Star.
London, England, 1816-11-15 00:00:00

Paws. S , I' r:NCE.

towns, and Instead el parish apprentici et; soeght
after, the dhildre of the surrounding cunt gre pre+
ferred,•*hose masters being free from the dpetatkiti
of the former Aet of Parliament ate subjeetel to nd
limitesion of time in the prntecution of their bus;nesee
ti ong,. children ate frecniently admitted there to
work thirteen to fourteen hours per day. at tli? ten-
der age of seven years, and even in some r • still
younger. I need not ask the Committee •.) hive an
opinion of the consequence of such a baneful Antic,
upon the health and well-being of these little ctea-
tnres, particularly after having heard the sentiments
of those eminent medical men who have been exa-
mined before us ; but I most anxiously cress teem
the Committee, that unless some parliamentary i.,ter-
ference takes place, the benefits of the Apprentice
Bill will soon be entirely lost, the practice of employ-
ing parish apprentices will cease, their places will be
wholly supplied by other children, between whom
and their masters no permanent contract is likely to
'exist, and for whose grand treatment there will not be
'the slightest security. Such indiscriminate and un-
limital employment of the poor, consisting of a great
proportion of the inhabitants of trading districts, will
be attended with effects to the rising generation so
serious and alarming, that I cannot contemplate them
without dismay, and thus that great effort of British
inoenuity, whereby the machinery of our manefae-
titres has been brought to such pet fection, instead of
being a blessing to the nation, will be converted into •
the bitterest curse.
44 Gentlemen, if parish apprentices were fernserly
deemed worthy of the care of Parliament, I trust
you will not withhold from the unprotected children
the present day an Neal measure of mercy, at
they have no masters who are obliged to support
them in sickness, or during the unlavourable periods
of Arad*.
" INTENDED ALTERATIONS TO NS MADE IN THE MILL
OF LAST TEAR.
64 Children not to be admitted into factories under
nine years of age:
" Hours of attendance per day 13, allowing one
hour and a half for meals and recreation:
U Children from the age of nine to 16 to be subject
to the proposed Bills
64 The Magistrates. on complaint being made, to
be empowered to appoint inspectors."
The Committee wish to know what have been the
chanses that have taken place in the manufactories
within your memory have witnessed a very great
change since my knowledge of the factories. They
were at first badly managed, and subject to many
ineonvenieneies, not only to the Masters, but to the
children in them ; and new buildings were made,
without any regard to the health of the persons em-
ployed in those buildings. There was no regard
paid to the time of working, but every man regula-
ted his own mill by his own views of interest. With
those complaints existing, I was induced, assisted by
the first gentlemen in the county, to bring in a Bill
about fourteen years ago to prevent dime abuses;
the House was so convinced of the necessity of the
measure, that there was no difficulty in passing the
Bill. I did it not so much for the benefit of others,
but finding that my own mills were mismanaged,
and that with my other pursuits I had it not in my
power to put them under 2 proper regulation, I con-
ceived I could not do better for the children than to
bring forward that Bill, and it was soon perceivable
there was a very great difference in favour of chil-
dren protected by that Bill ; ,but as I have stated in
the paper I have delivered in, the advantages of that
Bill ate not likely to continue much longer, in conse-
quence of the change in the trade, therefore I took
the liberty of recommending a measure last year adap-
ted to the circumstances of the times.
The Committee are to understand, that great im-
provements have been made in the ventilation of the
rooms and the cleanliness of the children within the
last forty yearsl—l wish I could say within the last
,forty years. I have had experience in the business,
but little regard was paid to the ventilation of the
rooms banes the passing of that Bill.
Are the Committee to understand the first improve-
ments that took place in the ventilation of cotton./
miffs originated in consequence of your Apprentice
Bill I—l am persuaded that was the case, because my
correspondence with the trading world being very
extensive, and from my knowledge of what paned in
the county of Lancaster and other trading counties,
I was satisfied that ventilation could not have taken
place, because there were no factoriei at that time
but such as were worked by waterpower; the steam
factories, to any extent, had not then an existence;
and I believe nine-tenths of the Manchester buildings
at that time had no existence.

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Are the Committee to understand that you maw
eider the imptoventents merd in consequence of the
Apprentice Billl-4ioitnprovemesits took place till
the passing of dear. Bill, and great improvements
have taken place film% I ,do not. pretend to say,
that, in conseqeseseof:rmail enquiries, improve.
meet, would natio', tit place, if no such Bill-
bad pawed. f., .
Then you de APO. ItioNtilmt the improvements
that have been nude siecoehet period were in comet.
quence of the Bill that word i—l believe manatee.
tosses bad am been improved mach before the year
1800 to 1101, and at that time it was rumoured
that the Bill was going to take place; many meet.
ings were held. in consequeace of it. and I believe
my honourable friend, •who sus near me, was one of
those laudably employed to improve the condition of
the children employed in the usanofattories. I see
his pause classed with a very respectable number of
Manchester Gentlemen, who Unseated the slang.
inable state of the mills at that day ; and that might
be one reason why my attehtioia was more panics.
lady called to bring halyard a MOM* of this sort. •
Wife epidemic complaints frequent is the first
Mrs of your knowledge of cottoo.mills t—ln the
**fly past 4 sareespeuntence with business, alter
cottoninills become established, these complaints
were very prevalent, and many lives lost.