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VOLTAIRE ' S PHILOSOPHICAL DtCTIONaRY , without abridgement , verbatim from the Edition , in Six Volumes , and published at £ 2 10 s . Part 20 is just issued . Part 21 will be ready this next week . The first Volume comprising up to Part 15 may be had bound in strong Cloth , price 5 j . 6 d ., and embellished with an excellent likeness of Voltaire This is undoubtedly the cheapest Volume ever presented to the liberal Public , containing 614 pages of closely printed matter , small type , p urchased expressly for the work , double columns , and more than usual care has been taken as to the correctness of the text . The Second Volume is rapidly approaching csompletion . * May be had of all Booksellers . Also ,
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BOROUGH OF LEEDS . NEW PRISON . NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN , That the Time for sending in PLANS , &o .. is Enlarged fron tne 20 th June to the 1 st Avgusc nexs . JBy Order , EDWIN EDDIS 0 N . IWn-Clerk . 58 , Albion-Street , Leeds , 17 th May , 1843 .
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CONSOLIDATION OF THE TURNPIKEROADS AND HIGHWAYS . QUGGESTIONS for Consolidating the Fonda and k ) Management of the Turnpike-Roads and High wjtys wuhia the Borough of Leeds , and placing them und r the direction of the Town Council , being , 1 st , an Appendix to a Report whioh R . Bayldou was directed to make to that body as to the probable Financial Effects that would arise to the different Townships within the Borough of Leeds ia the event of the 19 th Clause of the New Tarnpike B . ll passing into a Law , and
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TO EMIGRANTS . WILLI AM TRANT , Licensed Passagk Brokbb , 35 , Pauk Lane , Leeds , begs to inform Persons about to Emigrate that be can furnish th « m with Passage Tickets on the most advantageous T « rms ( whereby they will avoid any Delay in Liverpool ) and secure Passages in superior First Class Ships , all Coppered end Copper Fastened , a Regular Succession of such Vessels sailing every Week during the Sea ? on . The following will sail immediately : —
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THE FACTORIESfBILL . * t raming of members of Parliament 2 nd gentlemen ooDneoted wiib tbe manufacturing cie' ric : ¦ > was held on Taesday , Msy 9 , at the Brit ? b Hotel . ocsspur-street , London , for the purpose oi"hearing the opinions of millowners , with reference to th « Factories Bill now before Parliament . From 70 10 0 persons assembled , smocg who we reco-nised ihe following Members of Parliament : —Mr . Aui ^ ivortb . Hr . Brocklebnrer , 31 r . W . T . Evertoa , Mr . F ; e'den , Mr . Win- FJelden , Mr . Ferraad , Mr . Grot-nail , Mr " W . Hardy , Mr . Hindley , General Johnson . Sir John Jo ; . D ^ w > ne , Bart ., W . S . Lascelles , Mr , J . W . Paiten , Mr . Strati , Mr . Sjmsfield , Sir George Sirckland , Bar-., Mr . Toilemacbe , Mr . Walker , Mr . Wilbraham . and Mr . GrimBditch .
Oj the motion of Mr . Hardy , M . P-, the Hon John Stu-rt Wvniey , M . P ., was called to tbe chair . Ths Chai 2 ma > - i = * id , be considered it his duty ai onec to acquit *© in vbe proposal thai be shou ' . vl lake the cha-. r , inasmuch as there was no obj-ction mace toi :. As he had been called nnexi ^ ciec ' y to that povl : ; on , it would not become him to offt-r ubs ^ n aliens upon t ? e nature of ihe meeting other ib ^ n to ? uy , tha * he irast ^ d he should be of use in eoncue-mt- the bu > ine ? r : cr which ihey were assembled . (<~ h «** rs . ) He wa ~ orry that he was ailrd to occupy the cna ? r a « a EED-i . iut- * for irs Irierd , Mr . Wm . Beckett , who ; e nsici stood a : the head oi the circuiar which has b-.-en is ^ ur-1 . a ^ d was to bare presided , but who Wis tow so ui . wrii as to be unable to attend ; he held in > iis bat . 1 a note from Mr . Beckett , exnressimr Li ? c'sapto be he
poi-: n : entat brin ^ enable present , as was ari - ? to hear the opinion of ih ? Factory zna- ' _ . r = upon t ' . e provisions oi ihe Factories ' Bi-J . Ha- ns ? a-d .= 0 much wiih resect 10 the clreum-BiST .-. ? in which he stood , he thoughi it woala be E-i eunduc-re to the business 01 ihe dav , ii h < - Ehii i i- 'ave the furiher proceedings is the hs-ids of tho ^ wno had devoted their time and trouble-to convening -his meeting ; they w-u '; d know beutr tfcau he ho . v : o lay ihe basinets before them , and he could oah .-& > , ? o far as he was concerned , that if n should bei ; i hi * vjowertolendany assistance towards themain obj-.-ci 0 / tbe meeting , or to take any s ; ep whjcb shuiud tend to the satisfactory settlement of this mo * , important question of the hours of labour of J 3 U .-2 osrson ? , it wculd afford him the higher saiisfac ^ . a to do so .
