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Leader (1850-1860), 17th March 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 244, Untitled Article

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      must further be borne in mind that the land 19 subiect to many charges from which personalty ^ i » exempt . As to the latter part of the motion—that which relates to lay and ecclesiastical corporationsthe subject is now under the consideration of Government . —Mr . Peacocke contended that the land is over-taxed ,, and that , pnthe restoration of peace , a more equitable adjustment of burdens must be demanded by the agricultural interest . —Sir Geobgb Stkickland urged Mr . Williams not to press the motion to a division . —Mr . Crossley supported the motion ; and Mr . Muntz opposed it because he objected to the tax altogether . —The motion was lost by 84 to 61 .

      FACTORY LABOUR . Mr . Cobbett moved for leave to bring in a bill to limit the hours of work of females and young persons in the factories of the United Kingdom to ten in the course of one day ; and to provide the means of more perfectly inspecting the said factories . The bill was the same as that -which he had introduced two years ago . In 1847 , Parliament passed an act by which it was provided that no young person , and no female , should work more than ten hours a day ; but unfortunately there was a flaw in an act to which the act of 1847 necessarily referred ; and the manufacturers , in consequence , were enabled to evade it . They adopted a mode of working called the " shift" system , iand

      by which they kept women and children n out of the mills in such a manner as to extract from them twelve , thirteen , and even in some cases fifteen hours ' labour . This was acknowledged to be an evasion of the law . It was decided in 1849 that the course adopted by the manufacturers was not an infringement of the law , though , at the same time , the judges were of opinion that the evident . meaning of the statute was adverse to the construction placed upon it . The Ten Hours Bill of 1847 , in point of fact , was abrogate d by the fatal flaw to which he had referred . In May , 1850 , Sir George Grey brought in a measure by which the term of labour was extended to ten hours and a half ; but at the same

      time it was said that a great boon was conferred upon the ~ workpeople by limiting the hours of labour from six in the morning till six at night—an hour and a half being given for meals . The measure was immediately resisted , by the workpeople , merchants , bankers , manufacturers , clergy , and tradespeople , of Manchester , Preston , Bradford , and other large -towns ; but the bill passed notwithstanding , and was immediately violated by many of the manufacturers . To so great an extent was this done , that the more honest manufacturers presented a memorial to Government , in which they requested some amendment of the law , in order to place them on an equal footing with those -who broke the law . Last

      session he presented a petition in favour of a Ten Hours Bill , signed by the then Mayor and late Mayor of Oldham , both large manufacturers , and by a great portion of the Town Council . With regard to the Ten Hours Bill , which had been ' abrogated , he knew that it effected a great deal of good . He kn ew '" lh ^~ unaer ~ i £ r" 6 peratibn"th " e ~ pedple--enjoyed better health and greater domestic comfort , and that , whereas before the young women had not time to make their own clothing of any kind , they had , after the passing of that act , and during its op ' eration , been able to perform many needful domestic duties . This was the reason why he felt so strongly on the subject . The House should recollect what was the

      condition of the factory people before any factory legislation took place . One consequence of the long hours of wo rking was that it affected the recruiting for the army . It was ascertained that the working people in the factory districts were to a great extent unfitted for the armj r . Sir J . Elliott stated , that when ho was engaged recruiting at Leeds , he found a prodigious number of persons rejected , as compared with the agricultural districts . When he formerly brought this subject before the House , he mentioned , on the authority of Dr . Fletcher , of Bury , the astounding mortality that prevailed among the children of factory operatives . iFrom the fact of the mothers working in the factories , and being thereby kept away for long periods of time from their children , jrreat numbers under two years of age died . Dr . Fletcher stated that , of evory 100 deaths among the

      factory workers , a fraction over 61 were infants under two years of age , while among the other operative classes in the same locality the deaths of infants under two years of ago wore a fraction under 33 in 100 . Mr . Clay , chaplain to the Preston House of Correction , had stated at a meeting' of tho British Association , that during tho celebrated six months' strike of the Preston operatives—part of tho time being a severe winter—the number of infant deaths in Proston , among the working spinners , was 497 , whoroas the number six months before the strike was 594 . Ho would now ask tho houae for lcavo to bring in this bill , tho objects of which wore—firstly , to restore the ton hours , * secondly , to give tho fuctory-inspectors some power of enforcing tho law ; and lastly , to place a restriction on tho , motive-powor at tho end of the time which was proposed as the limit of labour . Ho know that tho last clause would incot with groat opposition ; but ho had gathered from manufacturers

      as this would be a great upon adult male factory population . —The motion was supported by Mr . W . J . Fox , Mr . Newdegate , and Mr . E . Ball ; and was opposed by Mr . Elliott , Mr . Crossley , Mr . Wilkinson , Mr . Bright , and Lord Palmerston , the last of whom , speaking from his experience when in the Home-office , said that the violations of the law were very few , and were confined to five minutes before the time of opening , or five minutes after the hour of closing . The chief argument used by the speakers against the motion was the old one—that it is inexpedient for legislation to interfere between employers and employed . The division showed : —Ayes , 101 ; noes , 109 . This bare majority gave rise to loud cheers .

