The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-17 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

PRESENT STATE OF THE, COTTON-FACTORY QUES
TION; oa, AN APPEAL TO mansii JUSTICE.

MR. EDITOR—TiIe origination of this measure
goes as far hack as the year 1815. It was in that
year that Sir ROBERT PEP", first submitted the
subject to the House of Commons, and it stood
over for consideration until the following Session.
In 1816 the business was referred to a Commit-
tee. and much evidence heard both for and
against the question, which evidence was printed.
Daring the Session of 1817 no pro tress was made,
owing to the indisposition of the Hon. Baronet,
which made his attendance, as Chairman of the
Committee, impracticable. In 1818 a Bill was
brought into the Commons, founded on the evi-
dence befcre received, which passed the House by
a large majority, and was sent up to the Lords.
By their Lordships it was referred to a Committee
of their own House, and at the instance of cer-
tain Petitions to that effect, the parties were or-
dered to be heard by themselves and Counsel.—
The opposing party were heard accordingly; and
their evidence was proceeding, when the dissolu-
tion of Parliament supervened, ere their witnesses
had all been examined. In this state were the
labours of the Committee broken off. The oppo-
nents of the Bill were heard at much length, the
Petitioners in favour of it not at all. The next
thi)e, is a new Parliament assembles. The Loial
KENYON, as Chairman of the Committee, moves
for its re-appointmentto continue and complete
the hearing of the evidence—which at present
is all on one side. Can any thing be more
equitable than the proposition ? Yet this is
strenuously resisted by the opponents of the mea-
sure. They plead in the first place for delay—
this is conceded. The motion at length collies
on ; they deny that any Committee at all is ne-
cessary ! and would abSolutely dismiss the business
without suffering the other parry to adduce a single
witness in support of their pretensions—which
are in fact no other than the claims of a most nu-
merous and interesting class of British subjects--
e claims of helpless, nnoffending, and' suffer-
ing infancy. Meanwhile, the question is once
more deterred until the 22d instant.—Now, Sir,
give me leave to ask, can a decision, founded on
ex parte evidence, be either fair or honourable ;
Is this conduct of the opponents of the Bill agree-
able in any one sense to the accustomed rules and
principles of British justice ? Does it harmonise
with that spirit of impartial equity which has
gained for this country so large a share of its high
renown, which pervades its Constitution, and
predominates in all its domestic policy ?—Shall
we suppose that in the wisdom of the Legislature
is not included its impartiality, or that political
prudence may not be consistently just and hu-
mane ? These suggestions, I trust, are neither
unreasonable, nor without importance.
A LOVER OF JUSTICE.

The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
hare been pleased to appoint Mr. R. F. BLAKE,
late Timber-master at Pembroke Dock-yard, to
the situation of Assistant Builder at the Dock-
yard, Sheerness.
A petition against the renewal of the Insolvent
Debtors' Act is, we hear, now in hand, under
the management of Mr. Gleadow, and will shortly
be ready for signatures ; the Act expires at the
end of the present Session of Parliament
Packet.)