The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-04-12

may saely let matters remain as they are.
WHITE SLAVERY IN BRITISH FACroRrEs-SrARr-
LING DEvELorEMENTs.-In another column will
be found the report Of an interesting debate in
the British House of Commons on the bill intro
duced to limit the hours of labor in bleaching
and dyeing works. This branch of industry,
it appears, was excepted from the operation Of
the ten hours factories act on the plea that it
involved critical chemical processes which re-
quired continuous attention. In the report Of
Mr.. Tremenbere, one Of the factory inspectors,
extracts from which were quoted in the course
of the discussion, some extraordinary facts are
brought to light. One witness, an adult de-
posed that he went to work at five o'clock one
morning and left at six the next (twenty. five
hours), all the other hands, children included,
working the same time. Three children, aged
respectively fourteen, fifteen and sixteen,
stated that they went to work on tho
Friday morning, and labored all Friday night
till halfpast five on the Saturday morning
(23 hours) without any interval Of repose.
They then laid down in their clothes and slept
until shortly after seven, when they breakfast
ed, and went to work again until ten minutes
past eleven. A boy seventeen years of age
stated that he worked three days and three
nights without any intermission. save the time
fixed for meals, during which he contrived to
snatch little sleep.
This is horrible picture of the condition
of the English operatives, and, We will venture
to say, finds no parallel in any other country
on the face of the globe. The excuse offered
for it, as if palliation there could be for such
cruelty, is without the least foundation in fact,
for several of the proprietors of the establish
ments in which these practices are permitted
have declared that they were unnecessary and
could be abolished by legislative interference.
All that was required to do away with them
was to compel uniformity of regulations
amongst the bleachers, so that unscrupulous en-
ployers should have no advantage over the
humanely disposed.
These occurrences are the more surprising
in a country in which the humanitarian senti
ment is made such parade Of The humanity
of English philanthropists has, however, always
been more outward than interpretive in its
tendencies. They can see the mote in other
peoples eyes, but not the beam in their own.
1t is the same with our Northern abolitionists.
They overlook the practices occurring under
their own observation in order to detect and
exaggerate what is reprehensible amongst their
neighbors. Let the world, however, contrast
the condition of the negro, as presented in the
letters Of our special correspondents this win
ter,with that of the English operatives and will
see that the balance of humanity is ON the side
of the planter, and that the status of the negro
under his ownership is a thousand times hap.
pier and more comfortable than that of the
white slaves of abolitionist manufacturers Of
Exeter Hall. 1t will be seen that Mr.. Roe
buck made powerful use of this fact in his
speech in the debate to which we refer. The
truth of the slavery question seems to be fore
ing itself gradually on the minds of English
statesmen. II an unpatriotic selfishness and
thirst of power were not at the bottom of the
views taken of it by the black republicans, it
would long since have ceased to exercise any
disturbing influence on our domestic relations.