Sir James Phillips Kay, an M.D. at Edinburgh and the Secretary to the Manchester Board of Health, has recently published a work titled, "The Moral And Physical Conditions of the Working-Class Employed in Cotton Manufacturing in Manchester." (Kay/Ure Debate, Handout) He argues quite persuasively about those poor wretches living in the most hideous of conditions. Half the blame he attributes to the Irish and the other half to the environment of an industrialised city. The Irish immigrants have brought to Manchester a system called "cottier farming". Sir James argues that this system is responsible for the "demoralisation and barbarism" of the working-class. If that is not bad enough, the potato has been introduced as a main article of food. Influenced by the Irish subsisten

The political problem of the Active Union was the unequal nature of the agreement. Both parliaments passed the amendment which stipulated a dissolving of the Irish parliament. Upon this elimination of the Irish parliament, 100 elected M.P.s were sent to England for Irish representation. Parliament consisted of 615 members and required majority voting for bills to be passed. The Irish were proclaimed to be equal partners, but, in reality, were grossly out-numbered. However, no other colony possessed direct representation of its people in Parliament.

The most important leaders of the Evangelicals were the Clapham Sect. They had two basic issues which acted as both a political platform and a social order. The first issue concerned the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in England. Many political battles were fought over the issue of slavery and its trade, but its abolition in the early 1800s was a great political and social victory for the Evangelicals.2

Evangelicalism was the strongest ideological influence present in the Victorian Age. This religious movement , a product of the Church of England, was mainly comprised of the middle-class bourgeoisie. In addition, the leadership of the Evangelical movement was greatly influential in politics. As high-ranking members of the Whig party, they played a crucial part in both policy making in the government and establishing the party's power base.1

First, the workers suffering is being greatly exaggerated. Upon visiting these "horror zones" (factories), both on announced and unannounced visits, no such extremes were found. Instead of the finding the bleak picture Sir James and Mr. Mearns painted, Ure found something quite the opposite. Children play outside in playgrounds during their breaks, and factories provide a safe haven for the children from the ill-use of their bad parents.

In conclusion, England during its Victorian Age was tremendously influenced by religion. This influence dominated the society and culture of Britain. Its effect can be traced from the home and family life to the heirachy of the Parliament. The relationship between Evangelicalism and the English middle-class was strong. It also affected the Empire's attitudes towards other races of people and defined some of its foreign policy concerning the slave trade.

The second issue was its was the Evangelical transformation of national morality. Catharine Hall argued that in the Clapham sect the "concern was to redefine the available cultural norms and to encourage a new seriousness and respectability in life."3 This issue was supported and propagated as if it were a political campaign. Pamphlets, the media and church sermons in church were used to spread this word.

Sir James does well in his description of the living conditions of the working class is living in. The mere thought of such suffering and misery is shocking to the soul.

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Approximate Word count = 2143
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)