§ Sir J. Grahammoved the Order of the Day, for the second reading of the Factories Bill.
§ Mr. Ferrandasked, whether the promise which had been given to a deputation of frame-work knitters from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire, that a commission should issue to inquire into their complaints against their employers, was to be carried into effect?
§ Sir Grahamsaid, that the commission had already issued. Mr. Muggeridge had been appointed to inquire into the subject.
§ Mr. Ferrandsaid, that the appointment of Mr. Muggeridge would not give the slightest satisfaction. The result of his appointment on the Handloom-weavers Commission had been highly unsatisfactory, and his appointment on the present occasion would merely have the effect of putting the country to expense. Would the right hon. Baronet have any objection to refer die matter to a Select committee 519 of the House, instead of to a commission so constituted?
§ Sir J. Grahamwas in absolute despair of pleasing the hon. Gentleman. First, nothing would satisfy the hon. Gentleman but a commission; now a commission was given him, he wanted something else. He really could not comply with the hon. Gentleman's second request. From all the inquiries he had made upon the subject, from information he had obtained from the President of the Board of Trade, and from the brother of the right hon. Gentleman in the Chair, Mr. Lefevre, who gave the highest testimonies in Mr. Muggeridge's favour, he was convinced that Mr. Muggeridge was in a very eminent degree qualified for the charge which had been entrusted to him.
§ The bill read a second time.