The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

make cautious and acute in the selection of his agents?
That the children of men thus emphatically useful should
by the premature death or disabling disease of such parents
be thrown upon the world without friends or without
hope, and that too at a time when this goodhearted mother
country of ours is fostering at her breast and rocking in
her arms the lawless offspring of the Jack Sheppards and
Jonathan Wilds of society, would indeed be a stigma and
disgrace to the nation. This society, however, does more
than make an attempt to extend to these children an edu•
cation and advantages immeasurably beyond all that
philanthropy can extend to the progeny of the felon, for it
not only preserves the child from danger, but in the
quality and degree of the education which it bestows it
rewards the honesty of the parents.

Sir Edward Lytton then in detail criticised the
mode of instruction adopted in these schools, ex•
pressing his high approval of the scheme—which
includes French, German, Latin, drawing, and
music :

I am not surprised to find (continued Sir Edward)
that your theory of education bears the test of practice,
and that commercial houses which have taken some of
your pupils are always ready to apply for others. Nor am
I surprised at the immense rapidity with which you have
established this institution upon so solid a basis. Land
has been purchased, schools erected at a cost of more than
'25,0001., and you have a reserve fund of 13,0001. invested
in Government Securities, and all this has been accom-
plished in the space of ten years. lam not, I say, sur-
prised at your success. I ara never surprised at what
Englishmen effect if they have fair play. But the exer-
tions of the men by whom this school has been established
do call for our most cordial admiration.
Upon a former occasion there were some regretful com-
plaints that the number of commercial travellers among
our subscribers was not larger. Let us hope for better
things. No class charity can ever expect to have more
than a certain proportion of that class among its sub-
scribers. It is highly to the credit of the great body of
commercial travellers, however, that two or three thou-
sand among them are annual subscribers to the institution.
But if there was not one commercial traveller who sub-
scribed, this institution would in no degree be less worthy
of our support. There are children of worthy persona left
destitute—shall we not provide a home and a refuge for
them? Look yonder (directing attention to the gallery
at the end of the room where the school children were
standing), what does it matter to me or to you who are
or who are not subscribers? It is enough that we have
done our duty—have set an example of that duty, and
made clear to common sense the advantage which must
spring from following in the course which we have com-
menced. But depend upon it such an institution will
never want supporters amongst those who carry on the
trade of this great country. When we have once reared
life into usefulness, and ripened the mind into thoughtful
intelligence, we can then only conjecture what may be the
result of our labours. Franklin was once asked " What is
the use of your discovery of atmospheric electricity ?"
The philosopher answered the question by asking another,
" What is the use of a new-born infant ?" No person
among us can say what scientific discoveries may be made,
or what light may yet be diffused over the earth, by the
soul of a single child. At the moment lam now speaking
this institution is preparing 150 ut these human souls for
the broad thoroughfares of human life—thoroughfares in
which they may happily fulfil our objects if we teach the
pupils to walk without stumbling or falling.
But let us never forget that, in a country as free as the
air we breathe, every thoroughfare has its upward slope to
fame and fortune which may be reached by the steps of
the zealous and the persevering. Your school may pro-
duce philosophers and brillt int characters—such men
have sprung from inferior degrees of education, and a much
lower state of moral discipline than you afford, and you
may ultimately have your share in the guides and orna-
ments of society. This I will venture to anticipate, that
the day will come, and some of you may live to see it,
when the chair which I now fill will be occupied by some
man who has risen into wealth and eminence in society,
having been educated in your schools, and then from the
lips of that man some applauding audience will hear that
truth which can never be too often told, that not more
surely does the harvest spring from the corn seed than do
the races of men who sustain, ennoble, and enrich life
spring from the germs of intelligence and virtue which are
sown in the hearts of children. (Loud cheers.)
The toast was drunk with all the honours.

