The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-17 00:00:00

CHILDRENS' FRIEND SOCIETY.

NEW PEERS.
Lord WEILOCK was introduced by Lords Bray-
brooke and Portman, and took the oaths and his seat
with the usual solemnities.
Lord Cor.loaNu was also introduced by Lords
firaybrooke and Rosebery, and took the oaths and
his seat.
The LORD CHANCELLOR resumed his seat on the
Woo!suck at Five o'Clock.
The Earl of CAWDER presented several petitions
in fa:your of an extension of the Church of England.
rfhe Duke of RUTL AN D presented petitions from
the Board of Guardians in the counties of Derby and
Leicester, praying that in any alterations to be made in
the New Poor Laws, the great principles of the Act
might be retained : on a future occasion he would show
their Lordships that the working of the Amendment
Act had greatly benefited the labourer.
The Marquis of NORMANBY presented papers
respecting the Clergy reserves in Canada ; also papers
respecting the employment of Indians in the late rebel-
lion in Canada ; also papers regarding the transactions
which took place at Mullingar in June last.
GLASGOW COTTON-SPINNERS.
Lord BROUGHAM had a very important petition
to present, and he was glad he had the opportunity
r.f doing so in the presence of his Noble Friend
the First Lord of the Treasury. It was
agreed to at a public meeting held in Glas-
gow, and was signed by from 6,000 and 7,000 per-
sons, and they prayed for the merciful interference of
the House on behalf of the five cotton-spinners who
were sentenced to seven years' transportation for a
conspiracy in January, 1838. They were found guilty
by a majority of only one of the Jury of the two minor
counts in the indictment, namely, assault and threats.
Their moral character was unimpeachable, and their
conduct while on board the hulks exemplary. The
petitioners implore their Lordships to take the hardship
1
of the case of these men into their serious and merciful
consideration:; and he (Lord Brougham) would add
one word in support of that prayer. By the mere
, accident of locality, they were convicted of a crime
1 which subjected them to seven years' transportation,
and of these seven years eighteen months had been
I passed in the hulks, and by a blunder to which they were
no. parties, committed by the person entrusted with the
I management of the Crown Law-office in Scotland, they
were kept three months in prison before that, so that
they had spent twenty-one months in confinement, or
1 Eeven times as long as they could have been imprisoned,
if they had committed the same crime 60 miles to the
southward, in Westmoreland or Cumberland. He
i really did not think it for the credit of the law that so
great a disparity should exist in the measure of punish-
, ment to be inflicted.—(Hear, hear). He hoped their
case would be taken into the merciful consideration of
her Majesty's Government; and he should not, on the
present occasion, give any notice for a particular motion
on the subject.
Petitions in favour of penny postage were presented
by the Earl of ißosebery, the Marquis of Londonderry,
and some other Peers.
The Earl of BRADFORD presented a petition from
Manchester, praying for religious instruction in the
Colonies.
The Earl of RODEN presented a petition from the
Presbytery of Caithness, praying for the repeal of the
Roman Catholic Emancipation Bill.
The Seditious Societies Bill, and the Purchasers Pro-
tection Bill went through a Committee, and were ordered
to be read a third time on Monday, the 27th.
The Bishop of EXETER presented petitions from
the Clergy of the Diocese of Exeter, and from the
diocese of Ripon, against the Church Discipline
Bill. The petitioners stated that they saw in the Bill
the extinction of some of the most important parts of
the Christian Church, as they considered that the sub-
ordination of the clergy to the Bishops was almost done
away with by the provisions of the Bin, and that with
respect to the Ecclesiastical Courts, it would render
, the proceedings there much more annoying than their were
i at present. In his opinion, the provisions of the Bill had
i a great tendency to the extinction of Episcopacy. Such
was the feeling of the clergy with respect to this Bill, that
he felt convinced before it again came under the conside-
ration of their Lordships numerous petitions would be
presented against it.
1 The Bishop of GLOUCESTER would add his tes-
timony to that of the Right Rev. Prelate as to the feel-
-1,,..; of the clergy with respect to this Bill.
, . The Bishop of LONDON could not submit that
the remarks of the two Rev. Prelates should be al-
-1 lowed to go forth without at the sane time making one
, or two remarks upon the subject. With respect to the
tt.ndency of the Bill to extinguish Episcopacy, he must
(I.•ny that it had any such tendency; nor would it in
at:y way weaken the superintendent,- of the Wallop
over the clergy. He must also deny, so far as
I,ls intercourse with the parochial clergy went, that
11-.-re exictedamon.gst them any feelin,c against the Bill.
1 The Bishop of EXETER would lie prepared to
jectify his opinions respecting the Bill when it was
regularly before the House.
i BEER BILL.

