The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-07-09 00:00:00

.TLL; g, 153:5,

and therefore no provisions should be made without securing
mean to carry them into effect, fur the consequences of not do-
ing so would be to give au unfair advantage to those part
whom no one would wish to benetit—that is, to tLose who would
evade the law and do What the legislature had stamped as both
cruel and unjust. Upon this ground, therefore, he thought a
provision ought to be made for the inspection of mills. Haying
expressed these views, he thought that by carrying them into
effect the legislature would do all in its power to protect children.
If they were to go further and declare, as the noble lord (Ash-
ley) wished, that for the effect of any accident in a mill which
caused death the penalty of manslaughter should attach to
the masters upon the representation of a coroner' jury, we
should place them in such a situation as cook! not bes tolerated.
The noble lord (Lord Ashley) had gone out of his way in this
instance, for, by the law as it stood, any culpable negligence
in this respect was a crime. To say, then, that a coroner
should issue his warrant to apprehend a manufacturer, not cult
did not afford him adequate protection, but was even worse
than absurd, for it was unjust. He would not go at full
greater length into this question, but would conclude by mov-
ing, as an amendment to the motion of the noble lord—" The'
the bill be referred to a select committee, with this instruction,
—that the committee should make provision in said bill that no
children who had not entered into their fourteenth year should
be allowed to work for more than eight hours a-day, and that
in the intervals of their labour, care should be taken for their
education, and that inspection of the mills should take place,
in order to secure the operation of the above provisions."
Lord ASHLEY said that as the only question 'now was, whe-
ther the bill should, go before a committee up stairs, there W
no necessity for his entering at large into the subject. It was
only for hint to say that if there were inconsistency in legislat-
ing without having the evidence taken before the commis-
sioners, he (Lord Ashley) would be pronounced a guilty party:
because he had protested against the course pursued, awl
pointed out that should this be- followed it would be impossible
to legislate. But he now asked the noble lord (Althorp) would
he hold to the guarantees he had given ? for, if not, it was odd
that he (Lord Ashley) should have been put off from day to
day as he had been.
Lord ALTHORP said the inconsistency would be the going
into legislation upon this subject without having all the details
before them, whereas a, select committee could with ease enter
into them all.

