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OOLTJMBTJ S: Saturday MornlnKi January sio, IHSO. biMMT CITY nun I-ATIOS. Wo have rooeivcd, too lute jfor insertion in this paper, a oommunioation over the aignu turo “ A Citizen,” protesting against our remarks of Thursday morning relative to the sale of city railroad stock. It shall appear in our paper of Monday morning. Daring Bobberies. On Thursday Mahie’s Menagerie and lien Stone’s Circus arrived in our city, and at the samo timo qnite a number of strange and sus picious looking characters were observed about our fitreots —probably a lot of sharpers, thieves and burglars, following up the “ Exhibition,” as affording a good opportunity to practice their rogueries. The events of Thursday night justify* this belief. During the “perform ances;;’ that night, the pockets of some four or five gentlemen were picked—after they had passed the door. We understand that a Mr. Howard lost S3OO in this Way, and Deputy Marshal Robinson $lO. Later in the night, the houses of sevornl of our citizens were en tered-by-moans of false keys, and money ab stracted from tho pockets of their inmates. Tho house bf Mr. E. 8. Greenwood was enter ed, and a room occupied by ladies opened by a man with a dark lantern in his hand; lie was seen by tho ladios, and shut the door uml hastily retreated when his business was de manded. The llroad Street House was entered in tho same way, whore the thief or thieves abstracted $45 from tho pocket of a Mr. Croft; also the rooms over Stewart, Gray .V Co.'s, in •no of which S7O was taken from the pocket of Mr. Thomas Larrus. Stopping at the house es R. L. Mott, thoy took SOO from Mr. Inslee’s room. Mrs. Shorter’s house was also entered, but a negro woman was awakenod, upon whom the rogues drew a pistol, but by tho cries of hersolf and another servant they were fright ened off. floro two men were seen in tho house. These occurrences—tho work evidently of bold and practiced villains—show that our city is just now infested by straggling rogues ami pickpockots; for so many robberies in one night (whore thoy were of rare occurrence boforo) must have been perpetrated by now eomors. Wo trust that they may be discover ed and scoured, before prosecuting their trade la othor cities. • i —♦- No Organization Yet. The National Iloumi ofliepresnntatives i* ptill tumble er unwilling to organize. The fuel, joint are stubborn, uml •aeb seems more interested In tlio defeat of the others than in aecuriiiK tho triumph of its own candidate. Ilenca changes and compromises ure ilifllrult uml ulxir tiv*. Among other plana for untwisting tho “dead lock” •o long maintained, Mr. Unst, of Arkansas, proposed that ail th candidates be withdrawn as they proved great ob stacle* in tho way of organization. To this, Messrs, ful ler and Pennington very readily consented, but their friends refusing, tho resolution was withdrawn. Mr, Car lisle, of Virginia, moved that tlov. Smith ho elected spea ker, hut this was votod down. On tho 23d instant, how ever, Mr. llichnrdsou signified his intention to retire from the contest on that day or tho noxt. ami Mr. Uust tin'll renewed his proposition, that, nil tho candidates decline. A motion was mmlo to lay tills proposition on tho table, tint It, was rejected by a tio voto, and the House adjourn al without voting directly on it. I'crhups this move ami tbo course of Richardson indicate a breaking up of party ezlnsivcuess and a consequent bettor prospect'tor an organisation. At tho mnniclpiil olectlon* hold on Monday lust in At lint a And Romo, On., tho Know-Nothings worn BUivont’ul, •looting thoir regular tinkotfl in both towns. “Cilizi ns’ Tickets,” oomponud of monitors of both parties, woro run •gainst them. The Emperor Bouloquo (whoso defeat by tho Domini cans we Announced yesterday) is, or was, tho ldiu - k sov ereign of tho Negro portion of Ilayti, end was a grout p*t of the Abolitionists of our Northern States. (lively, •specially, delighted to snuff tho fragrance of his renown, and thought him tho most delectable, sagacious and en lightened ruler of his time. It was, probably, under the delusion created by these representations of his grout ness, that ho determined to march upon and seize tho remnant of the island still left in the possession of the Dominicans, or Spaniards; and his discomfiture is an other proof of tho wisdom that suggest oil zKsop’s table of tfae Prog and tho Ox. . H.