In answer to a question from a Noble Lord on the
Opposition side,
Lord BROUGHAM said he should bring on the
Beer Bill, if possible, ou the Thursday after the 27th of
th's month.
Viscount MELBOURNE 'moved that the House
on its rising adjour❑ till Monday, the 27th.
The Duke of WELLINGTON suggested that the
house should not adjourn, hut that there should be an
understanding that no public business of importance
s'lould be brought on till the 27th, in order that the
judißial businf.:s might not he interrupted.
Viscount MELBOURNE said the had no objection
t• this ; but
The LORD CHANCELLOR said if the House
were not to adjourn till the judicial business was ter-
minated it would never adjourn at all.—(A laugh.)
Besides, when not in that House, he was in the Court
of Chancery where the business was also very heavy.
It was ultimately agreed that the House should ad-
journ till the 27th, but that no business of importance
should come on upon that day.—Adjourned.

VOISIN'S ORTHOPHRENIC
LECTURE.

Tuesday, the above lecture was eelivered at the Mary
le-bone Literary and Scientific Institution in the English
language, it having been previously delivered in French.
From this Lecture itself, and from the remarks with
which it was prefaced by Mr. Blair, of Portman-square,
we gathered that Dr. Voisin is faunder of the Model
Establishment at Vauvres, near Pais, and that for the
lase twenty years he has devoted himself to the study
o 1 nervous and mental diseases ; and as the result of
that study, that he is anxious to propagate sounder and
more philosophical views upon the subject of education.
In the application of his principles, at en institution over
which he presided, at Beau Grenelle, under the name of
Atabhssernent Orthophrenique, or 'liaison de l'Esperance,
he has obtained the highest success. His attention is
directed, not to the deformities of the body, but to the
vices of the heart, and the waywardness of the mind.
Dr. Voisin divides his pupils into four classes—first,
these whose intellectual developments are primitively
stinted—secondly, those who are born with the
usual advantages of nature, but who have become
vitiated by an early and ill-directed education
thirdly, those to whom nature has been lavish of
her gifts; and from whose ranks society is sup-
plied with the greatest geniuses or the greatest villains ;
and, fourthly, those who are born of insane parents, or,
from their peculiar conformation, exhibit early indications
of inherent tendency to this hereditary malady. The first
class Dr. Voisin proposes to treat by lowering the standard
of education, so as to bring it to the level of their stunted
capacities. With respect to the second, he advised a system
of careful and incessant moral culture. In reference to
the third, his plan is, to raise the standard of education,
so as to adapt it to the lower intellectual development,
and thus to form the great and virtuous man. And in
!renting the last, he would early watch those intellectual
developments which indicate the approach of insanity, be-
lieving that by careful and watchful efforts, there s reason
in every case to hope for an exemption from its destructive
mental effects. The lecture was closed with practical and
philosophical remarks, illustrative of the physiology of the
brain, and demonstrating that ignorance of our own nature
and of the vices of our institutions, are the causes
which conduce to render human existence so un-
ennobled and miserable as it is found at present.
The whole lecture, indeed, abounded with acute philoso-
phical remark, expressed in simple and beautiful language ;
but we cannot say that it added either to our stock of in-
formation on this subject, or that it opened up a single
topic which has not been a matter of investigation and dis-
cussion in this country over and over again. The object
of Dr. Voisin, we understand, is to urge the establishment
of an Institution in London, similar to the one over which
he presides in France ; and from some remarks which fell
from Mr. Blair, at the close of the lecture, we were led
to suppose that such an institution is actually in contemp-
lation.
The Orthephrenie Lecture having been completed, Dr.
Voisin proceeded to the delivery of a Lecture, in the French
language, upon the Study of Man, in his religious, moral,
and political conduct, especially in reference to mental
alienation. The attendance was highly select and respec-
table, and Dr. Voisin was frequently and loudly cheered.

FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Wednesday night,
about nine o'clock, an elderly woman, residing in Upper
Gardener-street, Regent-street, was crossing the street
from her own residence, when she was knocked down by
the herses of a gentleman's carriage, and before they could
be stopped the wheels had passed over her head, which was
fractured in such a dreadful manner that the brains pro-
truded from it, and her death, as a matter of course, was
almost instantaneous. It is said that the party who was
driving, it is believed from the races, called out to the de-
ceased, but she being deaf was not aware of the warning.
The body was taken into a shop, and on its being found
that life was gone, a shutter was procured, and the unfor-
tunate woman was conveyed a corpse to her own house,
which she had left but a few moments before in compara-
tive health.
..seeseemereeweeallenNeveweeemeessereeeweepeeee.,„„,„„....s....

