rollers. If he fell, he was liable to have his leg or arm broken or dislo cated. Every one conversant with cotton-spinning machinery knows the danger of such diversions, and of their cruelty, every one can judge.

There seemed to exist a spirit of emulation, an infernal spirit, it might with justice be designated, among the overlookers of Litton Mill, of inventing and inflicting the most novel and singular punishments. For the sake of being the better able, and more effectually to torment their victims, the overlookers allowed their thumb and fore-finger nails to grow to an extreme length, in order that, when they pinched their ears, they might make their nails meet!

Needham himself the owner of the Mill, stands arraigned of having the cruelty to act thus, very frequently, till their blood ran down their necks, and so common was the sport, it was scarcely noticed. As regarded Blincoe, one set of wounds had seldom time to heal, before another set was inflicted; The general remedy that Blincoe applied was, the oil used to keep the machinery in order. The despicable wretches, who thus revelled in acts of lawless oppression, would often, to indulge the whim of a moment, fling a roller at a boy's head, and inflict deep wounds, and this, frequently, without even a shadow of a fault to allege, or even a plausible reason to assign in justification! At another time, if the apprentices stood fair for the infliction of a stripe, with a twig or the whip, the overlookers would apply it, with the utmost vigour, and then, bursting into laughter, call it a -good hit! Blincoe declared he had, times innumerable been thus assailed, and has had his head cut severely, without daring to complain of the cause. Woodward and others of the overlookers used to beat him with pieces of the thick leathern straps made supple by oil, and having an iron buckle at the end, which drew blood almost every time it was applied, or caused severe contusions.

Among Blincoe's comrades in affliction, was an orphan boy, who came from St. Pancras workhouse, whose proper name was James Nottingham; but better known as 66 blackey," a nick-name that was given to him, on account of his black hair, eyes, and complexion. According to Blincoe's testimony, this poor boy suffered even greater cruelties, than fell to his own share! by an innumerable number of blows, chiefly inflicted on his head!-by wounds and contusions, his head swelled enormously, and he became stupid! To use Blincoe's significant expression, "his head was as soft as a boiled turnip." The scalp on the crown, pitting every where on the least compression. This poor boy, being reduced to this most pitiable condition, by unrestrained cruelty, was exposed to innumerable outrages, and was, at last, incapable of work, and often plundered of his food!melancholy and weeping, he used to creep into holes and corners, to avold his tormentors. From mere debility, he was afflicted by incontinency of stools and urine! To punish this infirmity, conformably as Blincoe declared, to the will of Ellice Needham, the master, his allowance of broth, butter-milk, porridge, &c. was withheld! During the summer time, he was mercilessly scourged! In winter, stripped quite naked, and he was slung, with a rope tied under his shoulders, into the dam, and dragged to and fro, till he was nearly suffocated. They would then draw him out, and sit him on a stone, under a pump, and pump upon his head, in a copious stream, while some stout fellow was employed to sluice the poor wretch with pails of water, flung with all possible fury into his face. According to the account I received, not alone Blincoe, but several other of the Litton Mill apprentices, when these horrid inflictions had reduced the poor boy to a state of idiotism,-his wrongs and sufferings, his dismal condition, -far, from exciting sympathy, but increased the mirth of these vulgar

tyrants! His wasted and debilitated frame was seldom, if ever, free from wounds and contusions, and his head covered with running sores and swarming with lice, exhibited a loathsome object! In consequence of this miserable state of filth and disease, poor Nottingham has many times had to endure the excruciating torture of the pitch and scalping cap already named!

