The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-27 00:00:00

CHURCH PENITENTIARY ASSOCIATION.

Yesterday the annnal meeting of the supporters
of this institution was held at Willis'. Rooms, St. James's,
the Lord Rishop of OiroaD in the chair.
The report of the council stated that, "since the last re-
port two new houses have been admitted into connexion with
the association : one, a psi •z , established under very
hopeful auspices, in the city of burgh, and calculattd
to aceommodate thirty penitents ; the other a House of Re-
fuge, opened at Promo, in the diocese of Bath and Wells, and
capable of receiving fourteen penitents. The new buildings at
Ditchinghan have been so far *demised ea to allow of the
removal of the inmates from Shipmeadow ; but the erection
of the chapel and sick ward, and the providing of further
aeconiroodation for penitents, forming part of the original
Otin, have been deferred until the necessary means shall
have been obtained. The portion already built will hold
twenty penitents. Through insurmountable difficulties the
House of Refuge on Stepney Causeway has been closed, but
on the other hand a proposal for admission into connexion
with the association has been received from the House
of Mercy at Horbury, in the diocese of Ripon, which
will be capable of accommodating, when the present ar-
rangements are completed, fourteen penitents ; also that
steps are being taken for the admission of the Penitentiary at
Middlesborough ; and further, that efforts are being made
to establish penitentiaries at Stafford and Bodmin.
On the 31st of March of the present year there were in
the penitentiaries 231, in the refuges 63, together 294.
The penitents who have left the various houses number
328 ; of these must be deducted 67, being those transferred
to emocisted houses ; 10, those sent to lioness not connected
with the association ; 21 removed on account of illness, and
one case of death, leaving 229 to be accounted for. Of these
123, or 33.71 per cent., may be considered as favourable
cues ; and 106, or 46.29 per cent., ea unfavourable cases.
The income of the association for the year ending
the 31st March, 1860, has been—from donations
9211. 12a 11d., subscriptions 518/. 145., collections
108/. 4e. Id. interest on Exchequer Bonds and
bills, 181. 15e. &1., making altogether 1,5671. 6s. sd. An
Exchequer Bond for 200/. has been paid off, and 7001. has
been Invested in two separate sums in Exchequer Bills.
The balsam-sheet will show the amount of the grants
made to the several houses; the entire sum voted during
the year being 1,8761., including tbe 1,000/. received from
an anonymous friend in Mauch, 1859, and noticed in the
last report."
The Right Rev. CHAIRMAN, in the course of his remarks,
said he hoped that no suspicion should ever rest upon the
holy work to which the church was addressing itself,
and in particular be hoped that no romantic
glitter would be cast around a career of sin, which was, he
was afraid, the tendency of those midnight meetings held to
correct the social evil of the metropolis.
The meeting was also addressed by the Rev. Mr. Kemp°,
Mr. Beresford Hope, Rev. Dr. Irons, Rev. T. Jackson, Rev.
T. T Carter, and the Rev. H. Ellison, all of whom
lanely expatiated upon the awful sinfulness of fornication,
and upon the duty of all Christian men and women to labour,
however great might be the difficulty, in the work of read-
ing fallen women to a sense of their acs, and inducing them
for the time to come to lead a life free of reproach. Mr.
Ellison, iu the course of his speech, forcibly pointed out
the evils which beerhouses engeudered in the community.