      restriction the whole themselves that it was the only way to protect those who observe the law against those who are disposed to break it . —Mr . Duncombe seconded the motion . ' Sir George Grey considered that no case had been made out to justify the introduction of the bill . The only facts alleged by Mr . Cobbett , with reference to the condition of the factory populaton , had reference to the state of things in 1840 ; but great benefits had resulted from the act of 1847 , in con junction with that of 1850 . In his opinion , it would be most prejudicial to all parties if this question were reopened . He strongly dissented from Mr . Cobbett ' s proposal to shut up the mills and stop the motive power after the expiration of the ten hours ,

      THE ARMY IN THE CRIMEA . Mr . F . Dukcombe moved an address for copies of any despatch or correspondence between Lord Raglan and the late Minister for War , relative to the wants of the army in the Crimea . He stated his reasons for the motion . He believed , he said , that Lord Raglan did write home for supplies , and he assumed that the Duke of Newcastle had attended to his applications , and that the supplies were sent . If the papers were refused , it would be most unfair to both those persons . Great blame rested somewhere ; and he thought the Sebastopol Committee

      would have do ne well to call for these papers , as they would have afforded a very useful guide to their inquiries . —Lord Palmerston said there was no desire to withhold from Parliament any information necessary for the inv estigation of the matters which the committee had been appointed to inquire into ; but it would not , be useful to carry on two parallel inquiries . The committee had full power to call for those or any other documents , and it was far better to leave them to judge as to the information they required . —After some discussion , the motion was negatived without a division .

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      THE OLD AND THE NEW CZAR . Conflicting stories of the causes of the death of Nicholas , and of the policy of his successor , are in circulation . Pulmonic apoplexy , congestion of the brain , poison , and other modes of assassination , overexertion , and over-excitement , bronchitis and consumption—all these have been in turn , or simultataliie 6 TiIly 7 ^ uT "' forwaifd "" a' 3 "the ~ agen 1 rby- 'Which- thelate Czar has been removed from the scene . The "Vienna correspondent of the Times says : —

      " My own persuasion is , that Nicholas I . of Russia died a natural death , but there are persons who aver that he was shot in the abdomen while walking with one of his adjutants three days before his death . The story is most improbable , and it is only mentioned because it obtains credit with persons who ought to be well informed on Russian matters . It is related that , some of the high nobles having raised objections to the levy en masse , the Emperor was imprudent enough to declare that if he met with any opposition he would altogether abolish vassalage . That the late Emperor once entertained the idea of so doing is a well-known fact , and it is also notorious that he only refrained because he was afraid of his great nobles . " Of tho new Emperor the same writer records : —

      " The Emperor Alexander is much inclined to peace , but fears are entertained that the war party -will get the upper hand . Prince Paskiewitsch has boon summoned from Warsaw to St . Petersburg , and this is considered a very good sign , as the experienced Marshal lias from tho very first been opposed to tho war . " According to other authorities , the new Emperor is good-tempered , lazy , sensual , and easily led , — having regard for nothing but smoking , card-playing , and tho pleasures of tho table . learn that it is there

      From Pans wo generally thought there is a better chanco now of obtaining peace , than there was during tho life of tho late Emperor . " It is alleged , " says a writer on tho subject , " that tho successor of Nicholas could not , at the very commencement of his reign , suddenly proclaim a policy opposed to his father , and that a more moderate proclamation would be , to all intents and purposes , tho condemnation of'his father . " Tho whole of tho Gorman states aro said to bo most anxious for peace , and wo hoar much of tho pacific disposition of tho young Emperor Aloxandor , Nevertheless , it is said that , at a Council of Ministers held by tho now Czar , it was decided that tho course of hostilities should not bo interrupted .

