The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-23 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

MAr 18.
The Wiener Zeilung this morning publishes the
'mg-expected returns of the income and expenditure
of the year 1810. The following is the melancholy
result:

Florins.
Total income of Austria
Ditto expenditure

Causing a deficit therefore of 139,039,000
The Austrian government has therefore in 1819
spent mealy double its incoma. The F mill re-
quired for the army amount alone to 157 million
florins, so that this one item exceeds the annual in-
come. Tho expenses of the court amounted to
4,796,389 florins. The reigning family possess a very
large private fortune.
A clnenrrlat is about to be concluded with his Holi-
ness the Pope for the regulation of the affairs of the
church.

BERT.P,' MAT 21.—VoltuitarF 1051; Nat.on.ll Debt , BSI ;
Danl. Miaree„

i;;;;;),..,-11A;;19.—Fire per Cent. MetsUniur, 92 :..1C ; Four
per lAntm., 90 3.18.

VISITS TO THE LONDON RAGGED SCHOOLS.

BROOK-STREET.

The anomalous neighbaarhood of the Hampstead-
road—called by sarcastic persons Camden-town, but
which the " genteel " delight to designate u Regent's-
park—is perhaps not very remote from the reader's
residence. However this may bP, he will pirhaps
encase me fur detaining him on the journey with a
few observations.

Since my last letter a great deal of doubt which
may have existed as to the tendency of Itagged
Schools has been cleared up. The weather itself—l
which while I now write exhibits a brilli-
ancy that is quite unseasonable in England—is
not more changed for the better. It is
annecenary, however, to enter into facts with which
the public have been already made familiar through
there columns. Taking it tor granted, therefore, t1.,4t
no sensible person now accuses ragged schools of hav-
ing caused the large increase of juvenile crime since
184 I, the question, "What are, then, the real Cl 11.4”: ?"
becomes very important. lam indebted to Mr. Wil-
liams, the honorary secraary of the King Edward-
street Ragged School (some account of which I gave
in my first letter), for some statements which will
assist this inquiry. They are valuable illustrations of
the truth of one or two arguments which I have be-
fore touched upon. The statements are those of boys
in the King Edward-street school, and it should be
observed that they have not been adopted without
proper confirmation and assurance of their accuracy.
" The following," says Mr. Williams, "is from a
very exemplary lad, concerning whom his teacher
says—' I cannot speak too highly of him, and will
guarantee the truth of the statement now lade f"—

