The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-12 00:00:00

SOCIAL ECONOMY,

IVOrkl
A meeting of the OUSO 1/11 tog Society was held at
Burlingtondiouse ; Load Lrrrevrox in the chair.
The general aim of the society is the promotion of the
moral and spiritual imgovement of workhouse inmates, of
whom there are upwards of 1C3,000 in England and Wales.
With this view it first befriends the destitute and orphan
children while in the schools, and after they are placed in
situations ; 2ndly, gives instruction and comfort to the
sick and afflicted ; and 3rdly, assists the officers of the
establishment in the formation of classes for instruction for
the benefit of the ignorant lend depraved, and encourage*
useful occupation during the hours of leisure.
Dr. GOODTZLLOW having read the report of the society's
operations during the year,
The Cualuisag made a few observations on the report,
in the course of which be contended that the existing poor
law was as capable of relaxation for the relief of the desti-
tute as any other poor law which had before existed in this
country. He denied that workhouses were receptacles for
the bad, the idle, and the dissolute, and aid that generally
they only contained those who could not avoid being there.
He then adverted to the utility of such a society as this,
which be thought was in no way adverse to the proper
administration of the poor law. He would strongly urge
upon the Poor-law Board the adoption of some moral clas-
sification to prevent, as he was afraid was frequently the
case, innocent and virtuous girls of sixteen or seventeen
being mixed with the most debased and degraded of their
sex. The principal feature of the society was that it was
conducted chiefly by ladies, as was also the Industrial
Home for Young Women, a kindred institution which had
already been attended by great success. He concluded by
moving the adoption of the report.
The Rev. Mr. GISGORT, of Lambeth, in seconding the
motion, said that generally boards of guardians treated
workhouses as private preserves from which they rigidly
excluded all intelligent and independent persons who were
likely to criticise their management. He was told by the
muter of the workhouse at Lambeth that the brothels in
the neighbourhood were replenished by the respectable
wanes and girls who WO* received as inmates. This was a
sad state of things, and ought to engage their 301 iota at-
tention._ _

Captain Cliarturza supported the resolution, and alluded
to some of the evils seising from the internal arrangement.
of workhouses.

After some further discussion the motion was agreed tq
and sitar a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting
separated.

CONGRES INTERNATIONAL DB BIENFATEANCE
The moires easentbled again yesterday at Bar-
lingtoa-houis, under the presidency of the Earl of Swarm-
EOM .

