Star.
London, England, 1818-02-17 00:00:00

COTTON MANLTACToRiaa.

Lord STANLEY also presented a Petition from
divers persons, about the age of 16, employed in the
Cotton Manufactories at, and near Bolton-le-Moors,

stating that they were obliged to work 13 hours a
day, and praying that an Act might be passed to re-
strain their hours of working to ten and a half in the
day.—Read, and ordered to lie on the table.
Lord STANLEY then 'presented a Petition from
some Cotton Spinners in Manchester, praying that an
inquiry might be instituted into the internal regula-
tion of their manufactories, and the state of the per-
sons therein employed.
Mr. PHILLIPS observed, that many calumnies
had been circulated relative to the treatment of the
persons employed in the manufactories of cotton-
spinners, and that the object of the Petitioners was,
that a Select Committee should be appointed to in-
into the treatment and condition of the persons
their employment, with a view to prove that the
^nts circulated relative to the harsh treatment

received might be disproved. These injurious
ports had done much mischief, especially/as there
- always a tendency in extensive manufactories
the workmen to enter into combinations against
- masters.—The Petition was then read, ordered
on the table, and to be printed.
LOAN FROM THE BANE.

GRENFELL, adverting to the answer which
Chancellor of the Exchequer gave some days
relative to the time of repaying the Loan ad-
,anced to Government by the Bank, wished to know
what rate interest would be paid on that Loan, in
the time of re-payment was protracted beyond
sth of April. It was provided by Act of Parlia-
mt, that if the re-payment was not made on the sth
April, interest would be payable on the amount
t that date till the time of paymin ; but no rate
interest was mentioned in the Act. As Govern-
was enabled to borrow money at a rate as low
two per cent. per annum, he hoped the interest to
paid to the Bank on this Loan, beyond the sth of
,ril, would be proportionably low.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,

money was not paid to the Bank by the sth of
, that the rate of interest parable on what would
remain due after that period, would probably be the
as that which had been paid during the time
previous to the sth of April. But the time that would
elapse between the sth of April and the total re-pay-
- was likely to Lie so short that the interest could
amount to a very small sum.—The Bill was
read a third time and passed.
Account was presented of all Exchequer Bills
Bank Notes deposited with the Bank by the Ba-
nter daring the last year.—Ordered to lie on the

GRENFELL rose to move that this account
printed. It had, he said, for a long time been
daily practice that the Bank should every morn-
send two Clerks to the Exchequer, who took
any sums paid into the Exchequer in Bank notes
ig the preceding day on account of the public
tue. For the sums thus received a security was
fired from the Bank. . And what was that secu-
Nothing more or less than Exchequer Bills,
tch were perhaps purchased with the very money
moved from the Exchequer the day before. The
House would be surprized to hear that the sums re-
-coed by the Bank from the Exchequer in this way,
luntesl, during the last year, to no less a sum
4,500,0001.

dr. MANNING could not help thinking that the
tonourable Gentleman (Mr. Grenfell) might give
notice when he intended to agitate questions
ve to the transactions of the Bank. As to what

Honourable Gentleman said on this occasion,'
every one who knew any thing of the business of
Exchequer, knew what the Honourable Gentle-
), had described was no recent innovation, but
_ been the established practice for a long series of
years. The practice was a very wholesome one;
' as 10 the security which was given, it would not

be denied that it was competent to the Bank to lay
out the money which it received, in the purchase of
Ex4equer Bills.
r. TIERNEY say, nothing objectionable in what
had been stated by his Honourable Friend (Mr. Gren-
fell) ; but the Honourable Bank Director (Mr. Man-
ning) seemed displeased, and said the practice was a
wholesome one. It was very likely the Gentlemen
of the Bank found the practice a very wholesome
one, for it was such an one as was likely to agree
with the constitution of the Bank—(Laughter).—The
Honourable Gentleman, however, now admitted, that
the Bank, in their capacity of Bankers, purchased
Exchequer Bills, which was an admission which he
had hitherto in vain attempted to obtain.

The Account was then Ordered to be printed.
PRISONERS UNDER THE SUSPENSION ACT.

Mr. BENNET presented a Petition from a person
of the name of Balguy, who, together with his son,
had been confined under the authority of the Bill to
suspend the Habeas Corpus Act. It set forth the
hardships which he was exposed to during an impri-
sonment of four months, and stated, that during that
time he had been kept heavily loaded with irons.—
The Petition prayed that no Bill of Indemnity might
be allowed to pass through the House.
When the Petition had been read,

Mr. BROUGHAM remarked, that the Petition
stated he had been kept in irons for four months. No
authority was given by the Suspension Act to put in
irons persons arrested under it, or to expose. them to
any hardship beyond the merely keeping that in
safe custody. He }Opel that some of the Honour-
able Gentlemen opposite would either now, or on
some future day, state whetherthe allegations in this
Petition were true or false. If false, it was an offence
against the dignity and privileges of the House,
which ought to be visited on the Petitioner. If true,
an/ unless contradicted he would certainly be dis-
posed to believe them, the attention of the House
ought seriously to be called to the subject.
The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table.

Several Petitions were presented from Nottingham
and Lancashire, praying that no Bill of Indemnity
to Ministers might be allowed to pass.—They were
read, and ordered to lie on the table.

lion of their r
sons therein e
Mr. PHIL
had beerrcirc
persons empl
spinners, and
that a Select
quire into the
in their emplc
statements cit
they received
reports had cli
was always
1 for the workn
their masters.-
i• to lie on the t
Mr. GREN
the Chancellc
ago relative tt
vanced to Go;
4' at what rate i
case the time
the sth of Ap
ment, that if t
of April, inte
From that data
of interest wa;
ment was enal
( . as two per cei
be paid to the
1 April, would
The CHM
tif the money ct
Apnl, that thi
remain due of
same as that 1
previous to th
elapse betweei
went, was like
only amount
then read a tl
An Accour
and Bank No
4 chequer dnrir.
table.
Mr. GREN
, be printed.
the daily prat
ing send twt
away any sun
during the i
revenue. Fo
required fron
riot 1 Nothi
which were p
received froi
House "Joule
ceived by the
amounted, d
than 4,500,0
Mr. MAN
I Honourable
some notice
relative to th
I the Honoura
1 every one wl
the Ezchequt
4 man had de
bad been the
years. The
aad as to the
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