The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-10 00:00:00

TRE LATE HOUR SYSTEM IN
THE METROPOLIS.
A public meeting, called by the Committee of the
Metropolitan Drapers' Association, was held yesterday
evening in Exeter-hall, for the purpose of extending
the knowledge of the evils of the late hour system of
business, and the best remedies for them. Long be-
fore eight o'clock, the hour appointed for commencing
business, the large room was crowded in every part,
and upon the platform we observed Mr. Sheriff
°idney, Mr. Ambrose Moore, of Milk-street; Mr.
George Thomson, the Anti-Corn-law League advo-
cate ; Mr. D. NV. Wire, the Rev. Henry Hughes, Mr.
IV- D. Owen, of Great Comm-street ; Mr. Joseph
rayne, Barrister, and Deputy Coroner for the City of
Laudon ; Dr. J. Copeland, F.R.S., &c., &c. There
Were upwards of 500 master linendrapers on the
platform.
Mr. A. MooRE was sorry that a letter had been
received from the Lord i\layor, stating his inability
to attend that evening.—(Hisses.) He was sure that
lithe meeting knew the sentiments of his Lordship
thatu itnthis subject as well as he did, they would feel
was something of very great importance indeed
Which had kept him from them. He had, however,
• done the second best thing, for he had deputed one of
the Sheriffs of Middlesex to take the chair in his stead.
-(Loud and continued cheer's;.) Without further
preface he would move that Mr. Sheriff Sidney be
called to the chair.—(Cheers.)
Mr. D. W. WIRE seconded the motion.
Mr. Sheriff SIDNEY then took the chair, and ex-
Pressed his regret that his Lordship was not present
at: that meeting; and he begged, for himself, to return
his
best thanks for the high honour they had just
tkult
cunferred upon him.—(Hear, hear.) Ile was sure
hs the attainment of the objects for which they had
-Let would meet with general approbation. He would
at once call upon the Secretary to read the report.
The Secretary then read the report, which stated
that the objects
of the Association were not so much
earlier hour
the drapers to shut up their shops at an
heour, but to act upon public opinion, so that
re. rung trading should be discouraged. Many of the
ad-rgest provincial towns. had already taken a step in
BilaniceAand among them might be cited Manchester,
con ie-ta;3l, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. The report
Veouaid--,' 07 expressing a hope that that meeting
now Would
an increased impulse to the machinery
ma° haSteeply an
organised and put in motion.
the Fr' , in a few words, moved that
solutrio. ".
-:e.Nert be received.
W. WIRE, in rising to
.move the first re-
he r„.ofopinion that
n—" That this meeting, being
represent protracted hours of business, in shops and
to e„,- P,ublic establishments, are devoid of advantage
'Ployers and unnecessary for the convenience. of
tbe cPublie and further, being highly impressed with
in, ooviction that the health, morals, and spiritual
thLerests of the assistants, are thereby sacrificed, does,
in,e,:fc,'re, now express its decided opinion that an im-
mediate late change in such a pernicious custom is loudly
ra• Imperatively called for"—said, that he had heard
Ziltracted labour under an eastern clime, but now
and „.3", bY an Act of the Legislature, was abolished,
(ehe people of those countries were free:-
see ers'Y If the sympathies of this country could
peo'ar travel across the ocean, surely they might ex-
et t' and expect with justice, that some of it might be
there at home.—(Cheers.) They were told that
__Ze were 20,000 drapers'-assistants in this metroplis,
Had
average labours extended to some fifteen hours.
Had
those persons leisure to inform their minds ?
tielso? theyNvlaseisuare to attend to their spiritual necessi-
that
thi(Great cheering.) And yet they were told
Christian country—a pre-eminently
beA Christ country.—(Cheers.) Should it be said that,
masmastersthere Was a superabundance of labour, the
Were ulild recruit their forces, as the slave-holders
forbidlvuut to recruit theirs ? Forbid it,
in justice—
telt
.'
meet' on—forbid it, humanity—forbid it, that
Tasters
the g'"-(:ontinued cheering.) It did not benefit
_ continue such late hours of business.
pins the public No. By evening shop-
ew"e.Y Were inflicting injuries which, if they were
Wiithb
e to this question, would be at once done away
y transacting their business through the day.
--l Cheers.) Could they think that the human frame
I.W: like some machine, which would, or could, go
on
at ever without stop or hindrance ? Why was it
tnkoat the tables of mortality showed that life was so
1101 more extended in the country than in the towns ?
4%ed •
id.. If hurtful to health, were not these hours, he
Z.^ed, equally hurtful to morals ? He had seen much
of prisons, and he found that vice was in a great mea-
ls induced by those extended hours of incessant
anotir.—(Great cheering.) What conversation could
tuan enjoy after fifteen hours' of labour? What
.714 could he read ? But the resolution said that their
bic);Lvi,tual interests were sacrificed. Had they not a
h,-"lrn and moral destiny before them ? Did not na-
Ve, and revelation tell them that they had souls
17t for a fax higher state of being than that
fitted
were then undergoing ? And had they leisure
.4a/1,4"d to those important duties ? No. The
ab--„ed„Gentleman concluded a lengthened, admire
tiee' eloquent speech, by again reading the resolu-
fw vQbniploring them all to second the purposes
Dr a.A the meeting was called.