The first paper read was one by M le Comte N. de
ALFARO, delegate from the Spanish government, entitled
Mernoire males Institutions debienfeisance en Famine."
Major-General Sir J. JIBR, director of government pri-
sons, then read a paper on "The Means of Assistance to
discharged Priaoners." All good impressions made on pri-
soners during confinement would, he said, be evanescent.
unless on climbers@ they were able to obtain the means of
living without having recourse to criminal practices. These
means must partly be supplied by private benevolence. He
was happy to find that a bill affording such aid had passed
a second readies in the House of Commons.
A discussion ensued in which M. Pascal Duprat, member
of the Legislative Assembly of 1848, Mr. W. G. Lumley,
and others took part.
M. Da BADMHAUMM, director of the once of statistics at
the Hague, reed a paper on the stataties of the benevolent
institutions of Holland in 1868-60.
Tbe Rev. J. B. Own reed a paper on "Friendly
Tiociailes. In a community where destitution was legally
entitled to relief economy of means was a public u well as
an individual duty. Might it not be suggested whether
even-handed justice did not demand that where the law
taxed the frugal and industrious, for the support of the
pauper, it should tax the improvident antecedents which
occasioned the pauperism! During the period when men
produced and squandered their surplus, some com-
pulsory contribution to a club or savings bank
would, in some measure, adjust the pressure of the
parochial levy. if such enforced economy were deemed an
interference with the liberty of the subjec, it was no greater
interference than the compulsory poor-rate. If the law
enforced your contribution to the support of your impro-
irkleot neighbour, he could not fairly complain if the same
law compelled him to intercept, or, at least, mitigate the
cost. The operation of the Fost.office sayings-banks might,
in some degree, tend in that direction ; but a large national
society, founded on national patronage, and approved and
determined by legislative enactment, and worked under the
ablest and most responsible skill, was, he ventured to
suet, a great social desideratum, not yet, in any appre-
ciureltriegree, supplied.
Dr. FARR said it would be an improvement if
rating were carried lower down in the social scale,
and if artisans and others occupying a respectable position
among the workingclasses were entitled to some better
kind of relief than that which was extended to vagrants
and those who never paid poor-rates. This would do some-
thing towards making the poor-law system &adman to a
friendly society, and the calculation applied to provident
societies might guide the amount of relief which ahoold be
given to thou who contributed in certain proportions. That
the English system had not injured the property of the
country was evident from the feet that the income of the
country had since it had been in operatiou increased from
60,000,000 i. to 240,000.6004 He recommended France and
Brain to adopt the same principle as that adopted in this
country, which, he believed, in time, would spread over the
whole of Europe.
M. OLDITA%-7: MOTIOEE, delegate from the Swiss Federal
Council and the Society of Public Utility of Geneva, rend a
report upon some benevolent institutions in Switurfand.
Mr. ALEXANDER REM:RAVE. Government inspector of
Factories, read a paper on "Factory Inspection in Great
Britain and its results." He showed that that inspection
had resulted in a vast increase of manufacturing energy,
which many predicted would be depressed. Be was per-
suaded that factory regulations were now so thoroughly ap-
preciated that if they were modified in such minor pointer as
would adapt them to the peculiarities or customs of the
different trades in which there was congregated labour, they
would be gladly accepted by large numbers of employers
and be hailed as a boon by the employed. (Cheers.)
The noble CHAIRMAN expressed a hope that his foreign
brethren would endeavour to prevail upon their governments
to adopt those factory restrictions which in tins country had
been SO beneficial in their operation. He also trusted that
an effort would be made to impress upon manufacturer* in
this country employing children not at present under fac-
tory regulation, how much they would benefit by not
shrinking from the legislation which he hoped would be pro-
posed next year.
M. le Coaseiller VON HICEMANH, of Munich, thee read a
paper on " I; Union de St. Jean," in Bayern'.

The neat paper was oo Post-aloe Savings Banks, by Mr.
Cerra reu, the controller of those banks. After referring
to the title of the act of parliament under which the postal
banks were established, be showed that the additional
facilities and the promised security were much needed, and
that those facilities and that security are fully given to the
public under the eystem now in operation in the Font-
aine. He explained the machinery employed for
giving the facilities sad security, and showed
that the measures adopted by the Post.office to carry the
act of parliament into effect bad been completely successful.
In illustration of the facilities afforded by the Post-office,
it was pointed out that 2,532 postal batiks had been es-
tablished since 16th September last, giving en avenge of
one Post-office bank to every 10,845 people, as compared
with oneold eavinp bank to every 43,000 people. Various illus.
tentless were given of the additional facilities to depositors
provided by the Post.offies banks, such as the power of
making dekerita and effectutorhdrawals in any part of the
country, and in any of the 2, • banks, the depoaitors not
being restricted to the poet-office at which their 6ret deposits
were made.
After a brief diamond= the megrim adjourned.

WATZE-00L01711 Dinwtwo&—An auction took
place yedorday at Moms. Fodor's, is PaU-roal4 which
created oawsidassbis interest, owing to there being is the
gals a small collection of Toner's early works. including
tro of his sepia drawls's. mods for the "Libor Stodiororn."
Thom ten drawings radioed 61.51. ; the others wed at prices
netting from 20 to 40 Is the solo IMO Silo some
Rood examples of Stan old, David Rohr* Deploy Fielding,
Doman, Prod, Catteraiole, and other fiteowrito artiste,
which sold at squally high prices. Told of the nisi all
iota), 2,3651.