Quarter Sessions. The practice
was carried on in secrecy, and in the dark. By those
secret means sums of money were extorted. There was
no case in which this extortion had been practised, that
an indictment for extortion would not lie against the
officers of the Court—who made the charge. He wished
to ask his Right Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for
the Home Department, who had made a very strong
declaration on the subject last session, again to express
his opinion, so that this abominable system might he
put an end to. He hoped the power pf the Executive
would be exerted to crush it. There was no need for
further interference on the part of the Legislature. The
laws were quite strong enough if they were put in force.
Sir J. GRAHAM.greed with his Hon. and Learned
Friend in thinking this a very vile practice, and a state
of things that ought to be speedily remedied. He would
not presume to say that any opinion expressed by him
would have the effect anticipated by the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman ; but he felt bound to say that these
practices were at variance with the first principles of
law. He did not think the defendant should be called
upon to pay anything in proving his innocence, nor
should he be mulcted when a jury of his countrymen
pronounced an acquittal. Such demands were only justi-
fiable when the judges of the Court had sanctioned them;
but the demand. sanctioned by the judges were not at
variance with the law. Those observed upon by the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman were ab origine illegal.

etIII
the least distance travellel was li, and the great toil,.
miles a day. It must be birne in mind, that theeebeing
culations were made whe, the machines were,, the
driven at moderate speed. During their w.OllOl
labourers had to turn round 'rom four to fife
il'ft reed
times a day. The calculation which he had n' d the
were partly made in the milk of a gentleman
name of M'Connell, of Mancheter. This gell diets
also made calculations, and aftereards comparedivrd
with the calculations of the arihmetician hieui‘odoss
Ashley) had' sent down. The two sets of en, tier
were found to materially differ, fit 2,l,Conneo:oo, it
surement being much less ; but, upigi e: n$ iider
was discovered that Mr. M'Connell hal made nn.
ance for the diagonal movements. Tl;s -InntleAttebee
ference between the two statements. Tie flonljettil
for Oldham (Mr. Fielden) had publisheda pomp tthis subject, and from his calculations it 'l9polw-,irse
the average distance that themen travelled th?,75. Se
of a day, working at a pair of mules, was 32 to dare
(Lord Ashley) had also consulted a number ofleot
spinners, and they stated that the average at h des
20 miles per day. They also stated that altho*%ithike
was more work performed than there ever Was_ opted
were fewer men made to do it. They furrega ti
that an inferior kind of cotton was now use
increased the difficulty of spinning. Now the l'adheell
ments he (Lord Ashley) had read to the House bll
disputed by Mr. Greg, a gentleman who was we iitteete
In consequence of this, h (Lord Ashley) had°pds
the arithmetician who made the calculationS., tidy
answer was, that either Mr. Greg's statement Mega
culous blundering, or a gross perversion of ef:ol6o'
facts. He (Lord Ashley) believed that one 7 010
did the work which was done by two a feW
In the year 1819 the number of picks per.lllol"oetsi
pair of mules was 60, and in 1842 the numbe:oes
to 140. They had had the evidence of several nos
physicians and surgeons to show the fearful couspes
which resulted from this excessive labour. Dr• d.otY!.,
had stated that diseases of the feet, legs, arms, 1/1/0000F
parts of the body were of frequent occurrence aO.
the factory people. Dr. Souden had stated not°,
thing. Dr. Hawkins had given it as his opillit:::1
person under the age of 18 ought to be engtrlnige
bour more than ten hours of the day. He (1-4, A
had visited the infirmary in Manchester, ans.,rojelow,
that it was filled with persons affected wittrividr:
diseases, and these persons were labourers wd`Lstlesr,
employed in the factories. The medical lard
who was attending this establishment stew"o,y:
the majority of these diseases had below dil
by excessive labour, heated rooms, and Or ,'
The same evils were found to prevail in otherr, tr of
and a very admirable work had been published -g;
years ago by a French physician named Billie
stated that various diseases, which he (DrursosSe,:
had enumerated, were prevalent among the pf,.
gaged in the manufactures of the Continent. 4' bet
mentable to find the dreadful effects this lahnitr.p.r;
the constitutions of the persons engaged in
frequently effectually destroyed the visual ornose 00%
ful accidents were continually occurring, an t
dents consisted of loss of fingers, hands, Ste" aessrol
occurring at a late hour of the evening, wliell_Aleg/tie
sons became so tired as to be almost rer;- of ,
danger. He would next direct the attentletioait
House to the early period at which superadnuaiterfe
menced among persons of this class. It welfoool
done that persons above the age of 40 were
.m,t0,6
bouring in factory employments. He held *.
his hand of the number of persons hdapt
in Moseley, Ashtq,n, and other parts of Laniollltra i
p
turned out in the year 1831. The number 0010
and out of that number there were only 51 'ln,,St
were above the age of from 45 to 50. He 12_7407,4
return of the number of persons engaged in !ii-ete-.4";is
in Scotland, and out of 1,600 persons the" ,ler.