— ■ Toxos Hail Hoads. Tho Legislature of Toxas has pushed n bill proridiug for tt loan of $6,000 per mile (to the •gffrogato amount of the school fund of tho State, $2, 000,0()0) to any companies that have •omploted, or may complete 25 miles of rail road within thoStnto. Tho rate of interest to bo paid is 0 per cont,, which will yield a year ly school fund of $120,000; and tho State is to hare a mortgage on each road to secure the payment of principal and interest. It will thus bo seen that our young sister State is tit onoe proridiug for internal improvement and education, in a ntodo that cannot fail to bo highly advantageous to both those groat inter ests, tad at the homo time safe and free from loss or ohargo to the Treasury. Should her excog? of tax receipts, or her rovenucs from landcHhalos, justify yearly additions to the jnhool fund thus to bo loaned out, she will soon havo a magnificent and profitable invest ment for common school purposes, while her eommoroo will bo augmented and profited by railroads traversing nearly every section of her extended territory. f. M. Drooks Esq., of this city, has boon ap pointed United States Deputy Marshal for the Southern District of Georgia, to fill the vacan cy occasioned by the resignation of E. <\ llub bell. An Elephant in Trouble. The Circus of Messrs. Kobiuson & Eldrod passed through this county recently, ami af ter exhibiting in Bandersvillo, attempted to •toss Buffalo crook to roach tho next place of exhibition. Nearly all of their wagons were mired up in tho soft earth in tho vicinity of the ereek. But ono after another were pushed •at by old Buliphant, ns tho b’hoys call him, but like many another generous heart, after relieving every body else, stuck fast in the mud himself, and remained all night in the bog. How he managed to relieve himself next mor nlng,|wa were not informed? but suppose liis keeper succeeded in making him believe he would be disgraced by remaining any longer in inch a dirty puddle. —Sparta Gcor>/i<in. Oldost Inhabitant. A correspondent of the Richmond Enquirer, says that there is living in Powhatan raMinty, N. C., a person who was born cotcraporoneously with the eoronationof George 11. of England— -48 years before tho Declaration of American Independence, and four or five years before the birth of Washington. Tho Repudiation of the Halo of Gity Stock In this morning's paper will be t mi l a com munication from bin Honor the Mayor, de fending the course of the new Council in “set ting aside” the contract made with Messrs, l’atten and M anti an for the transfer of the city’s stock in the Muscogee Kail Hoad Com pany. Now, we have not tiie most distant idea of charging upon Mayor Wilkins tiny “personal preference or feeling,” or other un due influence in this mutter; but after review ing the whole case presented, with a mind 1 equally free from personal bias, we do come to i the conclusion that lie and the honorable body i over which he presides have taken a wrong view of their duties as legislators for tiie city ; and guardians of her honor and good faith. There are several trivial objections based I upon technical issues, made in the cotnmuui- I cation of tho Mayor, which we do not care to ! waste words upon. Wo pass them over, and deal with tin-main question presented. Doing cited to the terms of tiie agreement j between the present Council and Messrs, patten and Musthui in relation to the $26,004 advanced, wo have obtained a view of that instrument; and from it we derive these facts: The Mayor and Council, on the 17th day of December last, gave Messrs. P. and M. a promissory note for the sum ot $20,01K), witli the’ following condition annexed—“ That if the contract for the sale of 1800 shares of Muscogee Rail Road stock, made between John L. Mast inn and Richard Patten of the one part anil tho Mayor and Council of the City of Co lumhus of the other part, and which is note en joined, should lie set aside, then (lie said note to be of full force and virtue and bear interest from date : but if tin- injunction is dissolved, amino impediment should exist to the consum mation thereof, then tho said note to he null and void, —and the same be considered as the first payment made by said Patten and Mits tian, made in pursuance of said contract, and no interest shnll be charged thereon.” In pursuance of the terms of this agreement, Messrs. P. and M. advanced the $20,000, and it is not