The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-07-24 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY.

Lord SAN DON presented petitions from the corporation of
Liverpool, against certain clauses in the imprisonment for
Debt Bill; also, from the Bolton and Leeds Railway Corn
pant, against the Mails on Railways Bill.
The Prisons Bill was read

Sir J. Gam-lAm iuqu;rect wheilier the
termined what course it would pursue .-t,spectiL, toe "Ea ,t
India Labourers (Hill Coolies) Bill?"
Sir G. GREY answered that it was intended to discharge
the order for further proceeding to issue, in conjunction with
the India government, a regulation prohibiting such engage-
ments with labourers in the East as contemplated emigration
to the West Indies; to render invalid contracts that were
not to be fulfilled within the limits of the places where they
were formed; and, generally, to prevent such contracts as
could not be fully understood by both parties, and having
the sanction of magistrates or other local authorities.
Mr. O'CortNem., asked whether the government had seen
a bill passed by the assembly of St. Vincent's for preventing
combinations, settling disputes between masters and work-
men, &c., which appeared to trench on the rights of thu
negrocs; and if so, whether such bill was likely to receive
the sanction of the government?
Sir G. GREY answered that he had seen it, although it had
only just arrived ; but that judging from what be had ob-
served of it, he doubted whether it was a measure of which
the government ought to approve. He added (in answer to
Mr. Maclean's inquiry) that the authority of the special ma-
gistrates would cease with the act creating them; but in re-
ference to the next state of things that might arise, if the ex-
pectation that the negro apprenticeship system would cease
this year were realised, the government contemplated ar-
ranging a plan by which some of them should be retained
until a system of stipendiary magistracy- could be formed and
established.

THE FACTORY QUESTION-
On the proposition that the house resolve into committee
of supply,
Lord AsHLET called the attention of the house to the state
of the law for the regulation of the factories of the united
kingdom, and moved, ".That this house deeply regrets that
the law affecting the regulation of the labour of children in
factories having been found imperfect and ineffective to the
purpose for which it was passed, has been suffered to continue
so long witti9f any amendment" in support of this mo-
that his lordship entered into extensive,
tion, ikvlllb_dkr.. e ' • pressive details of thP treatment and
into/4611M_ a'' , " n' employed. in factories; showing how
coiltrilsine . ,
• • i—e.ff,Q • ,i, l," advanced within very few years, the
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children having now to walk in attending the working of the
mills 5 and 30 miles a day, whereas the average used to be
81.- miles per day; that mortality had frightfully increased;
and that, in fact, the law was most defective.
Mr. Fox MAVLE, stated that the government would intro-
duce a bill next session on the subject, but it would be simi-
lar to that introduced before by the government.
There was an extended discussion on this subject, after
which the house divided on the motion for going into com-
mittee of supply, which motion was carried by a majority of
15; there being in favour of it, 121; against, 106.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned at a quarter-past oae o'clock.