§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Why no reply has yet been made by the Home Office to the Memorial of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Factories of the date of March 1881; if he will state the views of the Home Office with respect to the grievances set forth in that Memorial, and if he will lay upon the Table the communications between the Home Office and the Treasury with respect to 1167 that Memorial which the Government informed the House on December 2, 1882, were passing; and if he will explain further why the authors of that Memorial have never received an acknowledgment of the receipt of it by the Home Office?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTA reply, though not a written reply, has been made to this Memorial. There was more delay than I could have wished in consideration of the matter; but that was owing to the change in the Office of Under Secretary last year. The matter was very carefully considered by Mr. Red grave, the head of the Factory Inspectors, and afterwards by myself; and we came to the conclusion that there was no sufficient ground for recommending the increase of the salaries which was sought for. A similar application was made to the late Government in 1878, and was declined.
§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILLasked if the right hon. and learned Gentleman would lay on the Table the communications with, the Treasury in connection with the Memorial?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTThere were no regular communications to the Treasury.