- I have been at the school nearly three years. I came to play.
The boy who brought me said, " Come, and let us have a
lark at the ragged school." 1 said, " Very well." If it had
not been for the kindness of my teacher, if she had not per-
suaded me as she did, I should never have kept to it. I c. 1141
neither read nor write when I first came ; now I can do
both. My Sundays were spent playing at "rounders," and
gambling. I used to play with thieves. I have seen them
thieve when I was with them. I went with them on pur-
pose to thieve myself ; that was before I came to the ragged
school. We often used to go into shops and steal anything
we could get. I always got part of what they stole. One
day we went into the stop of a poor old woman, without
money, and asked the price of different things ; at last we up-
set a pail of water, and took a lot of brass weights
and a dozen of congreves. We often used to go into shops
like that. One boy would say to the woman in the shop,
" Here, look here, ma'am, he wants to take this ;" and
while she was looking at the boy pointed at he wotild take
whatever was nearest to him. Theatres have often tempted
me to thieve for money to go. My mother used to let me
go to theatres, singing rooms, and " penny gaffs," and come
home at any time in the morning without saying a word to
me about it. I used to go from three to tine nights a-week
to the theatre. if I didn't go three I used to think I was
lost. The gallery used to he sixpence. I always used to go to
the gallery, barring the holiday times, then you might say I
was breeched, for I used to save for it, and then go to the
pit. There are more boys go now (that the price is three-
pence) than ever there was. My companions often used to
go into the crowd, jut as it they were going in, and take a
handkerchief from a gentleman's pocket, come out and sell
it, then go up ; that was principally on benefit nights, Be-
nefit nights are more crowded than other nights.
I suspect he. turned a " gonoff " (thief).
He we. bragging to some boys in our shop about it.
It is not through hie coming to the school, for he has not
been hers for some time. I think it is for the want of
coming to the school. He went with thieves before became
to the school. He goes out with a thief named —, who
lives in Moor-lane. My sister, I am sorry to say it, is court-
ing one of the penny rigger, at the Saloon. It isa
most disgusting plate; there is all sorts of evil conduct
there ; it belongs to a Jew. I have spoken to her several
times about it. Last Wednesday evening I was talking to
her about her impropriety for two hours, till at last she got
out of temper, and I could say no more to her. There used
to be a lair kept at Battens' on the Sunday. I often used
to go there. Ono Sunday I was tossing under the railroad
arch down here, when two men caught hold of me, and said,
" We'll take you to prison." Of course I was very muck IrUhte
tined, for I thought they were policemen in disguise. They
asked me how much mousy I had got. I told them 28. ;Id.
One said, " Well, here, give it to us, and we'll let you go;"
so I gave it to them. They called me a young vagabond,
for tossing my money on the Sunday ; but I thought them
the greatest vagabonds, for taking my money after I had
carted it—at least I did not earn it, I won it by tossing, all
but 41d. I won 151. on Christmas morning by tossing, but
I lost it all again. I was at it moon after 7in the morning
and did not go home before 3. I used to sell anything I
could get to go to the theatre, or to toss. I thought
anything about clothes before I came to the school, bat I
can safely say lam a hundred pounds better off now. • •
• • • There is no comparison be my dress now
and when I first came to the school. lam devised ten to
one better now. Ido not think lam too respectable to come
to the school. I would never leave the ragged school, not if
I was worth thousands. I will always be connected with
one, either as a teacher or to spend my time in some way or
other. I have learned by the ragged school, and I owe more
to it than to my parents. I owe my teacher more than ever
NM pay her. I have MOOR to be very thankful that I ever
came to the school, and i< it ever ilea in my power I hope to
return something that I consider I owe to it. I'll do it all
the good I out you may depend. I have no father, but my
father-in-law is better to me than my own father. My father
ran away. My mother is kind to me, but she will keep on
with her blackguardness. When I tell her of her evil ways
she says, " Hav'nt you got all you want, and what need
have you to mind about me f" When I ask her to go to
church a chapel, she sem " Well, don't I go to church t

go to church once is throe yearee
wants a child christened, or when oho waste to get married
she goes. The last time elm went to church it was to get
child eturietened ; that was about two years age; trop,the church they all went to the publio.home ; if it had cot
been for the christening she would not have gone to church
then. If I could get into some rospeetable family where!
could get bread, lodging, and wsahisg, we'd!. I%ly
lags wont tallow me to do that. I mean, if I could {Mt a
place where I could sloop, I could then board super. 1/"e
heard any of the boys in the school ask the others
to
go thieving with them. There is many a boy who would
not like to go to a respectable school where they are
all
drama like gentleman's sous, but they do not mind going to
a ragged school. I have heard p•ople run ragged schools
down, then my temper 'stoup.