THE RECORDER OF BIRMINGHAM ON THE
TICKET-OF-LEAVE SYSTEM.
AT the Birmingham Sessions, on Monday, Mr. Hill,
Q.C., the Recorder, well known as a supporter of the
ticket of leave system, delivered to the grand jury a
lengthy charge on the present state and prospects of
crime and criminals. After remarking that this was
not the first year in which the winter months had
been signalised by the turpitude and number of the
outrages committed-1850 and 1851 being instanced
—and that, therefore, too hasty an inference as to
the permanent increase of crime must not be drawn,
Mr. Hill proceeded to consider the causes of the in-
crease. At the head of these he placed the reluc-
tance to visit crime with heavy punishment, the
result of the course of legislation pursued for many
years. Penal servitude for ten years is the highest
penalty which can be incurred for simple larceny,
not long since punishable by transportation, thus ne-
cessarily involving the return of the criminal to
liberty in this country. " We must not forget,"
observed the learned recorder, " that the evil
undtr which we are suffering is the discharge

among us of unreformed criminals. If the necessary
discipline in gaol fails to prevent them giving proof
that their habits and dispoAtions were cliangel for
the better, was it not unquestionably right that their
seclusion should continue, even if it lasted for life ?'•
Many looked upon transportation as the best
remedy
If those who advocate a return to transportation can
find a suitable territory—if they shall be able to deal with
a convict population in any way (save by imprisonment)
so as to preclude the recurrence of the multiplied crimes
and mysterious abominations which would form the
darkest page of our history, did not their very atrocity
shield them from disclosure—if they shall devise the
means by which the most nefarious of the convicts can be
prevented from gradually filtering down into the nearest
States, whether our own possessions or those of the
foreigner—then, gentlemen, I, for, one, though not un-
mindful of the many difficulties and of the enormous ex-
pense essential to such a project, will rejoice at that, as I
should at almost any other solution of our most distressing
problem—" What shall we do with our criminals ?" But,
gentlemen, to send convicts thousands of miles to remain
in prison at the end of their voyage does appear to me
repugnant to the most obvious dictates of common sense.
to say nothing of its being condemned by all authority.
And as I am now on a question of pecuniary advantage,
let me not forget to assure you that whoever favours trans-
portation by reason of its alleged economy has fallen into
a grievous delusion.
Now, the ticket of leave, as dealt with by the authorities,
mightjust as well be a piece of blank paper. it purports
to hold the bearer to the liability of being sent back to
prison if he shall associate with notoriously bad characters,
or in any way not " prove by his subsequent conduct that
he is worthy of her Majesty's clemency." This is the
theory. The practice is to indulge him in every species
of misconduct short of committing another offence
cognisable by the criminal law, when, of course, whether
he had or had not a ticket of leave, he would be deprived
of his liberty. Long before tickets of leave had ever been
heard of thousands of convicts sentenced to transportation
had been set free at home, by unconditional discharge, on
the expiration of half their sentence. Now they are set
free on the nominal conditions to which I have adverted,
at a period somewhat but very little shorter. To the ex-
tent of this difference let it be conceded that the change
of treatment is against the public interest. On the other
hand, it must in justice to the authorities be stated that
the encouragements to good conduct, while criminals are
in confinement, are far better devised and more effi-
ciently carried into operation than heretofore, and are
in course of still further improvement, so that the chance
of reformation, however small, is greater than in former
days.
On the whole, comparing the two regulations for the
discharge of prisoners at home, I have no hesitation in
stating my belief that the present, although grievously de-
fective, is a valuable improvement on that which preceded
it. Very soon shall we practically feel the proof of this
assertion. Next year the convicts adjudged to penal servi-
tude will begin to be discharged, and the stream having
once begun to flow will never be dried up, and if I mistake
not we shall find ourselves no gainers by the absence of
the ticket. The step which I propose is simply to
make the conditions endorsed on the ticket of leave a
truth instead of a fiction—to carry into effect the following
resolution of the Transportation Committee of the House
of Commons :

That, to render this system of tickets of leave adapted both
for the reformation of offenders and the interests of the public,
the conditions endorsed upon the tickets of leave ought to be
enforced more strictly than appears to have hitherto been the
case.

