The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-18 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL SESSION.

The Midsummer Sessions for the Borough of Li-
verpool commenced on Tuesday last, but the prison-
ers not being very numerous, nor the cases very in-
tricate, the whole criminal proceedings were finished,
and the sentences passed in the course of the follow-
ing day. The town clerk having, as usual. read the
aft for suppressing riots, and the King's Vmclama-
tion for the encouragement of religion and morality,
the Deputy Recorder addressed the Grand Jury in a
very judicious and impressive manner, on the differ-
ent topics which these papers were calculated to
sup,gest. He remarked that, in his opinion, the in-
habitants of Liverpool, considered as a public body,
were virtuously and decently disposed, inclined to
regular habits, and to pay obedience to the laws.—
Belt in such a large and multifarious population, it
was not to be supposed, but that all the vices noticed
in the royal proclamation, would be found in various
degrees of enormity. He noticed the great increase
of public houses in the town ; a circumstance un-
doubtedly tending to facilitate all kinds of disorder
among the lower classes, but he entertained no doubt
but the magistrates would exercise all possible care
in the distribution of licences. He next adverted to
the dreadful and destruelive vice of gaming. We
might congratulate ourselves, he said, on the very
small progresshitherto made bytbat most tremendous
of all evils, for, wherever it is found to prevail, the
foundation of every social and relative duty is imme-
diately sapped, and it is not long before every virtu-
ous and regular habit is completely subverted...—
He then noticed, in very energetic terms, an evil
which, though in some degree inevitable, every
friend of public order must deeply deplore. He al-
luded to the iacreasing nu:nbers and profligate con-
due of those unhappy females who infest the streets
of the town in an evening, and by whom the feelings
of every decent inhabitant are perpetually outraged.
He properly observed, that no positive institution
being found sufficient to eradicate this evil from ci-
vilised society, the laws took no cognisance of the
prig ate morals of thoie unhappy persons; but they
had a right to interfere when their public condo&
became offensive and injurious. On this principle
he exhorted the magistrates to use their best endea-
vours to punish every violation of public decency
with the greatest severity, and this. he dcubted not,
would, in a short time, produce its proper elleCt.—
He then proceeded to notice more circumstantially
the different offences which were to occupy the at-
tention of the Court at the present Sessions. He
was very sorry to say, that, notwithstanding all the
exertions and repeated conviltions of that Court, the
pradice of stealing merchandise from ships and
warehouses. by porters and labourers, was still very
prevalent. and even seemed to increase with the pu-
nishment which were designed to suppress it! He
exhorted the court. the jury. and the inhabitants at
large, to unite their efforts in checking the progress
of this increasing and intolerable grievance, without
which no confidence could be reposed in servants,
nor any trade carried on with ease and security.—
The tacllity with which stolen goods were disposed
of, was, he said, one great cause of continuing the
evil, and he wished the inhabitants at large to be
informed. that by purchasing goods in this way, they
were not only subjeft to severe penalties from the
excise laws, but if purchased greatly below the value,
were liable to criminal prosecutions, 4 receivers of
stolen goods.

LADtia e(Y.kISIITTET.

Extr.,l from an A toottut of the Lathe; Committee for pronut•
log the Edi:eatinu and gu.p'0%.,,,,,t uf ate Female P 0.4.
(aancluded from ow Paper of Monday list.)

APPENDIX, N.) 1.

COPT Of THE ADDRICH SEs ROUND TO Tlit t *LOT
SUBSCaI PSIS, AND 01 HEM

bons the result of the different measures, which
have been adopted for the improvement of the clia-
raaer and condition of the poor, it appears that tho e
plans have been most successful, in which lathe;
have taken an aaive part in the arrangement and
execution. Their habits of life, and their exemption
from political and professional engagements, give
them very considerable advantages, not merely in
the detail, but in the peculiar kind of attention and
interest which subjeas of this Stature require. In
one very important part, that which concerns the
education and employment of the female poor, it is
most obvfous that very little can be done dr:6lll.'lly
or decorously, without the intervention of their ass a sex.
It is a melancholy truth, that a yen: considerable
part of the profligacy and misery of the lower class
of females, not merely in London, but in the king-
dom at large, originates in the want of education
and employment. Women are excluded front many
occupations and means of life; and in some of those
which do naturally and properly come within their
sphere of action, they are grievously and unjustly
intruded upon by the other sex. Besides this, they
cannot, consistently with decency, or regard to clia-
raaer, go out in quest of general employ meat ;
but are confined, most frequently, to a few scanty
and unproduaive kinds of labour.
As far AS the wretched and pitiable circumstances
of many of these women are occasioned by the in-
attention of the upper and more enlightened classes,
their superiors will, in some degree, he responsible
for the consequences. The efforts of individuals for
the correaion of this or of any tither general evil
will, it must be confessed, prove weak and inade-
quate : but it is well known that, with the advantage
of the increased power of ro-operation, there is hard-
ly any thing which miy not be gradually and
securely effeaed ; and—with a degree of cite and
to an extent of benefit, far exceeding the calculation
of those, who have only contemplated the tolttary
power of indiriclual exerting. . . . .