charged that they have violated any part of their agreement. The injunction, too, has been dissolved, and no impediment remains to restrain tho city from now consummating the contract, or remedying any errors or in formalities which it may have committed in negotiating it. It is completely within its pow er to correct all such irregularities and carry out the contract in good faith, even if the whole transaction lias to be taken up de. novo. Rut it seeks, through its authorities, to set it aside, and to do so, tries to avail itself of an advan tage acquired by its own wrong. We boast of no legal knowledge, but we have a strong confidence in our opinion that no Court would permit it to do this. To do so nun/ be law, but every man who takes a common sense view of the question must concur with us that it would lie a sheer mockery of justice. Messrs. Patten and Mustian evidently made this agreement with the new Council, and ad vanced the money, with the understanding that it was a ratification of their contract with the former Council. Men cunning in the law may discover an expression in the instrument which enables tho city to avoid the contract; Vmt when it is understood that this lurking right is based upon omissions or informalities on the part of the city itself (which Messrs. P. & M. could not obviate) —when it is further considered that the city even now has the pow er to remedy these and make the contract pre cisely as originally intended—can any man, deriving his ideas of common honesty and mo ral obligations from any other source than the old fogy common law and statutory quibbles, maintain that law and justice will be sub served by a repudiation of tin- contract, with out tin- concurrence of Messrs, p. \ M.,at this time? We think not. Thin Messers Patten Miration thought they woro obtaining, by this agreement in reference to tho #2(5,000, a full ratification of the con tract, iu quite -evident, whether legal caviling enables the city to avoid it or not; else they would not have made tin-advance. That their understanding of it was in accordance with its general terms and obvious meaning, is equal ly clear ; and if they are now ousted of their rights, it is evident that it will be by a con struction of the instrument which never oc curred to them—for any other men (except perhaps some very shrewd lawyers) would have considered the word “impediment” to re ler to the injunction, or to some other obstacle which the other party to the instrument could not remove. They will he innocent sufferers from the city’s own wrongful course; and no breach ot the bonajides of the transaction can be charged upon them. It will lo seen that his Honor makes no an swer to our queries as to tho short notice giv en to persons wishing to purchase the stock, the hurry with which the proceeding is urged, &c - “c protested, in the first instance, against a similar course on the part of the for- ! mer Council; and we are still firmly convinced ; that it time for general consultation and inqui- j ry had then boon allowed, the blunders com plained of by Mayor Wilkins would not have been committed, much trouble and expense would have been saved, and our city would not have seen forced, by the late discovery of 1 lurking legal “impediments,” to occupy u po- j sition which wo fear sho is about to assume— that of a faithless repudiator and gainer by j her own wrongful nets ! To tho Editor of the Bun: Fir : 1 find in your paper of the 21th inst., an article, under the head of “The City's M. 11. R. Stock again,” where it states that the present Council re-affirmed the contract and resolutions accepting the proposition of Messrs. Mustian and l’atten for the loan of $26,000; and inasmuch as those gentlemen had, on the strength of that re-affirmance, liquidated the debt due by the city, you were surprised to receive the notice of this Council that they would, at their next regular meeting, consider propositions for the purchase of the M. R. U. stock owned by the city. The au thor of the article also wishes to know, if Mustian and l’atten were not parties to the arrangement, if this Council was not acting iu violation of good faith towards Messrs. M. and 1* ? I answer not. And if the citizens will take the pains to investigate the whole transaction, and the law governing such eases, 1 apprehend they will come m tin- -ante con clusion. This Council, it is true, ratified the action of tiie