Lord ASHLEY said that if the noble lord would affirm the
principles of his bill, he might do what he pleased with the
details; but he was, nevertheless, opposed to the course pro-
posed, because he knew that its effect would be either to delay
the bill to the end of the session and make its passing imps-
slide, or that it would come down so changed from the coin- .•
mittee that he could not recognize a single feature of it as his • •
.1
own. With respect•to the inspection now proposed by the noble
lord, he (Lord Ashley) would have introduced such a provision , •
had he not feared oppositidn to it, and this he would therefore
support. He also had no objection that children under 13 years
should work no more that eight hours. Neither had he the slight-
est objection to the compulsory system of education men-
tioned, for it was a deep source of regret to him that there should
be so many thousands in this country deprived of that blessing.
When the noble lord complained of the machinery of his (Lord
Ashley's) bill, and of his provision against injury by machinery
in mills, he must only refer the noble lord to the report of his
own commissioners, which it would appeal he had not read.--
The statements made by those gentlemen were rather curious.
[Here the noble lord read an extract from the report of the
commissioners, speaking of fatal injuries inflicted by machinery.
as well as of senons accidents from the same
.cause, with the
addition that the greater were the number of accidents the less
was the sympathy with the sufferers; that the wages of the par-
ties thus injured were stopped, no medical attendance was fur-
nished, and no compensation made to the sufferers.] He thought
that before the noble lord (Althorp) reprobated his bill, he
ought to have considered this passage of the report, and so long
as there remained any consideration for men and fellow-creatures
iu the house, and that there were any to feel with him, he would
never consent to withdraw that clause. Besides this difference,
he would ask, what was there to have prevented the noble lord.
(Althorp) from saying heretofore all that he had said that night ?
Why did he not do so on the second reading, instead of having
kept him (Lord Ashley) and his supporters in a kind of fool's
paradise by his promise of no opposition ? They had not an-_
ticipated any resistance, but now it appeared they were to be
turned out of the house and sent up stairs. Unless, therefore,
the noble lord would affirm his bill, and concede the ten hours
principle, he should oppose this amendment; -but let that be
once admitted, and he gave up details. Several of the clauses
in the bill, as it stood orignally, he had withdrawn, because they
were obnoxious to others, although he was convinced of their
being beneficialt, but to Fain a great object he was willin to
sacrifice his own impressions. And now, when the noble lord
said that children under their 14th year were not to work more
than 8 hours a-day, what was that but to leave children who were ,
14 years and a day old out of the pale of all protection ? Did
not the noble lord know that a vast proportion of those children
were females; and were he and the house prepared to leave
females of this most critical age subject to work perhaps 16 or
18 hours ? (" No," from Lord Althorp.) Yes, but it must be •
so if they were left without any protection. A -bill so important
as this the house ought not to abandon from under their own
jurisdiction, and confide to a select committee, Did the noble
lord (Althorp) suppose be would in this way stifle the complaints
that were made, and give satisfaction either to the labourers, the
manufacturers, or the- country. As far as he (Lord Ashley)
could judge, such a proceeding would only excite entire and
uncontrollable disgust.
An hon. Member.—Strong language this.
Lord ASHLEY said, with all deference to the hon. member,
be would use such language as he pleased, and the language he
now used was not a jot too strong for the occasion. The house
was fully competent to all the details of the measure, and he
-thought it their bounden duty to reserve to themselves the de-
cision of this subject. Moreover, the opinions of the report
were not the unanimous sentiments of the commissioners. How •
they got blended into two sets was more than be was aware of;
but he saw that Mr. Stuart was for eleven hours, Mr. Drinkwa-
ter for from eight to ten, and Mr. Power wished a difference to
be made between the males and females as to time of working.
Some of them had no fear as to foreign competition, others had;
but how did this topic get into the body of the report? The
idea of fourteen years and one day putting girls out of protec-
tion was not to be tolerated; but if a time were to be fixed, let •
it be eighteen years. Then as to having two sets of workmen,
all the evidence declifed it to be impracticable, though the corn-
missioners were in favour of it. They could not be procured oy
the manufacturer, and the injury to the children and their pa- •
rents, by the cutting down of wages, would render them more
miseralhe than they were even at present. He implored the
house to enter upon this subject publicly, and not to allow it to
be referred to any private tribunal.
Mr. P. THoMsoN denied that the proposition for referring
the matter to a select committee was brought forward with any
view to delay the settlement- of the question, and coutended
that the bill of the noble lord (Ashley) was infinitely more
calculated to delay its adjustment. With every feeling of
respect to the noble lord's motives, he could not help thinking
that the object he had in view could be better attained by re-
ferring the matter to a select committee up stairs. The most
beneficial effects, in his opinion, would result from the adoption
of this course, and as he had before stated, they would be pro-
duced in a far less space of time than by the proposition of the
noble lord opposite (Lord Ashley.)
Mr. COBBETT said that the question, absolved from all the
cumbrous intricacies which were attempted to be imposed upon
it, resolved itself into this—the contention of mammon agaiust •
mercy. He had no doubt, however, of the issue of the contest,
and expected to see mercy prevail, over mammon. (A laugh.)
He objected to the proposition of referring the subject to a
select committee—a proposition he conceived fraught with every
species of delay from the voluminous nature of the evidence.
Ile would be sincere at any rate, and boldly declare that whln
300,000 of the most helpless of human creatures were calling
on the house for mercy and deliverance from their wretched
condition—the worst state of slavery—the noble lord (Althorp)
rejected their prayer, and turned a deaf ear to their remostrances.
After a discussion in which Sir Robert Inglis, Lord Morpeth,
Mr. Hyett, and Mr. Hardy took part, the house divided, add
the numbers were—
For Lord Ashley's motion
Against it
Majority
The announcement of the numbers was received with con-
tinued cheers.
The house then resolved itself into committee on the bill—
Sir R. Inglis in the chair.
Some conversation took place with respect to the day when
the committee should sit again,' which it was ultimately arranged
should be on Monday.
The house then resumed, the Chairman reported progress, '
and the committee was ordered to sit again on Monday.
Mr. Rorcu moved for the appointment of a select committee.
to consider the best mode of regulating the conduct of the
drivers of cabriolets, hackney coaches, omnibuses, and stage
coaches.

Mr. G. Young said the present motion was a specimen of that ,
prurient itch for legislation which distinguished the present
•
parliament.
Mr. lionn said that he did itch to see business done in that
house properly. All the business which had been done in that
house during the present session might have been got through
in a month.
The motion was•then negatived,-
stela/KY.
Mr. STANLEY brought iu a bill for the abolition of slavery
throughout the colonies, which was read afirst time, audordeita
to be read a second time on Wednesday.

The other orders of the day were th;?n disposed of, and the
house adjourned at half-past'l o'clock.

LONDON GAZETTE.-FRiu,Ar, JULY 5.

