The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-12 00:00:00

LANCASHIRE FEMALE REFUGE,

THE annual meeting of the promoters of this institetiodi
previously known as the Lancaster County Prison Refuge, W
held yesterday, at the Bible Society's Repository, Slater•street,
Mr. T. B. Barclay in the chair. The object of the society is to
provide for those females who, upon their discharge froze
prison, are anxious to regain their lost position in societh.-8
home, a reformatory, and ultimately the means of resto-
ration to a life of honesty and usefulness. Amongst thee
present were Messrs. W. Rathbone, Adam Hodgson, J.
Mansfield, Adam Gladstone, Gregson, George Holt and seve-
ral ladies. The following report was read by Mr. Gregson

REPORT.
At a time when the subject of reformatory institutions
engaging so large a share of public attention, it is with deep
regret the committee of the Lancaster County Prison Reft!ge,
are compelled to announce that the claims of that long-tried
institution are but little appreciated among the
numera
charities in this neighbourhood, although its principles and
system as a reformatory are in accordance with the most en"
lightened views of the present day.
The object of the refuge is to afford a temporary home
those females who, on their discharge from prison, are anxious
to return to the paths of honest industry, but have no friends
to assist them, and too often have connexions bent on defeating_
their good intentions. In such cases, what would become of
these poor creatures in their first struggles against evil habits
and associations but for this house of mercy ? Whereas, now
its door, on the recommendation of the chaplain of any of t.lie,
county prisons, or of the Borough Gaol, is open to recfice
them, and the best agencies—industrial, moral, and religions
—are assiduously employed to promote their reformation.
The institution is conducted on the domestic principle. IC
presents the aspect of a well-regulated family, under the
gentle, yet vigilant superintendence of the matron. Tile
inmates are assembled every morning and evening for prayer,
and for reading the Holy Scriptures, and they have also the
benefit of receiving religious instruction and kind exhortation:-
from a committee of ladies who frequently visit the house. On
Sunday they attend the neighbouring church, St. Mary
Edge-hill, the incumbent of which, the Rev. F. M. Harke,
kindly acts as honorary chaplain to the institution. During
the week, they are employed in various useful occupations)
such as washing, sewing, and household work, and they are
carefully trained to habits of industry, obedience, and honesty
When these qualifications appear to be permanently acquired,
the utmost care is taken to provide the women with suitable
situations, in which they may be enabled to continue a course
so happy for themselves, and so beneficial to society.
The total number of inmates in the Refuge during the year
1855 has been 31. Of these 18 have left, 9 having been
placed in service, one restored to her mother, and 8 left the
house at their own request, being discontented with its re-
straints. There remained, at the beginning of the present
year, 16. Of the 9in service, 3 have disappointed the expec-
tations formed of them, but the rest are believed to be doing
well.

Although the institution possesses good accommodation for
22 inmates, it has never had more than 16 at any one time,
and the funds are utterly inadequate to meet even this expen-
diture, notwithstanding the strict economy of all the arrange'
meats, and the partly remunerative nature of the work on
which the inmates aro employed.
A painful crisis has at length arrived, and unless immediate .
measures are adopted for placing its finances on a sound
foundation, this institution, which, though small and ob cure,
in the eyes of men, has been favoured with many tokens 01
the Divine blessing, must fall into hopeless embarrassment
and ruin. But the committee feel themselves bound by the
highest motives to strain every nerve in order to avert so
deplorable a result. They look with confidence to the well'
known liberality of various friends to enable them to discharge
the present debt. Their real difficulty will be to raise the
permanent income of the institution, which has been much
reduced by the deaths of several of its oldest and best friends,
to such an amount as will in future meet the annual men'
diture. After all, they require no large sum for the purpose,
but quite the reverse ; and they hope and trust that the same
benevolent spirit which has recently led so many persons in
this neighbourhood to establish a reformatory for boys, will
not refuse its generous aid to an institution of a kindred
character for the weaker sex, especially when that institution
has proved its value by the fruits of long experience.
With a view to the benefit of the Refuge, the committee
have undertaken a revision of the rules; in which they have
carefully adhered to the original design and principles, but
have added such provisions as are usual in the rules of similar
institutions, and essential to their due and regular administra-
tion. They now submit this revised code to the consideration
of the subscribers, hoping that it may commend itself to thelri
approval ; and the meeting will, in that case, be called upon to
appoint a committee for the ensuing year, according to the.
new rules. The great benefit, however, which they anticipate
from the meeting is, that the public may be made better.
acquainted with an institution which is silently but usefully
labouring among us, and which is well entitled to the sympa",
thy and liberal support of all who desire to advance a most
interesting and important branch of the great work of social
reformation.

