New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-22

that fraction from the decomposition py TIC An"
Corn-I.aw League Of the old Parliamentary partie''
registers its death simultaneously with the farna-
meISary extinction Of the Manchester School
CONDITION OF FACTORY LABORkRS.
Correspondence of,he N Y. Tribune.
LONDON, April 7, l-o|.
The reports of the Inspectors Of Factories which
have been recently issued for the half year ending
3lst October, 1856, form valuable contribution 10
the social anatomy Of the United Kingdom. lhey
will not little help to explain the reactionsry at'l
tude taken BY the mords during the present
general election.
During the Session Of le56, Factory Act was
smuggled through Parliament by which the - radi-
cal" mill-lords fret altered the law in regard I"
the fencing Of mill lgearIng and machinery, ana
secondly introduced the principle of arbitration IN
the disputes between masters and men. The one
law purpored TO provide for the better protection
Of the limbs and lives of the factory aborers: the
other to place that protection under chesp courts OF
equity In fact the latter law intended to cheat the
-abOrer out of law, and the former to cheat
him out of his limbs. quote from the joint report
of the Inspectors:
Under the new statute persons whose ordinary
are consequently well acquainted with the dangers to
which their employment exposes them, and with the
necessity Of caution, are protected by the law whie
protection has been ufthdTdTR from those VINO may
be obliged in the execution OF special orders 10 Sus
pend their ordinary occupation and TO place them.
selves in positions of danger OF the existence oi
which they are not conscious, and from which, by
reason Of their ignorance they are unable 10 project
themselves but who, on that very account would ap-
pear TO require the special protection OF the Leglsa-
ture." , -,
The arbitration clause, in its turn, prescrbes that
the arbitrators shall be chosen from persons skilled
{" in the construction of the kind Of machinery by
which bodily harm is inflicted In one word, en-
cineers and machine makers are entrusted with the
monopoly of arbitration " 1t appears to us, say
the Inspectors, that engineers ana nachhe-
4" makers ought to be considered as disqualified to
act as factory arbitraors, by reason OF their con-
"Dection in trade with the factory occuplers, who
are their customers.
Under such provisions, it is not to be wondered
at that the number Of accidents arising from ma
chinery such as death, amputatiOns OF hands, arms,
legs or feet. fracture of limbs and bones of head
and face decorations, cOntuslons &c, amount, du-
ring the six months ending on the 3lst October,
1856. to the appalling number of 1,9l9. Twenty
cases of death. inflicted by machinery are regis
tered in the industrial bulletin for halt year-about
ten times the number lost by the British Navy du-
ring its glorious Canton massacre. Since the mill
lords 80 far from endeavoring to protect the lives
and limbs of their laborers, are thus only bent on
escaping payment for arms and legs lost IN their ser
vice and shifting the cost of the wear aud tear OF
their animated machines from their own. shoulders,
il need not surprise us that, according to the
official reports, - OverwOrkng, in violation OF
the factory act, is the increase" Over
working in the terms Of that act, means employing
Young persons for longer time per day than Is
legally allowed. This is done in various ways by
-. 4h. ht.n nn
stopping il at six in the evening and BY abridgng
the Terms the law has fixed for the meals of the
workpeople. There are three periods of the day
when the steam-engine starts VIZ, when the WORK
begins in the morning and when II is resumed after
the two meals of breakfast and dinner; and there
are three periods when it stops, VIZ, at the begin
ming of each meatime and when the work ceases IN
the evening. Thus there are six opportunities when
five minutes may be stolen, or half an hour each day
Five minutes a days increased work, multiplied by
weeks is equal TO two and onehalf days Of produce
in the wear; but the fraudulent oyerworking goes
far beyond that amount. l quote Mr.. Leonard
Florper the Factory Inspector for Lancashire
"The profit TO be gained by such illegal overwork-
ing sppears to be greater temptation than the man.
ufacurers can resist They calculate upon he cnahce
Of not being found out and when they zee the small
amount of penalty and costs which those who have
been convicted have had to pay they lind that If they
should be detected there will still be considerable
balance Of gain.
act the mill.owners took good care to have 1t so
framed that the greatest facilities are afforded for
nassinr by its enactments, and as the inspectors
unanimously declare, almost insuperable diHhcul-
"tes prevent them from putting an effective stop to
"tbe illegal working" They also concur in stigma.
tizinp the wilful commission OF fraud by persons OF
large property; the mean contrivances 10 winch
they have recourse in order to elude detectOn and
ar not nsf
spectors and sub-nspectOrs entrusted with the pro-
tection of the factory slave. In bringing forward Q
charge of oyer.workng the inspectors, sub-inspec.
tors or their constables, must be prepared to
swear that the men have been employed at illegal
bours Now. suppose they appear after o'clock
in the evening. The manufacturing machinery is
immediately stopped, and although the people could
be there for no other purpose tnan attending upon
Il tbe charge cannot BE- sustained, by reason Of the
WORDING of the act. The wOrkmen are then sent
ont of the mill in great haste, often more doors than
one facilitating their rapid dispersion In some In
.t,nces the Gas was e1tinguIshed, when the sub
Inspectors eg,ered the room, leaving them suddenly
in darkness among complicated machinery. In
those places which have acquired notorety Tor
overlooking, there is an organized plan Tor giving
notice at the mills Of the approach oi all Inspector,
servants at railway stations anu ut inhs oe'le ei-
ployed for this purpose. =,
bese vsmnyres fsttenine the life blood Of the
vonng working generation of their own country, are
;bev NOT the 81 companions Of the British opium
smIgcers, and the natural supporters Of the truly
British Minister'S"
Tbr rcports Of the factory inspectors prove be-
vord doubt that the inamies Of the British factory
system are growing with its gro~th; that the laws
enacted for checking the cruel eTeedine's OF the mill
lords are a sham and delusion being so worded as
10 bsfie their own ostensible end and to dissrm
the men intrusted with their execution; that
the sntagonism between the mill lord. and the
oreratiyes ON is rapidly approaching the point
of actual social war; that the number of
children under l3 wears, absorbed by that system is