The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-09 00:00:00

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The following additional particulars are derived from
an article in the M nchester Guardian of Wednesday
Immediately after the explosion, the entrance of the
mill from Bridge-street was besieged by the mothers of
the children:employed in the works, and their fears were
heightened by a mechanic named Rigg being led out pro-
fusely bleeding from the head, and after him the fireman,
apparently dead; but the apprehensions excited were re-
lieved by the appearance of several girls and others who
came out unhurt, and it was soon afterwards announced
that the hands in the mill itself were all safe. Bark-street
was covered with heavy materials, and had any persons
been in at the time, they must have been kited. Two or
three windows were completely forced in by the concus-
sion, one of them without a pane being broken, and a
great number were destroyed by the flying missiles.
Roofs, doors, and window-shutters were also injured.
One portion of the boiler, the top, fell in Bark-street,
and another in the interior yard,of the factory, missing a
shed in which many were employed. Had it fallen on the
roof, the destruction of life would have been great. The
shock to the whole range of building was so great, that
the hands shrieked out and thought themselves lost. The
female, Bridget Hart, (before noticed, and since dead,)
was first discovered; afterwards, the bodies of two men,
James Swift and James M'Danald, dreadfully mutilated.
They were employed in the drying-room over the engine-
house. Three or four others were seriously injured, but
are expected to recover. The end of the mill next the
engine house was so much shattered, that it must be
taken down. No satisfactory reason bas yet been assigned
for the accident. The damage will be from £1,500 to
£2,000. James Swift has left a wife and four children,
all grown up ; M`Donald has left a wife, now pregnant.
Bridget Hart was a married woman, and has left three
children.

An inquest was held on view of the bodies on Wednes-
day, and adjourned to Tue.dav (this day.)

TII

11-LA-Vr.

The following is Lord Sandon's speech in the House of
Commons, on Friday, on this subject. His lordship said
he was exceedingly glad to hear the disclaimer that the
principle of the new poor law was the workhouse test.
(Hear, hear.) Although it came late, he repeated that he
was glad to hear it; but it certainly was not the language
held in the earlier discussions in that house upon the sub-
ject. (Hear.) But the attempts. vihich had been made
to carry out this law had led to this result. There was
the most convincing evidence, that the workhouse test
was unfit to be applied to the condition of a country like
ours. (Hear.) The right hon. baronet had alluded to
the report of the Commissioners of Poor-law Inquiry in
Scotland in terms of just praise. And from that report
he would extract a decisive denunciation of that test.
" The distinguishing principle of this system is, that its
efficacy as a test of destitution or stimulus to industry
depends upon the restraint it imposes upon personal
liberty. (Hear, hear.) In proportion as the regulations
of the workhouse cease to be irksome, the operation of
the test is obstructed. The discipline of the gaol must
be approached by the discipline of the workhouse, which
is of a purely mechanical character—(hear, hear)—ap-
Pealing only to the lowest principles of our nature."
(Hear.) "It did not promote the development of any
intellectual energy, neither did it foster feelings of manli-
ness and independence." (Hear.) " Its influence dries
up the last impulses of social life." (Hear.) "It de-
stroys all feelings of self-respect—(hear, hear)—and
alienates the inmates from almost every sympathy which
either in equals or superiors is inherent in rightly con-
stituted natures." (Hear.) " Repulsion and discomfort
being the sole means by which this workhouse test works
—that repulsion and discomfort must be carefully kept
up for its operation." (Hear, hear.) Here was a de-
scription of the " workhouse test," written, not by po-
pular writers, but by calm, learned, able investigators,
among whom were men like Lord Belhaven and Mr. Home
Drummond. (Hear.) And he believed every word of it.
(Hear, hear.) He knew the system was worked only by
mechanical means ; and which had begotten those feelings
of irritation, and that sense of harshness in the people. of
which such unhappy symptoms were not wanting. (Hear.)
Tne evils of the old system were of course industriously
detailed, and none would defend them ; but they had all
been reproduced under the new law. (Hear, hear.) Let
it be asked, had wages been raised by that new law?
(Hear, hear.) He could not find that this had been the
cave anywhere; although there bad been at first the ex-
traordinary stimulus of railway speculations, which pro-
duced some temporary effect on labour, permanently,
wages had been left where they were (hear); while dis-
content, resulting from the operation of the Poor Law and
from distress, had produced its terrihle consequences—
fires. (Hear.) It was said by some that destitution, in-
deed, alone was to be regarded in administering relief;
that there should be no discrimination as to character.
But the commissioners whose report he had just quoted
said, far more truly, " We hold that no just system of
poor laws can exist, excluding, in the distribution of re-
lief, the consideration of character—which should be a
fundamental consideration." (Hear, hear.) " The man
who has conducted himself with activity and industry for
the bettering of his condit'on. and has only fallen through
misfortune, not by fault, has a just title to the sympathy
of his fellow-men." (Hear, hear.) " And not only that
the necessary relief be cheerfully accorded, but full scope
given for all the ministrations of ch ,rity to his comfort."
(Cheers.) How, with such testimony on record, could
those who opposed parts of the new law be properly sub-
jected to the reproach of pandering. to poyular passions
and prejudices—(hear)---the accusation which was so un-
applied to them? (Hear.) The size of the unions,
it could not be denied, was a great pract.cal grievance to
the poor. (Hear.) He felt, however, the difficulty of a
summary and sweeping condemnation of the present law
without any substitute for it ; and therefore he could not
assent to the proposition at present before the house. He
preferred trusting to the processes of improvement—
through public opinion—in which so much progress had
been made ; and he relied on public opinion also to con-
trol the practical administration of the law.