The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-11 00:00:00

MANUFACTURERS.

Sir I? ouF PT 111.-.1! 3 petition from a number
tuid o;:s'itaes dune more for their

country in point of lahour than any other class of
individuals. They had come to him in an unex-
pected manner, and stated, that they %vere aware
that if they gained their object, it would be at-
tended with a reduction of wages; but they were.
wiling tO'submit to any privation Lather than
continue to he oppressed by excessive labour.
They complained that they were made to work
in the looms not less tiny) 14 or 15 hours a
day ; that they could undergo mach confinement,
but that there was a period when that excessive la-
bour proved too oppressive to be supported by the
IlinnilicqStitution. When so much was done to in-
ercace the prosperity of our trade, he thought that
the House should not shrink fromextending irs pro-
tection to those by whom the maimfacturers that
terl that trade was cart led on. He had brought
in a Bill, in lot flier years, for the protection- of
Apprentices, and it had produced beneficial re--
sults ; but its provisions were now evaded by ;he
practice of raking the children of paupers withotit
any iudentOres or regulations. It was the ditty
of the House to protect those children who had
no other protectors than its Members.
The Pctitiou was then read. It teas signed by
about 6,000 labourers above 16 years of age, in

the spinning manufactories in Manchester and its
neighbotirhood. It stated that they ‘vorked from
14 to 15 hours a day, in rooms badly ventilated
and overheated ; and after complaining of the con-
dition of young children connected with them by
the dearest ties, prayed that though the inter-
ference of the House their labour mi,ht be con-
fined to 10 hours a day, alloLving them halt an hour
for breakfast, and one hour for dinuer.
Mr. CuRwEN, having been a Member of the
Committee appointed II) inquire into the State of
Manufactures, could not retrain front saying, that
as far as- the evidence produced before the Com-
mittee went, it supported a case very ditfyrent
from that made by the Honourable Baronet.—
Had not the children, who were represented as
being unprotected, parents and relations ut their
own ? He had visited them himself, and had
never seen an equal number of children in better
health. He did not conceive it proper for Parlia-
ment to interfere by any regulations between pa-
rents and their children.

Mr. GortooN had also been a Member of the

Committee alluded to by the Hon. Gentleman,
and the effect produced upon his mind by the evi-
_

dence.was totally different. It had been proved
to the Committee, that the labourers worked from
six in the morning till eight in the evening ; that
they were not more than lour minutes at dinner,
and that they bad no time for breakfast, or in the
evening, but what they could snatch when going
fro►n one room to another; and yet the lion.
Member could see no inhumanity in their treat-
ment ! Nay, children were overloaded with work
at the early age of six years ! The lion. Gent. had
said that he would not interfere between parents and
their children ; but the parents themselveswere now
praying for that interference. '[he state of those
children was such, that in Sunday Schools which
contained 3 or 400 boys, those who worked in

. -
the cotton manufactures had been frequently dis-
tinguished from the rest by their appearance alone.
He thought the Son. Baronet entitled to the
thanks of the House for his interference. Having
made a large fortune by the exertions of persons
in the situation of (.hose whom. he Wished to re-
lieve, it was the best return he email make them
to bring another measure before Patliament.
Mr. Prinms contended, that not only children
working in cotton manufactories could not be
known from others by their appearance, but that
many cow plain tswhich bad been rep. e,ent ed-as aris-
ing from excessive labour, ‘vere found, on examin-
ation, to have proceeded front very ditfetent causes.
Ile thought no good would arise from the conti-
nuance of Committees, but from the appointment
of a Special Commission, which would go to the
country, and investigate the real merits of the
case. He alluded to the state in which labourers
were placed at the time when the Hon. Baronet-
himself was engaged in manufacturing concerns.
It was not under that Hon. !baronet's • Bill that

fact onies.had. improved, but throtigh a tendency to
progressive improvement, which had operated for
many years. The House should not be called to
legislate on single cases.
Air. Wm. SMITH called his Honourable Friend
to order.

He entered into the subject as if there
were a motion before the House to go into a

Committee.

Mr. Pm LLI I'S had only answered the observa-

tions of others, whom it would have been more
proper to call to order, it any one had at all been
disorderly.'
Sir ROBERT PEEL was unwilling to interrupt
the Hon. Gentleman in his f•-peeeit, but neverthe-
less conceived that he travelled out of his subject
to endeavour to affect his (Sir It. Peel's) charac-
ter. When the abuses existing in manufactories

had been investigated, he confessed that his own
establimbnient hid not been found better than the
rest. It was then that be perceived he could not
have an eye at every thing, and that relief could
only be granted by Parliament. At that time also

it had appeared that the Honourable Gentleman
opposite had made as free with the labour of the
children as the other manufacturers.

Air. DOUGLAS stated, that he had visited the
children of his Honourable Friend's Manufactory
(Alr.Phillips's), and that they were in the best
health, and as gay as any children he
.had ever
behel►l.

Mr. WM. SMITH was authorised to say, that

the Petition presented by the lion. Baronet arose
entirely out of the spontaneous desire of the.party
themselves. There were at Manchester from 20
to 30,000 persons employed iii the, cotton ►nanu-
factories, and out of these 5995, all above 16 years
of age, had signed this Petition, having all been
previously made acquainted with its contents, and
being aware that the attainment of its object
would be attended with a reduction of their

wages.

Mr. SHAW had visited the factory of the Hon.
Member on the other side of the House (Mr.
Phillips), and had never seen, or wished to see, a
more healthy and contented body of people than
he had witnesst•d there. He trusted that no Men►-
her would make up his mind on the present sub-
ject without having satisfactory evidence, and even
personal inspection.
The Petition was then ordered to lie on the
table.

Mr. B2MMET gave notice, that on Thursday
next he should move that the Petition from Man-
chester, presented the niFht before, he referred to
the Secret Cominittee. He then presented two
Petitions, one front the county of Dinham, and
the other from Liverpool. The first against the
tnplvment of, Climbing, Boys, and the. latter for
Iteturm. They. were ordered to lie on the tattle:

Mr. Alderman Woon gave notice, that on. Wed-
nesdav-t he 18th instant, he. should !wive that a
Committee be appointed to view Newgate and the
other prisons in the City, and . repot t upon 'the
subjecL