STATE PAPERS. 



503 



in being, respecting masters and 

 apprentices, do not provide suffi- 

 cient regulations, so as to prevent 

 various complicated miseries to 

 which boys employed in climbing 

 and cleansing of chimneys are 

 liable, beyond any other employ- 

 ment whatsoever in which boys of 

 tender yeais are engaged : and 

 whereas the misery of the said 

 boys might be much alleviated, if 

 some legal powers and authorities 

 were given for the regulation of 

 ehimney-sweepeis and their ap- 

 prentices." — This act, though it 

 has in some respects fidfiUed the 

 intention of ihe legislature, yet 

 your committee have heard in evi- 

 dence before them, that its prin- 

 cipal enacting clause, viz. the re- 

 gulating the age at which appren- 

 tices shall be taken, is constantly 

 evaded ; and they are decidedly of 

 opinion, that the various and com- 

 plicated miseries to which the un- 

 fortunate children are exposed, 

 cannot be lelieved by regulations. 

 The 28th of Geo. III. enacts. 

 That no person shall employ any 

 boy, in the nature of an appren- 

 tice oi" servant, under the age of 

 eight years; yet your committee 

 have been informed, that infants 

 of the early ages of four, five and 

 six years, have been employed, it 

 being the practice for parents to 

 sell their cliildren to this trade, 

 under-stating their age ; besides, 

 this clause is not considered by 

 the master chimney-sweepers as 

 prohibiting their employment of 

 their own children ; and instances 

 have been adduced before your 

 committee, that have satisfied 

 them that sucli cases are by no 

 means unfrequent. Your com- 

 mittee have also heard, from one 

 of the master chimney-sweepers. 



that it is the custom of the trade 

 to take the parent's word for the 

 age of the apprentice — that no 

 other evidence is asked for — that 

 he never heard of its bting the 

 j)ractice of the masters to get a 

 certificate of the age, and he was 

 ignorant that the act of parliament 

 required it. Your committee re- 

 fer generally to the evidence for 

 proofs of the cruelties that aie 

 practised, and of the ill-usage, 

 and the peculiar hardships that are 

 the lot of the wretched children 

 who are employed in this trade. It 

 is in evidence that they are stolen 

 from their parents, and inveigled 

 out of workhouses ; that in order 

 to conquer the natural i epugnance 

 of the infants to ascend the nar- 

 row and dangerous chimneys, to 

 clean which their labour is requir- 

 ed, blows are used ; that pins are 

 forced into their feet by the boy 

 that follows them up the chimney, 

 in order to compel them to ascend 

 it j and that lighted straw lias 

 been applied for that purpose ; 

 that the children are subject to 

 sores and bruise?, and wounds 

 and burns on their thighs, knees, 

 and elbows } and that it will re- 

 quire many months before the ex- 

 tremities of the elbows and knees 

 become sufficiently hard to resist 

 the excoriations to which they are 

 at first subject ; and that one of 

 the masters being asked if those 

 boys are employed in sweeping 

 chimneys during the soreness of 

 those parts, he answered, "It 

 depends upon the sort of master 

 they have got. Some are obliged 

 to put them to work sooner than 

 otheis ; you must keep them a 

 little at it even during the sores, 

 or they will never learn their 

 business," Vouv committee are 



informed 