late Council accepting M. and P.’s pro position to loan the city $23,000. And, sir, yourself anti the citizens must recollect that this Council went into office about the 12th December last, and had but a few days to ar range for the payment of $31,310, which fell due on the 17th til'the same mouth. Therefore wc, in tin; emergency that we were placed in by tho late Council, ratified the resolution of that Council accepting Messrs. M. and P.’s, proposition, knowing and believing at the same time we were not committing ourselves to a transaction that we, as officers of the city, had not had time to investigate. Now, sir, what says the proposition that we did sanction and ratify ? Poes it not say, jf the bill of in junction was dissolved and no impediment exist ed, (mark the words no impediment) that the *20,000 loaned should be considered as a pay ment upon tlie original sale, and no interest to be charged thereupon ?’ Now. sir, tills Council, after having time to investigate the transaction, what do thoy find to exist in the way of impediments '! First, they find Hint the late Council failed to make publication of the vote of Council and resolu tion; second, that the resolution never had been acted upon and a vote taken upon it a second time-,—all of which the law expressly requires before it is of force and effect. Now, sir, I deny that Messrs. Mustian and Patten liquidated the debt made mention of in your article. The debt was for 831,31 b: they loaned the city $26,000, and received ns security for the payment 1000 shares of stock. And why did they propose to do so'.’ I appre hend it was because'Gen. Femmes, who felt it his duty from the position he then oecupied to the city to see that the city's credit should not suffer, proposed to Mr. Patten to join him in loaning the oity the amount required. And Mr. Patten, upon consultation with Mr. Mus tinn, went to Gen. Semraes again with the proposition of his and Mustian to Council, and said they would lend the money. Now, Mr. Editor, 1 have no personal pre ference in this matter, or feeling, more than I should have from the position I occupy as a member of the Council. All 1 have done in the premises Ims been solely for the interest of the city ; and 1 would here suggest to citi zens to suspend uny opinion in the matter, and investigate the whole transaction as re corded, and the form their opinion accordingly. T herewith hand you the law, which von will please publish, and oblige F. G. WILKINS. See. 7. ill- it furUier euaitcd, ‘Unit no vote, resolution, or order of said Mayor and Council, for the payment of money, or for the performance of any art or measure in volving an amount exceeding the sum of three hundred dollars, except the regular and current expenses,of the city, shall tic of force and elicit, unless it be by the act of a majority of the whole Hoard at two successive meet ings thereof; wliieji said vote, resolution, or order, shall he published in one or more of the public gazettes of Columbus, between the lirst and seeond passage. FACTORY OPERATIVES. VlibbHiiCEVlLbK, Jit u. 24tli, 1855. Mu Editor :—1 enclose you the debate, in the House of Representatives a few days ago, upon the Factory Bill. You will see that our young Representative lias done himself some credit, the Factory children some service, and redeemed a pledge lie was under—which no doubt afforded him pleasure; and long will lie be remembered by the operatives of your city ami county Lot your San shine, so that they may nil read it. 1101 SK or It Ill’ll KSKNTATIVKS. IVImL* on 1 lie Hill to repeal the act proscribing tiie boars of Factory Labor, passed in 1854. The Genoral Assembly of 1853-1 passed mi Act, the first section of which prescribes, that minors shall not labor in Factories longer than from sunrise to sunset, allowing the usual time for meals; Section 2nd annuls all eon tracts in contravention of the above ; Sec. 3rd prescribes a penalty for violation of tiie Act, a fine, not exceeding 8100, and imprisonment in tiie common jail, not exceeding sixty days. Mr. Crook, of Chattooga, introduced a bill to repeal the Act so far as relates to the coun ty of Chattooga. The Committee on Manufac tures, to whom it was referred, reported a substitute extending the provisions of Mr. ( Vs bill to tho State at large ; and it came up yes terday on its passage. Whereupon Mr. Jones, of Muscogee, said : Mr. Speaker : 1 rise to protest against