• 413ANKRUPTCIES SUPERSEDED. •• - '—
William Knowlson and William Skin, Ashton-under-Lyne.grOeerS•
Wroc, Bradford, woolcomber.
BANtittUPTS.
' Joseph Greenwool, Lia-erpool, stone-merchant, July 20 and Atls-
- at one, at the Clarethlon-rocims, Liverpool:: Attorne.vs, •Mr. 4)- ..•
Green, 'Southampton-buildings, Chancery-Lane ; and Mr. It. White-
head, Liverpool:
George Gray, Great Portland-street, Marylebone, corn-dealer.
John Turner, Lynn,_ jeweller.
Edward and Myrry Wilson, Shlpston-upon-Stour, Worceststshtre.
butchers.
Edmund Garnett, Lancaster, coal-dealer. •
James and William Tucker, Exwick, Devonshire, millers. •
Benjamin Cook, sem, Birmingham, brass-founder.
John Lown, Eaton, Nottinghamshire,
Robert Harding Trickey, Bristol, builder.
E4witrd Gray, Harborne, Staffordshire, nail-factor.
William Shirley, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire, builder.
Richard Hinxmau. Kitnocks, Hants, dealer.
PA 'INNERS') IPS DISSOLVED.
T. and T. Rirnmer, Liverpool, bakers.—J. 0. Watson and 11. 1
rorn, Liverpool, attorneys.—F, E. Turner and Co., Liverpool drug-
,gists.—C. Haves, jut., and Co., Liverpool, block-makers.—L. Tofu-
kinson nii•l 1. Tomkinaon, jun., Liverpool, merchants.—W. DiV't
and H. Rounth waits, Liverpool, wine-merchants.—M. and 8. Brotru:
Beverley, Yorkshire, tailors.—R. C. Williams and W. Stevens, Grey'
Cambridle-street Wharf, Hackney .road, coal-merchants.-1L and
Buxton, 'Fazely, Staffordshire, bleachers.—T. Prissick and Co., IOW;
ston-upon-Hull, merchants.—E. 'table mid Co., Barnard Castle, eat:
pet-manufacturers,—P, and J. Doming, Bolton-le-)doors, cabinet-
makers.—B. Stuart and 11, Jeffs'; s, Wisbech St. Peter's, Cambridq..
shire, surgeons.—J. Moore and F. C. Robinson, Church-street, ll;te!',.,
ney, auctioneers.—W. Venables and J. Watford, Lamb's Cond'u`
street, linen-drapers.—J. Bayldon and it. Davies, York, attorneys. a
H. Brown and IN . H. Butler, Mortlake, surgeons.—R. Glanville 10,'
J. Beall, Devonport, linen-drapers.—J. Murray and J. Watterwort'L
York, skinners.—D. Garsed and Co., Halifax, clothiers.—T. Richa
and Co., Fleet-street, newspaper-proprietors.—.F. Cope and Co., 11'1.
minghatn,.brass-founders.—T. Richardson and W. Clarke, HT lIOe
born, printers.—G. Smith, jun., and Co. Newport, Moninout
merchants.—C. Smith, jun , and Co., Newport, Monmouthshire, etr-
Hers ; as far as regards C. Smith, jun.
D 1 VI DENDS.
July 26, F. Whitmore, Lambeth, brewer.—July 26.. f. Tanaley.
tae Dean-street, Westminster, ironmonger.-1. Elliott, Chathat
Kent, grocer.—Jul-26, W. T.Timbrell, Bermondsey-square, worsrert,
manufacturer.—July 29,W.Yates, Tunstall, Staffordshire, inn.lteePt;
—July 31, W. Yorke, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, iropmenger',-
July 23, T. Burringhain, Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire, merebant;ihr
August 5, T. Stutter(' and Co., Lindley, Yorkshire, merchants.-id.
27, H. Hooper, Bristol, merchant.—August 13, J. Korff. Kirtley,
folk, ship-builder.—July 29, F. Knapp, Camborne, Cornwall,
tualler,—July 29, J. Stoekall, Kidderminster, coal-merchant.--"
30, B. Burn and W. Allen, Worcester, flax-dressers.—July 29.,0,
Jenks, Wem,•Sbrupshire, cheese-faetor.July 29, J. Fairborn, ,-„a,
tleford, Yorkshire, grocet.—Augnat 3, J. Bates, South Crosilt-
Yorkshire, clothier..
CERTIFICATES, Jul' 26.
J. Coupland, Liverpool, tailor.—A. Lee,' Surrey-street. Stra'idt..
niusic,seller.—G. Hunter, Bury-street, St. James's, win7,-inerellql.
—G. Liversidge, Great Dover-street, Southwark, coach-maker... Lie
Wood. Bristol, innkeepers—J. T. Waker, Oxford-sheet,
maker.