The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-08-18 00:00:00

mencement of last month two new companies,
in addition to those' alreadysfil: Jail activity, had
been introduced at Bombay. One was the
Mercantile Spinning and Weaving Company, headed
by well-known and enterprising native merchants ;
the other, was the Great Eastern Spinning and
Weaving Mill, got up by a European merchant. Simnl-
taneously arrangements were likewise in progress for
four more projects of the same kind. The Bombay
Gazette confirms the statement of Sir Charles Wood,
that these results of the introduction of protection to
native industry are regarded " with the greatest satis-
faction in all parts of India," and expresses a cordial.
wish for success to all these undertakings. The Bom-
bay Telegraph takes still more decided ground, and
remarks that Bombay, having long been the Liver-
pool of the East, is now becoming the Manches-
ter also, "Factoty. chimneys," it is said, " already
meet the eye on every side, and when the numer-
ous companies which have just been formed are in
full operation Western' India will have cause to be
proud of her capital." It is true that Mr. Bazley,
on behalf of his Manchester constituents, protested
against this reversal of the commercial principles of the
past seventeen years, and suggested that, as the system
adopted would operate practically as a protection of 25
per cent. in favour of the Indian manufacturer, the only
way to insure that the duty should be for the revenue
and not for protection would be to impose'an Excise duty
to a similar extent on the produce of all Indian mills.
But, although this is the plan pursued and recog-
nised throughout the French treaty negotiated by
Mr. Cobden, Sir Charles Wood reproved the idea,
" which was one which he hardly expected front a
Freetrader." At the same time, although Sir Charles
sees nothing but cause for congratulation at what has
been done, be took occasion to say that the Government
would be happy to undo it as soon as possible. It will
be well, however, for him to consider how this latter
announcement will fall upon those who, under his
approval and to the satisfaction of the whole of India,
are at present throwing their capital into the creation
of an Indian Manchester. The future condition of the
owners of those factory chimneys, which, based upon
the protective system, now " meet the eye on every side,"
will deserve serious consideration if the calculations
which led to their erection are at some future day to be
suddenly overturned.
The annual reports of the Directors of Convict Pri-
sons in England have been issued—documents necessa-
rily of much interest now that the Penal Servitude Act
retains in this country large bodies of convicts who were
formerly sent abroad. It is of the worst, most depraved,
and most dangerous class that the Convict Prisons Re-
ports treat—those who are sentenced to penal servitude,
and removed from these local gaols to Government pri-
sons to undergo their sentence, first in separated confine-
ment, and then in associated labour. There were 11,007
prisoners in the convict prisons of England at one time
or other in the year 1859 ; the number at the beginning
of the year was 8,115, and at its close 8,122, and of
this last number 1,188 were women. In the course of
the year 224 of the men were transported to Western
Australia, 421 were sent to labour at the public works
of Gibraltar and Bermuda, and 215 men and 20 women
were released under orders of license, or, as they used
to be called, tickets of leave. No less than 1,837
were set at liberty in consequence of the expiration
of their sentence. At Millbank the women made

last year 43,728 shirts for a city firm, without a
single rejection. The experienced chaplain of Millbank
prison classifies the convicts received there in 1859
thus:-61 per cent. (869) were professional thieves,
following crime as a business ; 25 per cent. (304) were
careless profligates, but not hardened men ; 6 per cent.
(89) were occasional offenders, on the whale working
honestly for their living, but committing a dishonest
act when a favourable opportunity occurs ; the remain-
ing 8 per cent. (108) were comparatively respectable,
but had resorted to a crime to extricate themselves from
difficulties, generally caused by their not having had
sufficient self-denial to live within their means. Of all
but the regular thieves he has hope that with few
exceptions they leave the prison better men than when
they came, and with sufficient right principle to prevent
their relapsing into crime. The Directors of Convict
Prisons consider this section of the juvenile population
is gradually yielding under the influence of ragged
school teaching, district visiting, and the juvenile refor-
matory movement of the last few years. Of the female
convicts (at Brixton, and Fulham) the report is that
"they are generally in extremes." The most trouble-
some are young women, who know that their ill-health
will shield them from punishment. But no extent of
punishment could ever keep some of them in order.
Their perverse depravity makes their cases appear,
humanly speaking, hopeless. These cases, however, are
few. The prisoners are treated fairly, with consideration
and humanity, often with great judgment; they have no
just ground of complaint, they are accustomed to regular
halite and self-restraint, and have held out to them
every encouragement to good conduct and industry.
Such seed will surely bring some harvest.
Dry Cullen has just issued a bull to the clergy of his
diocese, requesting them to caution the flocks committed
to their charge " against the dangers to which they
would expose their eternal salvation, and the scandal they
would give, were they to listen to the seductions of others,
and be present at the disgraceful scenes of which Donny-
brook is attempted to he made the theatre." Dr. Cullen
concludes this proper warning in the folloiving terms .
"We are living in times of great danger, when the phials
of God's anger are poured on the earth ; all - Europe is
standing on the brink of a volcano,.a prey to, or menacd
with, bloody war and fatal convulsions. Let us not, by
our sins and iniquities, bring the scourges of Divine
justice on 'our own country, which has already suffered
so much. In fine, continue to pray for peace and for
the welfare of our Holy Father the Pope, who is vio-
lently assailed by all the enemies of civil society and
religion. Would it be meet for children to indulge in
disgraceful amusements and shameful dissipation while
their common Father is afflicted OW persecuted ?"
The Scottish Reformation Society succeeded in
securing the attendance of a considerable number of
eminent clergymen and laymen at the first meeting of
the Tri-centenary of the Reformation in Scotland, which
took place on Tuesday-last. The only external emblem
of jubilation attempted on the occasion was the display
of a flag from a turret of the Free Church College at
Edinburgh, on which was depicted an open Bible with
texts on either page.
Every day of wet and gloomy weather just now
increases the anxious fears for the crops. Later than
usual in ripening, the wheat is still in many places
exposed to risk, and the promise of more propitious
weather is daily broken. The alarm is aggravated by
another source of anxiety. It has already been observed
that in many cases the quality of the potatoes is infe-
rior ; but now we hear that there are decided, and, we
fear, extensive signs of the well-known potato disease.
We must, therefore look abroad for supplies to make
good our customary allowance.