. - -
The following will speak still more expressively in
favour of rigged schools. The fact of a great change
wrought in the character and appearance of thli
youth is amply corroborated by his present emoler,
aria also by his teacher, who, doubtless, with the
others has an influence for good upon the selvvil
generally. His employer states, " his conduct is as
different now as light is from dark—there is no tom.
pinion. I attribute it to the ragged schools, mxt
decidedly."
The Begged School has done me a great deal of good
lately. I was as bad for two years u when I tin; cams.
My teacher remonstrated with me one Lien af•cr ttt Y.,y3
had had their praver meeting, and to.d me that I was a
great lad, and ought not to be lurking in a place such Gi I
was then in. If it bad not been for her I might thee ',tin
as bad se when I first came; I might have en
where I ought not to have been—whero my brothers are—
that is in singing rooms. I spoke to any sister, who is mu.
rind, about going to thus siegisg rooms. She :aid it we.
very wrong for matted people to go, but there was no hum
for single young chaps to go. I told her if it was wrong !oi
married people to gar, it must be wrong for single poops to
go. I've seen enough going to singing rooms. We bad cot
heard anything from my brother for a month last Sent !ay
night, then he came and bragged that he wac heir;
with some ore—some girl. My brothers East ask, (.!
lately to go with them, but I tell them I don't gar ti
piaci, now. Just before my father died he wen: t, :isc

witO same woman who had five children—that, yau may
say, was through singing rooms. My father wed ta say 'le
" Effingham " was a very comfortable place ; you ciuld 'it
and have your pipe and your pint very cmfortaii:e. It
wao a noted place of mine to go to. lie used to let us
as we liked. We used to have to go after him t,
key, then he would keep us till 12 ur 1 o'cluck is th,
log. These singing rooms are generally at beersb,:ps—st
IMO places you can go in if you are only 14. At n. at a.:
the beersbops the admission is free—some charge a /.?Zir.F,
some a hal`penny. Some places they put a perry a ~at
on the beer ; they charge 64. for:porter and fcr s. , f
which you pay 4d. at the bar; they kc ..ss Lye, ,
do it.: it don't matter to them who drick as lac;

get the money. I have seen a boy, with a girl layirg ht.!
of hie arm, go up. enough to make you laugh to >•ck
them. it you were to wait outside the —, you .E%;
bola ar.d girls coming out between 12 and 1 o'cicik

morning: the r language is awful; bad in the
There are more go to these places on Saturday and Mir :.;
nights. Saturday i; pay night; they go then brc r^ 7
have got the money to spend. A great many go or. :-..nday
eight, but there is no Melting then—the law wemt
I could take you to almost every singing room In t-
ereetprcal; then an very few but whit I hr:_ in • •,.
If you notice, you will vs put up, "Select harm .t..
evening ; admission free." &me have written up, " •-.

concert—Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday cc:•: in_
The chairman sits at one end of the room,
the deputy at the other. The Judge asa I
Clubs are open on Sunday night they are g.
rally held at beer-shops, sometimes at public•h<.o
Boys and girls are admitted to them is well as the ails.
rooms. It either the complainant or the prisoner or an:
then don't sr ask the words right they are fined a Id. ;
fines are kept on till they get to Is., which is spent :.tier i
over in liquor—sometimes the money is saved up for -
once a quarter. If they see a stranger come isto tte r .
they will knock his ha: over his eyes, and if he ssect.rs 1.
fined 2d. It is all done to pass the evening away. I
asked to belong to a Judge and Jury Club lately, Lc
I know, the tines are to go towards an eunrsion. Is: ; .
and jury club is the ragged schoei, and my singing 7 ._
their too. I have b .en at the Standard, the
the City. I have paid Gd., but when the price •1
to 3d. I used to go almost every night. One N
night I lost my place through going. I used t
these places before I came to the school, 5..:
I came to the school I beau% been rim t. •

I found more pl.a,ure here. I used to save =sal
Mg to the ragged !school. I never go to theatre
rooms. or judge and jury clubs either now. " C Jai(
lived at the corner, asked me to go once he c..so.

school once, and only once, but I:did:nt qo. 1. kr.

