Mr. Mundella received last Saturday in Manchester a striking testimonial
to the successful efforts which he made twelve years ago to reduce the hours of labour in factories, and to increase the age at which children's labour should be admissible. The testimonial took the form of a gift subscribed for by no fewer than 80,000 persons, chiefly women and children working in the factories of Lancashire and the adjoining counties, and con- sisted of a handsome silver candelabra and four candlesticks, and a bust of Mr. Mundella by Mr. Boehm, which was expressly made for Mrs. Mundella, and presented to her with a cordial inscription at the Manchester Town Hall. Mrs. Mundella re- plied in a few well-chosen words,—not too many, and full of
honourable pride in what her husband had been able to do ; while Mr. Mundella made a very interesting speech, in which he pointed out how entirely the predictions of economical disaster, as the result of legislative interference between the masters and the men, bad failed ; and how clear it is that more work and better is now done under the restrictions of the Factory Acts than was formerly done under unrestricted competition. As to the question to whom the credit of the factory legislation was due, Mr. Muudella, spoke with perfect impartiality It really is, to be honest, a question of social reform, which forced itself by degrees on the best men of both parties, and it was opposed at first by the best men of both political parties."
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