? . ! r . Wm . "Rand , of Bradford , Yorkshire . Raid he trnrt din the Sr : ; ploca he Rbcmld be psrmiUtiJ , as a fee : v mtsttr . wteo had long takta 3 etep in : « vst in thp ~ -i' jrti of factory legislation , to thank tboso member * -f Psriiam-int ^ ho hod cocven-fed tkis nieeiin ? , « cd for -viurg nircibira ennneci&d with those eountie * ¦ wb - = raanafacnirM ¦ where carried on , and for inviting fsc ? - tt e-atlemrn vrfco wtrs more immediat . ] y conjseevr-i Tr ** h any measure for tot le ^ isi-tion of fictories — i . ¦ -jj ) He treated that he bsJ too detp a sense of pjvi" ; ety . and Wis too artll aw . " - re of his own iDcoiLpeten j :- > drs |; the ir-stui s tkrongh the hisu-ry of fj . cti . ry lati-.-.-i-. c Th-.-r » hiid betn no fewtr than srren or e : ?^ t far :- _ > ry bi : ls , and as many abortiTc atttiupu at 112 , ¦ - ¦ v- . sf jhete bU !» , and he tttoaght that hitherto fact
alcr ^ - w-n .- i profs tfait factory Jegialation bad not ba ^ n Barb- ! ict-ry . He thoaght the present meeting offered tfcfc n .- t prospect for a satisfactory aettltnitnt of thii qt ! - . ^ . that had eT ? r yet presented iuelf . He w ^ s ¦ ni- ibattha objret of tbe GriTernment could only be to pa » i i \ - \ i \ whicii bb ~ u > d K- heartily coevsrattd in by tbe f-icoiy iiiasters wb- - > » jh ! j 'baist the G Ternment in carr } . es it oat in all its profisiona ; and be was rare * u ci a measure could only bo accomplished with the ass ; " -act and advice of practical hi en ; aiid be trusted the ^— -ue o ? this mt « tiiiK would be -the adoption of a law j the G jTemm ^ nt af tbiB cenntry , "which ahonid be -. ¦ ! efejiT > g to tte factory districts . "With thtr ^ e few rtmarhs be would t-xpreas his . opinion that tfce pr-sent hill before the H'Wise of Commens ,
borr t £ - eLaracier tad would share the fate of all it * T ?* -le £ ssaon . It would be an unsatisfactory bilL Be i : ; 1 ecme to thst coaclurion afttr carefu ' -iy reading it < ~ -t ; and be i ? ot came to trpresa the reasons ¦ wb ^ c . b j ^ c : the bill divided the wor k people into elasst ;; she first class somprising those from eight to thirt _ cr : jears of sc 9 , and tbe sesonfi clwa th ^ se from thirtf ^ -B to eigh ' e-n as effected males , and thirteen to twtnty-ore . 13 affected f&osles . The first class was to work lilt time , er kx hours a day ; the second class ¦ w a * ' . ¦• work twelve hours Ktual labour per day . The
fiwt tr-= s "aras to go to scho-ol a certain nutnber t-f fcoara in e ^ ch ¦ ' ' ay uuri-g their espl ^ ymest—not when they ¦ w ere ticemplcjed— tfe- 5 Wtsre rtquired Vj bring certifieatef rr in the schoo : niis > iEr cf taTisf complied with this regulation , acd unless tkey did eo they could not return to "work , on the following Monday . It appeared to I ' m thnt this was to itself an tcsctBient which "W « -u . 'r T « -ry ssricu'ly tend to the noc-employment of the ? . chiWren . ? t was hia firm CJCTiction that ttat enactment , oonpled with many others whieh he nouid doi r . ; . « r enumerate , wsa enough to ensure their nunercr' « a ; ent . He he 1- ! in his hand a papar signed R H . ( i- ez . the Ctaiiaian of the A * . « ocia . tir > n of Millo « :. -- « in Manchester , stating that inch were the paiiis auc j / . aJSes attache to that kill with regard to the
« E ; i ; . ! : ; f-m of cti . >* rtxj , thst it -was rhidr opinion that » ncr - thrj would rot be emplojcd » t all . Then he ( Mr B-5 . Q > wcalrt ask if they wtre nr-t empiojed at a ? l , if V , = ¦ t xyenee of their education were to be pr&Yided for out _¦ : heir wagts ha the Bill enacted , how -wfere they to ohtr ¦! - . _ fcciiion at ail ? He for hia own part wtm ! d gay hat there wa 3 no possibility of education unless there was i f .-. Esibility ol employtatir . t , and there was no pofaib-litT of employment coupltd with tSeee Ttxatioas en ' = * u n .--nta . He thjczht Uien the issue as regarded ttst > .:--a -would be total idleness up to 13 , coupled -with ignviai-ce , -a . 1 he TTiuld ask Hon . Members in that room wbethrr tbe stat * of society in Mancbester , Giaajow , aiid Tjrksbire , would not present an a-wfui picture ¦ w ith * \ the population up to 13 unemployed and ue-It
edE ^ iTrd ? was tbe nature lads they were not doin ? ¦*¦ - !« to be doing ill ; he thought there could not be a kxr ^ er curse 1 : flitted on them than tba > of dooming them t-j idle ^ rsa . ( Htai , hear . ) He had "written to one of ti j-. aior partners in fcis own concern to know what had c ^ n tbe - -p- rr . tion of the rel » y system , and he bad replic mat threfc-fonrths of the children under 13 ba 4 been aiiffiisstd ; tz . d rhit he was looting out for subatiiuf-s for the remaiaiEg one-fourth . ( Hear , bear . ) If -cc = «; H tbe c * se in bis neighbourhood , -what was the cn-t in Glasgow ? Hr . Grerg said he -would call a ' . fnvon to t ' . c fact that since tbe introduction of the Act c ; r * v > Eg the gyBlem ef working by relsjs , tbe childrtc uu-ier tirrtsen years of age had been almost &H diemi's- ^ . ir . G ' i = go-wLe"belie- ? ednone [ the word " Bone '
uiwi ^ riinca ) tjupioyed under thai age , and Very few in otb « r p « . irs cf Scotland , ( hear , kearj and the two factvjy district ? of England of Mr . Horcrr ar , d" ilr . Saca . i-r 8 tbs number had fallen from 38 941 in 1835 , to 24 uOO aad odd in 1 S 3 S , and in ilr . H' > n > er " 8 district it h&a fa . ien from 11 000 to 7 . 000 since taen . [ Hear 1 They k ^ 4 not t ** a tbie to oDtain rtturrij fiom the other distr ?< t » , but the reduction in their r . nmefciS was in cTery dL- » .- ' » -ry gre = t . Tbe almost certain optratiori of tk < = prMeut hill , he did not hesitate to say , would be the Vfitbda- ^ a . of cL . l ^ rri altogether frcin wcil-rcgn * ated mil ;? L-- thtir total deprivadon of eicployment . The merr ?< . ? r > r of a reduction in the wages Would i ^ ffcr no iDdus > n : ^ t eitEtr to the parent to send , them or tbe ita- ' -fr ^ 0 employ them , compared viJh tbe 8 eTia e
regalat : f- >• : o -which they rendered tiemselves liable by em . S . v-sg thtm ; and Pari ' iament would fi :. d iistlf in the c- urrf cf a > ear or two in the predicaujent of h&Ting passed a Ib-b- proTiding for the rtgeistion i ^ f a class cf clU ' . -rcn which tbe law would haT * thiown cut of the ! -pu « re of labour—iheaT , bear .. And yet af : er that at&uj ; * i" . aad Irei . mads knowii they sai ^ t ^ ey woul a V - -lc to e ^ ijctde that pin * f the L : l ] ; - . hey said W e fioD ' t wish to employ ciiildreii yc >\ ia ^ er thaa nire ; or fr- n . Line to thirteen mere thai * six &td haif h-urs . " Ihr . . tl >"" - cc-ECtde them ; bat how ? ! v , i ty adop « -L ? thraj . ut by r * j = c : iDg them . They said thty -wcuid not ari ' i " j them . Was thsi the i : nd vi conc « -8 i . iun the Go"Vc ; Li ! : ent wanted ? Jfon-fciEj-Soymtnt aiid non-instrnT . .-n . Or w ^ s it that the GoTercnient sought to of
im } . ro » ^ the nui ; ana morals that class 1 He ( Mr . Ksi ^) b ^ i Zed to say that the tfiVct of this law would be JgE r _ Dce and idicr . &BS ap to thirtstn . That was a sjh . etsclc for iltmb-rsuf Pailiamt . Zit to lool ; at ! Was it cvt enough to fill the aiind of e-sery nfl-ciing ik&d triti : E .. arm otr , aid tTen every unrifl ^ ct-tg inicd ¦ with ii- rm by and tve ? What was the prospect w ; th Tegira Ve the second class—they were to work twelve hoc ; ' •! < J&y srttial labcnr , icdependtnt of tbv time for m « . i » tr . o g > ing to ^ cd returning from work . He Wtx : . b .--k siny gcnUfcmEU in tfcit room J he cculd lay hii -T- ^ d upon his heart and see a population unedu-Cit--i ^ . i : : unirEtruc . vil up to the agfc of thirteen then tak-c i-. laNour of that duration ; he would atikif that Wf . u ' ^ ; _ t p-rpttci-e i ^ n ^ j- _ DC 6 up to tweftty-ote ? He
