The Sun.
London, England, 1803-04-20 00:00:00

00CIZTy FOR ,THE
,VICE.

The.Gammittee take-this mode of acknowledging
the receipt of One Hundred Pounds,,paid into the
Banking.house of Messrs. MARI., the 7111 inst. by
an unknown 13enefa&or,-under the signature of B. N.
for the . general pure es ,of the Society, who is
hereby requested ..to accept the sincere Thanks of
the Committee for soliberal t donation.,

'By Order 'of the Gornmirreei -
April •
--AucusT us PlT'etint.i Sec

MIDDLESEX
SESSIPIVS, Arad. 19.

. „
TH I a 4y the Sessions:ciii-the.Peace for thecpunty
of,Middlesex hegan at Hicks's Hatl, 'hefore-Wt t..-.
LIAM MAINWARING, Esq. and several other -Ma-
gistrates. .

•
Nicholas Aruatiell,• a master chimney.sweeper-,
'was indicted for treating .Thomas Ratelitr, his aii,
prentice,- with great cruelty. This Prosecution
' was carried on by the Overseers of the Parish of
Sr.- Leonard,' Shoreditch. , It appeared by_ the
dence rof a Constable, that when the boy appeared
before the Magistrates, his legs were both cut and
swelled by irons which the Defendant used to 'pia
Upon.ihern.•
The littleboYhiMself.was next brought forward,
•and his interesting appearance excited a general re.
gret, that he should have been doomed to the misera-
ble situation of a chimney-sweeper. Ile said he was.
as -years of .age, that he had been three or four
years with 'the Defendant ; but disliked his situa—
tion so much, that. he•ran away several times from
his master. He said
,his master . used to put" the
iron fetters upon. his feet, ,which hurt and .cut
_him
very-much : that, he- never gave hiin a suciency
of food; :and that be used to he whole days with 7
out any vktuals.,
The evidence of the boy was corroborated by
that of a.lad who.lived as apprentice with the De.
fendant,..and whO. said that. he had himself been
.t.reated.inia similar manner : and tiUtt when he. used
to ask for victuals, after being 'kept-without' any
for a,cOnsidcrable time, his master used w curie and
abuse him.
Mr. ALLey,
.on the part of the Defendant, la.
merited extremely that human beings, and partici],
larly those-of a tender age, should be subjeCted to
'the shocking and degrading.occupation of sweeping
cliimnies ; but that hard duty must he performed
• by-those whose trade it was tacit? it, until some bet.
'`ter mode could be 'adopted, than what ivas now
iiiudised. Ihit whatever tibjeCtions might be made
against the-trade itself,..-the persona emplpyed in it ,
'Were as much entitled• to .the servicet,of their ap.
prenticer a those in any other trade ; and if he
should prove, that.the Defendant hati-done nothing
more' than-what was absolutely necessary to retain
the service 'of_ his apprentice, and had 'not treated
hini with cruelty,. he musCbe entitled to a Verdi&
of acquittal. ‘: :
William Ratcliffe, tbe boy's father, was then
called. He said,his child had rne. the Defer!,
dant of his own accord ; and that he afterwards ran
away several times from his,service... He used' to._
come to the Witness, and ask vilearn his trade.
(that of a weaver),' and the -Magistrates` -at one
time wanted the father to take Ace son • home,
but -lie having. two 'children livirig,:on' him.. al.
ready, he could not do it. He desired OtDelendant,
-in order to prevent. the boy-from. rttnning away any
more, to put the fetters oh hitlegsond to beat him,'
if necessary. The boy.. always' apptare& satisfied
with the fold he got': his.only objection .was to the i•
trade of a chimney-sweeper:;,.. and :the- Vtrittios had
alwayi considered the Defendant as: a -humane and
kind master. . • -.'

border to 3CC03111 for the 'manner in which. the
boy's feet had been hurt, and at the same time to
give it'proof of the Delenclant'a 'humanity, a' person
was called, who said the little boy was one day sent
up a chimney that was_..on fire, in .order..to extin.
guish it : that he stuck fast in the:middle, so as not
to able. to get divot down ; and that in.this situa.
tion the master cable in great, haste to his assist-
ance, and with great humanity broke away the side
of the chimney,- in'Order to.let him out.

_ .
The jury 'bond the .Defendant Graty, and he was
'sentenced to pay a fine,of sl. • • ,
The list • business that occupied the attention ofr
the Court this dayi, was a curious and nutidi scene:
of contention between two parties of Israelites. A.
young Gentleman, of the Jewish perauasipn, stood,
itiditted for assaulting his,wife : and-the, fair bride,
who was .also the .descendant of Abraham, was:
charged Witlva similar offence against her husband.'
On each 'aide 'stood a 'host of, relations ready fo:
espouse the cause, each of their own party:. At!
the trial was about to :commence,. the, Chairman,-
after 'a short.Cairsulration with thcGentlemen of
.the
Bar, called up' the parties,.:and .earnestly recom-
mended it to them to , become reconciled to one
another: r This- they ohseinitely • refused :tp, d
they appeared to entertain* incttrableartiPPlitY.
against , each. other ; and the young., Gent cinap
•said, in orderto ger•rid:of- his A:01111)41ton, that he
would immediately: give her. soot.. ,The Lady upon
hearing this came icirsVard,.and• in a strain.' of vehe.
meat loquacity, declared she would agree to no such
propoSal, but must have every farthing of the 9001.
foiitune.• she hak'broright her husband, beforeAhe
'would
at some
to a divorce.. The court, afterfie,
. •
ing pains to pacify them, deiiied them to
go away, and refer their
adiff,:rences to their High
Priest', and some other persons .of respealSility,
amongst them and if those diffeiences. were not
settled by next Sessions,- they must then come up
and be tried fOr the assaults.