Star.
London, England, 1815-06-07 00:00:00

TMANSPORTATM OF FELONS.

Mr. HILEY ADDINGTON ,moved for leave to
bring in a Bill to amend the Acts relative to the trans-
port.tion of felons.
Mr. HOLFORD was of opinion that a great deal
remained to be effected between the convicts and the
public in the reguhttion of those laws.
Leave was then given to introduce the Bill.
TREATY WITH HOLLAND.

Mr. TIERNEY inquired when the Subsidiary
Treaty with Holland would be laid before the House ?
Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, to•morrow.

PARISH APPRENTICES.

Sir ROBERT PEELE ruse to move for leave to
bring in a Bill, to prevent children under the age of
ten years from being apprenticed out to manufacto-
ries, and for limiting then daily period of their work
to 10i hours, exclusive of. their times of meal, &c.
The former Acts relative to this subject had failed,
from, he was sorry to say, the inattention of the in-
spectors, he would therefore propose, that they should
be 'mid a cotta n salary, as compensation for their,
Libours, which would ensure the fulfilment of their
duty. Considering that the Bill was one of such
weighty importance, and introduced at so late a pe-
lion of the Session, that at present he should only
have it read once, printed, and distributed about the
country, preparatory to the introduction of one more
perfect in the ensuing Session. And he hoped it
would not be deemed as infringing on the rules of
Parliament, if it were resolved, that all children under
ten years of age, engaged by designing persons, pre-
vious to the enacting of the law, should not be con-
sidered as permanent labourers. The Hon. Baronet
concluded by it o,lllg " That leave be given to bring
in a Bill, to amend the laws relative to Parish Ap-
prentices."
Mr. W. SMITH expressed hii unqualified appro-
bation of the measute, and only lamented, that the
Honourable* Baronet would not press the Bill during
the present Session, and improve it in the ensuing.
Mr. HORNER did not know how far the Honour.
able Baronet purposed to.extend the provisions of the
Bill, 'but he could not help expressing an apprehen-
sion that the measure would be only palliative of the
'existing evil, and not proceed so far as Parliament
should extend it. He censured severely the practice
'of sending parish children to distant parts of the
tkingdom, as manufacturing apprentices, and termed.,
!Sea great deviation from the piinciples of hutnanity.
''The unfortunate children were thrown destitute on
the mercy or cruelty of strangers, deprived of every
advantage so necessary to persons of their age and
situation. Many instances had occurreil.'where maim
nufacturers becoming bankrupt, have made a resins,'
sale of the gang: of children, who were thus sue-
cessively transferred from one master to another.--
!Advernsements have often appeared in the provincial
newspapers of such intended sales, and in cons}H
quenceof one of them, a criminal information had
been, a short time since, filed in the Court of Kings
Bench, but of the event he had not been informed,
However, he could assure the House, that the situa=
Lion and treatment of those children, were such as
to astonidi the parishes who apprenticed them, they
being often found in a state of famine and nakedness.
But to sheer the House the manner in which the pa-
rishes dispose of those unhappy children, he would.
mention a bargain that had some *short time since
been made between the officers of a. London parish
and a Lancastrian manufacturer : for every twenty
sound children given from the parish, the manufac-
turerer weed to Cake one ideot off their hands.—
(HeiF.)—lfe-tbought *that the attention of the House
should be called to this subject ; and that the present
system of sending children so far from their parishes
snould be alttigeklier exploded. •
• Mr. PHIL' LIPS stated that a great improirement
had taken place' in the .rnannticturing system, as far
as it related to the employment of children, and to
the gineistheldal'a the labourers. He read Tome
ex4setS from, certailn retMiii Of the health, &c. of
one or two large manufaCtories; confirming his as

set don, and concluded by expressing his approbatio-.
of the Bill to be introduced by the Hon. Baronet.
Mr. HOME SUMNER approved of the measure,
and thought that a short Bill should be passed this
Session, compelling all manufacturers to send in re-
turns similar to that read by the Hon. Gentleman

Sir R. Pstu.ss and Mr. Rost; mad-ell-few observation
on the measure. Leave was then given ; the Bill.
brought Ins read-a first time ; otdered to be-printed ;
and to be read a second time on this day se'nnight.