r
counsel, or agents, in support of the allegations of then-petitions."
The motion was seconded by Mr. Leader. The spirit of this petition was
bitter, and its language offensive. It was pervaded by a desire for
class legislation, and propounded doctrines subversive of the rights
of property, and of the national faith and credit. On a division, the
motion was negatived by two hundred and eighty-seven against forty-nine.

BILL FOR RESTRAINING THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN MINES AND
COLLIERIES.

In a previous session, after having been the means of carrying a
humane law to prevent the cruelties inflicted on children employed in
factories, Lord Ashley procured the appointment of commissioners for
inquiry into the employment of children. These commissioners examined
into the state of young persons in mines and collieries; and the course
of their inquiries brought to light more than the sufferings of children
alone; for they found the cases of the women in many places equally
pitiable. This subject was brought forward by Lord Ashley in the house
of commons on the 7th of June, when his lordship moved for leave to
bring in a bill for restraining the employment of women and children
in mines and collieries. The speech of Lord Ashley disclosed a state
of things in the mining districts the most appalling. Cruel oppressions
were perpetrated by the mine owners and overseers, especially upon women
and children; and frequently parents showed an utter callousness to
the sufferings of their offspring. The work assigned to girls and young
women was destructive of health, and was conducted under circumstances
so indecent that it was difficult for the noble speaker to state
the details to the house. The commons received the intelligence with
amazement and indignation; they had no conception that such outrages
upon female decency, and upon humanity, existed in England. Lord Ashley
proceeded to state the means, which he should call upon the legislature
to adopt for an immediate removal of the most hideous and appalling
features of the system he had described. The means explained by his
lordship were fourfold: the total exclusion of female labour from all
mines and collieries in the country; the exclusion of all boys under
thirteen years of age; the prevention of the employment of males
under twenty-one years of age as engineers; and the abolition of
apprenticeship. Lord Ashley concluded his able and humane speech in this
ap