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

SUFFERINGS-OF BLEACHERS.

(From the Glasgow Saturday Evening Post and Renfrewshire
Reformer, of Saturday.) -
It is understood that Mr. Wallace's motion, to have the
bleaching works in Scotland brought within the Factory
Bill, now in progress through the House of Commons, will
be brought forward by him on Monday next, and that k
will have the support of Lord Ashley. Mr. P. M. Stewart,
who had promised his aid to the operatives, is now in cor-
respondence with the master bleachers, and will support a
petition to be presented by them, praying that, before le-
gislation, a Government Commissioner may be appointed to
inquire into the system of labour in the bleaching works.
The masters postponed their opposition until they saw
that, through the exertions of Mr. Wallace, the operatives
were about to gain their object, and the demand at the
eleventh hour for inquiry, is considered by the operatives as
altogether a sham, and used merely for the purpose of delay,
and thereby preventing them from obtaining an immediate
redress of their grievances. The operatives made the same
allegations of cruelty and oppression in their petitions to Par-
lianieht last session, and prayed for inquiry by Government,
but the masters were then silent—they acquiesced in, or
at least never contradicted, these allegations, and certainly
they did not then invite inquiry; and it is only when
the operatives are seemingly about to attain their object
that their employers interfere, and, on pretence that the
operatives' petitions contain somewhat exaggerated state-
ments of their wrongs, and that inquiry ought there-
fore to be made into them before legislation, pray that the.
operatives' claims to legislative protection may be postponed.
The delay and the inquiry sought for by the masters will
however be useful to the operatives, and we trust they will
make out such a case as will not only secure for them public
sympathy, but also a full measure of justice from the Legisla-
ture. We have no wish at present to enter into any detail of
the evils of the system of labour in the bleaching works, but
we cannot refrain from stating what has just been communi-
cated to us, that in a bleaching work not a great many miles
from this city, and tonducted by a gentleman as respectable as
any in the trade, the workers were employed for three days suc-
cessively last week, from 6 in the morning till 12 at night, in
dryinghouses heated to 120 degrees of Fahrenheit; the ave-
rage hours for the whole week being sixteen per day—a
length of hours and severity of labour, more than sufficient
to exhaust their strength, andrriously to affect their health.
This is not a solitary example' of the system, and its effect
upon the physical and moral condition of the workers ; and yet
the masters require farther inquiry before it be interfered
with. We have been amused to hear of the salutary
effects produced in certain bleaching works by our
public advocacy of the right of the operatives to
protection from the Legislature. There has been an
active setting of the works in order, preparatory, no doubt,
to the visit of the Government Commissioner. Bells have been
hung up to ring at meal hours—clocks set up to regulate the
hours of labour—the wearing of watches by the men is not
prohibited—and, except in cases of urgency, the hours of la-
bour have been limited to 13 hours per day ; while the kind-
est expressions of sympathy have been used towards the
workers. This is all very well, and as it should be ; and we
trust that, now the reformation has begun, it will goon, and that
before the " Bleachers' Protection Bill" shall have come into
operation, the masters will have brought the entire system
into accordance with the principles of humanity and justice.

THE RACER.—A new sporting work has just made
its appearance under this title. It seems to contain all im-
portant matter connected with the Turf on great events
about to come off, as well as those that have alreadydone so;
it is a sort of book that has long been wanted as a safe and
convenient reference, and isworthy of support on that account
alone, independent of the original remarks on racing in gene-
ral. The Proprietor of this little work dedicates it to the "Pa-
trons of the Turf" in these words :—" This little work is in-
scribed to you. There are other publications which supply
the same information as the present ; but there is none in
which that information is conveyed in so compact and useful
a form, for constant and ready reference. It may be slipped
into the waistcoat pocket, or carried in a pocket-book. It is
a mere nutshell, not feather weight ; a mulium in ; a
bijou—in plain English a gem, and may it prove one of the
first water ! Measure not its utility by its miniature size ;
great matters often lie in a small compass, like a pearl in an
oyster. Your patronage of this attempt to consult your con-
venience will proportionately stimulate the zeal of its pro-
prietor to make it still more worthy of your acceptance.
Should it fail to deserve your support, let it be consigned to
its merited fate—oblivion. Some of the readers of this may
recognize the hand that pens it; those who do not willyer-
haps recollect the name of LIONEL BENJAMIN RAYNER.'
DARING ROBBERY AT THE BANK.—On Thursday,
as a gentleman from King William-street, City, was paying
in money to one of the receivers of the Drawing-office, at the
Bank of England, some daring thief contrived to abstract his
pocket-book from the counter, and which contained a Bank
of England note for 501., one for 101., one for 5/. ; in gold,
2/. 10s. ,• and in silver, 10s. 6d., with which the scoundrel got
clear off..

Sivori is expected in town almost immediately.
Since he left England he has been engaged in a professional
tour in Holland, where he has met with great success. M.
Ernst is also expected to visit London early in the season.
THE SIEGE OF JELLALABAD.—SiIver medals are
at present being struck off at the Mint, for the purpose of
being presented to those who were present at the siege o f
Jellalabad.
HEROIC CONDUCT OF LIEUTENANTS CATWELL AND
VANSITTART, R.N.—On Wednesday, the 13th of December,
as the men of her Majesty's ship Agincourt were exercising
aloft, one of them, unfortunately, lost his hold, and fell from
the main-yard-arm, and striking against the rigging,
bounded with frightful force from the spare-topsail-yard.
and fell insensible into the sea. Lieutenants Catwell and
Vansittart instantly dashed overboard after him ; the former
officer was, however, from his position, unable to make way
against the tide and reach the sinking man ; Mr. Vansittart
was nearer to him, and with almost superhuman exertions
(being burdened with the whole of his uniform), saved the
poor fellow's life, supporting him a considerable time witil a
boat could be lowered.—Hong-Kong Gazette.
It is an interesting fact that the 39th Regiment,
foremost in the late glorious victory under Sir Hugh Gough,
was the first British regiment that landed in India; and
that, among the many distinctions which it bears upon ita
colours, is Primus in Indis.
We understand that his Royal Highness Prince Al•
bert is going, during the Easter recess, to make a short ex-
cursion to the Continent, in order to visit his afflicted rela-
tives at Cobourg.—Timer.