The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-13 00:00:00

ng itit.

LONDON,
MONDAY MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 13, 1842.

Lord ASULET'S Bill is now printed. From a month
after the Bill receives the royal assent, it will be unlawful
to employ, or permit to be employed any female, in any
min, or colliery, other than such as-Were employed in it
at, or before the paSsing of the Act; from three calendar
months after the passing of the Act, it wil; be unlaw-
ful to employ any. female, under is years of age, in any
mins or colliery, and at that period it cancels and de-
clares 1041.01 indentures binding such persons to work
in tmy colliery. At three months, then, from the passing
of the Act, it hillremove out of the collieries and mines
all females under 18 years of age. At six months after the
Bill has become hos, it will be unlawful to employ any
females whatseev er in the mines, and it removes, therefore,
out of the mines and collieries, at the end of six months
from the date of it passing, all the females now employed
in them.

The Bill-prohibits, at the end of one month, the further
employment of all boys in mines under the age of 13, not
now employed therein, and at the expiration of three
calendar' months 'after the Passing of the Act, it
prohibits the employment of any youth under 13 years
of age, 'and consequently at that period removes out of
the mines and collieries all boys under that age.
The third provision of the Bill is to put an end to all
apprenticeship *Weyer in the mines. The fourth pro,

vision is to make it unlawful to-place the engine or wind-

lass, which raises and lowers the colliers, under the charge

of any person except between the ages of 21 and 50.
These provisions are enforced by penalties of 51., 10/.,
and 501. for every person employed contrary to these
provisions.
The striking feature of the Bill is, that in six months
from the time of passing it, one-third at
least of the labour, and of the labourers
now employed in mines and collieries, will be
peremptorily removed from them. In many cases, too,
we are afraid that the total removal of boys and females
will put a stop to the working of the colliery; for it is
given in evidence, that without their assistance, as far as
is at present known, the expense of working the col-
liery would be too great. If no other invention can be
substituted for the little trappers, men or boys beyond
the age of 13 must take their places, and either be paid
like them, or if paid more, must increase the expense (.f
working the colliery. Letting that pass, however, the
proposition to remove six months hence one-third of the
present labour and labourers from the collieries, in the
present condition of the labour market, seems to us a
very bold act of legislation.
Is the supply of coals to be diminished to that extent?
Is the amount of wages now paid to the collier popula-
to be diminished ? Or must the coal-owners pay the
same amount of wages for one-third less produce ? Is
the supply of coals not to be diminished ? The amount
of wages not to be lowered, and the remaining two-thirds
of the collier population to work one-third more ? How
is this Bill, should it ever become a law, expected practi-
cally to operate ? In either of these cases, a consider•
able alteration will be effected in the relations of the col-
lier population, if not injury done to one class or the
other, and those who make the law will be expected to
ascertain these points cleakiiy beforehand, and be pre-
pared to show how their measure is to affect the col-
liers and the owners of mines.

We see that the Weekly Chronicle, in some courte-
ously-made remarks on The San, settles the whole ques-
tion at once, in the following manner, also adopted by
Lord ASHLEY, who, as we have already mentioned, con-
templates punishing the male colliers fur their idleness
and drunkenness, while he gallantly proposes to relieve
at their expense their wives and children.
Now, if The Sun (says the Weekly Chronicle) will take the
pains to study the facto, and to ascertain the practice, of the
best regulated coal districts, it will find that in nine cases out
of ten, the earnings of a collier are the same, whether he grim-
pei his wife and daughters to submit to the humiliation of shar-
ing in his labour, or not. The difference is precisely this—
that wherever the males alone d., the work, they work ten
days, or even eleven, out of the fourteen. Where female la-
bour is permitted, the same wages are earned in eight or nine
days, and the other six passed in drunkenness and debauchery.
Why ? - Because the man has no home, and seeks refuge in the
beer-house against the filth, and discomfort, of his own neg-
lected abode.

That implies that the men are to do all the additional
work, and be at once converted, by Lord ASHLEY'S Bill,
into patterns of labourers and domestic attachment. Is
not that somewhat of a Quixotic scheme ? Is it not a
must unfounded expectation? Is it anything but a
poor delusion, which all history contradicts? Yet the
Weekly Chronicle says, " The Sun labours under a de-
lusion in imagining anything, doubtful, anythiug disad-
vantageous in such a regulation as this." Our contem-

porary, which is perhaps natural, has a much greater
confidence than we have in an Act of Parliament; and
seems to think it is only necessary for the gentlemen at
Westminstt r t 6 pass a decree, to attain at once the object
of their wishes. " The disease," he says, "is un-
doubted ; the remedy certain and safe. Its complete
extirpation, by Act of Parliament, is the first step to-
wards the introduction of those humanizing influences,
to which we must look for amelioration of any kind."
Alter the whole manners and lives of the colliers a
once by Act of Parliament ! Is not that a delusion ?
the foundation of the mistake seems to lie in transfer-
ring to the collier population the idea that they are
slaves to some other persons, and that in passing this
Act they will be liberated. The fact is, that this slavery'
of the females and of the children is the consequence
of the morals and manners of the people, and we be-
lieve that Lord ASHLEY is much more likely to produce
an insurrection by his humanity, than reform the col-
lier population by his law. It begins by insulting them,
because they sometimes drink, and go to cock fights, and
do not work enough ; and he carries his own yearnings
into effect, by depriving them of one-third of the wages
of their families. Since we have seen Lord ASHLEY'S
Bill, and read the remarks of the Weekly Chronicle, we
tremble for the consequences, in the present state of the
labour market, of withdrawing one third of the labour
from the collieries, and depriving the colliers of one-
third of their wages.

