FACTORIES BILL. (Hansard, 17 June 1833)

§ Lord Althorp
would not oppose the second reading of the Bill, as he considered it necessary to put some restrictions on the labour of children. The Report of the Commissioners, however, was not yet ready to be laid upon the Table of the House. It would be ready next week, and might be considered when the House was in Committee on the Bill. It was the opinion of the Commissioners, with respect to the Noble Lord's Bill, that some of its clauses went further than was necessary, and some of them did not go far enough.

§ Lord Ashley
understood, that the principle of the Bill was conceded by the noble Lord; but he would like to know how far the concession extended.

§ Lord Althorp
As far as it related to children; for what he meant was, to prohibit children under fourteen years of age, by regulations, as to the time of labour. The noble Lord must be aware that he 915 was speaking the opinion of the Commissioners when he talked of extending the principle to children under fourteen years of age; and the Commissioners also advised that the time of labour should be restricted to eight hours instead of ten. He repeated, that he did not object to the second reading of the Bill. When they had gone into Committee on the Bill, there were provisions which he might object to.

§ Lord Ashley
hoped that the noble Lord would not limit the principle of the Bill to children under fourteen years of age, but in Committee would go further. For his own part, he felt the strongest desire to conciliate all parties opposed to the Bill, as far as that could be done without giving up its principles, and in Committee he should be ready to withdraw those clauses which might be found most obnoxious. He trusted, however, to be able to improve the Bill; and his great object was, to gain the support of each party. He trusted the noble Lord would not only consent to have the evidence of the Commissioners laid on the Table, but to have it printed and circulated as speedily as possible. He begged the noble Lord to permit him to say, that he objected to the way in which evidence had been obtained from witnesses in this matter. He had received several letters—among others, one from Scotland that day—all expresive of dissatisfaction as to the method the Commissioners pursued in obtaining evidence. As little time as possible should be lost in producing the evidence, if the noble Lord wished the Bill to pass that Session.