aaid u- -wouJd b ~ tbe intiifeble result : the first clay . Won , ¦ : ;> : nuqnaliaedf-oin education for want of « mpl ... yn ci t . and tie * t # nd class for want of time—iLoud cLc * r «] . BU ii ^ tentioa w ~» not to appeal to the feeliegs o ? ty geiitleiEin , but to his common sense , and he Woruc i » y thct tbe Issue yf this Bill would be , in a few ¦ word * up to thirteen , ignorasce and idleness ccmbi ^ td , np to t ^ evij-oDe txewserre toil and no instruction . If that \ hea , were tbe inevitable remit of this billj he wcnM ask if it w ^ s one which oncht to pass . He aaid it ou * bt set \ e pasa , bot he should not be perf . rming his duty in camia ? to London to point out tfee d-.-fect » trf this biit if he did not also point out a plan which appeared to bim ta be deserving of attentijn . He-h&J thought » f a plan , and he would give his reasons in support oi it He did not mean to say th&t hia was tbe
only plan that would be bentfidal ; be wts open to eoBvfetaoB on tbe jxaxXet , aad be busted he should B 8 TW © b * Uaataly adhere to say particular nostrum of bb own— ( heat , bear ) . But , now , mppoae for a aoment tftat tte Priay « y > tein » ae adopted , what would be the eed of itf Why thej would bring op Jo a calling twice the umber of persons who -t the age of thirteen ooold find amployment at it If is his own estobllsh-B > ent be had fifty relay children , when they arrived at the age of thirteen be eould but employ twenty-five of fche » i hai be wsuld have to turn adrift the other twetaty-fire , who would set as an incubus upon the laboor market for the remainder of their days , pressing npon those employed towards reducing their wages Bach would be Ihs effect of the relay system , and bo be bad come to tbe eoneinsion that the relay system , if canied out , would be prodoetive of most serious and
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d : s'str us conseq-3 ' . "ors—ihear . hp = r ) . And if it srere - !; ut t . ; r ; ni out u-f ch \ h ' atTi w .- > ukl tsre no educition . How tl . fcn could they escape the two results of these t ^ o systems ? He would now beg to state the plan T * hieh -en aid roeet bis own views . He thought that a prt . ptr Factory Bill should embrace the following points , and no others . It should embrace the age of admission into tbe tui'Is ; tbe duration of labour in tbe mills ; it should provide for the time for meals wilhin the mills ; for protection from exposed and dasgerons machinery , nncer the judgment of practical men to tay what vu so , —not of every factory inspector , but of ir ^ ctical men ; au > o provide fo r the washing and proper attention to the cleanliness of tbe establishment ; it should be short , simple , and practical—( hear , hear )—
one of which labour sbonld not be so contracted as to be Torthiess to the employer , n «» r too long , so as to intrrftre with tbe moral and physical welfare of tbe pirtits engagtd . Those were ibe three prrat points , an > l he thought it desirable that labour should be uniform in its duration . Having regard to t . ' . ese points tbe-i . not forcing upon partie 3 U , il which they were una ' ie to s- j * ' -in . or labour so cuntract-eJ as to be of no advantage to the employer , he bad come to the conclusion that tbe bt « t age of admission into tbe milts was at tho age ot ten years—( hear ;—he mentioned ten because the whole amount of medical evidence proved that at that age with proper intervals for meals , they ccuid enter the mil . a , if the labour were not too long c ^ atinu ^ i ; and be recommended that tbey should not
l ^ ix > ur nic-Te than ttn hours actual labouT per day , for the who e of tti » mill workers up to tbe age of twenty , one ytare ; sfu-r that ass they were p '; ac « rd beyond the lnuiti if ie « . if ~ »* t i-ve iuttiferttcfc , tbey were adults and frte aaeisu ; bu : whilst they were not free agents , an < i and whilst other * might contract for them , he , for or . e , Wi . nld not cumtnt to sul-j . ct them to a toil which must in after yt » rs raise aspiiit of hostility against their friends and masi ^ rs , who maue them do i ;—( hear . ) Ha would recon-iueuU , tht-ji , that they suoulil enter tbe mills at ten years of age , and vtork Wn hours u d « y , tad that was a length of hibonr which , he thought , was compatible with 8 ume little improvement in evening svnook—( hear ) It might be objected that tbe * e par tits would not go to these schools , but he thought tb * 7 would . He knew that after wotkinx twelve hoars a day , the
children weut to Sunday Schools every Sabbath ; he feared it was indeed a remarkable circumstance , but such were the habits of the young people , that vhey voluntarily we ^ t to school upon tbe Sunday , though tbey had no recreation ourins the w ^ k ; Uking this into consideration , ha did thir . k that with ten hours labour , they would , to some taunt , attend evening Schools . iHear ) He might pt-rbaps be asked what be proposed with regard to education ; he would own that to be a most difficult EuVjcct , a subject for the gentlemen to consider , and not for the factory misttirs , but ha thought they were bound so to conduct their establish men ts as not to deprive them of the oppoituuity of " it&rning something , and he l&ought tfiat eniplcying tbe children but ten benrs a day , leaving eff work at six , would go far to-warils attaining that gr *; at desideratum . ( Choere . ) Ht cjiiCluded by submitting tbu following suggestions for tfee approval of th « nicet'ng : —
Proposition 1 st . —Tnat tbe F&ctoriea' Bill now before tbe House of Commons prfpo&ea fur all children from e ? gbt to thirtbtn years of ace . errxsmt-iits - * h ch have a ( iir » ct tendency to prevent Ihtm from obtaining employ ment ; and as the Bui provides that tbe education ef t £ c *; parties shall be paid for ont of their wages , they wiil const quently be left without the means of acquiring that highly important advantage . 2 nd —That the system of relays proposed by this B : ll would , */ carried out . have tbe effect of bringing up to factory labour double the number of persons who , at tbe age of thirteen , would be able to find employment in factories . That it would aL-o tend to draw numiers into tbe manufacturing districts where the population is already too large to find employment , and would thus have an injurious tfftct upon the wages of labour .
3 rd- —Ttit tbe proposed period of twelve hours daily labour ( rxciuaive of time for ratals , ) for all persons from thirteen to twenty-one years cf age , especially as most of them arc females , is more tban is consistent with their moral and physical welfare , and with the proper performane * ' of domestic duties . 4-h—Toat any measure foi the regulation of tbe labour <* I joung persons ia factories , should provide for such labour being of uniform duration , and sot by xelays . That the hours ot labour should not be so abridged as to prevent a reasonable expectation of employment , nor 10 restricted 38 to interfere with the physical and moral welfare of the workers .
That having doe regard to these important considerations , it is desirable that no child should be admitted into the factory under ten years of axe —! hsttbe hours cf daily labour for all persons sbove ten , and under twt-nty-or . e nhonld be ten , txilusive of two hours for meals at proper intervals—snd that their labour should eease at six o ' clock in tbe evening . Th&t , by this arra . gtment , parents might , to some extent , avail tbt-mselves of evening school * for tbe workers , and it would also allow all children wider ten years 0 / ape to have the full benefit of education by any general pl&a which tbe Government may provide ; but with the Bill now before the House of Commons , those und ^ r tbirtten woul d be thrown out of rn ^ Soy . meiit ar . d those above thirteen would have » o time lot instruct . on .
