The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-05 00:00:00

HAI:VAST HOME Al RRDHILL REIORWATOEY.

The harvest home festival of the philanthropic
society's institution, Redhill, took place yesterday, and
Wing to the extreme fineness of the weather, which
attracted a large number of visitors, it cured off moat
llucces+ 11, Hy. 17p to the time the society left St. George.
Fields. Southwark, about 1,400 young persons re-
ceived an industrial training in Its manufactory, where
they were taught such employments as shoemaking, rope
and twine making, carpentry, box snaking, ac., and
since the streaky has devoted itself to agricultural pursuits
no Ina than 1,2929 boys have been admitted. Of them
800 have emigrated, and $63 have been discharged to gait,
• livelihood by honest industry. Wheu it is remembered
that to be eligible for admission every nue of these boys
must have been convicted of crime, and bearing in mind
the clan from which they spring, and the fact that but 20
per cent. of those that have been discharged in this
country have been re-convicted, and only 7 per cent.
of the emigrants. it must be admitted that the moral
results attained by the establishment of the institution
have been very great, while the advantage gained by
society at huge can hardly be over estimated.
At present there are in the school about 2.'H, all fine
healthy boys. They are employed in farming 300 'scree of
as fine and beautifully situated land as any in Surrey.
The appearance of the farm sufficiently proved the pains
and care taken in its cultivation, and it is gratifyiug to
state that the net surplus profit realised last year was
1,29 re , which, applied to the reduction of the cost per
bead, reduced that item to 10i. ee. ed., the lowest point
yet attained. The education and religious instrucion of
the boys is under the affectionate and fostering care of the
Rev. C. Walters, a worthy successor, as resident chaplain,
to the rev. Sidney Tureen The boys are domiciled in five
homes, each under the superintendence of a master, so
that they have all the advantages of • home. One
of the greatest difficulties which the chaplain
has to encounter is the ignorance of the boys
when admitted, and on this point he says :
" If the educational condition is Rower then in former
years, this is owing not to any lack of diligence on the
master.' part, but rather to the deplorably ignorant state
of so many now admitted, which, considering their age,
can be but partially remedied during their stay here. Our
statistics on this point, both from town and rural districts,
remote from one another and very different in character.
certainly furnish ample proof how miserable is the edu-
cation of the labouring poor in many parts of this country.
We have now in the school 112 boys, who, when re-
ceived, did not even know the alphabet, and considering
that of those received in the last years very nearly one-
half (121 out of 206) were above 14 years old at
admission timid many of them among the most igno-
rant), it will he seen how much more arduous than
in former years the elementary teaching now is, and
bow narrow a margin is left for schooling with lads
of so advancied age, if habits of honest manual
labour are to be formed, and the moralising influences
of outdoor employment are to be duly enjoyed."
The actual remits of last year have been as follows :—" $5
boys were discharged, viz., 1$ emigrated to Canada East,
48 left at the end of their 'several terms, viz., 29 to employ-
ment or service, 7 to sea, 2 to the army, 17 to their friends;
10 went on license to employment, 2 died in the school, 1
aont to penal servitude for theft while a deserter, I
deserted end not yet recovered, 5 by warrantobtained from
the Hume Secretary, viz., 3to sea, 1 to the army, 1 on
account of disease. Hence our numbers stand as follows :
—ln the school, December 31, 1865, 242 ; urinated in
18116, 111-353 ; discharged, as above, in hill, 85 ;
is the echoed, December 31, 1866, 268. There were
8 boys still on license, December 31; 1 license was
revoked in the year; 117 have been discharged on license
in the but ?years. In 13 eases the license has been revoked."
The committee have had many obstacles to struggle with,
but still they arc enabled to report that during the coup
of their operations at Redhill, they have succeeded in re-
claiming at least 7u per cent, of the class of juvenile
criminals entrusted to their charge.
Yesterday was a general holiday at the farm. A large
body of visitors arrived at one o'clock. and were hospitably
entertained at luncheon in the resident chaplain's house.
By two o'clock all the inmates mustered in the farm
meadow, and proceeded in procession, beaded by the hied
of the school, to the chapel, where a thanksgiving service
was perfonnetL The service opened with Dean Alford's
Harreet Hymn, which was sung by the boy. on entering
the chapel. At the close of the service a very appropriate
harvest sermon was preached by the Rev. C. B. Jackson,
of Northwood, Stoke-upon-Trent, from Deu-
teronomy 16, 12th and two following verses. After the
service the whole company adjourned to the farm meadow,
where the boys indulged in • series of games. The afternoon
thus merrily spent, a substantial supper was served to the
boys in the spacious and handsome hall which has recently
been erected on the suggestion of the resident chaplain as
alribute to the memory of the late Mr. Melon, who was so
ardent a friend to the institution, and whose lees the com-
mittee deeply deplore. After supper Mr. Gladstone (of
Broad-street, City) made an address to the boy. and to
the company generally, in which he dwelt with justifiable
pride upon the successwhich the institution had attained
and the good it bad achieved. An able address was also
made by the resident chaplain, and agricultural and indus-
trial prizes were distributed to such of the boys as by
their superior merit bail fairly earned' them. Prizes
were also given for cleanliness and order, progress in the
school, exemplary behaviour, and general good conduct.
In the intervals between the distribution of the diffe-
rent classes of trims the boys sang various songs. The
national anthem gave the signal for breaking up, and
brought the proceedings of a happy day to a close.