The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 44, 1857.

was a boy tempted into one solitary crime, but he was in
no degree criminal.
There should be borne in mind the propriety of a
greater degree of classification according to age than
as yet, from the comparative paucity of schools, it
has been possible to adopt in these establishments :
At some of these institutions you will have almost men
detained. It may be, and is quite right that they should
be so detained, but the same kind of treatment which is
suitable for them is not the fittest for children of ten or
eleven years of age. There are necessarily different kinds
of treatment, amid these can, I believe, be better carried
out in separate schools than in establishments where boys
of widely different ages are united.
The last point the noble lord touched upon was the
outlet question—the question of what we are to do
with the boys when the time comes for their quitting
the reformatory. It was dangerous to lay down one
invariable rule for all classes of boys
believe you will find many boys who, although honestly
disposed, are p3ssessed of a love of excitement and adven-
ture which requires in some way to be gratified, and if you
send those boys back to labour, whether in town or country,
there will be great risk of a return to their old haunts and
a relapse into their old habits. For lads of this descrip-
tion Land they are numerous) there are two outlets. Ido
not speak of the army or navy, for there are great and
obvious objections to them ; but I allude to emigration to
the colonies, and the mercantile marine. I mention the
colonies with a practical aim, because there are in this
country many persons who have connections, friends, or
correspondents abroad, and if there be any such person who
cannot contribute largely in pecuniary means to the cause,
but is disposed to aid it in other ways, I know of no mode
in which lie can do so with more effect and with less
trouble to the giver than by obtaining, through the
medium of his friends in the colonies, employment for
one, two, or more lads in some remote colonial settlement.
I am told, and have taken some pains to gather the facts,
that of the boys sent forth from reformatory schools the
percentage of those who, having emigrated, have as
colonists done well is far greater than the percentage of
those who have similarly done well at home. With regard
to training for a life at sea, I need only refer to the expe-
rience of the Akbar Reformatory Ship at Liverpool. lam
told there is no difficulty in procuring employment at sea
for the boys from that institution, the disadvantages
of their previous character being more than balanced by
the excellence of the training they have received on board
that ship.
In conclusion the noble lord said :
With these words only I end as I begun :—Take care,
one and all of you who are interested in this movement,
take care, that while exerting yourselves honourably, bene-
volently, and wisely for tile reformation of the criminal
population you do not lay yourselves open even to the
unfounded charge of seeming to neglect or give cause for
envy to those who, exposed to many temptations, have
laboured and continue to labour for the honest support of
themselves and their families.

Sir JOIIN PAKINGToN, 31.. P., warmly advocated the
cause of ragged schools. Reformatories only bene-
fited those " who were brought within the grasp of
the law," but for " the perishing and dangerous
classes " there was not that provision there should
be. lie hoped that Government would retrace these
steps and give some support to ragged schools.
After a few remarks from the Rev. Sydney Turner
and Lord John Russell in support of the general
movement, the proceedings terminated.

THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, says the
Liverpool Chronicle, is at present engaged in a trans-
lation of Homer's Iliad ir.to English verse, a sub-
ject which has absorbed at various times the atten-
tion of some of the finest intellects which this
country has produced. " The English version of this
great poem which has been most popular is Pope's,
and it has maintained its ground with the unclassical
portion of the public against all others. Mr. Glad-
stone's version will be looked to with much interest,
and much will be expected from him, for his attain-
ments in all departments of classical learning are
known to be great. He has given many proofs of
his versatility, and success in this effort, or even a
moderate share of success, considering the magnitude
of the theme, will be a further proof of the extent
of his powers. A mind of such strength and flexi-
bility as Mr. Gladstone's cannot be idle, and its
diversion into the field of classic poetry is attribu-
table, of course, to the cares of practical statesman.
ship no longer absorbing his exclusive attention, as
formerly."
A FINE LITHOGRAPH PORTRAIT of General Have.
lock, K.C.8., has been published by Messrs Gambarr
and Co. of Berners•street. The lithograph is taken
from a miniature in possession of that gallant officer's
family, and is considered an excellent likeness, though
years have since aged the brow of the gallant
officer.

MR. LAYARP, late M.P. for Aylesbury, will pro-
ceed to India by the next mail in order to visit the
seat of the rebellion, and judge for himself as to its
cause and results.

Joas Isous, Esq., Dean of Faculty, was installed
Lord Rector of King's College and University, Aber-
deen, in the public hall, last Wednesday.