Many ticket•of•leave men who are misconducting them-
selves are well known to the police, and these are probably
the worst and most dangerous of their class. M any
others, by reason of no means having been adopted to en-
able the police to learn their names, and become ac-
quainted with the persons of ticket-of•leave men in their
respective districts, cannot be identified, and must, there-
fore, remain as if they had received a perfect and absolute
discharge—an omission which the committee by another
resolution aitogetherdisapproved and recommended should
be supplied, as I trust it will be in future. Still much
might be done, tending for the present to still the agita-
tion which has been produced by the manner in which
the Ticket-of• Leave Act has been carried into operation.
The proposed measure, however, is but a palliative ; and
I therefore trust that the next session of Parliament
will not be suffered to pass away witnout our witnessing
a thorough revision of the whole system of our treatment
of criminals.

A SEAL WAS SHOT IN THE THAMES a few days ago
just above Wandsworth. It is a beautiful specimen
of the species, and is the only one of the kind that
has been seen by any one of the Thames fishermen
above bridge. It measures Aft. in length, 2ft. lin.
in breadth, and is 2ft. 3in, in girth.
A SEA SICKNESS CURE is said to have been dis-
covered by Dr. Landerer, a medical man at Athens.
His remedy is to give from ten to twelve drops of
chloroform in water. The chloroform in most cases
removes nausea, and persons who have taken the
remedy soon become able to stand up and get ac-
customed to the movement of the vessel. Should
the sickness return, a fresh dose is to be taken. It
was tried on twenty passengers on a very rough
voyage from lea to Athens, and all, with the ex-
ception of two, were cured by one dose. The mino-
rity, two ladies, were able to resist the feeling of
illness on taking a second dose.

.

8 THE PRESS.
THE REVENUE.
1.-THE NET REVENUE.
Quarter ended Year ended
~.----..---,, ~.----A----,,
Dec. 31, Dee. 31, Dec. 31, I Dec. 31,
1855. 1856. 1855. 1 1855.
-----
/// 1 A
CUSTOMS
EXCISE 4,604,000 4,816,000 17,263,463 18,073,778
STAMPS 1,749,769 1,838,000 7,132,824 , 7,268,272
TAX ES % 1,351,000 1,356,000 3,005,845 3,105,026
PROPERTY TAX
POST OFFICE 617,000 748,000 1,704,000 2,869,152
CROWN LANDS 85,600 86,000 280,515 21.4,857
MISCELLANEOUS 845,517 195,842 1,103,007 971,100
TOTAL
IL-COMPARATIVE STATEMENT.
Quarter ended Nine Months ended Year ended
Dec. 31, 1856. Dec. 31,1856. Dec. 31, 1850.
-., ..- 1 -,
Increase. 1 Decrease. Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease.
A A A .1 i A
CUSTOMS
EXCISE
STAMPS 88,231 192,262 135,448
TAXES
PROPERTY TAX
POST OFFICE lOl,OOO 92,000
CROWN LAN DS
MISCELLANEOUS 140,475 187,042
TOTAL 1,020,396 i 149,475 2,597 t 034 187,042 4.109,675 181,901
\
X 410,921 /1,402,9112 /3,977,772
Net Increase. Net Increase. Net Increase

Quarter ended Year ended
~.----A--.—„
Dec. 31, ' Dec. 31, Deo. 31, Dee. 31,
1855. 1856. 1855. 1855.
--- ---
S S 5 4
CUSTOMS
EXCISE 4,604,000 4,816,000 17,269,463 18,073,778
STAMPS 1,749,769 1,838,000 7,132,824 7,268,272
TAXES % 1,351,000 1,356,000 11,005,345 3,105,026
PROPERTY TAX
POST OFFICE 617,000 748,000 1,704,000 2,869,152
CROWN LANDS 85,600 86,000 1 280,515 21.4,857
MISCELLANEOUS 245,517 195,842 • 1,103,007 971,100
.