The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-03 00:00:00

The Noble CHAIRMAN expressed • his readiness to ac-
cept the honour the meeting had conferred upon him. •
The Hon. W. COWPER, M.P., then rose to move a re-
solution, pledgng the meeting to use their utmost
endeavours to promote the interest of the Society, which
had such strong claims upon the public support. No
class of persons, in his opinion, was more entitled 'to
commiseration than the needle-women—they were more
susceptible to misery than persons belonging to the
lowest class, because they were generally persons or
better education reduced to a condition of destitution.
The competition among them was enormous. This .was-
taken
the
taken advantage of, and they were compelled to toil day
and night for a pittance that would hardly sustain life.
The cruelty of their case was, that they did not receive
the full amount paid by the trader for the labour be-
st"treadderAan he l
mddaemp
woms
tarne
stst,e
and
dd
took
k the between
greaterth e mas-
ter
por-
tion of the money actually paid for the labour. 'rho
object of this Society was to remedy this evil, by secur-
ing to the person who actually gave the labour a fair
proportion of the wages paid for it. The Society would
not at all interfere with the wholesale or retail trader ;
bat it might perhaps curtail the unjust gains of the in •
termediate parties ; and possibly might supersede the
" middle-women and middle-men" altogether. Those
who gave a halfpenny and a penny for making a shirt,
must be making their fbrtunes out of the blood and
sinews of their fellow-creatures. By restoring to the
sempstresses that to which they were entitled, full and
fair wages, the Society aimed to do justice rather than
to bestow alms. They were a friendless, helpless, and
destitute class, and being near to the doors of the
wealthy, aid could be afforded them more promptly and
effectually than to those in remote regions, on• whose
behalf the thoughts and imaginations of the benevolent
were oftentimes sought to be excited.—(Cheers,)
JUUEN JEFFREYS, E:q., seconded the resolution.
Some politico-economical objections had been made to
this Society. It was said that poverty must always
abound, and that the real remedy was for the persons suffer-
ing to manage not to multiply their numbers. But it
should be borne in mind that women laboured under
great disadvantages. They could form no union societies;
they could bold no periodical meetings, to confer upon
what affected their interests ; they had no strikes for
wages ; and thus they were powerless as to effecting any
remedy for the evils they suffered under. If the hours
of labour of women were limited to ten a day, it was
his belief that there would not be a sufficient number in
the metropolis• to supply the demand in the labour
market. What was required, however, was to create
such an extra demand for the labour of women, as should
lessen the present lengthened hours of work, and in-
crease, by some amount, the present rate of wages. This
he thought might be done by this Society, as it would
afford temporary employment to the extra bands, leaving
the rest to work moderate hours at full wages. It was
astonishing how greatly one or two redundant hands
affect the interests of a large number of workers. An
excess of one in fifty would introduce a state of compe-
tition prejudicial to the whole body. The present Insti-
tution would remedy that evil, and therefore he cordially
gave it his support.
The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. REDMAYNE moved the appointment of a Committee
to administer the funds of the Society. He considered it
the duty of all who were in circumstances to do so, to
stand by those who could not protect themselves, which
was the case with the unhappy objects of this Institution.
All parties were now studying to curtail the hours bf.
business and labour, for not only were the warehouse-
men closing their establishments at one o'clock on Sa-
turday, but the carriers would not receive goods after
three o'clock on that day. Women, however, could not
combine to procure relaxations of that nature. He
should like to see *cod strike:amongst the needlewomen,
for he thought it would be productive of great benefit.
It was said by some, that it was vain to undertake
such objects as the present, because the evil was too
deeply seated to be removed by any efforts thit
these societies could make ; but it was a suffi-
cient answer to say that, if they could not remove
the whole ma-s of misery that existed, they would very
much diminish its amount. As Christian men and
women it was their duty to do something, and he was
sure the ladies of England, when they sat by their fire-
sides and reflected upon the privations and sufferings of
the numbers of femals who were compelled to ply the
midnight needle, would feel a wish that they could put an
end to all employment of so cruel a description,
Dr. PENFOLD seconded the resolution, and it was car-
ried unanimously.
Letters were read from the Earls of Mountcashel and
Hardwicke, the Bishop of Llandaff, and others, express-
ing regret for their unavoidable absence, and declaring
their sympathy in the objects of the Society. A list of
subscriptions was also read.
Alderman FA.REDROTEIER said that as the business of
the day was about to conclude, he wss quite satisfied
that the meeting would be unwilling to separate without
offering to the noble Chairman their best thanks for his
generous services, and for the courteous manner in which
he had conducted himself in the chair. As President of
the Society, he begged to say a few words upon the pur-
poses for which it was intended. He would not occupy
the time or harrow the feelings of the meeting by nar-
rating the many cases of distress which had come before
him as a magistrate ; but perhaps it was in consequence
of some of those eases that the present Institution was
founded. He never professed to thank, and he never
should thank, an enlightened British public for contri-
buting their money for purposes of benevolence • he
rather congratulated them upon possessing the privilege
of bestowing a portion of their superfluities upon needy
and deserving objects. We were all dependent upon
each other, from the highest to the lowest. The rich
not ive without the middleman, nor the middleman
without the poor person. It was our duty to give corn-
fort to the afflicted, to wipe away the tear from the eye
of the widovired mother, and to enable her to protect her
children and to nurture them in kindness and affection,
and with the benefit of her sound instruction and admo-
nition. He moved the cordial thanks of the meeting to
Lord Ashley for his able and judicious services, and for
the courteous manner in which he had conducted himself
in the chair.
The Rev. JOSEPH BROWNE seconded the motion,
and exhorted all present to remember, after they left
that room, the resolution to which they had voluntarily
come, to do all in their power to promote the purposes
of the Society.
Lord ASHLEY said Alderman Farebrother had laid
down in such excellent and unanswerable terms the prin-
ciple that none are entitled to thanks for the perform-
ance of their duty, that he felt embarrassed how to re-
ceive the thanks of the meeting for the slight trouble he
had taken in this cause. He did feel that very little
thanks were due for therformance of a duty imposed
upon us by the responsibility of our situation. If, in-
deed, we thought that we came into the world by chance,
it would be all well and good ; but if we were placed
here for an especial purpose, and if our existence was a
gift which was to be accounted for, there certainly were
little thanks due for the discharge of duties so impera-
tive. At the same time, he was not indifferent—far
from it—to the thanks of his fellow-citizens. Be con-
sidered it not only as an honour which ought to be
highly prized, but as a resolution on the part of those
who offered it to co-operate with him in his effortsfor
the general amelioration of the condition of mankind,
and in that sense he thanked the meeting heartily, and
e
he should, with God's blessing, so long as he. h
of
ths
power, do all he could to remove some of the evils his
ellow-creatures.
The meeting then broke up.

