The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-24 00:00:00

NEW zurNoroN INPOP.II,.ATORY AND

BIOOLD SCHOOL.

Some five years ago a ragged school was opened
is a small house or shed in Bryan-street, Oaledonian-road,
the pressure upon which, in the shape of applicants for ad-
mission, very soon far exceeded the power of accommoda-
tion. Some time after a reformatory was added, which
increased the difficulty, and after considerable exertions on
the part of the rector, the district clergy, and several of
the influential parishioners, a suitable site was obtaiced ins
Copenhagen•street, upon which has been erected pectiap,
tee of the meet complete ragged schools end industrial
reformatories of which the metropolis can bout. Yesterday
these institutions were formally opened by the Bishop of
London, assisted by Lord Ebury, Lord Truro, Yr. B. Haw
bury, Y. Y., the Rev. I). Wilson, ricer of !Aintree,and s
large number of the local clergy, and prima inhabitants
of the district. . .

The Rev. W. N. MACKIN/NI having, in an appropeiit„,
prayer, invoked the divine blowing upon the institution, ant
the Bev. kiss. Oollinaon baying read some passages from the
Scripture*,
The Rev. D. Wilson, as president of the institution, ex.
plaided that the proms% buildiag was the successor of a
dilapidated house in Bryan-street, where the work of the
society had been previously carried on. At a cost of 21,0001.
they had erected the peseta noble and convenient budding.
' but about 1,000/. still remained to be supplied, and be hovel
that the result of the meeting that day would be to mute
such an interest in the institution throughout the part* as
would enable them to clear off that debt. He reminded
them that the object of the institution was not local or con.
fined to any particular district, but was open to all bolt
whom it might bs found desirable to place. m • reformatory.
He urged that there should be collections in all the district
churches of the parish of Islington to raise funds to make up
the deficiency.
The Rev. H. VINCI= captained the principles once
which the institution was conducted. Boys were admitted
between 10 and 17 years of age, and were housed, fed, clothed,
and taught useful and industrial occupations. first wood
chopping, then shoemaking and tailoring. The
institution bad beat in existence eight or more
years, but its chief work had been earned on during
the last four years. Within that time 122 boys had wed
through the institution, exclusive of 20 who had been re-
moved by their friends. Of the lt/, 50 had been placed in
situations, of whom 47 were doing well, there being no ac-
count of the other eleven, and of the total amber 23 had
run away. The system upon which the institution was con-
ducted was that of kind treatment, and it had been eon.
neatly successful. Besides the reformatory they bad a
ragged school for 400 children. At the former premises
they had had 300 upon the books, with • daily attendance
of 250. This ragged school, be it remembered, was a
free school, and it was the only free school in • poor
district containing 47,000 inhabitants, which was the polio.
tattoo of the four district parishes.
The Bishop of LONDON, having visited the institution
five yeani ago, when its oporationa were carried on in the
old building, expressed has gratification at the advance it
bad made, and at the superior accommodation the new pre.
mins afforded, and trusted that those wbo were connected
with it would persevere in a course calculated to confer m
much benefit not upon the parish of Islingtoe merely, but
upon the whole metropolis. There was no foundation kw
' the idea that these attempts to reach the lower strata it
' the soda scale bad in them something morbid, and that
those who engaged is them must necessarily neglect their
ditty to the other orations of society. What be had sues at
his hist visit to the institution five years ago was sudsiest
to dispel any notion of that kind, had he ewer eaterielme
it, for on that occasion be remembered that the OM eg
Islington detained him from nine in the ramearldiNlarlf
..4=
dark, in going from one charitable institution m
numerous were they ; they were wholly by
the contributions of the parishioner' ; and WM bib.
viably found that he who did most for one
did the moat for all. If • ragged sett
was necessary anywhere, it must surely be in a
district which contained 47,000 very poor persona, and
ragged schools appeared to him to he a seesseity of the pre-
sent state of society. A ragged school merely meant a free
school for those who wise unable to pay anythiag for
themselves, and in a poor population of 47,000 tt was clear
there were many parents who could not, and messy perhaps
who would not, pay acything towards the ads/alias of
their children. As they had no right to make the chil-
dren suffer for the fault of their permits, eves as regarded
the children of those who would Dot pay, • need school
was • necessity. But • ragged school was genmay also as
industrial school, and au industrial school was one of the
greatest benefits they could confer upon • poor neighbour.
hood. If it was unnecessary, therefore, to say anything
in favour of ragged schools, still leas was it aseram7 to say
anything in favour of reformatories. The reformatory spies
rested nom the principle that prevention was better them cure,
andrectt, by taking young persons who might kayo bees
tem into a first fault, to rescue them from evil com-
panions, and by strict moral and religious discipline, coin-
' biped with industrial instruction, to prevent their falling
into criminal courses. They heard • great deal Dow about
what was to be done with our criminal population—a sort of
wild alarm appeared to have seized us all, and people seemed
afraid to secant an invitation to dinner lest in from
ooe neighbour's house to another they should de-
stroyed. He believed that very much of that alarm would
disappear when the meeting of parliament occupied the
columns of the usual channels of informatics with more im-
portant topics than imaginary garotte attacks ; but whether
the danger was real or imaginary, it was an additional
reason why support should be extended to au institution
whose object was to lessen the number of criminals with
which we had to deal.