before I came here. My aunt, with whomA ar.i
went out last Monday ; she was at the - ru

and I had to sit at tie' moot for tier. I to.kl
she went out swan to let me have the key, for I

come to auth pfsees u those for it, they didu't suit
brother said to me last Sunday morning, " .
to your put." I made answer I could stand it, but wr.•
in the habit of spending money on the Sunday caw
taster said, " I hope you will keen like that." If
come to the school I might have been u bad as my butt'.
sod, perhaps, have got into prison. I could not :
gone to other schools dirty, but I cou:d come 1
dirty. I used to wuh myself sometimes once a week, so.
'imam twice a week. I used to work tit. lor 2 on Sac
then sometimes take a penny boat and go to St. JAL.
perk. At that time there used to ba rows outside the 1,7
between me and the other boys. None of the boy=
asked me to go thieving with them. My master after.

ma that when I used t. work for him before, I Ltd la

nor nothing to put on, now he says" there is a

lerence and h
• - -3" kve Ru.d th'
Tr•

I ismetim,.

how I used to eet turned out of the Ragged School. ai
I used to get lighting.

On al sides then testimony as to the evils of tie
cheap dancing saloons and tavern plays mar
multiplied. Attention has been recently caned to tat:
subjEct in a new and popular periodical: and tao
reader may be assured that the descriptious there
givtn are by no means exaggerated.
celebrated Mr. Whelks is no fictitious yerso.-..
lie is only a " representative man.' ILe
society in which he singles is made up ti
myriads of minor Mr. Whelksee, who ditlet troul
ham principally in being less amusing and wore
. .

chie;ous. characteristic illustratio; of the p3pl..a:
entertainments of the lower classes, and the attem.:c

which is bring directed toward• them, appearea
the other day among the police reports of the D..
Nries. A number of the dramatis peraoti-- aLLI
ral of the audience found in a penny theatre, ..r,
brought before a magistrate and visited a ith
priate peoaltie& The evidence of the po.ice

On that occasion leaves no donbt as t

bad tendency of the performances m..;e, pop
among such classes. It appeared from the state;;;
made, that the " leading ideas" of the pie... re

seated are generally ideas leading to crinic, and
the " plots" upon which they are founded are
spiractee to rob and murder. Ilig'uwaymen are
. . . .

heroes, except when a deviation ie made in favour .1
housebreakers; murder is considered " liaN•

ness," and even picking a pocket ensures a round oi
applause.
Leaving these facts to speak for themselves. std
deferring some general remarks which I shaii nave
make upon the causes of juvenile crime until sno :.er
opportunity, I will request the reader to imig.re
himself arrived, at last, at the Brook•strect
School.

Situated in a small court running out ei a :are
street, in a neighbourhood of which even the pt:acii•li
thoroughfares are far from ornamental or
there is a dismal air of repose about the ex-,r-or
this institution which is scarcely cakuln, ! give

pleasure to any but the philosophic gentleie Ur.
Dickens's novel, who delights in becoming exti:irced
under difficulties.As in all low neighbourhoodsdqc -.e-
cipal inhabitants of the court are chi:tint,. R.
however, not appearing cleaner or better cared f,,r
most., juveniles of their class, present no retuarka".,.c
feature for comment. The impression produced t.y
visit to the spot is a feeling of gentle languor. a ttLx-
tare of indifference and despair, such as is opt to Iv
inspired by any dirty street in wet weather. A
casualty from which it is impossible to dissociate some
parts of London, and from which I seriously beiieve
they are never exempt.
The interior of the school is unadorned, but spaeiot:s
and airy—bare walls, lighted with tlarin.; gar
jets ; a eloping roof with naked wooden beam.,
behold its component parts. Add to thew..
some fifty children, lees subdued perhaps in
their behaviour than could be desired, listening to
a gentleman who is delivering a familiar style of lec-
ture upon some useful subject, and the scene is com-
plete. I heard the gentleman in question, on the eve-
ning of my visit, explaining the mode in which gas tv
manufactured. This he did in a clear and foreib:o
manner, without any formality or affectation, and with
evident effect ; for when he paused now ant} then to
question his hearers as to the principal points of his
discourse, their answers were as clear and compre
hensive as could be desired. " Now, my hoc s,"
the lecturer, " tell me what gas is mad from •
"Coals," cried a number of infant prodigies, with
ono voice. "Very true; and what are trio
coals placed in " In a cylinder." cried
an equal number of erudite boys, and SO on
with the main features of the process. It till) he
doubted by sternly practical persons whether con-
dition of an ignorant ragged tribe of boys is likely to
be beuellted by a knowlede of gas making, or any
similar branch of information ; but a little reflection
must render it apparent that even if instruction of
this kind has no actual and immediate influence upon
their morals and mode of life, it at all events &Num

