The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-29 00:00:00

TO TIM BDITOR 01 TEI ELPI2SI.

Big,—The information obtained at the supper
gives in the Queers-street Refuge to about 100 of the wild
sad wandering boys of Loudon on February 14, has deter-
mined us to maks an appeal to the public sympathy. There
can be no doubt that the class is numerous, and made up
of lads varying in age from six or seven years up to 16. It
isrtintly clear that they are the end plot of a large pro-
pooel the crime and violence that disturb the pews
and safety of the metropolis. Assuming the individuals
assembled at the supper to be fair samples of the entire
body. and having aided our lodgment by the examination
cd several others, we have emu to the oinalusion that a very
great number have no parents at all, that many have lost
one went ; that many, throve' the desertion or miscon-
duct of their permits, have practically no home ; and that
some few are mere truants, who lead • roving life because
they dislike domestic order.
In any effort that may be made. great cam will be taken
to distinguish Waage the deserving and undeserving
claimant& Their educatioe is, of course, very low, amount-
ing, in truth, to almost nothing at all. The little that any
of them know bas been acquired by abort and irregular
attendant:sr at schoola,.a fact which will remove the
surmise ex by navy visitors at the upper that the
lads MOM to be more or less acquainted with the mesie
and words of several hymns. Though in tatters, and dirty,
they enjoy a fund of physical strength far exceeding th
health of those children who live perpetually is close end
filthy courts and overcrowded houses. Their intelligence
is remarkable, and, so far as we can form an opines, from
experience, dnrmg five weeks, of some 50 or 60 of these
lads, they appear desirous of instruction and ready to se li-
mit to rule and discipline, if it be administered with kind-
ness. We appeal to the public to sid us in a plan for the
recovery year by year of many hundreds of tWee young
castaways.
We propose a home is the country. near London, and
a ship to be moored in the Thames. The home in the
country would receive the lads of inferior health and less
adventurous diopositions ; the ship those who might be
trained for emigration or a maritime career. By boatieg,
sailing, and teaching in the various departments of naval
industry man might be qualified to supply the went of
well prepared boys, so generally felt by the commercial
and royal services. We have obtained from the Admiralty
the promise of • ship on the condition of undertaking every
expense, both of adaptation and repair ; and we hope to
plan it under a distinct sub-committee a experiesud gen-
tlemen, though directly,connected with the Refuge in Great
Queen-street.
The lads would not be taken in at • lower age than ben,
nor at a higher age than fifteen ; two year. in some cases,
and use year in others, of training would be sufficient. The
sum required to accomplish then wanes would be 3,0001.
fee an outfit and a start in the work ; with an annul income
6,0001. With this we could safely engage to have 400
boys always under training for service, and to dispose of at
least MO etch year, and thus do something( tosseds the
abatement of this deplorable waste of physteal sad marl
seeress, and the eonvernoe, God helping us, of what a
now a scourge, into a positive idessiag.—We are, ke.,
SR A FTESBURY
WIL WLLLIANS, Searetary,
I Boys' Refuge., 8, Great Quees-street, Lincoln's.
March 88.

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