SIR W. JAMESwished to put a question to the right hon. Baronet at the head of the Home Department—a question respecting which he had taken the liberty to give him notice. He did not know whether it would be in the recollection of the House, that he had in the early part of the present Session put a question to the right hon. Baronet similar to the inquiry which he now proposed to address to him. In the early part of the present Session he inquired if it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce any measure for the amendment of the Factory Act, with reference—1st, to the education of children in printworks; 2nd, with respect to the regulation of silk mills; and, 3rd, as regarded the casing and guarding of machinery. When he put the question upon a former occasion, the answer which he received was, that two of those subjects would be taken up by the Government; but the right hon. Gentleman was silent with regard to the silk mills. They had all, he thought, agreed that the question should as soon as possible be brought to a final settlement; but he regretted to say that it still remained untouched.
§ SIR G. GREYreplied, that with regard to the Bills which the hon. Member mentioned, the intentions of the Government had not undergone any change. There was a good deal of difficulty about casing and guarding machinery. Large powers had already been granted to the Factory Commissioners; but there were difficulties in carrying into effect the spirit of the recommendations made by the inspectors; and he apprehended that it would be necessary to make additional references to the inspectors before they proceeded further with their intended measures. At present those inspectors were out of town.