The Sun.
London, England, 1819-06-26 00:00:00

1108 USE OF COMMONS.

Mr. J. SMITH called the attention of the House
to R Petition which he had to reser t, of a more
gratitying nature titan whit h for some time
had been submitted to Pa, liameor. It was ,igned
by 565 Workmen of the Cotton Fictory of New
Lanark, who prayed that the blessings ,hich they
enj3yed, through the liberality and philanr II ropy
of the tit Oprietors of that Factory, might he ex-
tended to all their fellow-hhottrers in the trade.—
The Petition we. then brought up and read, as
follows :

To the Honourable the CoMNIoNs of the L'NITED KINODon
of GnEAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, in Parliament as-
ambled.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of New Lanark, in Scot-

land.

" Humbly showeth—That your Petitioners are employed
at the Cotton Spinning Establishment of New Lanark, and,
in common with their fellow-workmen in other parts of the
'Kingdom, have long deplored the pernicious effects which
result from the practice of employing young children, as well
as adults, for an excessive number of hours per day, in the
generally unhealthy operations carried on within manufac-
tories; that it is however gratifying to your Petitioners to he
able to state, that since January, 1816, the time of working i
at New Lanark has, by a voluntary regulation on the part of
the Proprietors, been considcrahly rcliterci, and is now from
six to half-past six, inclusive of one hour for breakfast, and
one hour for dinner, making the period of actual employment
within the Mills ten hours and a half per day; that this re-
vlation has had a very favourable effect on the health and
general comfort of your Petitioners ; that to their children
in particular, it has been in a high degree beneficial, afford-,
ing them those opportunities of recreation in the open air,
which their age and the nature of their employment so much
require, while their attendance at the evening schools, which
before was irregular, irksome, and productive of little good,
is now become steady, pleasant; and profitable ; that a great
proportion of your Petitioners work by the piece, and though
the rate by which they are paid continues the same, the
shortening of the hour's of labour has not been followed by
any diminution of their earnings ; that having now for more
than three years experienced the great advantages arising
fro:a this change, your Petitioners are naturally desirous to
see those advantages extended to all who are engaged in si-
milar occupations; that this object, year Petitioners humbly
conceive, can he attaned only through the interference of
Parliament, since no general disposition has shown itself,
amongst the master manufacturers, to discontinue the pre-.
sent injurious practice; that your Petitioners trust at least
that some legislative measure may appear to your Honour-
able House to be necessary to prevent in future the prema-
ture employment and over-working of children in manu-
factories ; a system which creates more individual suffering
and public evil than it would be easy for your Petitioners to
describe;

" May it therefore please your Honourable House to take
the subject of your Petitioners' Prayer into consideration,
and to enact such regulations thereupon as may seem to
your Honourable House best calulated to remove the evils
complained of. And:your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c. &c.
Signed " by 1,66 Workmen, all above 16 years of age.
" At New Lanark.. this third day of May,
one thousand eight hundred and nine-
teen years."

Inc petition having been laid, on the table and
'ortltretl to he printed,
Mr. J. Sl4llli piesented another from Mr. IL
Owen) Principal rroprietor of ars:Cotton Spinning

fit Nev Lanark. it was alio read, as
toPows

To'the Ilonourable the COIISION of the UNITED KtNCIDoi
of Gr.r.AT BEICIAIN and !Re! AND, in the Imperial Var-

liament
The lium!,le PetitiOn of Itosru OwEN, Principal Pro-

prictor and Sole Acting Partner in the Cotto❑
Spin-
nin; Estahiisi►nients situated at New Lanark, in Scot-

sand,

" Showeth, That your petitionei has lOng deplored the prac-
tice of employing young Children in ►manufactories, as it de-
stroys their health and morals, and precludes them from the
many lienefits of an uSrful education. that your petitioner
lanwnts the custom which has giadoltlY obtrtined in n►any
inanufactorieS, of employing young persons under 16 years of
age- fo'r an unreasonable portiOn of time each working day:
That your Petitioner obs'erves with pleasure that there is a
Bill nOw under the consideration of your Hon. HOus"e, which
Is intended to limit by law the age before which Children
shall Rot be admitted into Cotton Mills; and to fix the nun►-
her of hours per day, beyond which young persons under six-
teen years of age Shan not he employed in them. That -Jour
petitioner alla notices that the age of admission, according to
the present clauSes of the Bill, is not to be under nine yeari
of age. That the hours of employment per day for young
persons under sixteen years Of age, are riot to exceed thirteen
hours and a half, inclus►ve of one hour for "dinner, and half
an bone for bieakfast.
" That although the Bill, in its now altered state, permits
Children from nine to ten years of age to be employed thir-
teen hours arid a half each day, exclusive of one hour and a

half for Meals, your petitioner perceives that some of the wit-
nesses who were examined before the Committee appointed
by your Honourable tiouse to inquire into the state of Chil-
dren in Cotton Factories, have given an opinion that the
aforesaid, or any limitioions, will be injurious to their Esta-
blishment by diminishing their profits.
That whatever doubts may exist in the mlnds of those

who have not tried the experiment, your petitioner can, from
experience, state the result of the regulations intended to be
enforced by the aforesaid Bill. •

" That, for many years past, it has been one of the rules in
the Establishment at New Lanark, of which your Petitioner
is the directing partner, not to admit any Child to employment
within the Cotton Mills there under ten years of age, and for
three years atit a half the time of actual labour per day has
been restricted to ten hours and three quarters; but for the
last eighteen months it has' not exceeded ten hours and a
half, exclusive of one hour fur breakfast, and one hour for
dinner.

" That your Petitioner has not experienced any loss, or
known disadvantage, since he has adopted the aforesaid re-
gulations, and he is well satisfied with the profits of the Con-
cern, which hare not been diminished in consequence' of
these and other ameliorations introduced toimprove the health
and morals of the work-people.
" That, on the contrary, your Petitioner has remarked
with pleasure, the improved health, increasing knowledge,
sod good conduct of the population of the Village of New
Lanark, since the age of admission has been limited to ten
years, and the hours of actual daily labour to ten and a half,
which he considers to be a full day's work for any operative
manufacturer or labourer.

" Your Petitioner therefore pram that the age of admis-
sion of children into Cotton Mills shall not be under ten
years, and that the, hours of labour per day fur young per-
sons under sixteen years of age, shall not exceed ten and a
half, exclusive of time for meals and the requisite recreation
to keep children in health.---And your Petitioner shall ever
pray, &c. &c.
" ROBERT OWEN,

49, Bedford-square, June 24, 1319."
'l'bis Petition was also laid on the table, and
ordered to be printed,

On the motion of Mr. C. W. WyNtv, the far-
ther consideration of the Report of the Came lforil
Election Committee was postponed to Monday.
The Witnesses' Protection Bill, the Weight of
Bread Bill, and the Cotton Factories 3,11, seve-
rally passed through a Committee, and the Re-
ports were ordered to be received on Monday.
The Duke of Wellington's Estate Bill, and
the Colonial Accounts Bill, .were read a thild
time, and paved.
The 80i-Icl-roil GF,NRRAL brought in a Bill to
amend the Acts (39th and 40th Geo. 111. c. 83,
and 47 Geo. 111. c. 24) regarding the real and
personal property of his Majesty.—lt was read
a first time, and ordered to be lead a second time
1)11 Mouday.