The Press. — London, England, 1857-10-24 00:00:00

1044 ng and recognising reformatories, acknowledged that children before they were made amenable to punishment, hould at least have the advantage of education ; that they should bate warning before the blow descended. Such a principle had only recently been recognised; hut it re solved itself into the simple maxim that children needed training. Here was the sum and bubstauce of all the wisdom which all the conferences on reformatories throughout the country could possibly arrive at—a maxim which every mother and nurse throughout the country had already got by heart. - flaying reduced reformatories to this nursery rule, he contended that they should form the primary care of the Minister of Education, for they formed a part, and a very important part, iu the great scheme of national education : lie would even go further, and say that the whole system of national education in, England would have mainly to rest upon the experience of these, the lowest part of the structure, and that the experience acquired from them would solve many problems in the question. It lie was not much mistaken, the whole system of national education, if ever successful here, would borrow more from this system of reformatories than from any other class of schools throughout the country In the first place reformatories hail solved the great religious p►oblem. In the second place, whether for good or for evil, they had given us the first practical experiment of a rate•snpported system of national education. But, above all, they had dissipated for the first time the phantoms caused by fanciful theories thrown in the path of the education of the poor by a refined and philosophic patronage. They bad for the first time introduced a plain industrial system of education for the poor ; and, if they succeeded in training those children to honest industrial pursuits adapted to their station in life, they would have done more fir the cause of education here than the national system even of a country like Prussia had ever proposed to itself as the climax of its utmost possible success. In conclusion, Mr. Adderley enforced his demand that reformatories should be introduced into the category of national schools throughout the country— " they were within that province, and did not belong to penal legislation,"—and that they should be ex tended in three different ways—in number, especi ally in large towns; in size, but, above all, in the way of provision for children leaving reformatories and entering into life. "There bad been legislation enough in regard to the establishment and improve ment of reformatories, but this last point—care that these children persevered in good—which required no legislation, had not been carefully at- tended to." Lord STANLEY, M.P., thought that reformatories bad become, as it were, an institution of the country. The question now was, not "whether," nor even " bow" reformatories should be established, but what are the checks, the conditions, and the limita tions within which the establishment of these schools can be of use ? Now, there were some rocks upon which the founders and promoters of such institutions were likely to strike. The first danger whim such institutions incur is the risk of their ex eit.ng a feeling of envy in the minds of the honest poor That is a danger which is perhaps not sufficiently con al lered. and of which I confess the magnitude seems to me to increase the more I consider the subject. But if the danger is real the remedy is obvious. Do not set up mag nificent establishments. Do not make them show places. Let everything be as cheap and rough and simple as is consistent with decency and health, and, in reasonable limits, with the comfort of the inmates. 1)u not aim at any great ,intellectual attainment on the part of the boys whom you take in. Hard work, both as a moral and as a physical remedy, may best be applied in such a case. Let your reformatory schools bs open to all who choose to see them, and if any labourer or small farmer, or any man living honestly by the sweat of his brow, chooses to look in, let him go home and be able to say, " Well, thank Gut, my children have no occasion to envy these." The next point was, that proper care and discrimi nation should be used in the selection of the class of boys sent to reformatory schools I do not think as a general rule, unless there is some thing very aggravated in the offence, and unless the habits of the boys are such as to indicate habitual criminality—l do not think first offences, when of a trifling nature, ought to justify detention in a reformatory. I know that boys have frequently been sent for very slight offences, not by way of punishment, but partly with the idea of inflicting a punishment on the parent, and much more with the idea of doing the boy himself a kindness by removing him from vicious associates, and probably from vicious rela tives. That is a well-understood proceeding, and in some respects it may be a successful one, Ido not venture to dispute its propriety, but I do say that, draw what distinc tion you will between reformatory and pknil treatment, still a certain degree of stigma will always attach to boys who have been placed nude' reformatory treatment. I do not say that Buell a stigma will be equal in degree to that which adheres to the lad who comes from a gaol. Hit were, the utility of reformatory schools