The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-10-09 00:00:00

(Continued from oar Paper of Friday last,

There are, however, other causes which power-
fully contribute to encourage and perpetuate the
viers of youth, and which admit of a specific and
more immediate returdy : among the foremost of
these incitemeists may be ranked the injurious ten-
dency of impri,so 00000 eon in the pols of the metro-
' polis. It is well known, these prisons do slot admit
of sufficient space for classing and employing the
juvenile 'manners connisitttd to them, or of
jectsog them to such • course of discipline, as
experience has proved efficacious for the reforms.
Umn of criminal youth. Crmorded as these gaols
are to excess, they present a fearful assem-
blage of humus. depravity; Isere the youth who is
committed on suspicion cull, or guilty of a first
offence, is cootinerl with the convicted and the
hardened. Surrounded by such temptation, few
individuals, however virtuous, could escape con.
tamination. Powerfully then must the pollution
opmate soma stied 'steady &hawed. nod alive ill
evil istspressiou. With deep concern the Commit-
tee have often wititersed the fatal 'fleets of such
iniprirt iiiiii reit, sod its their visits to the prison., have
watched the progrrs• of coriuption with "sundial
solicitude. Those who have me their admission ex-
hibited propriety of feeling and decency of insuners,
have soon stylised the bold and sullen demeanour
of the hardened delinquent; and cases have oc-
curred within the knowledge of the Committee,
of lads whom there was every reason to believe its-
parent, and who have been acquitted as such,
whose ultimate ruin may ouequivocably be traced
to their imprisonment.

From the invest gations of the Committee, there
can be little doubt that there are upwards of 8,000
boys in the metropolis, who subsist in a material
degree by depredations on the public, and this
number must be rapidly and daily increasing. A
great proportion of these boys are Fussing constantly
through the Immo', are ripening into the st
atrocious offenders, and on their release are indus-
triou•ly engaged in spreading the knowledge and
practice of crime. Whether so large a postioss of
the. rising georration should he suffered to be tsaito-
erl up its habits sit tuition,* to themselves and in-
jurious to the peace of society, is a question of
sitsl importance to the public welfaies
If. indeed, the juvenile depredator be regarded
as a miserable outcast, who 1545 nu elsorus ou the
interests or compassion of society; if the commis-
sho of his offence he a transgression which no
cerctionstatices tau extremist..., or penitence atone;
if his reforinalion be ru object unworthy of exertion,
or impracticable to effect ; then little need be ttrgetl
organist the species of punishment by which he is
no* injured. hint if, at Ilse Committee firmly be-
lieve, both duty and sound polity require that every
effort should be made to reclaim the vicious; if the
ultimate end of all 1111111411 PCll.llt V be the prevess-
tioin of critite, sod the reformation' of the offender
be is practicable as it is humour awl lust, u can•
toot he dented thst she system of prison discipline to
which he is now subji.cted is etroi 1111111 S 111 principle,
and radically had. Is vitiates rather than deters,
✓od harden. reviser than refooms.

The many latve trot distress to plead on their
behaff that they have friends earnestly desirous to
assistiltens, and that, notwidwiamling, they persist
in their fatal cou,ses, casuist be denied ; yet, even
ill these cave., the hams of the delinquent miry he
traced, if not to the wilful misguidance, to the ism-
prualeot imlulgente sisal carries, example of pa-
rents. The hu)s composing this dais, however, futon
but a onal I proputtwu of the juvenile delredutorsiu
the inettopoli.; the grent majirriiy of whom have
net au opportuoily of amending their live., and
are, strictly 0p...1:n0g, withotit one earthly friend,
The Couttnittee have too desire to txtlie undue
sytupathy for any violator of the lore, hest there are
eases in which counissurien for the ritfesider is out
incoosistent with abhorrence for his c.ime; and if
iu stay caste that feeling might he hirlidgeri. it i•
surely when the object is a child, the offpring of
iginiiiincr, depravity, and begiret, and the victim
of circuinstainei over which he eueski have had
no euutrol. For one thus destitute,. who cm re.
press the feelings of compa•siori ? It is, indeed,
impossible to trace the histories, sod investigate the
situatiou, of massy sof these wretched children,'

. _
without commiseration. Number's are slurs d in.
depravity—tutored in Mae. At an tiny age
they are turned into .th* rustier and date ri it
return to their
.f4tholll a certain k
the fruits of mendicity or theft. Others ore parent-
less : they sleep ut night in the 'streets and market
places, and are, from time to time, in prison for
petty offences Their habitat are, by some, as-
cribed to lunge propensities. and they wee marked
out as objects of the severeot reprelseuvion; but
trained up as many of them ore to vicirras courses,
who can expect diem tO set otherwise? Will any
one rent are to say, that hid ha lii en circumstanced
as many of these childreu are, he would not tease
fallen before surrounding tvroptatititte. Let the..-,
who are most prone to censure, cuntiont the ad-
veutages which have intended their owls childhood,
with the condition of the josende depredator, who
is alike 16 !ranger to doe**, sod the charities of
life, whose earliest itnirreserais have never been
. chastened by relogrous culture. stud whir never ex-
perienced the resintitit and teuderness of parental
authority and love.
In attendesig us the several prisons in the metro-
polis, the Committee hove met with many case, of
boys who were quite hiendless, and who, on their
discharge from confitiensent, literally knew not
where to lay their heads. The Committee have
been desiious of assisting those who were disposed
to abandon a life of vice—and in eider to afford
relief in much eases, they were induced soon after
the commencement of their exertions to establish,
at the cost of the Society, a temporary refuge far
such necesoitour objects; the beneficial effects of
which institution have been stated in a former Re.
port. During the inlet year, this asylum has been
further iostrumental in affording materiel assistance
to a considerable uumber of buys, rind other., who
were discharged destitute from prison. But for
this seasonable arsirostice, the Reedier part of these
lads moat have again resorted to criminal practices
for support. Oil admission into the temporary
refuge, they have been instructed its moral and reli-
gious duty, subjected to habits of order and in-
thistly, and after a time disposed of with a reasons-
prospect of becoming useful members of so-
_ .

