r hours, longer than from half-past five o'clock to
seven in the summer, and from half-past six o'clock to eight in the
winter:--thus making thirteen hours and a half each day, of which one
hour and a half, should be allowed for meals and rest. In respect to
females, they were not, under any circumstances, to work more than
twelve hours. By this bill, moreover, the recovery of lost time, from
the use of steam and water, would not be allowed, except where the power
used was water-power only: no person so employed was to work more than
thirteen hours. Inspectors would be empowered to notify to mill-owners
whenever they observed that any portion of their machinery was
dangerous, and that in their opinion it required to be cased or covered
up: and if after such notification any accident should occur injurious
to any of the workmen employed, then the inspector would be empowered
to institute a suit for recovering compensation for such injury, and the
damages awarded should be given to the injured party. As to education,
all that the bill would do, would be to give the child from eight to
thirteen years old time for receiving instruction: he was not to be
employed more than six hours and half daily--the remaining portions of
the day _might_ be devoted to education. Leave was given to bring in the
bill, and the house went into committee upon it on the 15th of March.
On one of the clauses being proposed which fixed the limitations of the
hours of labour, Lord Ashley, after forcibly depicting the effects of
factory labour, the injury it inflicted on those employed in it as the
system now existed, both physically, mentally, and morally, moved that
the night, instead of being computed from eight o'clock in the evening,
should be computed from six o'clock. This amendment gave rise to an
animated and earnest debate, which lasted two nights; and on a division,
it was carried by a majority of one hundred and seventy-nine against
one hundred and seventy. The proposal of government having been thus
negatived, Sir James Graham said it would not be consistent with his
duty to drop the measure at the present stage. On the eighth clause,
Lord Ashley would have to move the substitution of "ten" for "twelve"
hours, and the question could then be considered in a more substantive
form. On the next day Lord Ashley said that it was his intention to
make this proposition; and if affirmed, he should then prepare a clause,
enacting that the present du