•-••••—•:, itioe—intereets them, perbspe—and may
•••••,' coon upon subjects which are not alto-
*.;‘,
t.c'car that at
fistedwith their ultimate welfare. At
1r „.., i• a boy with his heed fall
Is? *:•,-.,l•pt • ouggettive illustration—is likely to
tM :c his ser, rations than one who has picked
"s: - !earning in the lowest paths of vice.
c-tit c disemirse having been concluded, a
mud. alter which the school was dismissed.
::arrot he!? staling it al My opinion, that the
et the prec.edier was far from Natio.
• indifferenoe and levity displayed by the
,•••• ,o the hove during the prayer, and a hymn
• o.•••• e: made a show of joining. was a most
▪• ' :gi;ihiJior. Indeed, several boys were ex-
• -.;; the et rcmony for noise interruption.
r • mu hound to admit that this is the worst
• ;,.e ti.at ever csme under my observation,
roe of the necessity—which has
more than one occasion—for some O-
r-. -,;1/4 ouch demoralising scenes. The system
''••• ~.;b ys ..1 muse is a very excellent and ems-
`. to a certain extent. Arithmetic,
':' • raT be tsugkt by wane of a piece of,
; A large block board ; history, whether
- mcy be implanted by a single
• ~'71.,:t4 a large clan It is a mere pies-
•,,e. Every boy has the same opine-
and the cleverest and quickest
• • • - •7 r. while others may perhaps !
• ••, r:os progress. As lone as mere
• are concerned. the dull boys, who !
exclasive attention on the part of a
- ••• any rate not receiving positive harm.
l•,•sond, suppose religion and morals to
•.
;et of irstruction, and the ease becomes
,e. Tao boys who are not deriving good
••ro.ior are effecting injury to themselves
• - expense. They are ridiculing his
inducing their companions—for every-
. ...tile, high or low, has his circle of
do the same; and their ultimate cos-
i;
• meta matter of the mere difficulty. A
•. ; ewalsond—a thief, perhaps, whose short
• •
.. .r. one I leg battle with society, in which
.7 •t. :ectg party—who feels no venire-
. ac has nicer experienced any benefi-
• . • at, os:icv w low and authority to be
1. .r.riies. bscan-e be has never benefited
suddenly required to join in
:t-ut food, he is told to return thanks
. • • ith ut hope, he is ins'ructed to
rso.."!. impossible Conine. The whole
..• • . id^i ridiculous, and the chances are
idly. It is evident, then, that
war*: the-. useless in an utterly lg.
...• . j spared assembly, or in an assembly
• portion of the utterly
.ignorant and
• . „ ; e iilestion then arms, how are
he tau;!..t the necessary truths of
: . • ? It sypecre to methat the
. mmenced individually and in ppren
• :N .rohip should be offered—
. • ..rlic school-room. which in moat
oiler to all comers, but in a separate
:tole are be admitted who
. • to understand and partici
aiags. Under this 3 stem I firmly
• • class would be continually in-
, • ar d would not be long in includ-
e ; after wli!c:i or.ty the new
; • • . arrive from time to time, would
.• :emir-ury .luaiou. I believe,
• . • • .!,te• woold lead to honourable emu-
rye to rad: with the privileged
. womd tend to remove the
•• • beta expressed with regsird
, • , in such institutions. As
: • .• which may be made to
.r::.• I :ace :o; thick that they can
• r .1 T. 17 taght addition to the num-
. misters would be sufficient; and
;• I am convinced, quite saf-
• • -- even a grsater sacrifice. It must,
• . S'.r. • reatanable persons that a
s. -reel e -idr.se Lis teacher without a
;er t...r., i:. a Londiticn to approach
... .1%11.a.
to the schcol—
...` 1 2 ~17. r • f the committee