There is so much similarity in the cases of the
most destitute classes of these chikhen, that to
relate them would he tedious. The subjects of the
follow nor, narrative um somewhat above the ordinary
description of juvenile depredetors, end are striking
instances of the benefit resulting front the Tempo-
rary Refuge..
•
I.—G. G. • native of Scotland, by trade a bakes, came to
Loud°m at the age of 16 years, in order le procure employ..
neut. He succeeded in tobtaieing a sitteatioe, is which he re-
mained foe two years and a half, conducting himself as as
ia-
dustriors, honest, mod religious plea, mate. At this period he
was seized with a severe fever, sodobliged to quit his Whaster's
booms. The INtie mosey whiebkokationsod was expoodad, sod
by his aloes, he lost his sheaths. Day atter day eras spoil is
a fruit less search fur work, whilst be was convert ism his apparel
into the moues of procuring accessary food. Wheel his last
article of clothing hail berm disposed of, and he was latterly
destitus • this young man remorse lo dialmisest prac-
tices. He was apprehended, sad committed to prisms •
where he attracted the alkalies of • member of the Goas:
miller. In this coedition, he was recent/availed to the
comudevatiou of the Society, and by diem was plaited is
the Temporary Refuge. His desire to medial himself with
propriety, was proved by the esifornt tumor of his coo.
duct. Is a few moieties, he regained fell possession of his
health and strength, which bad suffered much during his
distress lied conlioesseet. After baring reinanied soma time
in the Temporary itefoge, he was provided with detest
clothing, aid with the seemoary outfit for • long voyage, a
al...mine having been obtained for him o• beard as East
ludiamais, in the capacity of shies baker. He is now Ole
his voyage; aud• from the cwovietion ou his 'Hied of the
sinfulness of his past emoted, soil the earnest desire be
appears to feet to adhere to the paths of virtue, there is
every reasonable hope that his future life will be spent in
habits of Gooiest industry.
4.—A. B. was brought up, until the age of 16 years, see.
vaut to a farmer ; he thew mitered into the service of a gentle.
mate, by whom he was, is • short lime, recommended to •
very respectable family, in the vicinity of Loit4oe. For the
spate of nine months he roodoeted himself to the entire
satisfsctioa of his mashy. Abort that time be eofortemately
became acquainted with some bad characters, and sues after
lost his place. He cuutioNed his connexion with them until
the whole of Isis money and rivaling was twisted. He thee
commenced dishouest practices, and was apprehended on •
charge of felony. He was convicted, and widowed to three
monks imprisonment, is the House of Ceerrectiuo, Cold.
bath Fields. Upon his discharge from coollisenseet, be re.
turned to his evil associates, was again convicted of felony,
and was further sentruced to ale mouths imprisonment.—

Daring his secutid euriaetarat be was etiesprilled to labour
upon oar of Mr. Cubitt's twills: t►e effect was strikeiso, fur
at his dkeharge be was anxious to submit to say hardship
rather than return to it.

1161.344. became known to the Conessittee, soil be was ad-
omitted into the Temporary Reface, where his behaviour
gave the greatest satisfactiwt. A situation wise obtained fur
him, in which be has coodurted himself with so much pro-
priety, that his employer has already advanced him tu a bet-
ter employment slow that in which he was aaArst engaged.
4.—W. J. was born at ars ; his hither was for many years
in the naval service. At the age of 14 years be was apprest-
tieed to a trade. lie fell into the company of had charac-
ters, sad joined them in animittiak depredations. His ease
was mode known to the Committee; he was received into
the Temporary Refuge, and having rrma ned a cuissiderable
time RI that aryl , was appreutited to the Captain of a
merchautmssa. His conduct uu board has beets most enema-
plary, and ratirely to the sasisfact of his employers.—
He lately presented himself to theCommiltee, sad return-
ing !batiks fur the kind as4iatance which Ist had received,
said aisle touch rmulivu, "This House has saved use trams
ruin."

b.—C. B. 16 years of age: his parents are both dead. Ile
worked several years at a cotton factory in Cheshire. Hay.
ing found hie way (shunt three years since) to London, be
was employed iu the brielt.6elds in summer, and in the
winter iu several dust yards. Being in company with arm
Wye, he was apprehended with them for rubbing • till in a
shop, and was mummified to the New Prison, Clerkerwell,
where lie was eunliised a week. His conduct during his re.
sidenee in the Refuge arm moat exemplary, and he Las
been apprcuticed for screa years to a reaprclable bone at
Honduras.

A rem distres►ed females nn their discharge front
prison have also been relieved. Anionic these weir,
&—A. D. a Dative of Shropshire, came to Landes at the
age of 14 years, and was placed in the care of lore uncle,
with whom atm heed a year and • half, sad by whams she
oss recommended to the service of a very respectable family,
in which she russtinued three )ears. She them awned herself
as srrvaut is another family, mists whims she lived two years.
She left this Ilitortion, in the bop* of getting a better; but
is this she nes disappointed. Having beta a consider-