ration of labour, twelve hours, should
continue till the 1st of October, 1844; the period should then fall to
eleven hours, to continue so till the 1st of October, 1846, when the
period of ten hours should commence. In pursuance of this intention,
on the 22nd, when the eighth clause was taken into consideration, which
provided that no young person should be employed daily more than twelve
hours, Lord Ashley moved an amendment, substituting "ten" for "twelve."
A contest followed this motion; but the debate which ensued was
characterized by very little novelty, and on a division it was rejected
by a majority of one hundred and eighty-eight against one hundred and
eighty-one. At the same time the clause for twelve hours was rejected by
one hundred and eighty-six against one hundred and eighty-three. Sir
J. Graham then moved that the chairman report progress; stating that he
should take until the following Monday, the 25th, to consider the course
proper for him to adopt under these circumstances. On the 25th Sir James
Graham announced that government had resolved to abandon the bill in
order to bring in a new one. This was not effected without considerable
opposition; but ministers finally triumphed, and leave was given to
bring in a new bill on the 27th. The new bill stood for the second
reading on the 22nd of April; previous to which Lord Ashley announced
that he was determined to move, on the third reading of the bill,
the addition of certain clauses, for the purpose of carrying out the
amendments which he had proposed in the former bill. On the 22nd, the
second reading of the bill having been moved, with an understanding that
the main question was to be considered at a subsequent stage, Mr.
T. Duncombe said that in agreeing to such a course Lord Ashley had
surrendered the whole case. He now merely proposed to take a flying shot
at the bill when it was leaving the house after the third reading: if
that shot missed, the bill would be gone before he could fire a second
barrel. Under these circumstances, on the order of the day for going
into committee of the whole house, he would move that the bill should be
referred to a select committee above stairs. This motion was made,
but it was rejected, and the bill passed through committee without
alteration. The debate on the third reading commenced on the 10th of
May, and was continued for two nights by adjournment. The new bill
enacted that no young person should be employed more