The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-24 00:00:00

NIANUFACTUREIIS.

•
Sir Ros Eat Pegt,, in moving the second read-
ing of his Bill to regulate the Working limns of
Manufactining Labourers, stated.•that it was the
same, in substance, as the former ; and that
he hoped, for the sake of the unfortunate children
whom it concerned, that it world experience as
little delay as possible. He contended tlkat it did
no! infringe the principle of tree labour, for which
he was an advocate; for how could little children,
who hat! •uv voice and no will of their own, be
calkd free labourers ? They must be placed under
masters or parents; and, in this instance, the
parents Ihemscives petitioned for some regulation.
He should propose, and he hoped the House
would adopt it, the,:eourse adopted three year!
ago—that the If ill Should go through a second
reading, that the clauses be fi;ical op,. and that
plenty of time should their he allowed for its cir-
culation through the. country. should at the
same time pledge himself to the House, that •no
other procerdings.should take place upon it till
after the Easter holidays. The former Bill bad
fixed ten as the age at which children-might he ad-
mitted work in manufactories, but the present
proposed nine, and that the power of the Act
should terminate when they should reach sixteen.
It also .reduced the hours of labour to eleven,
which, with one hour and a half for meals, woold
make twelve hours and a half a day. It was also,
his intention to prevent the recurrence of •a ,
fortune which had lately hirppened, the burning
of 14 poor infants at night ; for it .was but ,tool
notch the custom of employing children •when
their parents were in their beds. •
Lad LASC,LLLes should not oppose the present
motion, as it tended only to give time for an lit,
qpiry. There was one part of the Bill in which he
agreed with the lion. Baronet. It was that
which limited the age at which children were to
be empbryed. He objected to the nieasureon se-
veral grounds, and amongst the rest, because it
- would save a great advantage to themanntacturers
who used steam over tilos?. who worked OR
streams ; for in the, latter case they most regulate
their hours of labour as the water would suit.
Mr. PHILLIPs stated, that since it eras beard
that such .a Bill was proposed to the House, the
persons wot king in nianuractories had been called
upon by placards to give their signatures to pet l-
tious to the House. He contended that the
grossest misrepresentations had beet, circulated
abroad respecting the treatment of labourers em-
ployed in factories. He then went through many
parts, of
.the evidence produced before the Com-
' mitiee, to spew that Antp.y. of its'statetttents 11441
been,disproved, and that most of them were ex-
ai,p.-erated. He goofed the opinions of Drs. Henry
and Poore, to show that persons engaged in cot-
ton factories were more healthy, from the nature
of their employment, than dyers, bleachers, or
:toy other kind of manufacture:al and that if "the
rooms could be kept at a temperature of 65 or 70
degrees, they would -he as wholesome as private.
houses. If the hours Of labont were regulated by
Parliament in this instance, the House would be
assailed with Petitions hum every other class of
workmen, who might truly say that they worked
more, and gained less.

Mr. DAVENPORT • had been a member of die
Cothmiitee of 1816) and was one of tlinse who
thought that the Legislature•ought not to inter.
ipre with day labourers, unless alksolute proofs
were adduced that such interference was neees--
sary. He wished to ,give no opinion of the ques—
tion in its present state, but he must complain of
the burry in. which: the • thing was conducted,.
Which he thought.huillul to the case.
Pact, thought that so far front this niea-1
core being passed with indisetiminate haste, that
• it was sudicient that after .the usual progress 'tit
it, it should be postponed till after the recess.—
Thus the object of deliberate investigation would
be completelwanswered. But it was exceedingly
difficult to judge of the Bill till the Blanks were
up.in the Cointnittee with reNpeet to the
age and hours Those Gun:let-nen who had any
other objections than what relate& to hours -,and'

might -make tlicti offs tke third
lie. was 4ali.tied as to the propriety of le-
kislariarg on this subject, RS there was evidence
'enough to justify it. On account of :leen-
ciredmsrances, it wits necessary that Hit
persons - •imployed in Cotton Mills should
wolk the smut number of boors; and it %1145
impossible for a - child to say he- would nut
work as long as a Dian, Or 13 bows a day:
therefore no discretion could be employed with
regard lo charen, and it was oat-arid for the
Masters 10 refuse the labour of those who would
not Work as long us they were required. It was
not nztessary to inquire into the number of well-
conducted Mills, as he was sure there were many
conducted with the greaten humanist;. The Right
lion. Gentleman then took a review of the va-
rious argutnunts against the Bill, and as evidence
to prove its necessity, he read the opinions of
Mr. Simmons, the Senior Snrgeon of the Man-
chetster Infit unary, and the visitcrs of the Sunday
Schools, which agreed that the hours of employ-
ment were too long, and the close confinement
extremely injurious to the children's health. As
to the Petition, it was material, as coming front
the parents of children, praying the Legislature
to interfere to prevent their excessive labour, as
they bad no.altertiative but to be emplOyed the
whole of those bouts or dismissed altogether. He
therefore trusted there would be no opposition to
the sec.atid reading of.the Bill.
Putims and Mr. PEEL mutually explained.
111 r. FCN:LAY conte.ided, that it was dealing 'un-
justly by good manufactories, where no regula-
tions were necessary, to subject them to the re-
straints of such a Bill as this, while it would not
benefit the bad woks, as there would be no
means of compelling the latter to pay due ;men,
lion town Act of Parliament. The clause to pre-
vent chiloren being employed under nine years
old was absurd, for no manufacturer would take
them at an cattier age than 10 or 12. He argiml
that [bete was no occasion for legislative inter-
ference on the subject ; and begged the House to
consider what an injurious effect the prohibition
of working hours xtould have on manufacturers
with small capitals.

CURWEN and Sir F. BLI,RDETT, severally
said a tete words, the former in favour of an in-
evsligation by the Committee, and the latter al-
together in behalf of the Bill, which was then
read a second time, committed, the'Report re•
ceived, awl ordered to be farther considered this
day six wetks.