Mr . MoBfiis . of Halifax , wished to ask whether it was intended to work ten hours a day during six days of the week , or whether tbey should wcrk shorter hours on aatorda > 8 as now . Mr . Band ssid his idea was that they should close upon Saturdays as the bill specified , that was at half-put four . Mr . ilORRis was asked whether Mr . Rand meant that no system of relays would be useful , or that it was the changes that made the present system bad . Mr- Ba . nd said tbe various enactments coupled with the children were of sect a character , that masters wuu ' . d not be troubled with them at siL
Mr . "Wm . Brook , of Huddersfleld , would wish to ask the object fur which the meeting hail been convened . Was it for tbe purpose of obtaining information , or was it with a view thai gentlemen of the Houws of Commons might be asked to support any p » an which might be agreed on ? If so , in bis humble opinion , they were gcing u > dispose of a question of tbe last importance to this country , as a m&nai&cftuing cation , in a very hasty manner ; and be submitted that it was a question which onght not to be disposed of in such a manner . The ChaikmaN said so far as be could answer , he should say the object of tbe meeting was to consider
the qnestion in agitation with respect to the hours of labour , with tbe view of ascertaining bow fu the ssnsents and experience of the gectlemen present abonld concur tt-ith any proposition for the amendment of the regulations affecting labour in factories . ( Hear . ) Hr . g ^ . * D remarked that tbe circular pointed out the o " : ^ Kt of tbe meeting ; they had not met to carry anything , but simply to ascertain what would be tbe most practical mfc&ture , and lay tbe result of the meeting before tbe Government He thought the Factories ' Bill originated in a far more limited and obscure source than that meeting , for be did not know a single soul tLit unproved oi it .
Mr . Fiilde . n , M . P ., said , being of those whose names were attached to tbe circular , he fell called upon to fct&te bis Tta * on » f 01 affixing his name . Mr . Hand and yir . Walker , who had been down in town calling upon Members erf Parliament , called upon hiai anil proposed that this meeting should be held . The objections of Mr . Brook , be thought , might be answered Very shortly ; he proposed thit a committee v . f the House of Commons should decide what was proper to be done . He must know that comnmtse af ter committee of the House of Commons had been appointed to no avail .
They had a committee in 1840 , when tbe factory cl-uses were discussed seriatim ; and a report was laid before the House . Tiie factory owners of iAncaihiie and Yorkshire not being tatbfiVd with what was recommtnded in that report , but thinking that a better bil . might be passed , had come there for the very pr . per purpose of suting their views to Hon . Members of th&t House , who might call tie attention of Parliament to tht subject Several gentlemen were present from Lancashire and Yorkshire ; and he had no doubt that : f Hon . Ai embers would listen to them , tbey would ebtain much valuable information .
Mr . Wjlso > - Patte > , M . P ., said he attended the meeting to bear the opinions of persona connected and acquainted with the subject , rather than to pass resolutions . Sir George Strickland , M . P ., said the two Hon . Members who hau latt addressed the meeting had explained so clearly what he was going to say , that he felt it would be supererogation to say more . He had received a circular so me time ago , and fee had attended tj ate -what was its impression upen manufacturers , tLat he might know what part to take in the House of Commons on this most Important subject . He should have felt it presumption to cave addressed that meeting , were it not many years ago he took up the subject ; he was then a Tea Hours man : he resolved to sett that
carried out to tbe fullest extent , so that no one under twenty-ene years should work more than ten hours ; that did not , however , meet with concurrence , and there appeared to be a disposition in favour of an Eight Hours BilL In answer to the observations of Mr . Brook , he would say , that above all things he would diprfcwte a committee of the House of Commons ; he had sat on them all from Sadler ' s down to the lastc . inmittee , where much evidence was adduced relative to tha relay system , and that was an impression very much in favour of a six hours relay system , whieh arose from the fact that in many eases the eight hoars relay system had degenerated into a six when the eight would not work ; and many witnesses distinctly stated that they preferred a six hours to an eight boon relay system .
Mr . Beicht , of Boehdale , said there appeared to be a difference of opinion upon this f uestion , and from all he bad heard it was not likely to be diminished . Some thought then sbonld be no legislation at all upon this subject , aiid ethers were for having all matters connected with them regulated by Act of Parliament . His own opinion went with the first ef these . He said he believed that aU legislation upon this subject was wrong ; be did not particularly object to legislation so far as it had gone , because he believed public opinion had been with it , but it was most certain if thay did go on patching and tinkering this question , that no sort of satisfaction either to employer er employed ever could result . Mr . K&nd wished this question to be
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settlefl . be ( Mr . Kiigbtt most say , he thought ho was locking f * r something iif'posdtblo ; be was standing on the bark while the river flowed by . He thought it was vain anrf useless labour to endeavour to reconcile e ! i-n ; eii : a which were irrconciJabJe ; he should be very bappy to say " aye" to the proposition that tbe present BUI was very bad , but he should say " no" to the remaining propositions , and he believed if the great body of the woiiing classes -were polled , that a great majority of them would say ' no" to the same propositions .
Mr . Kat , of Bury , rose to express his thankfulness to the gentlemen who bad convened this meeting , and ho felt happy that Mr . Rind had been able to pr . pose c plan for their consideration . He was rather surprised at the remark that all attempts at legislation were useless and unnecessary . He must say tbat factory legislation had done a great deal of gocd—( hear ) . To bi » own knowledge since he bad been c ;> nnecttd with cotton factories , mills were in the habit of ruimicg not merely twelve , but thirteen , fourteen , and fifteen hours a day , —( hear ) , —and if tb « y hail made Ac » s of Parliament to prevent cruelty to animals , in the name of a ! l that was good , why should they not pass an Act of Parliament for the protection of human labour—and if cruelty had been practised as could be attested by thousands of living witnesses , he could not see why the legislature should not interfere and do what they could to prevent its recurrence—( hear ; . He bad wgiked ia a factory
himself , and he would say that so long as tbey worked children twelve h' ; ur 8 a day , sixty-nine hours a week , they were detracting from their moral capabilities and perceptions , snd be was sure they impaired their physical atrtngth . Mr . Bright said that the matter had not be * n much agitated ; lie was fauipriaetl at that when they had seen thousands of persons passing through the country last year puVing the ploiss out of their boilers and stopping their milia ; one of their demands being thi-. t tLo mills f-hould not bo worked more than ten hours a day . He wan of opinion that till they determined to reduce th hours of labour te ten hours all factory legislation would fail in attaining those , objects whifh it was desirable to attain ; and tlat he knew Was the opinion of the working people in his district . Gentlemen whose niiils were in large towns were not so intimately acquainted with the habits and . opinions of their workpeople as others where the people liwd upon the establishment , us tbey did in his .
