The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-08 00:00:00

is to be done for these homeless, half-savage boys?"
His friend, being of a convivial turn, suggested
great supper in Queen-street, and they accordingly
issued invitations for is great entertainment. They
amid receive 400 boys, and they did entertain 300;
mote than 400 having come in during the course of
the evening, many of whom looked in and ran away.
He ciught some of them next day and asked them
why they ran away. They said they were afraid they
would have 'nothing to eat and plenty of ' jaw ;" but
he told them they would have had plenty to eat and
no "jaw." Some of them said they were afraid of
the police. Well, Colonel Henderson was there to-
day, and the boys were not afraid of him, were
they ? (" No," and laughter.) Afterwards he held
a public meeting, and to those 300 starving, shivering,
wretched lads without a rag, be said "You boys who
would like to go to sea, hold up yoer hands,- and the
whole 300 held their hands up. Yee, these degraded
lads, if good care were taken of them, end they were
brought up well, would turn out the best citizens Her
Majesty had. They asked for the ship and in live
years had sent afloat some 1,300 lads, good active able
seamen, without having had one returned upon their
hands as an "incorrigible "lad. The consequence is
that everybody who goes afloat with a ship of his own
wants to have some of the Chicheeted lade. There was
one of the Chichester boys 111 a ship going round the
Cape (the captain of it came and told their captain a
what happened), and there came on a swelling sea, as
there will round the Cape ; the captain was anxious
and the men became unmanageable. "There was no
one I could trust but a Chichester lad of 16 years old,"
said the captain. "1 put the helm in his hands while
I went to look after the men, and by the blessing of
God the Chfchester lad brought us through." He him-
self hoped that the 200 Chichester boys would by the
blessing of God pull 200 ships through; and if they
could get more lads on this vessel they wistild be doing
well for the country, the Queen, and the community at
large. He recommended people to take a walk in London.
to dive into all the alleys, go through the filth NA
degradation of them, see what there is there, and then
come here and see what these lads are turned to here.
If some good heart were to give Mr. Williams and
himself £lOO,OOO they, could clear London of the
vagrant population. They were enabling the mercan-
tile marine to be manned by British seamen instead
of by Belg,ians and Italians. After tire years they
hal waxed ambitious the means were offered to
them, and they applied to the boys' great friend
and benefactor, the Baroness Burdett Coutts. She
gave them the magnificent sum of £3,000, and with
that they would be able to fit out next year 200 beds.
Ile prayed for a blessing on the basket and store of
that lady. He wished some of those very rich could
perceive the blessing and enter into the extent of the
great and sublime pleasure of conferring benefactions
while they live. 'When they only will their money,
away, and it is talked of as a "munificent bequest "he
felt that if they could take their money into the next
world they would. But this lady has understood the
principle of St. Paul when he says, "We brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out." She wishes to see the good she does in
her own day and to give God thanks that He has put
it into her hands to act in that noble manner; and
now he hoped they would prosper. Let them Rive
three cheers for the Baroness Burdett Coutts, and do
all in conformity with the thought that had dictated
this gift, as he had promised her they would. Let
them do all they could to influence the hearts of many
and to teach respect for the human race, by showing
others how true it was that they were created by the
same God, redeemed by the same Saviour, and
i destined for the same immortality.
LordiShaftesbury's address having been received with
enthusiasni and the cheers heartily given, he added the
observation, addressed to the boys, that Lady Burdett
Coutts desired him to tell them she was quite confident
they would keep the promise he bad made to her for
them, and his Loolshm, with some of the other visitors,
immediately left the ship for London, it being under-
stood that the necessity members of the Legislature
were under of
_being early in town required the pro-

ceedi;se—tO be brief.'