The Express.
London, England, 1856-08-12 00:00:00

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HIGH WATTS AT LONDON BILIDOIL
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LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 12.

Ws are most of us aware that a great and active
social movement is going on in all parts of the
country for the Prevention of Juvenile Crime and the
Reformation of Juvenile Criminals. Society hoe
become convinced of the truth that the mere punish-
ment of transgression is wholly inadequate for the
repression of transgressors, and that the highestinte-
rests of humanity as well as the lowest interests of
the purse alike demand that a systematic and au
tained attack should be carried on against those
strongholds of poverty, ignorance and crime, in
which generation after generation are regularly
trained to plunder as a profession and to via as a
career. If we wish to elevate the morals of the com-
munity—to thin the ranks of the dangerous olmess--
to stop the internecine war waged against
property by crime—our wisest course is to
get fast hold, if we can, on the rising gene-
ration of thievery. if the Bedouin of the streets
is ever to be tamed, it is only when he is taught
young. The squalid ease, the reckless indulgence,
and the fierce excitement of his wild life, soon become
too strong for him ; besides which, when once fairly
impregnated with the prison taint, he is obliged to
persevere in plunder, for the simple reason that he
has no alternative but to starve or steal. Far a hag
time Society was content to spend vast same usually
in the repeated imprisonment for short terms of chil-
dren whose livelihood was larceny. The boy Arab
pilfered, was imprisoned, and let oat; he Abu&
again, was again committed, and again relined.
- and bard laboet, hard labour
iefe—rich wu—nay, rash is—
the on/meted tease of many an urchin's life, who *4
his seventh or eighth committal stands muesli high
enough in his shoes to enable the indignant chairman
and the astonished jury to discover the small hag-
gard features peering over the rail of the felon's dont-
This absurd process still goes on, but the good sense
of the nation is beginning to be tired of it, and the
philanthropy of the nation is exerting itself in nay
direction to substitute for this short-imprisonment

and pockatl

folly the wiser course of taking the crisanal or vs.
grant child limo its own keeping, 'and slowly bat
surely training it for eitlsseskip by the reformatory
and indestrial discipline of years, instead of the
penal infliction of weeks.
The various institutions that, with this admhable
object, have recently been established throughoet the
country may conveniently be grouped ender the two
classes of Reformatories and Refuges; the knew, as

their name imports, beiog priacipiilly devoted to the
reformatiao of criminals; the latter, to the preven-
tion of crime. The Refuge deals with children or
adults who are either actually criminal, or likely
from destitution or vagrancy to become so
—the Reformatory, as a general role (in this
*sentry at least, for it is otherwise in Boot-
and), with gristle's only. It is farther required is
this *poetry (but not is Scotland), that any child
seat by a committing magistrate to a Reformatory
must undergo at least a fortnight's reeks@ imprisce.
meat. So vapid has been the recent extension of
thee@ institution', that s Osumi Association has
been formed in the Metropolis, for the ezprem pu-
ree, not oily of improving their meosgessat and
fecolitatiog their growth, bat of collecting and dif-
fusing ioformation as to their operation and malts.
This Society, whose came an at No. 118, Pall-mall,
is called the Reformatory mad Refs,* Uaiow, Ons
of the first, if not the very first, of its pahlioatioes,
coetaining a seceiset cement of the lifetryolitass
Reformatories and Refigtes. is now Wire as; and for
the sake of (bore amongst our feeders who, though
they may generally approve aides movement, are yet
imperfectly acquainted with itsdetaile, we borrow a
few facts from this ;unhands and carefully prepared

Oos of the first phonation that arias ea
its perusal is, that of juvenile Relormaterima is
the more limited senee—i. of bethink'''. devoted
solely to the reformation of juvenile ofteadsn, and
certified under the 17 and 18 V0L.,.. 88—there is only
en in the metropolitan districts, vie., the Route-iss-
tArEast, at Bow, established is 1862, manning at
the present time 98 isolates, and receiving an usual
aid of fill. from tb. Reformatory and Refuge Union.
The total number of these certified Reformatories
throughout the awry wee, is Ins last, 33. The
metropolis, therefore, as far as regards this particular
sloes of isetitstion steads for below the pennon,
an far below the damndest its vast population. Of
Reformatories in a wider souse, there are tine—the
Leaden, no North-West Lando, sod the Metropoli-
tan lodustriaL These an all admirable institu-
tion. The London ReformatoryforAdell Orionis,
at 9, Great Bmitb-etreet. Westminster, wee the
first of its clam, having been founded in 1848. Its
objects lee: 1. To bakes and noble the arkeinal
to reform. 2. To (J.. him shelter, employment,
and instruction during the progress of his reformer
tioo. 3. When fitted to re-eater society, to plate
him in a position where by honest industry he may
live creditably. In the pursuit of those °Meets the
society bas been highly successful, and they us
enabled to refer to 174 of the Inmates who have bean
enabled to emigrate, sad 74 more for whom situa-
tions have been found at bean "The cease of
known miecooduet saner these poser are; it is
stated, singularly few. There is every neon
to oppose that the great body of them are now re-
spectable members of society." The amber of
Omits@ now in the institution is 30, its nasal sort
is about 3,0001. The Metropolitan industrial, co
Brixtorhill, founded in 1863, is also intended
for the reclamation of the adult criminal.
It employs its inmates in gardening, oupenter-
shoemaking sad bookbinding i appears to be
well managed; has an average of 60 !cants,
and since its estobliehomeat has seceeeded in end-
ing 30 reforms. to America, 10 to nes, 19 into the
army, and finding situations in England for 29 more
Mr. BoWrn'e capital institution, the W.,t1.. Wed
;midge, in the immediate neighbourhood of Gower-
street, aisle at prevention as well se raformatioo.
Prologs conviction is not a seeessary mishits to
admission. The inmates work hard and fare low.
They are taught various common kinds of handicraft.
Their training lasts about twelve months. At the
end of that time they are ant out as emigrants, or
plead as journeymen. Tie institution was founded
ith 1852. It has accommodation for 100 inmates, bet
from want of fonds on only take in about 40. All
these institatioes are aided by small annual grants
from the Reformatory Union—the London has BM.;
the Metropolitan Industrial, 1141. i the North-West
London, 1181.

llefegia and kindred institutions of the atetrePolis
ere-very onaterean. Ia many of thee% while Ni.,
notary discipline is by no means unheated, the pe-
nury object I. that of affording a hoes and shelter