These are the celsiderations which have induced
the General Committee of the " Society for better-
ing the Condition of the Poor," to address itself to
those Ladies who have favoured the Society with
their subscriptions, and to submit to them the prac-
ticability and expediency, of forming a " Lathes
Committee for the education and employment of
the Female Poor." Originating from and connect
ed with the Society, it is concaved that it may he
formed and arranged, and nuy be made extensively
and unexceptionably useful, with very little if any
trouble, expence, or difficulty.
It is not in contemplation to solicit new subscrip-
tions, from those Ladies who are at present sub.
scribers to the Society. The proposal extends no
further than (with their concnrrence and approba-
tion) to transfer from the Ist of January, 1804, their
subscriptions ..s the forming of a new rand, which
shall be under the direction of the Ladies Commit-
tee:—the Society offering the use of the committee-
room, No. 190, Piccadillv, for their me: tugs ; and pro-
posing the continuance of the deliver yof their present
number of reports, free of expence; and the supply of
any additional number, at prime cost, for additional
Subscribers. The meetings of the Ladies Com-
mittee (it is presumed) need not be more than once
a month; those of the sub-committees, which will
consist of a few of the alive members, may be l•eld
more frequently. The forming of the regulations
of the Committee, the providing for similar Liabet
Committees in the provincial towns and in the me-
tropolis, and the eleaion of a Patroness, Vice Pa-
tronesses, President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Se-
cretary, and additional members of the Committee,
from among the Subscribers, will be done most
conveniently by a Primary Committee ; which, it is
suggested, may be named by the General Committee
of the Society; upon the recommendation of those
Ladies, who may have the goodness to take a di•e&.
ing put, in the arrangement and execut on of the
plan. In the Ladies Committee so fo.mvd, the fu-
ture regulations and eleCtions will be properly and
permanently vested ; the qualification for a member
of the Committee being the subscription of one an-
nual guinea or upwards, or of ten guineas or up-
wards in one sum.

The proposed objeas of the Ladies Committee
will be the promoting of moral and religious educa-
tion, and the supplying of healthful domestic em-
ployment, for the female poor of England. As to
the first of these, it is not easy to estimate how
much may be done on such a scale, by attention,
unitsoce, cad encownement; all co-operating to
promote the establishment of female schools, in
places where they are wanted; and, where they are
already established, to render them as extensively,
impartially, and unquestionably useful as may be.
With red to the second objed—the supply of
healthful domestic employment for the Female
Poor—the Ladies Committee will have it in their
power to do much, by furnishing the poor with 1.,-
strodioe and InArmatioa adapted t the local cir-
cumstances of the different parts of England i—so
as to point out the cheapest mode of obtaining good
materials—the most advantageous method ut mak-
ing them up—and the best and most certain mar-
kets for t),,ir work. The Lad:m Committee will
also be induced, from time to ~oIP, to take under
their conwderation, how fat, ;..t, v !dually or collec-
tively, by vampire or by indtat. t. they can pro-
perly and effeftually promote ti'e use and sale of
those articles, which may be manufactured by cot.
tagers' wives and daughters at borne, and without
withdrawing them from their habitations, or pre-
venting a regular attention to their families.
A variety of interesting occupation will progres-
sively attract the attention of the Ladies Committee,
as they ertend their scope of benevolence. Much
of the injury, which the Female Poor suffer by beirg
precluded from several kinds of occupation, and by
being interfered with in otl-ty employments, would
be speedily and effetaually removed. Many of the
si.tlicultiei which attend their getting work, and a
great part of the inipositioas to which they are corn.
gelled to submit it, the disposal of the produce of
industry, will be soon done away, when they shall
have the advantage of the protellion and influence
of a Committee, consisting of some of the must ele-
vated aad enlightened of their own itz.