The Sun.
London, England, 1819-03-09 00:00:00

CHININEY-SWEEPERS.

Lnrd AUCKLAND rose to move the second read-
ing of the Chimney Sweepers' Regul,tion Bill
Ills Lordship, after briefly (keening upon the mi-
series endured by those unfortunate children, who
er e , with so mitcl. pain to themselves, and in-
jory to their COnStitlitiOlTS, nitight to sweep chim-
Dies, land then turned adrift, without any means
of obtaining a sub,i,tence, referted to the evi-
dence taken bt fore the Committee of last Session,
and to the Report of Colonel Stephenson, the
Surveyor-General of the Board of Works, for the
purpose of shewing the practicability of sweep-
ing all chimnies by means of Machinery, with the
exception of about tea in a thousand, which,
being chiefly io the houses of the opulent, might
ta•ily be altered, and which, as they were, could
not even be swept by boys, without great danger
to their lives.

The F. 411 of LAUDERDALE opposed the Bill,
protesting against that system of legislation which
would attempt to carry moral feelings into prac-
tice by means of Acts of Parliament, and parti-
cnlto ly ;igainst prospective legislation, there being
little doubt that the wisdom and humanity of
Parliament two years hence (the period prescribed
by this Bill) woul►l be perfectly ready to abolish
the employment of Climbing Boys, if it should
be found practicable or necessary. Admitting the
inhumanity of the practice of employing Climb-
ing Boys, it was still much better to let the ma-
chinery gradually find its way into use, which it
undoubtedly would, if found beneficial; nor
could he consent to expose to hazard the .safety
of the metropolis, or of valuable property in
other quarters, by prohibiting the employment of
Climbing Boys.
The Earl GROSVENOR supported the Bill, con-
tending that the small proportion of chimnies
which could not be swept by the Bill, might be
easily altered, and that they were not enough to
authorise the continuance of the miseries of
Climbing Boys.
The Earl of flAueowaY also supported the Bill,
drawing his chief arguments from what was not
giro, in evidence before the Committee, namely,
that no testimony was offered to prove that any
fire had happened hi any one of the 15,000 chim-
nies which had been swept by machinery, nor
was it shew•n that any danger whatever had arisen
in case from the use of the machinery. As
to the two years, tharperiod was absolutely ne-
cessary to allow of chimnie's being altered, and
of Climbing Boys finding other employment.

Lord ViScmult MRLVILLE opposed the Bin, on
the ground of the statement in Colonel Stephen-
son's Report, that the use of machinery could not
at present he entirely substituted for Climbing
Eoys, without- endangering the public safety.
Lord AUCM.AND said a few words in reply.
Toe House divided on the question for reading
tl..e Bill a second tine

Contents
Nut-Contents

17

Majority 3

The Bill wilread a second time and ordered
10 Lc
Adjourned _To-morrow (this day).

HOUSE OF' COMMONS.

The SPEAKIR took bis seat at a few miautes
before four o'clock.'

WOOTTON BASSET ELECTION:

Sir Joni STUART presented ar; Report from the
Wootton Basset Election Committee. It set forth
that Martha `tout and Sarah Greenaway appeared
have•disobeyed the order of the House without
Any intention Of treating the same with disrespect,
And therefore .recOtnmended that they should be
discharged without paying their' fees.
' Sir J. STUART tnovf.d that Martha Stout and
Sarah Greenaway should be discharged from
custody without paying their fees.—The motion
Was agreed to.