Mr . Bright explained that bo did not mean te say that legislation upon tbe subj-cl had done no good ; hie opinion was tbat it bad dene tome good , for public opinion was with it Mr . WALKER , of Bradford , deprecating nnd condemning as he strongly diii tbe renmrk * mndt * by Mr . Bright , was happy to find he had conceded the point by stating that public opinion was against him . The arguments of Mr . Bright might have been used f- » rty years ago , and tbey need not have come then * in 1843 , to be told that younc ; persons were not to be protected , that no necessity txisted for protecting those who could not protect themselves . He tru » tod tboy bar ) mado ji greater march in the way of improvement than to beg any attention to such viev » 8 : he had no doubt that
many of the mo ' t iLfluential Members of the Bouse of C » mmons entert ^ ned right views upon this important subject , and tbut when an opportunity offered they would biing it to a satisfactory conclusion . He rejoiced to say tbat tbe principal concerns in cotton , fl . ix , woollen , worsted , and he might add silk , desired » diminution in the hours of labour . Ho confidently stated that many of the largest concerns in all those branches wouH be bappy to see the hours of labour reduced from twelve to ten . He hoped then tbat Hon ! Gentlemen would not be influenced by those who say tbat tbey bad no wish for tinkering in legislation , but that having been called together , tbey woulu concur in some measure which would effectually promote the welfare of th ? bodies and souls of the young persons employed iu their factories , &c
Mr . Milke , of Oldharo , had been for ten years a strong advocate of the Ten Honrs Bill , on the ground that to work longer was injurious to the health and morals of the children and young pereons . He advocated it too on behalf of those who were thrown out of work by the present system . Why should they work to death five-sixths of tbe population fur tbe puipoje of throwing the other- sixth out of work , and filling tbe gaols and workhouses with them—( hear ) r He wanted U kruw what injury could arise to any class by allowing them all to work ten hem , instead of five-sixths working twelve hours a day , arid one-sixth working
none at alL He never heard a speech with more pain than he listened to Mr . Bright a . He bad * great respect for Mr . Bright , but his opinions were diametrically opposed to every tingle sentiment be had expressed . He ( Mr . Milne ; was prepared to say that the Ten Hours Bill would be of advantage to the employer . He contended then that it was as much for the benefit of the master as tbe man to reduce tbe hours ef labour ; and tbe only proper principle on which to regulate the hours of labour was to continue to lesson the number of hours till the whole of the labouring population had employment
Mr . Morris presumed that the meeting contained gentlemen who were too sound political economists to be carried away by the argument * of tho last speaker . There were always two parties to a bargain , and it was very well to raise the price by reducing the supply , but he doubted very much whether that would be practicable . He begged distinctly to say , tbat in his opinion the reduction of the hours of labonr to ttn hours a day would be prejudicial to the masters and the children . Mr . Hindlet , M . P ., thought they should now
adjourn . It was four o ' clock , btiU the corn law question was coming on , and they had nmoy petitions to prvsent He thought it highly neces&ary that this discussion should be continued , and he was desirous . that tbe fallacies of tha last speaker , and of Mr . Milne should not remain unanswered , he should move that the meeting adjourn till the next day , at twelve o ' clock . Mr . BRIGHT wss understood to say that he should protest against any resolutions being brought forward at the next meeting . The meeting then adjourned .
ADJOURNED MEETING . The adjourned meeting of Members of Parliament , and Miilowners from the four counties of York , Lancaster , Chester , and Derby , upon this subject , was held on Wednesday , May the 9 ; h , at the British Hotel , Cocks-pnr-street . The Hon . J . S . Wortlty resumed the chair . Mr . Ellis , cf Cast ) - field , Bingley , was in the possession of the signatures of the owners of twentyfour mills , representing their opinion upon the subject of the hours of lanour . He might say , generally , that if it were thought adviseablo to alter the act now in force , there was no objection on the part of these millowners to its being altered to the extent proposed by the bill , it being very near the practice existing in their mills now .
The CiiAihMAN paid it appeared to be the impression of the meeting yesterday , that they should not come to any distinct vote on the occasion : they only wanted to hear the opinion of gentlemen connected with the factories , for the information of members 01 Parliament . Mr . Ellis read tho instructions he bad received . They wtre aa follows : — " It is tho opinion of tho owziers of mills in Keigbley , Otley , and Hurley , in the West Ridiug oi' the County of York , that it is not advisable to interfere fur'herwitb the hours of labour , than id proposed to be done by the Government factory bill now before parliament . "
Mr . Rand said they had met for tne purpose of laying before me . Dbcrs of Parliament , their respective opinions as regarded the hours of labour , and the age of admiss i on -into tho factorice , and th <; ir reasons for such opinion . - ; for upon the soundness of tbo reasons depended the worth of the opinion to the Government . TIutc could be no donbt that the objtct of the Government in proposing ihi 3 bill , was not to fix hours for the exclusive advantage of the roasters , but so to fix ihem as to bo consistent with the moral improvement of the population . ( Loud cheers . ) If gentlemen lost sight of that fact , atid consulted only their own private inttre ^ ta , they lost sight of the yery pith of tbe reason which induced the Government to stir at all in thematter . ( Hear . ) He would now bjj ; to ask Mr . Ellis one question , which he trusted he would answer with the same
frankness as he ( Mr . Rand ) bad stated his reasons , yesterday , for the plan he proposed ; it was this" Whether a period of twelve hours actual labour for young persons , chicfiyly females , with two hours for meals , the time for going and returning from the mills , occupying nearly fifteen hours , were , in his judgment , compatible with tbeir moral improvement , and with tho proper discharge of domestio duties V Mr , Ellis should say that the plan Mr . Rand proposed yesterday , would not obtain the object he cad in view . He was quite satisfied , for his own part , that evening schools were altogether insufficient for the purpose of educating the people . He ( Mr . Ellis ) had been for the last thirty or forty years much interested in the sntjict of education ; in his
neighbourhood they had a national school , containing two hundred and sixty scholars . In his opinion , however , evening and Sunday schools would bo by no means adequate for the purpose . The persons usually found willing to instruct in Snnday Schools , were generally very incompetent to tbe duty , and much more fitted to be scholars than teachers . As to the physical part of the question , that was a question fitter for medico ] men to decide than for himself . He should 6 ay there were few neighbourhoods -where the morals of the people were better than in his own , if be might judge of morals from thfe number of convictions mat took place : the number of convictions for assault did not exceed thirtj-tbree in a year , in a population of 26 , 000 . He thought that was a pretty good proof th&t they were not in a- bad state as regarded peace and order .
Mr . Kakd should be sorry to appear pertinacious in a matter of this kind , but he would beg to submit that that was no answer to hi * question , whieh he begged to repeat to Mr . Ellis . Mr . Ellis made no reply . Thi Chairman would wish to ask Mr . Ellis one question , with respect to the working of the euactmentB which provided for relays ef the young children . Great o £ j ction had been made to that system in some respects , and he should be glad to know Mr . EUis ' s opinion npoa it . Mr . Ellis said he had been engaged to that sort of employment upwards of iorty years , and he bad
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never Feen anything like a difficulty in it . whore parties did not employ an undue proportion o } ' very young persons . He hid not . howtsver , any childreH who worked more than six hours , tha eight hours rolay having besnfound productive of much inconvenience The children in his establishment , between tho age of nine and thirtecen , formed about 10 per cent , of the whole population employed , but in the worsted business he knew tbe proportion was much greater , in some cases as much as 33 per cent . He thought whore there was a ready disposition to aid the legislature , the system might easily be carried out . Mr . Aldam , M . P . said , one objection which had been raised to the system was , that they brought up a greater number of persons to the factory employment than could be employed as adults . Mr . Ellis was unable to speak to that point ; he never found any inconvenience to result from it . ask how
Mr . Ald ^ m bt- ^ ed to long Mr . Ellis had practised ihe six hour system . Mr . Elus said about two year ? . Ha ad . ptud it after conferring on tho ouV < ject , with . vlr . Saunders , theFactoiy Inspector , who strongly reconimentiod him to try it . Mr . Bkccklehurst , MR , thought the plan of Mr . EHib might suit Kei ^ hley Union very well , but Mr . Rand ' s plan was much more comprehensive . The business of silk throwing would bo entirely destroyed by Mr . Ellis ' * plan . He would propose for silR that children from eight to ten years of age should oniy work six hours and a half , and attend schjol , and from ten to thirteen , work ten hours a day , and from thirteen , according to the provisions of the Bill .