the jiassago of this bill, and to do what l call for the protection of a class unable to protect themselves—defenceless—in short, Sir, chil dren. 1 know not wliat may be the needs and wishes of the constituency, which the gentle man from Chattooga represents. But I too, sir, have many constituents immediately inter ested, and who are to be directly affected by the passage or defeat of this bill; and I shall not permit the wards and children of the poor of iny county to be bargained off and oppress ed, without an effort at least for their defence. I shall not permit them to he liable for what ever contract or arrangement their guardians and parents may choose to make for them. Sir, this bill is subversive of the best interests of society ; its effect is to consign to slavery— white slavery—defenceless children; and its friends and advocates, aside from the capital ists interested, arc those who would live at ease, (I speak for tho county of Muscogee,) upon the toil of their wards and children ; who wish to saunter about the streets, while those whom they should love and cherish are wear ing out their lives in the unhealthy gloom of Factory walls. Fir, 1 have petitions even now in my possession on this subject, but which i will not present. Fome of them are signed by the class to whom I have just alluded. Others have told me that they were forced to sign for fear of boiug thrown out of employment; thus does Capital coerce Labor to put its signature to paper, which it abhors. If men choose to sell themselves into slavery, I have no objec tion to make: but they shall not, with my con sent, sell their helpless children; and, sir. I hestatc not to say, that the man who would wantonly deprive these unfortunates of a few hours fresh air, and of that genial sunshine which God has vouchsafed to all his creation, is unfit to be the representative of a free peo ple. I move, sir, to amend the Committee's substitute by excluding from its provision* the county of Muscogee. •Tho motion was carried, and the Committee’s substitute being put upon its passage, was lost. Mr. Crook's bill then came up in its original local form. Sir. Crook: Mr. Speaker, Ido not wish it understood that 1 am here to oppress the poor, or that T seek to do so. My sympathies are with them always, and they have my pity.— Nor has the time arrived, 1 hope, iu this great ami growing State, that capital has set to work to grind the face of labor. But sir, a restric tion ot the bom's of labor, necessarily involves a dimunition of wages. Tho manufacturing interests too of this State, need all the encour agement wc can give them. They arc young, st ruggling, and I would not tie their hands. 1 wish to abolish all these restrictions ; let cap ital and labor come together: and, sir, 1 wish to sec Georgia independent in this respect, and self-reliant: and specially do 1 wish to see her independent of those factions at the North, who arc moving heaven and earth to defraud her of her rights, and to keep her in vassalage. Again *ir, the law upon your stat ute book is even now a dead letter. Not a manufacturing establishment in Georgia re gards it. Public seutiinent condemns the act, and it is consequently inoperative. Injustice, sir, to the Chairman of the Committee on Man ufactures, (Mr. Dawson, of Greene) who, 1 no tice, is not in his seat, and to the manufac turers of Georgia, and to myself, 1 deny that any of us seek to oppress or wrong those who are ongaged in factory labor. Mr. Ward, of Butts : Mr. Speaker, I desire to have my county embraced in the bill before the House, and shall move so to amend it, and I would state that there are many operatives in ray county between the ages of 15 and 21 who desire tho repeal of tho act of 1854, to enable them to work extra hours in order that they limy earn something for themselves. Mr. Jones, of Muscogee: l exceedingly re gret, Mr. Speaker, to have to interfere in a family affair ; but as this bill is possibly to pass, my sworn duty as a Representative of Georgia, of which .State the counties of Butts and Chattooga form a part, will not allow rue to be silent. 