Mr. J. S. MANsFIELD moved the adoption of the report, in
compliance with the desire of Mr. Barclay and Mr. Rathbone•
He apologised for knowing so little of the character and work-
ings of the institution, but remarked that a similar institu-'
tion, the Societe de Patronage, had been in existence for s.
considerable time, with the most beneficial results, in France-
Its design, however, comprehended both sexes. A great deal
of good had been done in Manchester, by Mr. Wright, though
he had been only able to deal with male convicts. Highly
eulogising the efforts of the ladies connected with the Liver-
pool institution, Mr. Mansfield said that all England had been
ringing with the praises of Florence Nightingale, but, in his
opinion, it would be unjust to those ladies to place Miss
Nightingale's name above theirs ; fora wounded spirit deserved
sympathy as much as a wounded body, and unless it were
healed by kindness and sympathy, little hope could be enter-
tained of its recovering. It was most important in reforming
criminals of all kinds to restore the feelings of self-respect;-
and, while alluding to this subject, Mr. Mansfield related an
anecdote, which had come within his own judicial experience,
of a poor wretched woman who, when rescued from destruc-
tion, seemed astonished that any one should regard her with
feelings approaching to compassion and interest, and that the
strong arm of the law should interfere to protect her. Here'
was evidently a sense of shame, which might be worked upon,
and form the basis of reform.

Mr. GEORGE HOLT seconded the motion, observing that the
reformatories which were now proposed and in operation owed
their existence, in a great degree, to the examples set by the
voluntary effort displayed by this and similar institutions.
A code of revised rules having been read by Mr. Gregson,
Mr. ADAM HODGSON moved their adoption, the motion
being seconded by Mr. ADAM GLADSTONE. Mil Gladstone
also read the treasurer's account, which showed a balance
against the institution of £123 2s. 4d.

The appointment of a committee for the ensuing year was
then made, after which

Mr. GREGSON moved a resolution, setting forth the strong
claims which the institution had upon the public, for general
and hearty support. During his remarks, Mr. Gregson pointed
out that the institution, though humble, filled a peculiar
ground of its own, and that if it were abolished to-morrow,
there would be felt a want which no other institution could
supply. He showed in what respect it differed, on the one
hand, from the Penitentiary, and on the other, from the Re-
formatory.

Mr.lNf. RATUBONB seconded the resolution, commenting
upon the responsibility which, in all matters tending to social
reform, rested with the female sex. As the ladies were, so
would the men be. Mr. llathbone concluded his speech by
presenting a donation of £lO to the institution. His example
was followed by Mr. Adam Gladstone, £lO ; Mr. Gregson,
£10; Mr. T. B. Barclay, £10; and Mrs. I. 0. Bold, £5. Mr.
Mansfield also announced his intention of subscribing to the
institution, and at once handed into the treasurer his sub-
scription. _ _ _

Thanks to the ladies, the chairman, and the chaplain closed
the proceedings.

WAVERTRE.E BOARD OF HEALTH.

Tan monthly meeting of the Wavertree Board of Health
was held in the public offices last night The Rev. W. Bad-
nall, chairman of the board, presided, and there were also
present Messrs. Halhead, Anderton, Bradburn, Gore, Chaffers,
and Rishton.