Mr . Walker remarked that Mr . EiHs had alluded to his own tvorks in the oountay : tho objection applied more particularly to largo towns , where the population would be made 0 large in consequence of the double relay system . The Chairman said he had been told that the difficulty would be in tho country where there- would not b'j a sufficient number of children for the relays . Mr . Buccklkhubst remarked that the Mayor of Macciesiield had lately taken a census of that town , when it was found that there wern 1700 adult weavers walkiug about , and not oue child under eighteen years of ag unemployed . Mr . Hakiuson , of Bury , concurred with Sir G . Strickland in advocating an Eleven Hours' Bill .
Mr . Kay , of Bury , said in many of the mills in large towns the owners would not employ children under thirteen years of age at all . They were , therefore , to ramble up and doivn tho streets , and to do what they pleased He should very much recommend nnUovsrncrs to take into iheir consideration that which Mr . Rand had so ably staged , whether twelve hours labour waa really consistent with a proper feeling of humanity towards their workpeople . Mr . Brook thought it was agreed that Mr . Rand ' s resolutions should to-day be taken into consideration with a view of considering them in detail . Aa to the firt , c resolution , he would not say ou » . word except that heen' . iroly agreed with it . The second was an uiter fallacy . To . suppose that , was to suppose that
the persona who wero enabled by law to work twelve hours a-day remained stationary , and did not pro gress into an . y other department of manufacture . As they attained strength , and ability , and informatiou , they wero gradually taken from the piecersto be feeder . ' ' , where they would feed two carders , or a carder and and a scribbler . That this would introduce then a double number of persons into the factories was a fallacy —( ht-ar , hear . ) He then read the third resolution , and asked if there could beany thing more unreasonable thun to suppose that that would be the case ; the ordinary wa « es oi' piec . rs was 3 d . 6 d . a-week , and in some places as h ^ h as 43 . bd . f ^ or the young ' r branches engaged in that business . But they only got half that
amonnt , that was Is . 9 d . subj ct to a reduction of 3-1 . a week . The income 10 the tamily therctore did not exceed Is . 6 . Suppose a man ' s family consisted of five children , he would not havo m ^ ro than iwo who could work ,, at that description of work , that would be three shillings a week , but that would bo a sufficient inducement for any man to change his residence . With regard to the 4 th resolution , he might perhaps subject himself to the charge of inhumanity in what he was going to say ; but his opinion was , and it was nut a very recent opinion , but one founded upon great experieuco , and it was the opinion of the most celebrated men in the medical profession , that the persons employed in mills in his neighbourhood , where tbey regularly worked twelve hours , were
more healthy—he said more hi-althy—than the children who were allowed to roam about , and who were unemployed . They worked in a temperature , certainly not like that of the cotton mills in Lancashire , which wa 8 by no means consistent with health ; and he was told tho efface of the oil was by no means insalubrious ; and he believed it was admitted by the Factory Inspectors tbat the children who came under their inspection were taller ot their years than those engaged in any other employment . With regard to the treasure upon tho physical powers , he wculd tak » it upon himself to say that there was nothing like work in the woollen trade , as compared with the work of an agricultural labourer , a mason , a bricklayer , or any other
labourer ; all that was required \ Vas attention , but beyond that there was nothing at all that deserved the appellation of labourer . If this were passed young females of the aga of eighteen would not bo allowed to work the regular hours as by the present law ; he could see no reason for that ; he believed young women at eighteen were as much at maturity as they ever would bo— " The proper performance of domestic duties ; " on that he would say , that all fao'ory labour or labour ot' any kind other than dumestio labour , had a tendency to produce that evil , and unices they took steps to annihilate factory labour , that evil which was inseparable from the system must continue . How could they teaoh young women engag-d ten hours a-day , the culinary art , or washing ,
or getting up of linen , cooking , or other domestic work ? The next resolution he thought that had been already referred to in the first proposition , and certainly relays never could work well or would be submitted to by the employer , except when there was a great demand for labourers * . A .-i he observed yesterday , to reduce the liours ot labour from twelve to ten would have the tifVct of destroying one-sixth of all the mill property in the kingdom—( a laugh ) He hoocd he was not misunderstood . Unquestionably if they could work the mills as much as they were capable of being worked , and it they were prevented workiDg them two hours a day , if he understood figures , it must have the effect , of depriving them of the employment , of one-sixth of their property and of its value .
