The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-27 00:00:00

SOHO STREET .RAGGED SCHOOLS.

On yesterday the children of these schools were entertained
at a substantial dinner of roast beef and plum pudding, by
Thomas Berry Horsfall, Esq., M.P. It was served in the
police-station at Rose-hill, which was kindly placed at the
disposal of the school committee for the occasion. The
children, boys and girls, to the number of 150, headed by
their teachers, and a band of musicians composed of some
of their companions, marched into the room at one o'clock,
and after they had sung a hymn, proceeded to the " attack,"
which though not short, was evidently "sharp and decisive."
The band, both before and after dinner, played a variety of
airs in a very praiseworthy style. Owing to the consecration
at Crosby, Mr. Horsfall could not attend ; but the following
ladies and gentlemen were present :—Mr. and Mrs. Chilton,
Mr. and Mrs. T. D. Anderson, Mrs Horsfall, Mr. L. M.
Brodie, Misses Highfield, Misses Brownall. Miss Westrey,
Capt. and Mrs. Greig, Mr. and Mrs. Hubback, Mr. Board-
man, Mrs. Mason, New Brighton ; Mrs. Bull, Mr. and Mrs.
Langley, Mr. and Mrs. Dean, Mr. James Gillespie, Mr.
James Brougham, cousin to Lord Brougham; Mr. and Mrs.

Heath, &c.
Mr. David Peake, Richmond-row, gratuitously supplied
the knives and forks, table-linen, &c.
As an instance of the advantages of such institutions, we
may mention that one of the assistants present was himself
the pupil of a ragged school. He was taken off the streets
just as he was about to plunge into the course of wickedness,
pursued but by too many. He attended assiduously to his
school duties, and he now fills a situation of considerable
trust in the employ of Mr. Hubback, the secretary.
Dinner having been partaken of by the children,
Mr. HUBBACK, secretary of the institution, then addressed

them. He expressed his regret that others were not pre-
sent whose voices, being less familiar to them than his,
might impress them more. However, although his voice
was familiar to them he trusted it would prove instructive.
In the first place he should tell them that for the entertain-
ment of that day they were indebted to a kind gentleman
who had been unable to be present. He alluded to Mr.
Horsfall, with whose name they were no doubt familiar,
and who was, as they were aware, one of the representatives
of the borough. It was he and he alone who hadinneentect
to them that eumptuous repast, and he hoped they would all
feel thankful to Mr. Horsfall for his kindness. There was
one way in which they could express their thanks to Mr.
Horsfall, and only one—and that was to be all good boys
and good girls. Yesterday he (Mr. Hubbock) had told them
one reason, in fact the great reason, why Christmas was a
time of rejoicing,becauitthatuponthat day the Saviour of the
world was born, previous to whose coming upon earth there
was nothing but darkness and wickedness upcn the whole
face of the globe, but he came and he showed them the way
in which men should live, and how they should be prepared
to die. His great mode of teaching was by kindness, and
by showing how to avoid all the bad passions which so often
disturbed the minds of men. He taught that in place of
men beating their enemies they should love them. Since
his time, and throughout all ages, that day had been kept
as a day of rejoicing, and hence it was that they were met
to day, and he hoped an impression had been made upon their
minds by which they would ever remember Christmas as a
day of joy and a day of happiness. Now, what was required
of them in return for the kindness which had been shown

them, was simply this—they could not do much, but still
they could do something: Each of them in their own little
sphere could show to those who did not know the kindly
feelings which had been taught to them, how they ought to
live, and how they
i ought to act. The speaker here illus-
trated the greater influence of kindness than harsh command,
by the fable of the sun and wind contending which should
compel the traveller to give up his cloak; and observed,
that from that fable, they
.could learn a great deal of truth.
The truth which they might learn was simply this : that
they could never make people to love them, and could never
get what they wanted by using strong harsh words. They
must try by little expressions of affection, by little atten-
tions, and not by any bad, coarse, strong language ; and by
using kindness, by using affection towards all around them,
they would find thwat parties who might have opposed them
in what they wanted, would act like the man with the cloak
in the fable, and throw all these bad passions and their
feelings of opposition aside. He trusted that that day would
not in any way be forgotten by one of them, and that the
kindness which had been shewn to them, would act as a
stimulant upon them throughout the remainder of the time
that they continued in connection with the schools in Soho-
street. They knew that one good action deserved another.
Mr. Horsfall had been kind to them ; and in return for that
kindness, and the kindness which had been shewn to them
by all their friends, they should evince attention to their
classes, industry, and a desire to learn that which they knew
they should learn, in order to get an honest livelihood ; for,
as he had often told them, there was not a single boy or
girl who went into the schools in Soho-street, who would
not, if they did their duty, succeed,
.go forward in life, get
into situations, and not only get into situations, but, by
following the course which was taught them in these schools,
keep them and prosper. He would not be satisfied himself,
nor would other members of the committee, until they made
the Soho-street schools the very best schools in Liverpool.
The boys and girls there ought to be the very best in Liverpool.
lefauy peumma watohcd uvc. thew. Thule wua not a lady or
gentlemen upon the committee who would not give the very
clothes off their backs if it would do good to the pupils of
these schools. Now, they all knew the way to prosper in
the world and do good. The course had been very often set
before them, and if they did not follow it, it would not be the
fault of the committee. Whose fault, then, he asked them,
would it be ?