1 appeal to this House, in behalf of those who have no voice upon its floors —no votes—no choice in the matter whatever, whose wishes and feelings this bill does not consult, and whose interests it cloesnot promote, to ex tend to . them its powerful protection. This bill cannot receive my sanction. Wrong from its very foundation, at war with the spirit of our laws, and subversive of the rights of humani ty, 1 cannot allow it to pass by my silence or by my consent. Ido not stand here sir, as the advocate of. a class, rich or poor. 1 believe it no sin to be rich—no crime to be poor—though exceedingly inconvenient. The gentleman from Chattooga would fain develop the manu facturing interests of the South. But how ? By the sweat and tears of wards, and orphans, and minors ? Upon the wrongs of weak, pov erty-stricken and helpless children ? Sir, I hope that when Georgia shall stand up, as a sovereign and independent State, great in arts, in arms and in manufactures, it will be upon no such foundation as this. ’ If the gentleman is anxious to fight, let us tight those who op press us, as lie says the North is doing. Let us tight those who wrong us, if fight we must. But do not let us make war upon tiie defence less; and above all upon youth. No laui'els, sir, are to be won in sucli a contest as this, and for one, I repudiate it with horror. If, sir, the manufacturing interest of this State is dependant upon such legislation as is proposed by this bill, for myself I say, let its proud structures be prostrated—let waste and deso lation prevail in its dwelling places, and the places which now know it know it no more forever. It has been said that the act of 1854 interferes with property and with contracts. Not so. The law already prohibited contracts with minors, while this bill virtually allows it, at the same time giving them none of the ben fits they might otherwise secure to themselves. The statute, it is said, is not observed. What of that, admitting for argument’s sake it were true ‘! There are laws against murder, arson, theft, and a hundred of other crimes. Your Penitentiary tells us, those laws are violated. Must wc therefore repeal them. .Society is im perfect—necessarily so ; as must be the laws which control it. But are we therefore to shut up the statute books, andabolish alllaw? We must do the best we can. But, sir, I solemnly declare, that 1 look with more tolerauco upon the man who in the frenzy of passion, and the haste of a moment, inflicts a mortal wound on a fellow man, than upon him who by unjust and cruel exactions, imposes upon poor human ity a burden which God never intended it should bear. The one is a momentary, the other a continued crime ; the one is done in passion, the other in ravenous greed for filthy lucre. 1. trust sir, this bill will not pass ; that this body will not even give to the county of Chattooga the power against which I plead, and I can assure the gentleman that his young constituency, (should he succeed in his en deavors for them), will have no vote or voice, with which to thank him. Mr. Crook: i would remind gentlemen up on this floor, that the act of 1854 is a direct interference in social relations between parent and child. Is it to be supposed that we can better know, or more nearly have athcart, the interests of the child, than the parent who be got it ? Is this a wise policy to intervene be tween parent and offspring, guardian and ward? Fir, it is pretended that the parents of factory children are monsters of inhumanity. Such is not the case in my county—l speak not for for Muscogee. My constituents come to me for relief. We arc poor they say ;we have no money to buy us homesteads and lands ; the factory alone stands between us and want.— By your laws our pittance of wages, little enough God knows, is made still smaller ; for when you restrict the hours you cut down wa ges. Repeal the law and let us work when we choose. Mr. Speaker, the tendencies of this Act arc, either to shut the factory doors, or bring down wages below a living rate. — Your poor must be forever poor, or the busy hum of the spindle, it may be, must stop alto gether. Aye, and the people of this great State must, perchance, be dependent on the hostile North, for the coarsest sergps of negro wear, li the body choise to enact nogcmr.il law on the subject, 1 trust they will at least give to me and mine the right to labor when and how we please. Mr. Milledgc—Mr. Speaker, when this bill came up a day ov two prior to the recess, re presenting as I do, a large manufacturing in terest, I begged its postponement until I could learn what were the views and the wishes of those who have sent me here. This morning when it again came up, in the absence of the