Mr . Harrison remarked that the value of property depended on the manner of working it and the profits of the trade . Mr . Brook did not see how that affected the propos tion , Mr . Harrison said it most certainly did affect the proposition . Mr . Brook really did not see much in the remark . The gentleman who spoke last adverted to some remarks wjth which the meeting was favoured by Sir Geo . Strickland yesterday , and he ( Mr . Brook ) quite concurred in the view he took of those remarks . He was awaro that there were oxtremo opinions , and ho thought that all parties should be nady to make some concessions . The public had agreed that a
factory bill should begin when the first factory bill was passed , it was passed under circumstances prejudical to the millowners ; frequent cases of abuse had been committed , and some humane persons , one of whom was in the room- —( hear , hear)—headed an agitation upon tho su b ject , aud the result , was that a factory bill was pa ^ eu in the . total absence of proper information ; and that mill-owuor would have been a bold man who dared come forward then to doftud himself from the oharges of cruelty witn which as a body they were stigmatised . Gantlemen of as great humanity as those who headed the agitation felt themselves prostrated , and had not moral courage enough to defend themselve 3 from the charges heape againstthem . Tho view he took of the question as
regarded shortening the hours of labour was this . He held that it would be difficult , it not almost impossible for the manufacturers of this country to keep a footing against foreign competition , and he thought it became the legislature to be cautious how far they attempted to increase the difficulties whioh at present oppressed the manufacturing population of this country . He had before hintod , however , that concession became all ; they were all members of a great and intelligem community , and no doubt they had the game objeot in view . He for one , by the way of getting a proper settlement of the question , though he was in the habit of working twelve hours , would not mind agreeing to a bill of eleven hours . He did not thii : k that that would deprive him of a twelfth pirt of 1 m
property , but it would deprive him of some , and no ono could deny it . In the -woollen trade in Yorkshire , tho people worked by the piece , and if work should be plentiful , he had no doubt the men who were responsible for the performance of the work , would take tbe opportunity of cleaning the machines during the work hours , as they would have such an interest in turning out a large quantitf ^ bf work in the week . Nothing would give him ( Mr . Brook ) so much pleasure as to see some plan of education brought forward by the gentlemen which would be capable ofbeiug worked , payiug a respect to ail the opinions aud scruples of the community at large ; but to fetter any individual class of tradespeople ,
and to vex and anncy them in tbe conduct of their business , was so utterly unjust and so bai in principle tbat he should lcok upon it as the greatest evil that could happen to the factory masters—( hear , hear ) No man could be more convinced of the necessity of education than himself , but he would &ay that tne people of the manufacturing districts were better and greater , notwithstanding all the obloquy that had been thrown upon them , than those of the agricultural labourers . He had no other remark to make , than simply to say that if any good should result from this meeting , he should feel very thankful to the gentlemen who had called it , and he should be gkd to give any assistance to an Eleven
Hours Bill . Mr . John Wood , of Bradford , having felt himself allttded to by Mr . Brook , freely confessed that be was very early engaged in obtaining the public
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support to an amelioration of fa ;; ti ry labour , and perhaps the meeting wi > n ! J think ho was jussifi- 'd in doing so , when they know that tens of thou-ands of children , some aa young as seven years of » ije , began work in the morning at six o ' clock , frequently earlier , and continued their labour uniformly till seven at night , frequently till eight or nine , with but the short interval of half an hour for meal " . It was h » s habit never to asperse any branch of factory employment . ( Hear , hear ) Ho merely entered
into theso abuses with which he was familiar , and which he could no longer permit to continue without attempting some improvement . ( Hear , hear . ) He therefore , from year to yew , struggled with his friend , the late Mr . Sadler , whose name he honoured , to obtain a system more consistent with humanity and Christianity ; audit was the happiest reci-llrction of his life that tho first Bill that passed , affecting his own branch of bitsmess , might be considered as the result of those early labours in which he' had en ^ aired . ( Hear , hear . )
Mr . Hindley said if he had the framing of an Act of Parliament ho would bring in a bill for twelve hours from thecoiHmonceineno to the termination of labour leaving half an hour for breakfast , and one hour for dinner , and he would permit young persons to enter the mill at eleven years of a ^ e . That was what he would recommend , but hf would not conceal that the great body of the masters wouid not agree to it . Mr . Milne beliavod that legislation had done . a great deai of good ; were it not tor legislation , the supoly of goods in the market now would have created such a glut as to have thrown tha people out of employment . If , then , lontrer hours than twaive would have caused greater glut iu the market , and
would havo thrown a number of people out of . employment , tiie reverse must follow if they worked less hours ; the glut would be less and afterwards they should be able to employ more hands . He did not think that working . shorter hours would dimmish the value of mill property ; his opin'on waB , that by working shorter hours thty would ia a year or two not require moro hands but the masters would get more profit . It was a fixed principle that the smaller quantity of an article was thrown upon tho market the greater price it commanded . Li' th / j supply pf labour to the market were reduced it woaiu have a tendency to raise the value of labour ; if the people did not work more then ten hours u would diminish tho supply of labour , and woul-J therefore
increase the value of it to the benefit of both masters and men . He was of opinion , however , that they should discuss this question ia relation to its moral and phybical effects upon the employed . ( Hear . ) He believed that long hours had the same bad physical effects upon adults as upon children , though the Government would not legislate for persons over 21 years of a » e . He did not think , howover , tbat the Government acted upon the ri « ht principle in that ; he perfectly agreed that Government should not interfere with th'j liberty of the subject , but there was no liberty when once they entered a factory . Several gentlemen had expressed a strong objection to any
motion being made or vote taken upon this subjici ; he did not know why that was . Tho me ; ting was called in order to ¦ express to members of Parliament the opinions of millowners and he did not fc' » . e how members could know what their opinion was unless a vote were taken . Many gentlemen had not spoken at all , aud it was impossible to know tht-ir sentiments without taking a vote . He should not make a motion himself but he wjuld suggest that ttve feeling of the meeting should be taken as to a Ten Hours' Bill . ( Hear , hear . ) He was glad to hear Mr . Brook express himself favourable to an Eleven Hours Bill , which was advocating the principle in opposition f . o tho relay system .
Mr . Rand said when he cinae to the meeting jesterriay be <; amj under the conviction that they ought to have a Factory Bill of ten hours . He came .. there with a mind open to conviction , not with a determi ^ nation to adhere to any plan of hi 3 own , but desirous ot hearing every reason that could be urged against it ; and he couid honestly ssy that ho hadnot hearo oae satisfactory , sound reason for a . departure from his principle ; | he might be wrong . Mr . Brook had consented to * come down to an Eleven Hour Bill , but before he consented to ' that ho distinctly told the meeting that concurrently with the factory system i'sdt , it was in vain t <> look
for moral imprjVeiueut or domestic comfort amougst the ienidld . s in the factories * It' he ( Mr . Rand ) entertained that op'nion he would say " perish the factories , " bat ho did not ; ho had no desire- to revert to the days of domsstic industry , when the pto ^ le manufactured by hand iu a passibly damp and unwholesome cottage ; be believed the factory system might be made a blessing to England and consistent with the moral welfare of tho people . ( Hear . ) If that might be so . ho wouid ask if it were not their duty so to legislate thut sueh Should be the result , and he belived tha system could be managed iu such a manner as to produce that result .
Mr . Walker observed , with regard to a remark of Mr . Eihs's about medical evidence , thatheconld furnish him with a whole host of" medical evidence " upon the subject . Dr . Hawkins said the hours of labour should b 6 limited to ten hours a day , and stated that that was the opinion of the majority of tho medical men of Lancashire ; there was no doubt on that subject whatever . ( Hear , hear . ) He might go further in relation to what had fallen from Mr . Brook , and quote the opinion of a practical man whom he ( Mr . Walker ) 3 hould like to have been present , ho meant Mr . Greg , who gaid that a reduction in tho hours of labour was most important to thoinanufacturing population to any alteration in their moral or physical condition ; it might be urged in opposition that all legislative interference was . an evil , and -0 forth , but it was an evil said Mr . Greg , which necessity and policy may justify , and which ju .-iice and humanity imperatively demanded .