might indeed be doubted. The disgrace and reproach in 'future life are far less, but still to a certain extent it is a cause of reproach. I confess I have read with pain paragraphs in the reports of more than one reformatory school, in which it has been said of this or that boy, " We have discharged him from the school, but we have no right to take credit for his reforma tion; for the fact is, he did not require reformation—he THE PRESS, OCTOBER 44, 1857. was a boy tempted into one solitary crime, but he was in no degree criminal. There should be borne in mind the propriety of a greater degree of classification according to age than as yet, from the comparative paucity of schools, it has been possible to adopt in these establishments : At some of these institutions you will have almost men detained. It may be, and is quite right that they should be so detained, but the same kind of treatment which is suitable for them is not the fittest for children of ten or eleven years of age. There are necessarily different kinds of treatment, amid these can, I believe, be better carried out in separate schools than in establishments where boys of widely different ages are united. The last point the noble lord touched upon was the outlet question—the question of what we are to do with the boys when the time comes for their quitting the reformatory. It was dangerous to lay down one invariable rule for all classes of boys believe you will find many boys who, although honestly disposed, are p3ssessed of a love of excitement and adven ture which requires in some way to be gratified, and if you send those boys back to labour, whether in town or country, there will be great risk of a return to their old haunts and a relapse into their old habits. For lads of this descrip tion Land they are numerous) there are two outlets. Ido not speak of the army or navy, for there are great and obvious objections to them ; but I allude to emigration to the colonies, and the mercantile marine. I mention the colonies with a practical aim, because there are in this country many persons who have connections, friends, or correspondents abroad, and if there be any such person who cannot contribute largely in pecuniary means to the cause, but is disposed to aid it in other ways, I know of no mode in which lie can do so with more effect and with less trouble to the giver than by obtaining, through the medium of his friends in the colonies, employment for one, two, or more lads in some remote colonial settlement. I am told, and have taken some pains to gather the facts, that of the boys sent forth from reformatory schools the percentage of those who, having emigrated, have as colonists done well is far greater than the percentage of those who have similarly done well at home. With regard to training for a life at sea, I need only refer to the expe rience of the Akbar Reformatory Ship at Liverpool. lam told there is no difficulty in procuring employment at sea for the boys from that institution, the disadvantages of their previous character being more than balanced by the excellence of the training they have received on board that ship. In conclusion the noble lord said : With these words only I end as I begun :—Take care, one and all of you who are interested in this movement, take care, that while exerting yourselves honourably, bene volently, and wisely for tile reformation of the criminal population you do not lay yourselves open even to the unfounded charge of seeming to neglect or give cause for envy to those who, exposed to many temptations, have laboured and continue to labour for the honest support of themselves and their families. Sir JOIIN PAKINGToN, 31 . . P., warmly advocated the cause of ragged schools. Reformatories only bene fited those " who were brought within the grasp of the law," but for " the perishing and dangerous classes " there was not that provision there should be. lie hoped that Government would retrace these steps and give some support to ragged schools. After a few remarks from the Rev. Sydney Turner and Lord John Russell in support of the general movement, the proceedings terminated. THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, says the Liverpool Chronicle, is at present engaged in a trans lation of Homer's Iliad ir.to English verse, a sub ject which has absorbed at various times the atten tion of some of the finest intellects which this country has produced. " The English version of this great poem which has been most popular is Pope's, and it has maintained its ground with the unclassical portion of the public against all others. Mr. Glad stone's version will be looked to with much interest, and much will be expected from him, for his attain ments in all departments of classical learning are known to be great. He has given many proofs of his versatility, and success in this effort, or even a moderate share of success, considering the magnitude of the theme, will be a further proof of the extent of his powers. A mind of such strength and flexi bility as Mr. Gladstone's cannot be idle, and its diversion into the field of classic poetry is attribu table, of course, to the cares of practical statesman. ship no longer absorbing his exclusive attention, as formerly." A FINE LITHOGRAPH PORTRAIT of General Have. lock, K.C.8., has been published by Messrs Gambarr and Co. of Berners•street. The lithograph is taken from a miniature in possession of that gallant