. It is opened

e• ai.d on Sat-urday
n-rn Int average attendance of
• • n and finial..., is MO, there being
of 20(i) pr.(ent. Fifty-three
le! have been purchased daring
hr the scholars. Oat of the
ctciposing the industrial class,
4).lrect in a small house, which
• 1.... en eprt door to the school, bed-
-. k .ts purchased for them. All of
ern employed and fed, and some
• .ed in addition. Eighteen boys and
..,C been thus provided for during the
he boys were most of them habitual
nad in many instances been convicted
• ed, but they can now be entrusted to
the horsehair when planed, sod receive
•. It was on one occasion when a boy
tai that an incident occurred which is
Mr. Gordon in his letter. A boy was
-billing and sixpence for the work,
.yen by mistake a sovereign and a
n. This he at once returned without
•. and thus established a character far
•• has tended greatly to his advantya
that one of the Ms (formerly a de-
•: laid one morning to the muter of the
Mr. -- I want to tell you looms-
..ir. The other night I took a shilling
• ;:tier's pocket while he was asleep, and
-.lit, but as I was going along I could
of what yogi told as the other day,
v.. that puts it in our mind to steal
i cot get it out of my mind, and es
and put the shilling into my brother's
••itne industrial class for boys, there is
•.-.tvic. a week, to teach them needle-
, &miter:lel society for affording relief
•I the children. fhe committee con-
.ey are doubtless right—that the ludas-
'..e most really beneficial part of the
"e c.nstata control exercised over the
f .rralt.;(,n of industrious habits, have
• ,t raising their character than the
r. 4 of the rigged school.
zritted that the principal difficulty
a pecuniary one. flee averse
i per week for food for each boy.
• twelve boys were kept in the ke-
: a regular master engaged, the
....ion beyond its present in
it., allowance from the
the boys labour, would be at

i. ITAL.—Yeaterday
a."it useful limitation, established for
• t.rvature of the spine, &e. &c., was
rtemesieas' Tavern, when upwards of
L':1111101 eat down to dinner. The
••.• fr.ul of Cardigan. Oa the removal
• yea cad constitutional toasts WON
`L..% the chairman nave the toast of the
the 1%1 Orthopo•iic Hospital."
which devolnl on him would be
t-eitiar fates than by any laboured
beta hammed that Mate the
VA, Imitate bad been relieved
• aced teat rditi (.4 iril were oonstantly
Wtts they mandated tha dieabling
I *Ltd were trestad by this lash-
•'• blessinss which wet* conferred
tt ted that they would not
ep;ral to their charity and
to join with this toast " The
t• Ilur,r the foulderof the institution."
• ..mel hunks, alluding at the sass
mu e!, is having, by a webeeliPtion
.• L.' A.? the Prince of Weiss a lite peer-
' r.•• out henna beta duly honoured,
.4 wee rely!, amounting to 3051.
'"" rate the health of the medical
• t•ramtntine at the sans time on
• ~. 'esti s'ildnitted to their care not
entram to** la-
' • .tv,ed Int of subscriptions
tt.• tote: upward, 1,0001. ; sad
•• LS Lear. di.,posed of, this proceed.

7,/ UNIVERSTrY Mums
1,..v.• Merrell bie• Irina the eon of
r tbantp Iron • debt of 3,0014.
10 • cootautioa to the cul-
t- Maser. wroth is to be had
The Marital I
tot for Waal (A seam the

IZ.).

t; Lux elfieielly relished the
e b..os.—(iearifeec

.•
:7 • • .
i.
_
a.
•
• •
. .
,