§ Mr. Poulett Thomson moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Factories' Regulation Bill.
§ Mr. Hindleyfelt it his duty to lift up his firm protest against the introduction of the Bill, and against the alterations it proposed. It would be in the recollection of the House, that when the seven hours Bill was brought in, the Government desired more information as to the system pursued in the cotton factories; a Commission was accordingly sent down into the country attended by medical gentlemen of the first eminence for that purpose. And it was in consequence of that Commission, that the noble Lord (Lord Althorp) then the leader of that House, said, that with respect to children under eleven years of age, the Bill of the noble Lord, the Member for Dorsetshire, did not in his opinion go far enough. And he (Mr. Hindley) put it to the House, whether it was right that a Member of the Cabinet should now come down with a Bill to repeal an Act which had passed with the sanction of a Cabinet of which he was a Member not more than one or two Sessions ago.
§ Lord Francis Egertonsaid, the House would give him credit for the great interest he had taken in this measure, and he could not but express a hope, that his hon. Friend would not continue to oppose the introduction of this Bill, as it had been moved under the impression that no opposition would take place.
§ Mr. Trevoralso thought the present was not a fit time for discussing a measure of such importance.
§ Sir Andrew Agnewsaid, that the hon. Member had said enough, he considered, to make the Government pause before they went on with such a Bill.
§ Mr. Hindleywould then reserve his opposition till the second reading, which he hoped would not be till after Easter.
§ Leave given.
§ Bill brought in, and read a first time.