- - -
PRE SLBOYRTDE
EA
yN
EA Ds
BDuRREyS
.S TO
On Friday an address was presented to Lord
s Presbyterian..dteopilu,
nt
.ati on from
,h
e c
following
lroct n
gG recentlyei
sn etrhael
assembledri Te ep yt Assemblyeosbf hisrYa fEbCxytcoheoelkal ency. It is much more guarded
than his reply, a month or two since, to the Remon-
strant or Unitarian Synod, to whom he gave an assu •
ranee that his mission in Ireland was one of general
conciliation :
" Gentlemen of the General Assembly of the Pres-
byterian Church in Ireland,—Your address of con-
gratulation upon my arrival in this country, and the
flattering terms in which these congratulations are
conveyed, demand my warmest acknowledgments.
"There can be no doubt, gentlemen, but that the
Presbyterians of this country, under your spiritual
jurisdiction, have been distinguished for their enter-
prising and industrious habits—for their moral and
peaceable conduct—and for their hereditary attach-
ment to the House of Brunswick.
" Your patriotism and steady loyalty—your zeal
for the prosperity and unity of these kingdoms—will
ever receive that royal approbation which secures you
in the enjoyment of your religious privileges, and
which, as you are pleased to state, greatly assists and
encourages you in the discharge of the duties of your
sacred calling.
" I rely with confidence, gentlemen, upon the as-
surance you give me of your determidation to assist
me, by every means in your power, in the arduous
duties which have been entrusted to me. As her
Most Gracious Majesty's representative in this
country, I can have no other wish than to secure to
each the free exercise of his religious opinions and
worship—to disseminate in as wide a circle as pos-
sible the advantages of moral as well as of general in-
struction—and to contribute in every possible way to
the development of that industrial prosperity of which
so many encouraging symptoms are daily manifesting
themselves in every part of this beautiful kingdom.
" HEYTESBURY."

SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLIt SHOW.-The exhibi-
tion this year, it is believed, will exceed, both in the
quantity as well as quality of the stock, that of any pre-
ceding one, and in order to afford facilities for such in-
crease, not only have the proprietors of the bazaar' had
removed an extensive stabling which formerly occupied
the north-western corner of the grand marquee, but the
entire of the spacious carriage departMent (only a small
slip thereof being appropriated formerly) has been placed
at the disposal of the Club. His Royal Highness Prince
Albert, the Duke of Richmond, and Earl Spencer. have
made entries as competitors in various descriptions of
stock.

HER MAJESTY'S BUCK HOUNDS.—A small field,
numbering between 40 and 50, were at the meet, yester-
day, at Brick-bridge, where the stag was uncarted be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock, going away to Thatchen-
end, nearly to the windmill, whence it doubled back to
Brick-bridge, on to the Hayes, making for .Hay-hill,
Hawthorn-hill, and Warfield Church, to Winkfield=row
and Hatchet-lane, and was taken at Sawyer's-gate, near.
Sunninghill, after a run of little more than an heur. It
was all road hunting to the take, after leaving Wink-
field. The nlopet on Friday will be at the One Pin, at
Iledgerley,