,
A Cabinet Council was held suddenly and unexpectedly 1
on Friday. We have good reason to believe that it was
held in consequence of some very unpleasant, not to
say alarming intelligence, which yesterday morning
reached the Home-office from the manufacturing dis-
tricts. The Income-tax sill was read a second
time in silence last night in the House of Lords,
and it is said that one strong motive for
postponing all observations on so delicate a matter just
now, of which Noble Lords on both sides were con-
vinced, was the dread of saying anything which might
add to the excitement and alarm which exists in various
parts of the country. Our information goes to
the effect that something like consternation has
been excited in the Cabinet, not only on account
of what has already happened, but of what is plainly
seen to be unavoidable. Letters from Manchester and
other manufacturing districts, are written in a most de.
sponding tone ; there is no hope of improvement ; the
soup kitchens are besieged with hungry applicants for
relief ; who congregate about them before it is day-
light, to get, if possible, something to cat ;
white the hungry masses have given it plainly to be un-
derstood that they would rather be sabred by the sol-
diery—if needs must—than die of hunger, which they
have declared they will not do if they can help
it. Manchester, and the other manufacturing towns
abound in Irish, and some apprehension is felt of the
possible effect on them of the riots and loss of life at Ennis.
They are a lively, sympathetic race, and when they learn
that several of thk it countrymen have there been shot by the
police, who are said to have fired without orders, their hun-
ger may be sharpened by indignation, and the peace of the
country be endangered. . From Glasgow we are told that
the accounts of the destitution of the people exceed all
belief, and that on a late occasion, when a charitable
gentleman distributed amongst them a few loaves,
they could be likened to nothing but a band of hungry
wolves seizing a very insufficient prey. GOD protect the
commonwealth I for our rulers, we greatly fear, will
drive the people.to desperation.

The business of the Session is evidently drawing to a
glom. No debateable question of importance remains,
excepting, perhaps, the renewal of the Poor-law. Sir
ROBERT Pzzi. has resolved to commence public business
at half-past four o'clock every day. Orders of the Day
are to have precedence on Tuesdays. Saturday is to be
added to the number of working days ; every symptom
betokens assiduity and dispatch, and in all probability,
therefore, Parliament will be prorogued by the second,
or, at latest, the third week of next month. This is a
judicious regulation, both as regards the convenience of
Members, and the passing of important measures. For
many sessions one-half of the public business was
dispatched in houses with all but empty benches; sporting
Members had gone to the Moors, travelling Members
to the Continent ; and a fe'ii Secretaries of State,
with their Sub-Secretaries, and "some dozen working
indefatigable legislators, were left to bring up the nu-
merous and generally important arrears. It is gratify-
ing to find that the Opposition, too, approve of the new
system, for Mr. IlureE suggested that as no business had
been done on Thursday for two weeks, orders should
have precedence on that day also, and the suggestion
met with general approbation. We trust Members will
Garry oat the plan still farther, and put an end
at once to useless opposition to the new tariff. By
protracting discussion they only keep the public
mind in a state of anxiety, without serving any one
good purpose. Sir ItonEnT PEEL has made up his
mind on this measure, at least for one year. He admits
that some of the duties, such as those on wool and cot-
ton, are objectionable, bttt pleads poverty as an ex-
cuse for retaining theM; and we may therefore conclude,
if he finds himself richer next year, that he will give us
more reductions on raw materials, and perhaps also on
sugar. The Tariff Bill is his work; he is responsible for
it ; and as opposition to it is vain, the sooner it becomes
the law of the laid the better. This is the general opinion
throughout the country. All persons engaged in trade
are anxious to have the question set at rest, and those
who throw obstacles in the way only injure commerce,
without the chance of producing the slightest beneficial
change.

Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. BERNAL, and Mr. O'BRIEN, are
entitled to the thanks of the trading classes for having, on
Friday night, represented to the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER, the extreme inconvenience resulting from
the absurd and unjust regnlatiou about weighing
the gold coinage. - Sir ROBERT PEEL iS partial
to scales. He frightened the country with his
Corn-law Sliding Scale, and, as if to drive com-
mercial men out of their !senses, they. can no more
move about without sovereign-weighing scales and
weights in their pocket', than they can without shirts
or small-clothes. His notifiCatidn respectingaral)e,sci all
thewterignah
ing of gold coinage, has completely paralysed e
•among the poor retailers of the metropolis.
proldetll4ithlVeights; AK unable to ascertain. the value
of sovereigns and half torereigns, they refuse to receive