      At Berlin it is stated that the funeral of Nichol is to take place on the 19 th instant ; but the 20 th also mentioned . The Prussian army sends a deput tion in the persons of a Major , Captain , and Liei tenant of the regiment of Cuirassiers , the 6 th , whii bears the name of the Emperor of Russia . A letter from , Hanover of the 6 th , in the Moniteu says : — " lit is now known from different quarters that tl Emperor Nicholas had been suffering for the greater pa of the winter . The attacks of vomiting to which h Majesty had been subject had assumed , during the la few weeks , so alarming a character that his physiciai urged him to give up all violent exercise , but the Empi ror paid no attention to these warnings , and it was on with great reluctance that he at last consented to kee his bed . "

      We append the following particulars of the En peror ' s last illness and death , from the Prussia Staats Anzeiger . It must be borne in mind that th source is philo-Russian , as , indeed , is evident fron the style of the narrative : — " On the 22 d of February the Emperor , thoug Warned of the danger by his medical men , got into h sledge in rather cold weather , and drove to the Exei cising House , to see some men of the Infantry of tt Guard that were about to march into Lithuania , 1 make up the complement of the regiments there . A

      this inspection , which was the last occasion of the Em peror ' s being seen in public , he was evidently ver unwell , coughed violently , expectorated excessively and said , as he went away , ' I am in a perfect bath although it was anything but warm in the Exercisin House . The Emperor then drove to Prince Dolgorouk the Minister of War , who was ill , cautioned him not t go out too soon , and then returned to the Winter Pa lace . In the evening he was present at the prayers fo the first week of Lent , stayed some time -with th Empress ! but complained of being cold , and kept hi cloak on in the room .

      " From that evening the Emperor did not quit In little working cabinet . It was there , on 23 rd February that he received his Fliigel Adjutant Colonel von Tel tenborn , and despatched him to Sebastopol ; all th while lying on the sofa , and covered up with his cloal After that his Majesty t ransferred all business into tt hands of the Grand-Duke Alexander . — " During the whole time he was ill , the Emperor la only on his camp-bed , i . e ., on a casing of Russia leath < filled with hay , a bolster of the same kind , and with blanket and a cloak over him .

      "It was not till February 28 that his state was lookc on as decidedly serious . On that night he became h pidly worse . The physicians apprehended a paralysis 1 the lungs . On the evening of March 1 they despaire of his recovery . The Empress and the Crown l ' riiu begged him , at the request of the physiciaus , to take tl sacrament . It was not till then that the Emperor seen to have recognised the real danger of his state ; bi hardly any shock is stated to have been noticeable i him . " In the night , from the 1 st to the ^ 2 nd instant , D Mandt communicated to the Emperor that he was ilai gerously ill , lund that riiore" parficularly his lungs wei violently affected , and gave great ground for apprchei

      sion . On this the Empevor very calmly and colloctedl took the sacrament , took leave of the Empres : their children , and grandchildren , kissed each , ail blessed each one with a firm voice , and then re tained only the Empress and the Crown Prince wit him . This was about four o ' clock in the morning . Th Emperor said subsequently to the Empress , 'Hog now take a little rest , I beg of you . ' She answered ' Let me remain with you ; I would I could depart witl you , if it were only possible . ' To this the Emperor re plied . ' Go now ; I will send for you when the momen approaches . ' The Empress could not do otherwise thai obey this distinct expression of the Emperor ' s will ) am left the room .

      " The Emperor thon sent for Graf Orloff , Graf Adler berg , and Prince Dolgorouki , thanked them for theii fidelity , and bade them farewell . Subsequently the Emperor had all tho servants immediately nbout him sen ] in , thanked them for their services , blessed them , anc took leave of them , on which occasion he is said to hav < been himself very much affected . Last of all , the Kninmerfrau von Rohrbcck was sent for . Tho Kmperoi thanked her for tho fidelity she had always shown tin Empress , for tho care with which she had always tended her in sickness , begged her never to quit tho Empress and ended with— ' And remember me kindly nt l' ^ '' , ' that I ' m so fond of . ' The Emperor prcssrd l > r . enroll t handand said to him' It is no fault of yours . '

      , , " Whilst tho Emporor ' a father confessor was upealunf with him ho took tho Empress's hand « m < l put it into tut priest ' s , as If ho would conildu the Km prow * to the ceclc-BittHtic . After this tho Emperor loat his speech lor ¦ while , during which time he was engaged in prayer , ami crossed hiinsolf repeatedly , llo » ub .-w < iucntly regnincj his voice , and Hpokc from timo to tinu ; up to hi *» dca-nst which took placo without a utrugglo in tho proscna ; 01 , tho wholo family , March 2 , at ten minutes pant " < "' »• " Almost tho lust articulate words that tho Junpi-roi spoke- wore— Toll Fritz ( tho King- of Prussia ) nhvn . yto remain faithful to Russia , and uot to forget the worm of hia father . ' "

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      244 THE LEADER . ^ [ Saturday ^

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1855, page 244, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2082/page/4/