officer's family, and is considered an excellent likeness, though years have since aged the brow of the gallant officer. MR. LAYARP, late M.P. for Aylesbury, will pro ceed to India by the next mail in order to visit the seat of the rebellion, and judge for himself as to its cause and results. Joas Isous, Esq., Dean of Faculty, was installed Lord Rector of King's College and University, Aber deen, in the public hall, last Wednesday. Baba' anblitarg anttiligtitte. HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY, we have reason to be lieve, have at length resolved upon raising the pay of assistant-surgeons in the army. The scale pro posed will be published in a few days. MAJOR-GENERAL HAVELOCK is to take his present rank from the Ist instead of the 30th of July. VICE-AI lAIRAL SIR MAURICE BERKELEY, since the death of Earl Eitzhardinge, has se n t !in his resig nation of the post of Senior Naval Lord of the Admiralty. THE MONSTER CANNON, the patented invention, we believe, of Major Blakely of the Royal Artillery, has been conveyed to Woolwich-marsh for experi ments, and subjected to a series of preliminary proofs by the firing of seven corresponding 36-inch shells, the minimum charge of powder, 10Ib., bei ng i ncrease d at the progressive rate of 101 b. until the fifth shot, when the charge was doubled, and the seventh and last was increased to 1501 b. The result was as fol lows :--First charge, 101 b., over a range of 230 yards, the shell being embedded about five feet in the solid earth ; second, 201 b., 500 yards ; third, 301 b., about 780 yards; fourth, 401 b., 1,500 yards; fifth, 501 b., about an equal distance with the last. The sixth charge, containing 1001 b. of powder, obtained a flight of about 2,250 yards, and the last, amounting to 1501 h., passed some distance beyond the butt, and was buried to an immense depth in the earth. The ex periments were considered extremely satisfactory, and are to be continued on some future day with heavier charges of powder, and in the presence of Lords Panmure and Palmerston. THE MILITIA. • The King's Own Light Infantry are to be embodied on the 12nd proximo, and the First Royal Surrey Regiment on the sth. The Second West York Militia, under the command of Colonel Smyth, M.P., is to be embodied imme diately. This regiment did garrison duty at Gibral tar during the t:;rimean war. The Third West York Militia, now assembled at Doncaster, are upwards of 800 strong, and are daily receiving recruits. As soon as the men receive their full equipments they are to be sent to either Alder shott or Plymouth. It is intended to increase the Second Regiment of Warwickshire Militia to 1,500 men. Soma of the officers have offered fur Indian service. EXAMINATION FOR THE ARTILLERY AND ENGINEERS. THE following is the prospectus of the next ex amination for admission to the Royal Military• Academy at Woolwich : War-office, Oct. 14. I. An examination for the admission of cadets to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich will be held in London, in the month of January, 1858. 11. Provided a sufficient number are found competent, thirty admissions will be made to that institution ; candi dates must be between the ages of 17 and 20 years. The successful candidates will remain under instruction at the academy for about two years, or until they are sufficiently advanced in scientific knowledge to pass a satisfactory examination, and they will then receive commissions in the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers. They will ha required to pay a sum of 221. 10s. on admission, to cover the expenses of uniform, books, Sze., and a contribution of W.I. 10s„ payable in advance, for each half-year of the time during which they remain at the academy. The annual contributions, however, for sons and orphans of naval and military officers will be regulated at the follow• ing rates, as heretofore : For sons of Admirals and of Generals having Regiments .. For sons of Generals without Regiments .. • • 7 0 For sous of Captains and Com nauders of the Navy, and of Colonels and Regimental Field Officers of the Army .. _ . Son. of all Officers of the Navy and Army under the above ranks 4 0 Sons of Ofßeers of the Army and Navy who have died in the service. and whose families are proved to he left in pecu niary distress 20 The sons of general officers paid only on their eon• missions as field officers will pay the same contributions as the sons of field officers. Sons of officers on full ant half pay will pay alike, but the sons of officers who have voluntarily retired on half pay, or received the difference, will only be admitted on the terms prescribed fur the sous of private gentlemen — viz., 12.51. per annum. The sons of officers of the civil departments of the army are admissible to the academy upon the same terms 55 those prescribed for the sons of naval and military officers. _ _ 111. The admissions will be determined by the result of a competitive examination, the subjects of which will be as follows : . __ _ ____.._ . • Marks Pure .. .. .. .. .. 2,000 1 Mixed —4. e., Statics, 1. Mathematics, 1 Dyniuines, and Hydro statics .. .. .. .. 1,500 3,5u0 2. Engll.h Language, Literature, Composition, History, _, and Urography .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,2- 4 Language, _ Idierature o , Gagsa. ..Ancient ..i.. 1,000 1 1,7 x) 2, Classitni Lule a . d. History.. . f Ditto, 2f Ancient Greece ,/ 150)