-`l.hiti ?as COPELAND, F.R.S., in seconding the
hitel; said that the eloquent speech of the mover
Lately o,;"ut little to add. As a surgeon, he could
fir. If..te his assent to the proposition laid down by
friliffailret that the extended hours of labour were a
thent ~,,cause of disease in that metropolis. Some of
Neon-I:Pt remember the saying of the immortal
Parts the day ought to be divided into three
andeight hours for sleep, eight hours fur business,
Ileite.Fut hours for study and relaxation. The
dan--ed r then
enumerated the diseases which were in-
existen_nY the
t 43 the ;ee' an system of long hours at present in
d concluded by givin; his hearty assent
solution.
resolutirt,, ev• HENRY HUGHES, A.M., supported the
"111,in a speech of the most effective character.
Parks a,,,,arKed upon the inconsistence of providing
Without "‘e other places of recreation and amusement,
finisfinist,3 g,siving the labouring classes of the country
%r
int y hvnl°3' them. The Prime Minister of this
Peonds- t -a- in a truly liberal spirit sent one thousand
te Manchester to assist in the formation of a
taerr( there. He thus paid a noble tribute to the
again, be of
of humanitv.—(Great cheering.) But
or fresh Oil-. Hughes) said, what were green fields
labours flowers, or the pure breezes of heaven, if the
atn
r we
re not permitted to enjoy them.—(Loud
net)ntioued cheering.) What were they to those
factor"Y Persons, pent up in a close and noisome
house?,r the equally hopeless assistant in the ware-
incea,,; (Cheers.) Was it not to them a miserable
atjo -B`encY to acknowledge the necessity for relax-
eiNn,„and yet (true, it was attributed to the force of
of t`;'stances) deny it in practice by the continuance
godilolfs vile system ?—(Great cheering.) It was the
so fine kinarninon that kept up this system here, while
say i" humanity was expended abroad. He did not
drane"at many, a very great many, of the master
nobles' Were not distinguished by the exercise of the
Would virtues • but he said, and he said boldly, that
ere the :laves of a system. In conclusion, he
aicall upon the assistants themselves to pursue
etheden: epaolvMsulyinagn;d legitimately, the course they were
tinhettli:g and he called upon the public, as pre-
sPeakers had done, not to make their purchases
e evening shops. The speaker concluded amid
Ittliost tumultuous applause.
few". W. D. OWIIN said that he would only say a
lik iwurds, and he hoped they would be the more
_ to be to the purpose. He would first read them
acrteetter from that warm friend to their cause, Mr.
let(e?rge Hitchcock, of St. Paul's Churchyard. The
inclosed a cheque for 201. Mr. Bardwell, of
_cioorn, had sent 51.; and their kind Chairman had
Commissioned him to put down his name for five
guineas, If there was any power in truth, and in
I,la-tin:will:ow, as sure that their cause would triumph
tieigh,
le and great thanks were due to the corn-
in after a hard day's work, were up for hours
The
chambers, bringing that meeting to maturity.
carried
resolution was then
put from the 'chair, and
'arped unanimously.
THOMAS HALL proposed the second resolution :
That this meeting cordially approves of the mea-
sures adopted by the Metropolitan Drapers' Associa-
tion to obtain the necessary abridgment of the hours
i?I business, and now pledges itself to further that ob-
:re!! by. discountenancing, in every way, the practice
al_"erllng shopping, and calls upon the public, and
fotogt).upon employers to afford every facility for ef-
tageing a change which will be of the highest advan-
v2_ to the assistants, and will beneficially affect sO-
-otY_ at large." To reason upon such a resolution
outw uld be perfectly unnecessary, and he would, with-
„.any preface, hand it to the Chairman.
toalr• GEORGE THOMSON saki he should be obliged
weaUY wady or gentleman who would kindly state
s left for him to do.—(Laughter.) The
Predicament he was in reminded him of an anecdote
iadY who wanted a servant. Three applied, and
n the first was asked what she could do, she said
eirnYth ing.”—(Laughter.) The next could do
ything—
(Loud laughter)—and the third said,
v
umbly and very properly, that, coming after
Fire tne, she could do nothing.—(Cheers.) Mr.
had been before them, and every person, east. or
West of Temple-bar, km wtet he could do anything
--(Loud and long-con inned I uighter.) He meant
anYthin that
and g was noble and philanthropic, and good
tiel
ejauns. tn. "e"; r(Chhimee,rs.) Then t, ey had the Rev. Gen-
who had proved that evening that
aii:o:eivii_ledr,daoeverything—(Cheeee.)—or, if he, had. leftt etiYtning undone, Mr. Owen had supplied, leaving,
the door something to be done by the meeting a
—(Cheers and laughter.) He had but one
thing tu.say, and that was, that he asked emancipation
to th
did ese 20,000 assistants, as they were men. He
not ask it as a matter of compassion, but as an
inalienableTilit--.-the right of fellow-men.—(Cheers.)
they
allies of London, nothing could be more
would not say
eliaseY than toe close the shops at six or seven o'clock.
with Mr. Wire that they
"Prowled" about, but he supposed that many of them