Chairman of the Committee who reported upon it, 1 should have preferred a further postpone ment. But as the bill is now fully before the House, it is due to it, and to myself, that I should take a position for or against it. The latter, sir, is my choice. During the recess, 1 have made it specially my business to exam ine into tiie question which the bill raises, and this question, sir, seems to divide itself into two points or parts,—the interests of Cap ital and the interests of Labor. The first, from what I can learn, are in favor, the latter against, a repeal of the Act of 1854. When conversing with the Capitalists, they told me they could not contend against Northern man ufacturers, because of these unlioalthful re strictions ; and this seems to be a great argu ment with my friend from Chattooga.— But I ask him. if he is not aware that similar laws prevail at the North ? that there is an extensive system, known as tho “ ten hour.” In Lowell, one of, if not the largest, of all the Northern manufacturing cities, the ten hour rule prevails; and, sir. the children there, when released from the loom, spend the little time they have ill the school room. Sir, If, with all our advantages—if with theraw material at our own doors—if, with no costs of freightage, shipment, or transhipment, we arc still una ble to compete with the North, —Ilook for the defect, not in the ton-hour rule or the Act of 1854, but in bad management. As to the oth er branch of the subject, humanity demands that we protect the defenceless. The gentle man speaks es interference. What is the law for, if not to protect the weak against th t strong ? Moreover the law does repeatedly a, frequently interfere. It protects the persecui ted wife from the brutal husband; the wan) from a grasping and selfish guardian; tht slave from the cruelty of his master ; and ever, the brute from the inhumanity of the greater brute who goads him. In conclusion, sir, jf J we cannot, w T ith all our advantages, supp 01 ., and build up Southern Manufactures, without cruelty to the children of the poor, as a. friend from Muscogee has eloquently said, j’ for one, will let manufactures go down. Mr. Crook —I have but a w'ord to say in ply to the gentlemen on the other side of th e ■ House. I would ask the gentleman from Mus cogee, who seems so very solicitous about the welfare of the poor, whose interest I also de sire to promote, and for whom I have offered this bill, 1 ask him, if the Legislature has the right to fix the hours of labor, lias it not an equal right to fix its remuneration ? And why does not his sympathizing heart suggest to him a bill, making liberal rates ? I also ask him to point to tli e public condemnation of the system he condemns. Where is the proof that children are so grievously overworked ? Since l have had a seat in this chamber I have not meddled with the local bills of any member ; nor can ] see why, if l and my constituency desire this measure, it should be refused us. Mr. Jones—l again ask pardon of the gem tleman for having to interfere in a family Bf fair. But my sworn duty must be done. ] n answer to the gentleman’s first query, 1 haw I to say, that there is no analogy between fixing the hours and the prices of labor ; nor does tht one follow as a consequence of the other. Leg islators have assumed to take the hours and tin days in hand ; lienee is it, that in most civil, ized lands there is a law, forbidding work on the Sabbath day. But the legislator has not assumed, except in cases created by itself, t makc prices-current. Mr. Crook —If you have the right to limit 5 to ten hours, why not to five ? If Mr/Jones—Are you through sir? I reply, they have the right. Beyond all question they have it. Tiie Legislature may decree that wc shall not work at all. But, as St. Paul telL us, “many things are lawful which are not expedient.” And this rule is to be heeded The Legislature may, should it choose, pass a law that a man should not work his slaves on certain days in the week. Mr. Crook—Do I understand the gentleman say, that a man may be prevented from work ing his slaves ? Mr. Jones—Unquestionably. I never jump a question. The Legislature may even decree that Mr. Crook shall not work. Does it not now say, Mr. Crook shall not work on Sun day ? and are you not liable to prosecution if you do ? The gentleman should remember tie difference between right and expediency. And I would now ask