The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-06 00:00:00

THE GAOL OF NEWGATE.

The Ordinary of Newgate (the Pee. F. E. Lloyd
Jonea), in his annual report, states that during the
last two years there has been a steady diminution in
the number of those committed to Newgate, and that
he believes the same welcome fact is to be observed
generally throughout the kingdom.
lii 1869 there were 1.764 male prisoners; fn 1870,
1,625; and in 1871, 1,427; the numbers of women in
those years being respectively 299, 303, and 274. Of
these, 437 men and 21 women in 1669 had been pre-
viously convicted-16 of them more than ten times;
in 1870, 287 men and 37 women; and in 1871, 368
men and 40 women. From tiffs return the Ordinary
comes to the conclusion that there have been causes
deterrent to crime in steady operation among our male
population, which have not had the same effect among
that portion of the women community which is most
prone to crime. While there had been a steady dc•
crease in the re-commitments of the less confirmed
offenders, the number of recommitments of old
offenders had steadily increased in proportion to the
total in each lean The diminution bad occurred
among those who were not confirmed criminals, but
among those to whom crime was riot a profession.
Putting aside the question of principle, which should
regulate the conduct of individuals, there were those
who committed crime in consequence of poverty arising
from a scarcity of work in the metropolis, affecting not
only the labourer but all the lower classes. In 1869
the subject of emigration flinch engaged public atten-
tion, and thousands who hail been unable to find em-
ployment in this country availed themselves of oppor-
tunities which were afforded to proceed to other
countries (principally to Canada) in hope of finding
scope for their energies and powers. Doubtless there
were many among them whose patience, fortitude, and
endurauce were many exhausted, and who possibly,
nay, probably, would at last have been induced by
stress of circumstances arising from a want of employ-
ment to lapse into crime. It seemed to him that in this
great metropolis, where the population was con-
stantly enormously increasing, workers must increase
far more rapidly than work, and that, therefore, it
became a most important duty of society to afford
finalities to all those who could find no legitimate field
in this country for their powers to proceed elsewhere.
The periosl from which the decrease in the number of
criminals dated was identical with that at which a
great impulse to emigration was given. The decrease,
he thought, was due to emigration, and not to the
working of the Habitual Criminals Act.
The Ordinary concludes his report by referring to
the advantage of placing little neglected children com-
mitted to prison on slight charges in the schools
furnished by the School Board, rather than allowing,
them to Lapse into crime or sending them to ordinary
reformatories.

To THOSE who are THINKING of ENTER-
ING HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE.
A circular has been issued froni the Horse Guards, War
Office, vetting forth the advantages f the terms ou which
young men are invited to Join Her Majesty's military ser-
vice:—