10 above the age of 45. He also had a retuloollsoi
1839 of the number of persons engaged in 4,010
Stockport and Manchester; the number was of t.
out of that number only 143 had passed the . . ft el
and 16 of those were retained as a sPeelareliSO
Of 131 spinners in Manchester, seven only le` ideMe
the age of forty-five, and these were refused eilelittl })/
on account of age. He held in his hand s
Bolton, from a gentleman employed to malt/ of digs
the Government, from which it appeared 00
reduced' spinners who were out of employs:lW it.
more than fifty, and the rest did not average,,,a, fore it
man, at Oldham, who had worked at a adder.;001(001
teen years, and was now only forty-three Y:Lo
had frequently applied for work, but Was_.,rien
it on the ground of old age. The same eTUI.
France, as appeared in the report of Dc'elaidniSf
It was found more economical, both in Dig Poi
the Continent, to employ younger workldein'A.,,
had been addressed to him, in 1833, by Nl.o'ol teol'ol
large millowner in Lancashire, and it cents' dire 000
markable passage :—" You will natural It far,
the old men, who are said to die, or to be ,un 101
when they attain the age of forty.
able 0;001
spinners, whether young or old, are sue if or
price per pound, the produce of the old lotillintittidl
expense, because there is a diminished qu'it
this fact sometimes occasions their discharMboatr, dr
(Lord Ashley) would ask what agricultural Jr,cferliel
superannuated at forty years ? Old alf ,11 Po oil"
scription adhered to the habits contracted i,,,„„,e0
and those who were discharged from the ,--The,;(
almost unfit for any other kind of labOurf•ol,4
went on to say that the old men, " men
riff
the Noble Lord), frequently disagreed wit,
fellow-labourers, and preferred living at h to PTA;
earnings of their children were sufficient ' fs:,
them. There was not a more Ow— 0111;e1
in the dismal history of factory. labour iinew- fie
men of forty were commonly maintained in) 1:11.101
18 0
the labour of their childr e.—(Hear, he°. iPt-io
port of the Commissioners appointed in en or
it was difficult to believe the ages of the "'flies]; gri
in factories from their appearance, so age old
premature old age come upon them. J4?„;erilLtr,
confidence in the Report of these Counnis,sl'B,o Tot:,
were men selected by the Government 01 It roe ofir
judgment and intelligence. He would nee itletaY
port which would convey to the House s°11:01,,,
difference between agricultural and Wee tory
hour. On an estate in Worcestershire, wmfreeet4
cultural labourers were employed, twentr ylasert
the age of forty-five years. On an estate twenty.
its
where twenty agricultural labourers welis !,$:1
eleven exceeded that age. On an estate et tw7,
which sixty-two labourers were emPlt tbitteso
ceeded the age of forty. On another este-0
principality, on which forty-two laboureortigi,
gaged, twenty-seven exceeded the age °S,f, at( f.
Isle of Wight, on a small farm, on wl"' ogi
bourers were employed, ten exceeded the We* r,
On another estate in the same island, "att.' afo
were employed, seven were beyond that boos it"
other, out of fifteen labourers, six werehere,tfibe
On a calculation of several small farms t'o,ctiesarili'sli
thirty men were employed, every one elogrielto 100
of forty years. Thus, in a total of 341 000 a,
bourers, employed in different parts of the to lo:orri
were above the age of forty. Contrast
not of (I te
manufacturing returns, which stated that,
her of 22,000 employed in factories, only to 18
beyond the age of forty. On different estds.ljto:d
shire, on which 427 labourers were erelld re?
beyond the age of forty-five. Why he w° t* °to per
experience of Hon. Members, if it were 11o.w. if
~(000
to see agricultural labourers working d ge, 10Pd
fifty, sixty, and even seventy years ofc"opos!:0
hear.) The employment at the factories Ai
entirely debilitated the constitution 0' tbeicto.,4
for when discharged, unless supported htstituti 011,
they generally sank down into hopeless u`ficieelloi rot
education of male and female was most tiSitioll,sttietA
were any at all, and their physical edn,be Kionoo
passed by their moral degradation.