The minutes of the preceding meeting were read ; after
which, a report, made by Mr. Newlands, in reference to the
benefits which would be conferred on the lands belonging to
the Marquis of Salisbury, by completing the special district
sewer. The sum which the board would require for this pur-
pose would be £250. This sum his lordship declined to pay.
Mr. CHAFFERS moved that the report of Mr. Newlands be
adopted, and intimation made to the Marquis of Salisbury,
that the board was prepared to go on with the sewer, on con-
dition that he contributed the £250 originally proposed, and
£92 for the additional 160 yards of sewerage required by fol-
lowing out the plan suggested by his lordship.
Mr. HALHEAD thought it would be better that a communi-
cation be addressed to the Marquis of Salisbury, explaining
that the additional sum of £92 became necessary in conse-
quence of an alteration suggested by the engineer to meet the
altered plan rendered necessary by the new street proposed to
be made by his lordship.
Mr. GORE seconded the motion, which, after some discussion,
was carried.

Mr. HALHEAD mentioned the disgraceful state of the footpath
between Wavertree and the Railway-bridge, and suggested
that an application be made to the Railway Company, request-
ing them to cause the road to be attended to.
It was explained by Mr. ATHERTON, the law clerk, that the
portion of the road complained of belonged to the nilway
company, and he was instructed to write to them calling
attention to it.

The pig nuisance at Mr. Ashcroft's premises was again
complained of, and a summons was ordered to be taken out
against him to compel its removal, by Mr. Young, the
surveyor.
A memorial from the inhabitants of Grange Terrace, com-
plaining of the disgraceful state of the back entrance to that
property. An intimation was ordered to be served on the
owners, calling on them to pave the entrance in question
within three weeks, otherwise the board would cause it to be
done, and charge the cost against the property.
This finished the business, and the meeting separated.

FIRST EXHIBITION OF THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF FTNIr
ARTS.—The private view of this exhibition took place on
Saturday last, in the Academy Exhibition Rooms, Old Post-
office-place. Amongst the company were the following :
The Earl of Sefton and friends ; Major-Gen. the Hon. Sir E.
Cust ; Hon. Joseph Cunard ; Rear-Admiral J. P. Grenfell ; J.
J. Blackburne, Esq. ; the Mayor ; Aldermen Bennett, Bold,
Parker ; Councillors A. Shand, Hornby, Picton, Crosthwaite,
Littledale, Nicholson, Sheil, J. G. Livingston, Tobin, M‘Guffic,
Tinne, Kitchen ; Revs. J. B. Macnaught, J. Tobin, A. M., C.
Wray, A. M., John Stewart, A. M. &c., &c. ; W. B. Pathbone,
Esq.; Charles Langton, Esq. ; John Moss, Esq. ; E. Moss,
Esq. ; W. Clare, Esq. ; John L. Clare, Esq. ; E. Arnaud, Esq. ;
R. Horsfall, Esq.; J. Aiken, Esq.; R. Livingston, Esq.; J.
Heyworth, Esq. ; John Miller, Esq. ; R. Bright, Esq.; John
Pilkington, Esq. ; G. Rae, Esq. ; D. Rae, Esq. ; H. Aikin,
Esq. ; G. Arkle, Esq. ; B. Arkle, Esq. ; S. J. Arnold, Esq. ;
James Lister, Esq. ; J. B. Neilson, Esq. ; C. Pemberton, Esq.;
H. J. King, Esq. ; J. King, Esq. ; W. King, Esq.; R. Swain-
son, Esq. ; W. Pearce, Esq. ; J. Atkinson, Esq. ; J. Pealing-
ton, Esq. ; E. Cropper, Esq.; S. H. Thompson, Esq. ; J. L.
Hausburg, Esq.; Dr. Dickenson ; Dr. Sheridan Muspratt ;
G. B. Leonard, Esq. ; J. Crossley, Esq. ; S. J. Winstanley.
Esq. ; W. D. M'Andrew, Esq. ; W. Shuttleworth, Esq.; Joseph
Evans. Esq. ; Josiah Evans, Esq. ; &c., &e., &c.

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