§ Mr. Hindley, seeing the right hon. Baronet, the Secretary for the Home Department in his place, wished to ask him whether be was then prepared to state to the House what alterations he intended to make in the educational clauses of the Factory Bill? and also what portion of the resolutions read last night by the noble Lord, the Member for the City of London, the right hon. Gentleman approved of, and which of them he disapproved of?
§ Sir J. Grahamreplied, that he was altogether at a loss to answer the question of the hon. Gentleman. Last night, he said, in reply to the noble Lord, that there were certain modifications of the educational clauses of the Factory Bill under the serious consideration of the Government; but he distinctly stated that nothing had yet been matured or determined on by the Government.
§ Mr. Milner Gibsonasked whether it were the intention of the Government to extend the operation of the Factory Bill and education clauses to other trades and manufactures in which children and young persons are employed, besides those mentioned in the preamble of the bill? Whether the Government could name the particular employments to which factory regulations were to be extended? It was thought by some, that since there are now commissioners inquiring into the employment of children and young persons in the agricultural districts, it might be the intention of the Government to propose some kind of regulations respecting the employment of children in those districts, perhaps with a view of promoting education, making employment conditional on school attendance, and obliging a farmer, previous to employing a child, to see that such child had obtained a school certificate. He wished to ask had the Government any plan of this sort in contemplation? and when would the report of the commissioners for inquiring into the employment of young persons in the agricultural districts be on the Table of the House?
§ Sir Jams Grahamsaid, that on former occasion, he had intimated that it was the intention of Government, after the Factory Bill should have received the sanction of the House, to extend its operations by a supplemental measure to manufacturers of lace and cotton prints, the Factory Bill before the House only applying to manufacturers in cottons, woollen goods, silks, and flax. The report of the commission referred to was not yet ready