Having learnt, in 1822, that this forlorn child of misery was then at work in a cotton factory, near Oldfield Lane, I went in search of and found him. At first, he seemed much embarrassed, and when I made enquiries as to his treatment at Litton Mill, to my surprise, he told me "he knew nothing whatever about it." I then, related what Blincoe and others had named to me, of the horrid tortures he endured. "I dare say," said he mildly, "he told you truth, but I have no distinct recollection of anything that happened to me during the greater part of the time I was there! I believe," said he, " my sufferings were most dreadful, and that I nearly lost my senses. From his appearance, I guessed he had not been so severely worked as others of the poor crippled children whom I had seen! As well as I can recollect, his knees were not deformed, or if at all, but very little! He is much below the middle size, as to stature. His countenance round, and his small and regular features, bore the character of former sufferings and present tranquility of mind.

In the course of my enquiries respecting this young man, I was much gratified, by hearing the excellent character given him in the vicinity of his lodging. Several persons spoke of him as being serious and well inclined, and his life and conduct irreproachable.

It might be supposed, that these horrid inflictions had been practised, in this cotton-factory, unknown to the master and proprietor of Litton Mill; but the testimony, not of Blincoe alone, but of many of his former associates, unknown to him, gave similar statements, and like Blincoe, described Ellice Needham the master, as equalling the very worst of his servants in cruelty of heart! So far from having taken any care to stop their career, he used to animate them by his own example to inflict punishment in any and every way they pleased; Mr. Needham stands accused of having been in the habit of knocking down the apprentices with his clenched fists;kicking them about when down, beating them to excess with sticks, or flogging them with horse-whips; of seizing them by the ears, lifting them from the ground and forcibly dashing them down on the floor, or pinching them till his nails met! Blincoe declares his oppressors used to seize him by the hair of his head and tear it off by a handful at a time, till the crown of his head had become as bald as the back of his hand! John Needham, following the example of his father, and possessing unlimited power over the apprentices, lies under the imputation of crimes of the blackest hue, exercised upon the wretched creatures, from whose laborious toil, the means of supporting the pomp and luxury in which he lived were drawn. To the boys, he was a tyrant and an oppressor! To the girls the same, with the additional odium of treating them with an indecency as disgusting as his cruelty was terrific.

(To be continued.)

Printed and Published by RICHARD CARLILE, 62, Fleet Street, where all Communications, post paid, or free of expense, are requested to be left.

No. 7. VOL. 1.] LONDON, Friday, February 15, 1828. [PRICE 6d.

PROPOSED ABOLITION OF THE BAD PRACTICE OF OATH-MAKING.

THIS is one of the most important subjects for consideration, that can, at this moment, be presented to the people or legislature of this country. We summon, to it, the attention of all the religious, and all the irreligious sects.

What is the general complaint of the Roman Catholics?

That, to obtain an equality of rights and distinctions in the state, they are required to take or make oaths, which are offensive to them, and from which they scrupulously shrink.

Such is also the complaint of all the Dissenters, who are scrupulously affected by the Test and Corporation Acts.

What excludes the evidence of the sect of Quakers, in all criminal cases, but their scrupulous, virtuous and firm objection to the practice of oath-making?

What is the legal objection to the man, who is a Deist,-to the man, who has no ism, to which he is superstitiously attached, or to the moral man and good member of society, without the superstitious part of religion?

That his evidence is not good, because he has too much knowledge, and not superstition enough, to fear a hobgoblin story, about God and Devil struggling to get hold of him, in an unknown future state!

Why is the simple testimony of a virtuous child rejected, when it has to speak to the evidence of acts seen?

Because its mind has not been sufficiently corrupted by superstition!

The abolition of the practice of oath-making, then, it may be seen, will settle the question between the Protestant and Roman Catholic Christians; will remove the complaint of the Dissenters

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62. Fleet Street.

No. 7.-Vol I.

generally, as to the desired repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, the receiving of the sacrament, as a ceremony is called, according to the custom, and with the members, of the established Church, being virtually the form of an oath, against the taking of which, there are scrupulous objections; will remove the disabilities, as to the evidence of Quakers and others; will not reject the evidence of a moral man, because he has freed his mind from superstition; indeed, and in short, the abolition of the practice of oath-making will be a grand approach to a virtuous union among the varied characters of the various sects, that constitute the people of this country. It will be a complete removal of one huge and polluted source of contention from among them; and will put a stop to nearly all that painful and incessant bickering, which is found among the sects and parties of this country. IT WILL BE ONE GRAND STEP TOWARD MAKING THEM ONE FAMILY! AND SUCH AS MANKIND SHOULD BE!

