The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-22 00:00:00

THE ASYLUM FOR FATHERLESS CHILDRRN.

Last evening the anniversary festival of this (nett-
tation was celebrated at the London Tavern, Bisbopegate.
street, under the presidency of the Loan MATOB, who was
supported by Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Gibbons, Mr. Sheriff
Figgie's, Major Snell, fro. This asylum, it should be stated,
wee instituted in the year 1844, for the purpoee of relieving
fatherless children without respect to place, sex, or religious
distinction, the only qualification being that the child must
be destitute and above the condition of a pauper. The
children are received at any age (from the birth, if nines-
vary), sad are all retained and cared for—the boys until
they reach the age of 14, and the girls that of 15. In the
space of 21 years 570 children have been received, sod there
are now 221 on the foundation. A building fund wee
opened in 1850, and a most desirable mints at Reed-
ham, about three miles from Croydon, was pur-
chased as a suitable asylum, and was opened in
July, 1858, by the late Earl of Carlisle. The Lord
Mayor, in proposing prosperity to the instltutiou,
referred very earnestly to the- fundsmental law by which
it la oonducted—vu., "that it being the design of this
charity to receive and bless the fatherless infant witboet
distinction of sex, plum, or religious connection, it shall be
a rule absolute, beyond the control of say future general
meeting, or any act of inoorporatioo, that, while the edam,
tion of the infant family shall be strictly religions and
ecriptural, no denominational catechism whatever shall be
introduowd, and that no particular forms shall be imposed
on any child contrary to the religious convictions of the
surviving parent or guardian of such child. An institu-
tion so guided and regulated, wan an imperishable monu-
ment to its pions founder (Dr. Andrew Heed): sad he
need hardly my that it required no oratory to plead the
mass of a charity so nobly and so gracefully an
down
to us. Of the 570 children who been received into
the institution linos its foundation, 350 had been placed
in situations, and were now moving as honoured
sad honourable members of this great community.
At the begisoing of last year the institution was 9,70D1.
in debt, but 7,0001. of that money bad already bees sub-
scribed ; sod he now appealed to the benevolent public to
make good the remaining deficiency, and to enable the
governors and managers not only to rest satisfied with the
present number of its inmates. but to fill every department,
in order that every blessing contemplated by its founder
might be carried out to the letter. He concluded by draw-
ing attention, in the mcet effectivelangusge, to the children
of the institutioa, who were then ranged along the centre
of the room, and whose position, he said, spoke far more
than words could do in favour of the truly demerving
cause he was humbly endeavouring to plead. The
toast was most warmly responded to, and was followed
by " The Health of the Lord Mayor," ocied in very
eulogistic terms by Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Gibbons,who
congratulated the citineas of London upon hiving elected
him to the high and responsible office of their chief maps-.
trate. A subscription list was then read by the Nev. T.W.
amounting in all to 2,2401., which left, it was
laid, about 4001. still desired to free the charity from debt.
The musical rart of the entertainment was most ably
conducted by Miss Rose Hanes, Miss Ellen Lyon and Miss
Palmer ; Mr. T. Young, Mr. Chaplin Henry, Mr. Edwin
Gray, and Mr. J. L. flattop, the last-mentioned gentleman
presiding with his accustomed efficiency at the pianoforte.

EDUCATION 07 NEGLECTED AND DESTITUTE
CSILDRZIA—A meeting of the Mutation Departmest of
the Social Science Assoratioa was held last evening at their
rooms in the Adelphi, Mr. G. W. Hastings in the chair, at
which a paper was read by the Rev. W. L. Clay on the
" Edocetion of Destitute Children." He urged among
other points that the poor-law paddiese should have die-
cretioaary power to make the education of the children the
oonditioe of out-door relief, but be pointed out that unless
they were relieved from the payment of school fees they
would not use their powers. He argued that the poorer
schools should hays government grants without bolos re-
quired to employ certificated teachers • and he sketched •
plan for dealing with the street childen of London .
G.
and
other great towns. The meeting was addressed by Mr
Horst, Mr. Vaughan, Mr. T. Hew,Godwin,
F.S., Mr. Heidgazian, Mr. GrifilthOlr. R. White, Mr.
Charles, Mies Mary Garroter, the ahairmen, and the
Rev. Mr. Clay in reply, after which a vote of thanks was
parsed to Mr. Clay for the piper, which was ordered to be
printed and Cliftralated.
PHAEXACNOTICAL SOCIETY OF GMT Harranv.—
The following candidates meted the major examination as
phazutaceatioal &swims yesterday :—Thealle Fit
Dulater, P 701405 Gehornohubb. Taunton ; Thomas=
Cruse, Warminster ; Walter Duna, Pendlabos ; Arthur
Thomas Horton, Scarborough ; Edward Jr.., Hyde ; An-
drew Mariposa, Ardranan ; James Stewart, Kirkcaldy.