_,`,,;ertlerperibes
thrift and economy was a virtue altoget„",001 fir 00,
these people. They scarcely ever hal:De-lie
of savings to meet old age. The Pnoi 111
quoted from returns, showing the state, tbrotortor
in Manchester. These returns shovre7,oiffiil:
11 jobbers, or casual porters, 9 were Cll*lool,,jir of
bourers. Of 37 hawkers of nuts and 01-7,o4;eelit ;
the same description of persons. Of 928 bi,40,000
were cast-off factory labourers. Of 400, r
boiled sheeps' feet, &c , 22. Of 14 re'of 113,41",,ed
of 25 comb-sellers, 16—making a total tit otoplte,
in the lowest employments of life, andp°34l 900 I
were discharged factory labourers. ()trctor%) ••
operatives in the same town, 217 were "c 41*
108
who were maintained by their own childr
of 60 rag-gatherers, 50 had been facterfoopil
1842, in Manchester, of 245 cast-off es,.beir
were living entirely on the earnings 01' P
remainder were following the occupatiollisiire;:icill
mentioned. The Commissioners had in 2 beee- ,
of these unemployed labourers her ae4t
on the revival of trade, and the anol,be e%reiof or
one. Dr. Hawkins observed upon fr .ore fiereeo
id the 0.0 te
state of things in Manchester; he so, ie,
was reversed, for the children of tedseriplVvi
shoel t
porting their parents, whose age hp- po be •of
the prime of life. The evils which he
railed of the,'
were not peculiar to England, they Pre otiOesol°0;:i
tinent, and had engaged the serous at° "- it
v, 31 re'
vernments and crowned heads of —ur° io 70
nature could not be violated with llotior,„iorike
fringements would cause a bitter retrlitici tott,
physical condition and consequent rarepl,Aog ini„toble
1830, a Commission had been appoin ffitiliwOO $ll,
.00,
Chamber of Deputies, for the purPosetit°or:ol.e,ot
. .
condition of the manufacturing PePhi, Gor-0 ess
_fit
Lord quoted from the report of t joy 0 113-30)01„,
effect of which was, that out of I°.ejecte' 11;1
agriculture in France, 4,029 were I, etlg7,fitoeno of 1
military service ; out of 10,000 Dee of 000,,10t,,, I
factures, 9,930 were rejected betlereot ear'oots.) !
report went on to recommend' dela that / to e of
manufacturing districts, and 'tat borriblenied.d.,o
individual suffering there was caiod.73o. Pqrie
plate, and should be at olr-eesenretenla
_stow, oclo'010:01_
A report had been
Prussia by a General it the rlllsd 740.0°!,'
lamented the inefficienc• of those en*qsry ono,
• for nu" tolte
facturing districts of Jrussia not at
declared that if a reOrmation did more, Ate,
tb
the present generatim would grsw°li (1-e,
enfeebled than the former ode. tor •cti ,P;
lv,a,emreenetmedpltooyeodbsierr;
eheu
land, notwithstaiding that it haa_uch as hat 00000
sicians of the greatest eminence,.;
dell, Elliotson. and Sir Ben.i.eini tie fe ge 00° ce
preeannuthfsectutl!'ul-tni."7;l4•filicedorii.vjpol,
wrote to him, to say that, setTeuctri lbw 00 e
0,
labourt Iwnastipietrltviceusltariltyidiinnjgurolofuv*%itoturltbsoire,,rogooll ljilootoroirr
males, who were then suPPurthefictOri'revide
were now all engaged in - feet, iv °go ,rIP
ing twelve hours a &Y. oisitiduto ‘4,1
seemed to be in especial Ile tab° 000
e.
eingi)cio nunithe Pregeee
The Noble Lend next enters _it of
_4O 40
efaueetruitlyrig didsipsltacrieetds, to ry. Iv°lneliber url'ef°r°llll
res.= rote.- OY.
cal details, to prove that Le- the , _of
tern, which prevailed throe's _„,04 de
in England, tended in a Otrf"'
a