The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-06-14 00:00:00

COTIONJIANUFAC7OOIES.

A discolsion op the Collo* Spiewers' Bill is *s-
ported to take place ibis day la the Mese of Lords,
avid which will probably decide the fate of It. That
soave 1,411160 v, enactment is everstary to ameliorate
the condition of children employed in colon rectories,
the evidenre on their Lordships' table abondeetly
p . According to the ovideoce alluded, to, there
ere upwards of 50.00Lichildien employed in +pinning
cotton, some of shorn are not more than sit years
old. Their boors of Isbour are from 13 to 16 boors
a day, in booted rooms. where the temperature lee-
teases between 70 and 90 tipsters. They enotinee at
work es long as the machinery is ring, daring which
time they are not allowed to sit down or to leave the
factory. The effects of this sytteve •te eseinplified
In the pallid and vickly maintenances of the children,
who may be rosily distinguished from those engaged
is other occupaliens ; lomeneas and deformity see
very often !autismd by stooping so me* sod
Minding for so teeny hours together ; and to re-
seedy th•crookednetis of their legs, Steel or Iron sop-
potters are opetiaionally marled to. Seth are Only
a few of It.. ollictios hardahips to which 'brae poor
children are Papaw, ; and when their strength fail%
they are dismissed by their employers, and either be..
I come chargeable to their respective parishes, or drag
en their days in ocrupationrof the lowest description.
Tliech.ef itlttPct of the present Bill is In regulate the
hours of labour in Cotton milli, of children under Ike
cgs of sixteen. end to ;nevem those ander • sine
from being employed la them at all. The 1111111. of work
for persons under 16 is directed to be " not more than
11 hours in any one day, reclusive of an interval
rif half •ti hoer which shall hi. allowed for break-
fast, and soother interval of ono hour whiny shall be
,allowed for dinner; sad to prevent working in the
night. the aforesaid 12 hewers and a half shall be some
lime lotarven the hoer, of five of the clock its 'homers-
log, and nine of the clot kin the evening.' Necessary
les some such like regelatiens appear to be, they arm.
especial! to by ate sly opposed, and the principsl
; ',gement advanced against the Bill it, that It would
interfere mith free &beer ; but how can the labour
of children of such tractor yearn be called free, lot
them choose for themselves, and they will lint Isbnur
I at all ; thereof., any labour that they perform is
gaits the teems of free.
The question is one of humanity : let any man call
to his remembrance hi' early years, end ask himself,
whether, at the sge of 6,7, or 8, be could Inv. en.
dergone lb. fatigue of being dragged oat of his !nil
at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning, at all gestalts of
the year, and labour 15 or 16 boors in a sofrocating
atmosphere, pursuing the same course day by day,
for weeks sad yeses, badly fed, and badly clothed ;
ler let any matt who is a father place his infant off.
spring before his eyes, and ask himself whether, if
he foresaw that by • thong, of circumstances they
would be doomed to earn their daily bread by 'rook-
ie( in ctriton-luills, upon the ststrm no* pursued.
he would net sanction the proposed regulations!
Sorely the Yoke of Notate would answer In the af-
firmative.

• The are tboambds of =mower yeast Inalvitts fee yam itt
01106",

Tb. Weymouth stete.o4o, Captatol Too trto,itter7
from As lioslitetra DPW, N oteored to Portmeerh,te
be paid of. 7 •