Mr. HAXIMIT, IL P., congratulated the meeting on the
great programs which the reformatory movement had made,
observing that in London aloes there were now twenty-five
reformatory institutions, while throughout the country there
were 250, accommodating 20.000 inmates. He also referred
to the fact that the reformatory movement owed its origin
to ragged schools. It was seen that it was melees to in-
struct these outcast children if they had no other places to
resort to when they left the schools than the streets. The
consequence was that at het refuges were established, and
oat of these arose reformatories, and the good effect of them
wee proved by the fact that, although crime had not de-
creased, the number of juvenile commitment, had been ma-
terially reduced. Mr. Banbury mentioned various instances
of boys received in ragged schools and reformatories being
brought to an iodustrious and moral course of life, and
evincing rareexamples of honesty and gratitude. He attached
peat value to the religions instruction given in these insti-
tutions. .

If r. HARM, one of the managers, explained that the
rule of the institution was not to wait until a boy had been
convicted before a magistrate before he could be received,
but to make destitution, and the temptation to crime conse-
quent thereon, the qualification for admission, the principle
upon which they acted being, that to prevent crime was
better than to punish it or to endeavour to cure it.
Lord EDURY offered a few words in approbation of
the system upon which the institution was 000 ducted, and
on reformatories in general ; and a vote of thanks to the
right rev. chairman, passed on the motion of Lord Truro,
concluded the proceedings.

Among other candidates for public favour in Lon-
don may be meotiosed M. Jellies, who aaammeas a darns•
orchestra, after the faaMoo of that of his father.

A rumour, of which confirmation is promised,
hoe reached us (A thencruss) that the skekton of a crocodile
has been discovered in the old red sandstone in the neigh-
bourhood of Elgin. If true, it marks another epoch in geo•
logical science, as the fossil remains hitherto found in that
formation have been of creatures much lower in the scale of
organisation.

The meetings of scientific societies 'for the ensu-
ing week are :—Monday, Actuaries, 7, " Columnar Method
of Calculation of Survitorship Annuities," Mr. Meikle ;
Entomological, 7, Anniversary ; Architects, 8 ; Geographical.
84, " Route to Siam amain Isthmus of Hrse," Captains
Fraser and Fording; "Island of Tsusima," Mr. Oliphant.—
Tuesday, Engineers, 8, "Railway Telegraphs," Mr. Preece;
Royal Institution, 3, " Animal Mechanics," Prof. Marshall;
Zoological, 9, " New Australian Mammal,* Mr. Krefft.—
Wednesday, Society of Arta. 8, " Electzicel Communica-
tion between Great Britain and America." Mr. Mammy:
Arelueological Association, 84, "Ancient Literary Frauds,"
Mr. Madden ; " Sepulchral Discoveries, Stapleford Tawney
Church, Essex ;" " Roman Remains, Coombe Wood, Bath."
Mr. Syer Cuming.—Thuraday, Royal Academy, 8, " Archi-
tecture," Prof. Smoke ; Royal, 84 ; Royal Institution,
"Chemical Affinity," Prof. Frankland; Antiquaries,
Friday, Royal lostitutioo. 8, " Pointe of Content between
Science and Art," Cardinal Wiseman.—Saturday, Royal
Institution, 3, " Life and Death," Mr. Savory.
The coursing meetings for next week are so
follows :—Barton-upoo•Humber, on Tuesday and Wed'
motley ; Limerick Club (Dwidrum) and Cockermouth, on
Wednesday and Thursday ; and Great Crosby and White
Hone Club, on Thursday.
A correspondent of the Times writes under date
of yesterday :—" While the letter of ' Misopyrist ass
being pat into type for to-day's Tames, a sad event or-
coned, moat fully coofirmiog the sensible views of the latter
on the present slavery to fashion. A ',lung and beautiful
girl of 20 was well•nigh burnt to death, or, at least, laid for
weeks on a bed of anguish ; two of her relatives shinnies',
burned, and two friends much injured while aiding to ex-
tinguish the Sillies ; while a wood young lady was madly
marched, and all through the fearful habit of wearing
ample and most combustible muslin dresses is crowded
rooms, where Sr., either in the grate or from lighted brandy
on the Christmas cheer, was ready to cause the devastation.
If parents will not control the folly, and young. thought-
less girls will heed no remonstrance, to the Times alone
moat we look for some powerful and costinued thunderbolt
of invective against British and French sutteetsm. As s
horrified eyewitueu of and sufferer by the *one referred
to. I implore you, sir, not to let the subject fall auto