Star.
London, England, 1818-02-11 00:00:00

to another; and yet the Honourable Member could
see no inhumanity is their treatment! Nay, children
were overloaded with work at the erly age of six
years ! The Honourable Gentleman had said that he
would not interfere between parents and their chil-
dren • but the parents themselves were now praying
for that interference. The state of those children was
such, that in Sunday schools which contained SOO
or 400 boys, those who worked in the cotton manu-
factures had been frequently distinguished from the
rest by their appearance alone. He thought the Ho-
nourable 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 those
whom he wished to relieve, it was the best return he
could make them to bring such a measure before
Parliament.
Mr. PHILLIPS contended, that not only children
working in cotton manufactories could not be known
from others by their appearance, but that many corn-1
plaints which had been represented as arising from
excessive labour, were found, on exarninauon, to
have proceeded from very different causes. He thought
no good would arise from_the continuance of Corn-
mittees, but from the appointment of a Specialtom-
mission, which would go to the country and investi-
gate the real merits of the case. He alluded. to the
state in which labourers were placed at the time when
the Honourable Baronet himself was engaged in ma-
nufacturing concerns. It was not under that Ho-
inourable Baronet's Bill that factories had improved,.
' but through a tendency to progressive improvement
which had operated for many years. The House
should not be called to legislate on single cases.
Mr. 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. PHILLIPS had only answered the observa-
tions of others, whom it would have been more pro-
per to call to order, if any one had at all been dis-

orderly.
Sir ROBERT PEEL was unwilling to interrupt
the Honourable Gentleman in his speech, but never-
theless conceived that he travelled out of his subject
to endeavour to affect his (Sir R. Peers) character.
When the abuses existing in
.manufactories had been
investigated, he confessed that his own establishment
had not been found better than the rest. It was then
that he perceived he could not have an eye at every
thing, and that relief could only be granted by Par-
liament. 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 manu-
facturers.

Mr. DOUGLAS stated, that he had visited the,
children in his Honourable Friend's Manufactory
(Mr. Phillips's), and that they were in the best health,
and as gay as any children he had ever beheld.
Mr. WI. SMITH was authorised to say, that the
Petition presented by the Honourable Baronet arose
entirely out of the spontaneous desire of .the party
themselves. There were at Manchester from 20 to
90,000 persons employed in cotton manufactures,
and out cif 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 Ho-
nourable 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
bad witnessed there. He trusted that no Member
would make up his mind on the present subject with-
out having satisfactory evidence, and even personal
inspection.—The Petition was then ordered to lie on
the table.