New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-15
EUROPE.
TIE STATE OF BRITISH MANUFACTURES.
csrrsSepcsnoe Of TIE ~ Y. TntUbs-

TIE STATE OF BRITISH MANUFACTURES.
c.rr~yepe.noe Of To. n. '. Tnsub.-
LONDON, FEB. p, 1859.
The factory inspectors Of England, Scotland and
hssrd having issOes heir regular hall yearly re-
ports, ending October 81, 1853, on t'eir different
Sisricss, i ,end yoO ny usual abstract Of Iao'e
ssss important Industrial bulletins. The JOINT 70
pert ia hi, time condensed mo fe" hnes,
and stasss only that, with ne nhg'e exception o'
Scotland, The enoloaehmenfs Of the MANI sc'o'ers
spsn the leeal tue for the employ msn' oi young
psu0ns and women. ard especially upon tse tne
reserved 70, thar neals, are rapidly Increasing.
Ttey esn,eoqeuils FEEL il incumbent upon them
.sl,. =, ,ss that these egasions OF TIE law should
he preyeuted By an amending act. - The iDper-
frctiong" they say, I'm the FACTORY acts,
"~hicL make 1t extremely dlhcDtiOf tDe inspect
srs and ub.inspecsOrs 10 detect and conyict the
=" oaenders and 10 fulfill the evident intentions of
"tbe Legislature in regard TO the all-important
srbi, CTS Of limitation 10 the hours Of work, and
"tbs securing Of sufficient opportunities Of rest
and refreshment Ia the workers IN the course OF
Z" the day render some alterations IN the law nee
"e,sary II Parliament had imagined that such
"evasiOns could be TesOrted 10 they would doubt
" less have been guarded against by adequate pro-
"visons.' Now, since / have cODscIeatOusly
kHuh.0 lDS hbIWJ ucOdt'b ilVih
which the present factory laws emerged the factory
inspectors must allow me 10 dissent from their con-
GLIDING passage and 10 stick 10 the opinion that
the factory laws were formed with the express
purpose Of allowing every possible facllity Tor
evasion and circumycntOn. The bitter antagOnlsm
between landlords AID mill lords which gave blrth
" them, vas still mltlgated by the common spite
the two ruling classes entertain for WHAT they csu
vulgar interests" At the same time, willingly
tha "A UaXfuO respects To
those British factory inspectors, VINO, IN the teeth
of All p0werCui c,ass-interests, have taken up the
protection Of the dOWn-trOdden multitude with "A
moral courage, steadtast energy and IN intel
leetual superiority Of which there are not To be
5onnd many parallels in these times of mamm0n-
worship.
The fret report proceeds from Mr.. LeoOh4rd
Homer, whose district comprises the industrial
center Of England, the whole Of Lancashire, parts
Of Cheshire, DeTbyshre the West Riding OF York
shire the North Riding and the four northern
counties Of England. The factory laws being still
The object Of unmitigated opposition on the part of
che manufacturers, and almost every year witness
lng parliamentary campaign in favor OF their re-
peal Mr.. Homer starts with an apology for the
legislation which exempted children ana women
from the absolute sway of the memorable laws OF
Free Trade. The official economists pronounced
tbe factory legislation 10 be contrary TO all sound
" principles" and certain to prove most injurious
IN IT'S consequences 10 ITtut. III ItPy 10 tA' His1
objection, Mr.. Homer states:
Az in ell factories there is very lsrge amount OF
fixed capital in bulldDgs and machinery, the eIe aer
number Of boDIs that machinery DC kept az work
the greater viii be the return; and, mos a3sTedy, II
thsi working could have been carried on without in
Jury to human beings, there would have been no eeis'
A.Son to interfere with II. But when 1t was shown
that in order 10 derive greater return upon tho capi
tai Children young persons OF both se1es, snd vomen,
were employed daily, ard often in the night, for
length Of time wholly inconsistent with their health,
uoTals education Of the young, domestic comfort, and
with any reasonable Enjoyment OF HE, The cesrest
Ctstes of moral principles called upon the legislature
10 put an end 10 enormous an evil
In other words, Mr. Horner propOunds that ia
the present state Of 'ciety, principle may appear
" sound" on the part of the economist and the
CLASSES of which he is the theoretical mouth piece
and may, nevertheless, not only prove contrary to
all the laws of human conscience but like a cancer,
eat into the very vitals of whole generation. AS
~ the alleged interference Of the factory laws with
the progress Of industry Mr.. Homer opposes facts
10 defamation. In the return ordered by the
House of Commons on the 18th of March 1885,
the numbers of mills, and the numbers of persons
employed therein, Were in bic present district, as
follows: