§ THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURYsaid, their Lordships would have perceived by the Notice upon the paper that it was his intention to ask the noble Earl opposite (Earl Russell) a Question with regard to the employment of children, The Report 1504 of the Commission appointed some years ago for the purpose of inquiring into the condition of children and young persons engaged in particular trades and manufactures revealed such a state of facts as to take the House and the country by surprise; that such a state of ignorance, brutality, and vice, could exist in the 19th century in any part of the world. Of those trades some were placed in the schedule to the Act which was passed giving protection to the children employed; and since that time the third and fourth Reports of the Commissioners had been presented and had now been for some time in the hands of Parliament, and for a still longer period in those of Her Majesty's Ministers. The state of things revealed in the fourth Report was even worse than that exhibited by the first and second; and he was, therefore, anxious to obtain from the noble Earl at the head of the Government an assurance that his attention would be given, as speedily as possible, to the important object of affording relief and protection to young persons who were positively perishing under the amount of labour and hours of endurance to which they were now exposed. The noble Earl concluded by asking the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to bring in a Bill for the Purpose of placing the Children and young Persons mentioned in the Third and Fourth Reports of the Commission under the Protection of the Factory Acts?
§ EARL RUSSELLsaid, the statement of the noble Earl very faithfully represented the circumstances, which had occasioned much pain to the Government. The subject was under the consideration of the proper Department; but, at the present moment, he was not able to state exactly what steps it would be thought right to adopt.
§ House adjourned at half past Six o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.