STATE papers: 



307 



a long naiTow flue in Goldsmith's 

 Hall, in which he was shut up six 

 hours before liis work was finished. 

 Upon a review then of the evidence 

 of the evils necessarily belonging 

 to this trade, as well as of the re- 

 medies which have been suggested. 

 First, in the substitution of me- 

 chanical means, thus sujjerseding 

 the necessity of employing chil- 

 dren in this painful and degrading 

 trade ; and, secondly, in allowing 

 the system to continue in the 

 main as it is, with only those 

 amendments to the existing law, 

 that may attempt to remedy the 

 present practice ; — your Commit- 

 tee are decidedly of opinion, that 

 no parliamentary regulations can 

 attain this desirable end ; that as 

 long as master chimney-sweepers 

 are permitted to employ climbing 

 boys, the natural result of that 

 peimission will be the continuance 

 of those miberies which the legis- 

 lature has sought, but which it 

 has failed to put an end to ; they 

 therefore lecorarnend, that the 

 use of climbing boys should be 

 prohibited altogether; and that the 

 age at v.hich the apprenticeship 

 should commence sliould be ex- 

 tended from eight to fouiteen, 

 putting this tiade upon the same 

 footing as others which take ap- 

 prentices at that age; and, finally, 

 your committee have come to the 

 following resolution : 



Resolved, That the Chairman 

 be directed to move for leave to 

 bring in a bill for preventing the 

 further use of climbing boys in 

 sweeping of chimneys, 



iSdJune, ISl?. 



FIRST RKPOKT FROM THE SELECT 

 COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. 



The Select Committee appointed 

 to inquire into, and state, the 

 income and expenditure of the 

 United Kingdom, for the year 

 ended the 5tn of January, 1817; 

 and also to consider and state 

 the probable income and expen- 

 diture, (so far as the same can 

 now be estimated) for the years 

 ending the 5thof January, 18IS, 

 and the 5th of January, 1S19, 

 respectively ; and to report the 

 same, together with their obser- 

 vations thereu[)on, from time to 

 time, to the House, and also to 

 consider what further measui'es 

 may be adopted for the relief 

 of the country from any part of 

 the said expenditure, without 

 detriment to the public interest; 



Ha.ving had under their con- 

 sideration the state of vai'ious of- 

 fices in the United Kingdom, which 

 are commonly, though incorrectly, 

 known under the general denomi- 

 nation of sinecu'es, conceive that 

 they cannot better discharge the 

 duty imposed upon them by the 

 latter partof the order of reference, 

 than by bringing under the early 

 notice of the House, the annual 

 charge incurred by the continuance 

 of offices, either wholly useless, or 

 the salaries of which appear dis- 

 proportion ate to the! r actual duties ; 

 and of the system, which they sub- 

 mit, as fit to be substituted in their 

 stead. 



The subject is by no means new 

 to the house, having been brought 

 under discussion at various times 

 within the last ten years, and par- 

 ticularly in the session of 181^, 

 wlien it was made the foundation 



X2 of 