Several of the boys and girls here replied, " our fault."
Mr. HUBBACK said he was satisfied that they felt the
responsibility, and if they felt that it depended upon them-
selves they would succeed. Let every one of them make up
his mind that if he was not able to read now he would read
in a month, that if he could not write now he would write
in a month, and let them all be determined to get situations,
and determined to succeed, and if they were so determined
he hoped that none of them would ever be in that place
again, except upon the occasion on which they were now
assembled. They should also, after thanking Mr. Horsfall,
thank the watch committee of Liverpool, for the kind man-
ner in which they had granted the use of that noble room
upon that occasion. They might perceive that there were
hundreds in Liverpool who cared for them. He trusted,
therefore, that none of them would prove undeserving of the
kindness which had been shown to them, but that they would
show, by a course of good conduct, that the t appreciated
every effort which had been made for their advantage. The
speaker t 1 en concluded his address, which was loudly ap-
plauded by his hearers.

Mr. HEATH then addressed the party. He observed that
had he not been forewarned before he came into the room,
he would have been very much alarmed to have heard that
the ragged school children were in the hands of the police.
But even if he had not been so forewarned, that alarm would
have disappeared when he saw that they were not only under
the kind guardianship of the police, but in their very house;
because he knew that upon that occasion the police, as rep
resented by their chief constable, Captain Greig, had been
their very best friend. It was with Captain Greig that the
suggestion arose for their assembling in the station ; and
therefore though the police might be a word of terror and
danger to the evil doers, to those who did well they were
good and kind friends. He (Mr. Heath) wished to improve
that little circumstance by impressing upon them that it was
just the same way their heavenly Father stood towards them.
He was a terror to the sinner, but he did not desire to be a
terror ; on the contrary, he desired most earnestly to be a
father and a friend to all. If they were good, he would be
a friend to them; but if they hid their face from him, when
their conscience smote them for breaking his laws, then in-
deed would he be a terror to them. Mr. Hubback had ex-
plained to them the occasion they were there, and there-
fore it was unnecessary for him (Mr. Heath) to remind them
that they celebrated on that day the anniversary of our
Saviour's birth; but he would recall to their recollection the
beautiful language of the angels to the shepherds, when
announcing the birth—" Glory be to God on high, and
peace on earth to men of good will." Those words should
operate on all christian hearts, and it was in consequence
of the words of Christ, that they (the children) had so many
friends who were anxiously desirous of promoting their wel-
fare and benefit. In that word " good will," what a great
deal was expressed. On the present occasion, it expressed
that they should have all the proper enjoyments of the sea-
son ; but they should not allow Christmas to be associated
in their mind merely as a day of roast beef and plum pud-
ding; no, it should carry to their minds the idea of a spi-
ritual duty. It was clear that God meant by his command-
ment peace and good will to all, and therefore he (Mr. Heath)
wanted particularly to urge on them the necessity of bearing
this in their hearts, and to exhibit it not only in their out-
ward actions, when under the eye of their masters and
friends, but on all occasions, and to all. Let them not suppose
that, because they were poor children, they were incapable
of doing or showing kindness to those above them. It was
in their power to make their own homes comfortable, and by
their example to reclaim from their drunken and vicious
habits their too negligent fathers and friends. Mr. Heath
strongly impressed this point on his youthful audience, and
concluded by calling on them for three cheers for Mr.
Horsfall.
The call was promptly responded to, after which the pro-
ceedings terminated.

LIST OF PASSENGERS PER ROYAL MALL STEAM-SHIP
EuRoPA, no NEW Yonx, 14th DECEMBER, 1853,—Mr.
Antonio Palacio, lady and child ; Mr. H. G. Wheaton ;
Mrs. T. Dyamond; Miss A. Dyamond; Mr. Parnell, lady
and child; Mr. Marryat, lady and child; Messrs. R. W.
Sykes, I. S. Oxley, C. Miming, S. Spittaler, Roasin,
Murray, M. Rothschild, J. A. Knight, Wade, Denholm,
Winslow, H. C. Speldon, W. Chambers, J. Howard, and
servant, H. C. Becton, Riker, Harty, Shaw, Millet,
Corseret, E. Ryan, R. Reid, Manelino Palacio, Broadbent,
and lady ; Messrs. T. Savandero, R. Coleman, Tilghman,
A. Molson, Chevalier, Muller, J. Dunkin, W. R. Morgan;
Mrs. Condon, M. Hughes, and two children; Messrs.
McAuslan, J. Koch, J. B. Price, D. Leslie, G. W. Stuart,
G. R. R. C. Wells, N. Davis, Frehon, A. Raskeway, Martin,
Fitz Milner, J. Lucas, U. A. Franco, D. Farquharson, M.
Mellis.

DRUNKENNESS IN LIVERPOOL.—There were upwards o
150 persons brought before the magistrates, at the police.
office, yesterday, charged with being drunk and disorderl;
on the preview day.