Mr . Walkkr , M . P . for Bury , wiRhed to know the namo ' of the pamphlet of which Mr . Greg was the author , for he believed he had written upon both Biuos of the question ( A laugh ) Mr . Walkkr replied ihat the author was Mr . Wm . Grot » , and that the pamphlet was called " An Inquiry into the State of the Manufacturing Population . " He might also quote from Mr . Kcnworthy , a goiiUeman who employed 2 , 000 power looms , and who ought to be an authority , and he was firmly convinced that ten hours was the full period that a person should be employed . ( Hear , bear . ) If they agreed to a Ten Hours Bill they would do
what was right towards tho working people ; and if tbe con > equcnce sbou'd be less profit to the masters , he contended that the temporal and external welfare of the young people should not be bartered for tho sake of gain . ( Hear , hear . ) But he thought there would be no serious loss to either party in the long run ; and he had no fear whatever of the conquences ; he knew many gentlemen who would be glad to see the hours of labour reduced to tea who would indeed be delighted to have it so , for they would thei > havo a population around them who wouid regard them not a 3 tyrants , but as friend ? . ( Hear . )
Mr Brook hoped the meeting would remember thai ? hei ' tj was a marked distinction between cotton and wool . His remarks were confined to wool , Mr . Walker ' s applied to cotton . If there were an objection to working twelve hours in wool , be should ^ ay there was as great an objection to working ten hours in cotton . The nature of the one was far sup rior to the other . The temperature of a cotto . i mill was exceedingly high , whilst in ajwool establishment , it was not too high . Mr . Walker said that was not exactly the question ; it was not the naturo of the labour , b « t it wa * the robbing the children of tho time which they required for moral improvement . They should be content with ten hours of tlieir labour , and let them spend the remainder of thrir time as they chose . Mr . Harrison said there was no difference
between the temperature cf cotton and wool mills . In the mills of Mr . Kenwanhy , however , ha believed there was considerable difference , which consisted in the difference between fine and low spinning . Mr . Kay said the gentleman referred to v / as not Mr . Kenworthy of Manchester ; he believed Mr . K . ' s temperature was not high . Mr . Walker , M : P ., said his brothers were very largely connected with the cotton trade , and he had therefore thought it his duty to consult gentlemen interested in that trade , and ascertain their opinions , and he found that there was a general
dissatisfaction with the law as it at present stood . He thought there was a great disposition to come to a compromise with the labourers a <) to the hours of working . Different opinions did exist , but the great majority of reasonable and well-disposed manufacturers were in favour of a short time of working . ( H ^ ar , hear . ) The general feeling appeared to be that there should be a uniform time of working for children and adults , and so far as he could jvicigo , tiio ui . ijority were in favour of making ton hours with the chjldren rather than have tho relay system . ( Hear , hear . ) He believed the relay system was not adopted at all in Bury , containing 70 , 000 inhabitants .
Mr . Kay remarked that . there were one or two who worked upon it . Mr . Walker , M . P . continued—He was not aware of it . But he knew there was a great disposition against it , for tho system was so troublesome , and Inspectors had so much power , that masters would rather employ persons above thirteen years of age , than they would be . roubled to steer clear of all the meshes aud nets spread for them by the present law —( hear , hear ) . He saw the difficulty of relays , and of having much labour unemployed from six to thirteen years of age , and should they come to a vote in tha Houbo of Commons , he should vote for a Ten
Hours Bill ; but , seeing so many influential manufacturers present , he should lik « to have their unanimous opinion , because that would have a great effect upon the Government . So long aa the present system continued , the females could not be educated : they became mothers in a state of ignorance ; and hs thought one argument in favour of a diminution of the hours of labour was the respect they ought tobave for the female character—( hear , hear ) . He thought that the manufacturers and spinners present should come to a unanimous vote , whether in favour of an Eleven or a Ten Hours' Bill , and he thought that by some compromise they ought to do so . Could
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they no : co it by having a Ten aud a half Hourv 13 Ii ? Suppose to bGjJn work at six and work iiil fia ; Lt , tk-n half aa hour for breakfast th work till twelve , then begin again at one ami work untill six o ' clock at night , that would be ten and a half hours . They would allow no iimo fur t ' . a , aad he kuew from experience that a man could de as much in a short day as he could in alonff day—( hear , hear . ) He knew that when Maiwb . es ter fair was in prospect or a fete was coming on they had 20 per cent . added to the amaunt of produo ' tion in a given time , and he was confident if tha pea . pie knew they were only | to work ten houra and a half , that they would Work with greater spirit than they did now—( hear , hear . ) He taougn ; they would oo a great service to humanity , and would not be injuring the trade , if they came to a resolution to that effect —( hear , hear . ) At the same time he did not wish to intrude his opinions—( hear . )
Tho Chairman said the last speaker had remarked tJ ^ at in the town of Bury there was no one manufacturer who had worked by relays , perhaps he would be good enough to explain how they escape tbe system of relays , bocause children under thirteen years of ane , were limited to eight hours labour . Mr . Walker , M P ., said that they had not a child under thirteen years of age in their factories —( hear hear . ) With respact to Mr . Greg ' s pamphlet he wouid remark that Mr . Greg wrote it when ha was a youag man , aud he ( Mr . Walker ) highly approved of in ; but about five years ago Mr . G . wrote a pamphlet on tha other side , and he belived he waa now a twelve hour man—( A laugh . )
Mr . ( hketham was afraid that the feeling ex » pressed by the gontleman who had just sat down with regard to an unanimous vote , could not be realized , for it appeared that in that room as elsewhere thay were divided . The question presented itself to him in two points of view , tbe 1 st a queatioaof humanity , the 2 nd a question of policy . Oa the ioouug of numauity , ten hours was correct , and eight hours would be still better , but it did uot accord with policy ; and when he ( Mr . Cheetham ) taw the irade of this country bound and festered , it appeared to him that Government should first seek ( Continuedin our Fifth pane . )
Untitled Article
Leeds Corn Market , Tuesday Mav 16 tb . —The arrival of Wheat to this day ' s market is rather larger than last week , other kinds of grain small . Fine Wheat has been in limited demand at last week's prices , but the second qualities have been in batter demand , and prices fuliy supported ; the chambered qualities very dull . Barley little alteration . Oats and Beans iu better demand , and prices rather dearer .
WAKEFIELD CORN MARRET . Friday , May 19 th—There is a good arrival of Wheat to this day ' s market , mostly of fine qcaiity ; the holders are firm in demanding fully last weeKS rates , which ha ^ caused a slow trade . Barley « steady in price , the fine samples r-ffjred find buyers . Oats and Shi-ilmg are in improved demand , tne former at an advance of id . per stone , and tne latter 6 d . per load . Beans must be noted Is . per quarter , dtart-r Huddeusfibld Clotii Markex , May 16 . —To-d&J , as last woek , aul for many weeks previous , the business transacted was not great . Fancy Woollens fl « u sell best . The warehouses are uot so busy , nori 8 there any pro . sp-. ct of their being so . Tho to fa w * ° extremely lull of visitors iu coustquenceof it being the May fair , but their sport was ruacn damaged of the rain which continued all the evening .
Untitled Article
O'CONNOR , Eaq . of Hammersmith , Count * Middlesex , by JOSHUA MOB 80 N , at W * ** & ing Offices , Noa . 12 and 13 , Market-street , Briggatei and Published by the nil Joshua HOBSOU , ( for the said Fbakqos O'Conkob , ) at hia D" * " ling-house , No . 5 , Market-street , Briggate ; « internal Cemmonication && <*** & between the No . 5 , Marketrstreet , and the said Nos . 12 wd 13 . Market-street , Briggate , thus constitntiBg the Whole of the &aid Printing and Publishing Ofiee one Promises . AU Communications must be addressed , Post-p « d » * ° Mr . Hobson , Northern Star Office , Lee < i <* ( Saturday , May 20 , 1813 . )
Local Markets.
LOCAL MARKETS .
Untitled Article
^ THE NORTHERN STAR . * ' _ ^ _^ i
Ctow Publishing Ia Penny Numbers And Fourpenny Parts,
ctow publishing ia Penny Numbers and Fourpenny Parts ,
Leeds :—Printed For The Proprietor Feabg^ 8
Leeds : —Printed for the Proprietor FEABG ^
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), May 20, 1843, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct482/page/8/
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