tidote to the moral and physical poison-while such a cry is rising day and night, and entering into the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth!'

Then there is no hope of even a Ten-hour Bill? Ten hours a day is decided to be too short a time for growing children, weakly, half-starved, and, from the stupifying nature of that employment often halfwitted, creatures to labour ! '

6

No, there is no hope for the poor, because there is no heart among the rich, no heart among Christians to plead for the little ones, and the lowly ones of Old England. I tell you plainly, I hold every Christian man who has not signed, and every Christian woman who has not promoted a direct petition to Parliament or to the throne on behalf of these wronged victims of national cupidity, as little else than a dissembler before God.'

'Has every one the power to avoid your startling censure, uncle?'

6

Every one, without a single exception, has it in his power, and in her power, at an expense of time and trouble not worth a thought, to stand clear in the matter; and not only to stand individually clear, but to put in motion some of the wheels of a machinery sufficiently active and strong to overturn the whole diabolical system. Ay, and those who slight our appeals are the most guilty of all, because they belong to the very class who can exercise most influence in the matter; they have, generally some connexion by relationship or friendship with the parochial and other officiating clergy of the land; and with such as can lead very many of the respectable though not perhaps the high and the wealthy of their neighbourhood to take into their honest consideration the case

of the factory labourers; and so, in nine cases out of ten, to give a willing assent to the plan of petitioning. It is not that people can do nothing, but that they are not sufficiently roused to attempt doing any thing in the matter. The Devil reaps such a harvest in those regions, that he will go to the extremity of his crafty devices to turn them from such a purpose. If a lady on reading your pages finds her heart moved to go to some male relation or friend who will listen kindly to her plea, and requests him to move in the matter, he will perhaps reply, "With all my heart, if you will tell me what to do, and find some one to take the lead." Here, perhaps, it rests: neither of them may see exactly what should be done, and so it is deferred to a more convenient season, and some other laudable object intervenes, and the affair drops.'

'Tell me then, what, in such a case, should the lady do?'

'Let her take pen and paper, and simply set forth the fact that the undersigned petitioners earnestly desire to call the attention of the Honourable House to the deplorable condition of the labourers employed in our manufacturing districts, and to implore that some law may be enacted, limiting the time of daily labour to a period not exceeding ten hours; together with such other regulations as they shall see best for relieving the heavy pressure of extreme toil, and for securing, especially to the young, sufficient time for that moral and religious instruction, without which they cannot be expected to become either loyal subjects, or any other than dissolute and dangerous members of society. Having drawn this out, let her have it fairly transcribed on an open sheet of large

paper, with space below, and another sheet pasted to it if needful, for signatures. Let her first ask the clergyman of the parish to give the sanction of his name, and if he refuse, what then? To his own Master let him stand or fall, and she may rest satisfied with having done right so far. After so much has been done for a beginning, it is strange indeed if no one will take her modest petition, and assist to collect signatures by just stating the facts of the case -that tens of thousands are perishing for lack of that which a few, a very few additional hours of rest and refreshment during the week would place within their reach. Such a document, folded large, enclosed in a wrapper open at both ends, directed to some M.P. known to be friendly to the cause, and endorsed "Petition" would here my uncle paused, almost overcome by his emotion; and then hastily added, it would enable that Christian lady to lay her head on a pillow smoothed and sweetened by the consciousness that, in the sight of the Lord Jesus, and of the ministering angels that minister unto His people, SHE HAD DONE WHAT SHE COULD.'

"May the blessing of the Most High rest upon every individual who acts on this suggestion, and thus considers the poor and needy! May her own family, her own home, her own soul, be refreshed by Him who has given the command for each to do to another as he would that other should do unto him! I cannot conceive the possibility of any Christian putting away a work so easy, so simple, yet so very important and holy. When I look back on those days of untiring effort and ever-burning zeal devoted to the object of Negro Emancipation, and recal the incredulous smiles, the discouraging shakes of the head, the

grave, rational, logical remonstrances, that came like cold showers upon the ardour of my hopes, while working along with my Christian sisters in that cause, and then behold the result of ENGLISH FEMALE SYMPATHY heartily co-operating with a persevering advocate of humanity within the senate-the British Parliament with one voice declaring African slaves SHALL be free, and voting with one accord the enormous sum of £20,000,000 in compensation to their holders,-oh, I can but weep to think how little of the spirit which then animated us to cheer on a Wilberforce in his blessed path, now appears to encourage his true brother in the cause of justice and humanity, the noble, persevering, uncompromising Asbley.'

'Well, you have told the plain truth to all who read or who hear these pages, and you may rest satisfied that inasmuch as the words here spoken are founded on the word of God, they will prove not to have been in vain. Sir Robert Peel is not the man to stand against public opinion; on a subject moreover where, I will boldly assert, his heart and his conscience are certainly with us. Do you think he can be insensible to the silent appeal of Lord Ashley's noble example, who, with most stateman-like abilities, and with every possible qualification for office, and with a glow of patriotism upon him that would render him peculiarly alive to such a call, still firmly withstood all persuasion rather than encounter any possible hindrance in his work of mercy? No, Sir Robert Peel understands human nature too well to doubt for a moment under what influence his friend acted: he knows that it was not to win man's commendation he made this sacrifice, for the cause of justice and tenderness to the poor, is not alas! one

where popularity is to be found. Lord Ashley ha only stirred up a hornet's nest to threefold activity against him and the moral grandeur of the thing is little appreciated, save by those who can discern its spiritual foundation. Let all who can do so, hasten to support this noble advocate of the helpless and the friendless: let no time be lost; not a day, not an hour. The present moment is, in every point of view, the moment for action. Feelings excited, and feelings carried practically into operation are different things. Many a one who says, "I'll see to this to-morrow morning," will awake, very little inclined to move a step in the matter; but the person who at once takes that initiatory step, if it be but the making a rough draft on paper of what is to be done, with prayer to God, will have something tangible to proceed with. Sir Robert may legislate upon corn-laws, till corn grows in Parliament street; I don't believe he will make one successful move, while he thus hardens his heart alike against the command of God, and the cry of his fellow-men. Cheap bread! Ah, the bread that perisheth will avail but little where souls are starving, and bodies wasting away in depravity, distortion, and disease. Not a word on any other topic now: we have pitched the note, and may every corner of the land echo the strain; and every post-office in England, Ireland and Scotland open its receptacle for the well-attested demand, "Give us justice for the factories, and a TEN HOUR BILL!"'