him, if lie does not think from sunrise to sunset sufficiently long to work a child, in a Factory ? Mr. Crook —1 tliink itffs. Mr. J ones—Then why repeal the law ? But the gentleman dwells upon the impropriety of interfering with local bills. Let him bring up a bill to exempt his county from the penal ty of cruelty to slaves—from the whole penal code, if he wishes it. I will give him my vote for it, as a local law, provided they shall not be permitted to slay or steal from any unfor tunate stranger happening to be unfortunately . among them. Sir, it is assumed that the pa rent or guardian is the best protector of a child or ward. Not always. The law fre quently puts forth its strong arm for their protection. Once, a may might slay his child or his slave. But now, in Georgia, when they do so, w-e hang them for it. And if any pa rent or guardian would work his child, or his ward, longer than from sunrise to sunset, the Legislature is a better guardian. Why, sir. those hours are not exceeded in working” our slaves. Would you be more exacting of your children than of your slaves ? Many of the wards and orphans whom I seek to proteet have been made so by overwork in factories. Manhood, strong and vigorous, is barely able to bear the brunt of factory-labor. The healthy and robust aro the advocates of this bill—who live on children’s labor—who want this law- repealed—who hang about corners and grogshops, and who constitute what is known as the “ floating vote.” Between these and the poor children, I ask this House tu stand. The gentleman from Chattooga surely knows little of factory life. 1 defy him to show a healthful specimen, man, woman or child, among Factory operatives, who Inis worked fifteen hours daily. In summer, the interval between sunrise and sunset is nearly 1 hat long; in winter, I ask the gentleman what he thinks would be likely to ensue, when ope ratives, young and delicate, leave the hot at mosphere of the Factory, for tho frosty air ? Health presides not over the Factory. In the pallid cheeks of the poor Factory Girl no roses grow—no blooms distil. Her eyes speak not of youth, her step betrays no joy. I ask this body, if this be the object for bargain and con tract between Capital and Labor. And I ask them, in the name of God and of humanity, to reject this bill. Mr. Haynie, of Floyd—Mr. Speaker, 1 was a member of the Legislature which passed the Act of 1854. I voted for it, and I have not seen nor heard anything to-day, to make me regret it. It is our duty to protect the weak, tho orphan, and the ward; and it is among the most pleasing of our tasks. I have not a doubt that this Honorable body, working at $5 a day, would reject a law compelling them to work 15 hours daily. I Mr. Crook—Will the gentleman tell me why not lix the rates as well as the hours of labor . Mr. Ilaynic—Weave not talking of dolin'’ and cents ; that is not the question before tie House. Mr. Crook—lint why not the one as well the other ? The reason't Mr. Ilaynic—l again say, that is not tli question. The question is one-of moral right and 1 trust this body will not pass the hill. Dr. Hill, of Troup, here offered an amend ment to include the county of Troup in tin provisions of the bill, lie stated that nuuiv of the operatives in hiscounty desired a repeal ot the law. and liberty to make their own eon tracts. The amendment was accepted, and the bill now included the counties of Chattoo ga, Troup and butts. Mr. Terlmne, with a view, as he said, to re concile conflicting opinions, offered a substi tute which proposed to repeal, merely, sec tions 2nd and 3rd of the act of 1854. The sections named contain the penalties (as will be seen above) and without them, the Act would be practically void. The House, so thinking, voted the substitute down. The bill was then put and lost by a large majority vote. 1 bis luoruing a motion to reconsider was car ried, many members voting for it from consid erations of courtesy merely. It is not proba ble that the fate of the bill will be altered when it comes up again. yours, SETH. IIFI— MMIII—i■ — D. B. THOMPSON 4b CO., 143 Brood Street, Columbus, Georgia, Wlialt-Nale nml Retail Dealers In (BOOKING STOVES of alt sizes ami various *7 3 patterns: FOIICK and MFTINO PUMPS fSJjK head Pipe, UoUow Ware, Itrittania and isfccd Wares, Cutlery, und House Furnishinir JRSn Quods generally. and manufacturers of Gs * ■ TIN AND SHKKT IRON AVARR. January 20. ly