What is the per contra side of the question?

It will put aside much false swearing, without giving the least encouragement to false testimony, the legislative penalty in the former being transferred to the latter case.

It will remove a vast deal of hypocrisy, where, indeed, the very act and form of swearing, is, separated from the testimony or pledge, a virtual act of perjury, the swearer not valuing the form or ceremony by which he swears.

It will not, in any case, lessen the value of the evidence of a witness, that being always a matter to be sifted and judged of, by a jury, a magistrate, or some competent judicial authority.

It will put all men upon an equality of citizenship.

It will go far to separate the religion from the law of the country, which, if it cannot exist without its aid, deserves not to exist.

It will make the truth a matter of more value, since its utterance will be deemed rather a matter of honour and propriety, than of compulsion. The circumstance, of compelling a man to speak the truth by an oath, seems to impute and to justify lying, when there is no oath exacted. A distinction is made as to the time when the truth should be spoken; instead of enforcing the moral maxim, that it should at all times, every where, and under all circumstances, be spoken.

The coronation oath of the king, is stated to be an impediment, a barrier, to his assistant power of legislating with respect to the oaths of other persons; but let an act of the legislature be passed, to abolish the practice of oath-making, in all cases, from the king to his cat, and all will be right on that head. An intricate mass of evils, will be at once and most easily removed, without giving that offence to established prejudices, and interests, which more detailed and isolated discussion will give.

A desire, that all religious disabilities may be removed, by some one general act of the legislature, has been very extensively expressed; and the act projected is one more likely to succeed, and to please all parties, than an act, that shall be partial and imperfect, merely giving to the Roman Catholics, Quakers, or any other Dissenters, any new and peculiar privilege to the neglect of the complaints of the remainder.

Legal oath-making has been the bad example that has led on to all that has been illegal. More immorality, illegality, and evil, than morality, legality, and good, has sprung from the practice of oath-making. Conspiracies foul, assassinations religious, combinations odious and unsocial, treasons tragic, sectarianism uncharitable, civil and national wars horrible, hypocrisy the most detestable, tyranny outrageous, and slavery abhorrent, all, all has sprung from the bad example and practice of legal oath-making. Oath-making is the royal wrong, the lordly error, the religious evil, and the popular vice. It trammels alike the workman, the legislator, and the monarch. It is the game of partial and counter combination, and combines the errors of all, to the injury of all.

LETTER FROM THE REV. ROBERT TAYLOR TO
MR. CARLILE.

Oakham Prison, Feb. 9th, 1828. DEAR MR. CARLILE.-I was awakened this morning, the first time of my awaking here; by a tap at the door, to deliver to me your kind and obliging letter, with its acceptable though not immediately necessary contents,-five pounds, which I acknowledge to my faithful friend, Mr.

JOURNAL.

Just as I had made arrangements for my accommodation in the King's Bench Prison, at 10 o'clock on Thursday night, 7th inst. I was summoned to the lobby. A decent bed was provided for me, in Colwell's house, and, at half-past three, A. M., Friday 8th, I was called up, with all haste, and by four, was in the postchaise, between Hester and Gibbons, Jun., who, considering their duty, (in which they were somewhat ridiculously pragmatical) were very kind, obliging, and courteous to me. We breakfasted at Dunstable, at nine o'clock, thirty-three miles on our road. Mr. Gilbert, of the Crown, kindly accommodated me with a cravat, &c.* Dined at Uppingham, seven miles from

Mr. Taylor being so suddenly hurried from the King's Bench Prison, had not made any preparation for the journey even to a change of linen.