HC Deb 14 April 1840 vol 53 cc1092-3

Mr. F. Maule moved, that the House should resolve itself into a committee of the whole House, for the purpose of passing a resolution recommending that leave be given to bring in a bill for the regulation of chimney sweepers and chimnies.

House in Committee.

Mr. F. Maule

said, that the Committee, in his opinion, ought to take this opportunity of superseding the use as chimneysweepers of poor little creatures who had nobody to protect them. If they did not effect some alteration in this respect, they would deserve the reprobation of the country. His principal object was, that the practice of sweeping chimnies by means of little children should altogether be done away with, and that those who employed for this purpose children under a certain age should be subjected to severe penalties. He moved a resolution, recommending leave to be given to bring in a bill to prevent sweeping chimnies by children.

Mr. Hume

said, that severe and cruel as was the treatment of children in this trade, he had very little hopes, from what he had seen of the results of legislative interference with trades, that this attempt would be successful.

Sir R. Inglis

said, this measure only carried out the same principle according to which they had interfered in the negro slave trade, by interfering in this case to prevent the cruelties exercised upon these poor boys.

Lord Ashley

should be ashamed of himself if he did not express to the Government his most sincere and heartfelt thanks for the manner in which they had taken up this measure. The House had been very kind and benevolent to the children employed in factories, but from personal inquiry into both cases he could say, that the condition of those children was tenfold better than that of the chimney sweepers. Every fire insurance company in London, except one, had adopted machines for sweeping chimnies, and recommended their adoption to others. He trusted that the system of sweeping chimnies by children would shortly pass away, for it had led to more misery and more degradation than prevailed in any other Christian country.

Resolution agreed to, and the House resumed, and bill ordered to be brought in.