The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-04 00:00:00

REFORMATORIES AND REFUGES.

The Reformatory and Refuge Union has issued
its fourth annual report, from which it appears that there
are now in Great Britain and Ireland no fewer than 172
reformatories, refuges, and industrial schools, more than 40
of which have been established since the committee com-
menced their labours in 1866. These institutions are
We of accommodating 15,000 inmates ; and from
calculations lately made, aided by the government isame
tors' returns, it appears that there are, not including the
institutions in [relied, upwards of 11,000 boys and girls
leder preventive and reformatory treatment. These re-
tains are exclusive of the penitentiaries and homes
for females, of which there are more than 60,
providing ancommodation for 2,300 inmates. The
testimony of the government inspector of certified re-
formatories is to the effect that there has been a reduction
of 26 per cent. in two years in the number of juvenile
offenders committed to promo, sod this testimony is con•
firmed by the reports of the various institutions through.
out the country. Thus the committee of • Scotch
reformatory, scarcely three years in existence, rays,
" that benefits have already been derived by oar
city from the reformatory and industrial schools no
one can for • moment deny, who will contrast the
state of our streets and the number of juvenile offeedem
committed to our prison." A report from Liverpool says,
"that the working of the Juvenile Reformatory Actehasbeen
successful in diminishing the amount of juvenile della-
prelacy cannot be doubted. The average number of
commitments during the Wet five years has been 761 ,• that
of the five pens immediately preceding. 1,030." From York-
shire the report is that the diminution of crime among boys
in the West Riding still shows • steady and satigrictory
The total number of boys committed to Wake-
tr r
earrs iMu was 151 in the year 1853, against 277 in 1866.
A government inspector of union schools, speaking of refor-
matories, my*, they afford generally the fairest prospects of
ultimate success in the reformation of juvenile criminals.
But it ia not alone amongst the crituiuul elm, that this pro-
gress has been made. The refuges and industrial schools for
the outcast and the deetitua.r, which led the way tothe esta-
blishment of reformatories, have advanced with the same
rapidity, the one acting on the other, and both in their
placeatending to the aooomplishment of the one graatdesign.
One thing is to be noticed in connexion with the present work-
ing of refuges and industrial schools. More attention is paid
to fitting the children fur their future occupation in life
than, as formerly, to the mere amount of work. Greater
stress seems to be laid upon the principle that the child
should feel that the physical work lie has to perform is,
equally with the reboot work and religious tretai •
purtioa of that educatioa which is to enable him to eara Ids
uwo living ; that, in fact, the tasks exacted from him ate
not for the benefit of the school nouagers, but for his own.
As the reformatories are tending to wrest crime, ware
the refuges and industrial schools producing their natural
effect, in stopping hereditary psupensio ; and there are not
now to be found the same number us before of the utterly
destitute --children, without parents, friends, or home. But
in proportion as the work has extended so have the labours
of the friends of theorems increased, especially in the matter
making ultimate provision for them under their can.
It is out to be supposed that industrial employment can he
found at bona -fur the continually increasing number
who are ready to leave the inatitutioas. Nor, in the
case of thole who have been couvicted, is it alwaysliairable.
The advantage of a central euciety, for procuring the admis-
sion of suitable candidate,' into the various institutions, has
from the first been apparent, and the committee are glad
to find that each year it has been made increasingly useful
in this respect. They have now to report 87 cams se re-
ceived through their instrumentality during the year : 25
boys and 11 girls admitted into certified reformatories by
order of the magistrates, 2 boys and 1 girl admitted into
certified industrial schools, and 38 boys and 10 girls ad-
mitted into various uncertified institutions. The peat-
tentiary cases are nut included ill these returns. A
man well known m a friend to emigration had =6;
offered to maid in providing jaildalgtle to Canada fee •
limited number of such boys as could be pniperly room.
mended. A sub-committee to whom the matter was en-
trusted made this offer known among the various Mahe-
Mons, and, as the result, received applications on Lelia of
fin boy.. 'They were carefully examined, under the di-
rection of the committee, as to their attaiumenta in read-
ing, writing, end arithmetic, and their knowledge of the
scriptures, and as to their general fitness fur emigration. 21
were ultimately withdrawn or rejected ; and its, from the
following institutions, were sent out to )cassia is the early
pert of the summer :—Boys Refuge, Virkitechs 2;
Boys' Home, Wandsworth, 4 ; Grote-peerage Re 4;
Home in the Fast Reformatory, ii ; Birmingham I mom-
tory, 3 ; Calder Farm Reineatory, 4 ; thistle Howard Re-
formatory, 1; Ems: Reformatory, I; Hardwicks Re-
formatory, 1; Kingwood Reformatory. 2; Leeds Reforma-
tory, 2 ; Northauiptonshire Society's 'Reformatory, 3 ; Red-
bill Fenn School, h. As idreidy stated, the committee were
enabled to make this offer through the liberality of a Metal
to emigration, who defrayed a coneiderable pietioo of the
expense, the remainder was met by a grant from the Re-
fuge Fund.

THE METROPOLITAN UNDEEt:RoUND RAILWAY.—
The Viirioud works in essuaexion with this undertaking are
rapidly programing, mom especially in that portion of the
Marylebone.road lying westward ..f St. Marylebone Church.
During the past fortnight two large trenches have been sunk
opposite the workhouse, and workmen employed day and
sight in the co natructimi of the necessary ...we.. In the
immediate neighbourhood of Stafford and I:Ital.:I street.,
tie work of demolition is more pr”nwilent, the block of
Leases formerly known as Iliddlaaes.place Iwvinq
Use pulled down, as we I as several others in
U tlemonstrset. Workrueu are busily engaged
isideariog and preparing the ground, and carting away
time hunting@ mans of earth, bricks, kc. On Tuesoluy the
thoroughfare in the Marvlebone•road between High-
, street and do. Portlsodoysel was stopped up, a number of
men having been employed pursuant to orders from the
directors of the company to commence As formation of the
railway, the coastructioa of the new sewer having been
completed. The traMe in this ppoorrttion of the toad will in
consequence be turned into the Tea, tai paw down
Devonshinoatreet into High-street. Eros. Xing's-cross to
the city the live will be subterranean only when it passes
under ivada or important buil/lingo- Elsewhere, it will be
simply a cutting. In lees than twelve mouths the line will
be complete as foxed Euston-emare.—Mar Waste Memery.
DIRECT TRADE WITH WiIeILRN CHINA. —The
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, at their meeting yester-
day (Monday), adopted the report of a special committee on
direct trade with Western China. The report comprised a
memorial to Lord Yalnerstoo, suggesting, whether sauce
British lades is now under the direct control of the crown,
It might not be desirable that her Majesty should be re-
preseidel by an envoy at the Court of Birmah, for the peo-
motion of British interests, and asking that, in the case of
a new treaty with China, stipulations should be introduced
provi le for opening the Chinese frontier city of Emma
fur .urnniarcial purposes, on similar terms to the open port
on the seaboard. A reply was read, stating that the govern.
nieut not at present consider the project a feasible one.
Sttirtvitmits DURINO THE MONTH Or Auover.—

It apprsrs fr .in the slll7llollSly of wrecks during the month
of Augurt, p..b1e.h.1 by the Shipprrig nozette. that the
number related was 96. In the month of Jauuwry there
were •2:29, iu Februsiry IM, in Ilderth in April la, in
May 14, to June iv, and in July 60, win lain total during
the present year of 1,101.