The ninth annual meeting of the members of the
Childrens' Friend Society took place yesterday, at
twelve o'clock, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-
street. The Right Hon. the Earl GROSVENOR in the

chair.
Amongst the Noblemen and Gentlemen on the plat-
form we noticed Lord Eldon, Sir C Leman, M.P.,
Mr. Wilbraham, M.P., Mr. John A. Yates, M.P.,
Mr. Henry Gaily Knight, M.P., and most of the
members of the Committee.
The CHAIRSIAN observed it would have given him
great satisfaction if the meeting had been presided over
by the Lord Mayor, but having himself been applied to
on the occasion, he was not disposed to shrink from as-
sisting in the promotion of this Society. He greatly
regretted that statements had been put forth against
the Society, so injurious to its vvell-being. He regretted
also that they had not the pleasure of seeing, on the
present occasion, those children who had been educated
by the Society's fostering care, their countenances
beaming with satisfaction and delight ; but they were
not now present, because their wishes and feelings and
personal comforts had been consulted, and it was thought
probable, from the injurious way in which the So-
ciety had been assailed, that they might suffer in
person and comfort from being brought through the
streets. But he had another and still deeper cause
for regret, and that was that the Society did not enjoy
the presence of the mainspring of the Society, the gen-
tleman who had so much exerted himself in its esta-
blishment, who had exerted himself upon all occasions for
the advancement of its utility, and whose career had
been closed under causes of great compassion—he al-
luded to that most excellent man, for so he must still
call him, although his character had been so grievously
assailed, Captain Brenton.—(Hear.) All who were
connected with the Society were bound to speak what
they knew of him. He had now gone to his account ;
but he had gone with great advantages ; for after hav-
ing served his country he bad devoted the remainder of
his life to objects of philanthropy.—(Hear.) He (Earl
Grosvenor) had been connected with the Society from
its commencement. He had seen the manner in which
Captain Brenton had exerted himself, and the
spirit working in his breast to do good to his
fellow-creatures who were in want of assistance,
and support. He held in his hand a paper to which
he would refer, for the purpose of showing how the So-
ciety had been treated, and this was the point which
weighed most deeply on the feelings of Captain Brenton
a few hours before his death. In the Times, of 6th of
April, there was an article describing the Society as
kidnappers, as crimping children for the Cape, and, as
slaveholders, sending out these children for the purposes
of sale.—(Hear, hear.) These were the points which
had excited so much regret in his mind, and would ex-
cite regret in the minds of all persons interested in the
well-being of the Society, which he believed to be one of
the most useful that this humane metropolis could
boast.—(Hear, hear.) With these feelings of regret
there were mingled feelings of satisfaction also. The
time had now arrived when they were enabled to
put a check upon the injurious representations
which had been made against the Society, by
laying before the public a true statement, as
far as possible, of all the circumstances con-
nected with the arrangements of the Society, in
order to contradict the reports which had been circu-
lated so greatly to its disadvantage. It should be
borne in mind that the Society was instituted in IS3O
for the purpose of checking juvenile vagrancy. He
wished it had been exclusively confined to that object,
because the feelings of the managers had been acted
upon by scenes of distress—in their leniency they had
extended relief to cases not exactly within the line of
vagrancy ; mothers who had children whom they were
unable to manage, had entreated the Society to admit
them, and he regretted to say that those children had
given the Society more trouble than all the rest. The
object of the Society was to place out those children
as agricultural labourers at home. They found, how-
ever, this was put completely out of their power, and they
were obliged to adopt the plan of finding employment for
them abroad, and they therefore resorted to emigration.
There were two points to which he wished to allude, as
so much had been said against the interests of the So-
ciety.—( Hear, hear.) He had no hesitation in stating
that in every instance they had adopted the wisest, the
best, and the most cautious course they could ; and se-
condly, that their proceedings had been attended with
the best success. It was supposed by many that when
these children were se'.t out they were turned adrift by
the Society, but such was not the case.—(Hear, hear.)
It was required that every master should provide ample
food, clothing, washing, lodging, and religious and moral
instruction for the children, and in every instance the
Committee abroad took care that such stipulations
should be strictly fulfilled. With respect to the colony
of the Cape of Good Hope, about which so much had
been lately said, the Society bad in the first instance put
themselves in communication with the Governor of that 1
colony, who issued an ordinance for their protection, and
appointed commicsionera to look after their interests.
The reports from these commissioners were for a long
time satisfactory, and they had rejected the appli-
cation of many individuals who were supposed not to be
very humane. After some years the Society was apprized
that the children were not so well treated as they ought
to have been, and very strong remonstrances were sent
out to the Commissioners at the Cape of Good Hope. A
Secretary, with a salary of 200/. a year, was appointed,
whose duty it was to travel about the country, and look
after the management of the children ; and although it
had becti alleged that their religious instruction was
neglected, he could state that there were not le,s than
140 clergy men and missionaries there—nearly one for
every thousand—which was, he regretted to say, more
in proportion to the population than the people of Eng-
knd enjoyed.--(Hear, hear.) And yet, notwithstand-
ing all that they had been called kidnappers, and crim-
pers, snd slaveholders.—(Captain Ackerley, who was on
the platform, called out " Hear, hear—perfectly true.")
When the children had made some progress at their
trades, their masters allowed them some pecuniary
compensation, and as the funds of the Society were
limited, a portion of that money was received by the
Society, and the remainder lodged in the savings bank
for the benefit of these children when they had finished
their apprenticeship. Now, with regard to the children
not having written to their friends, he would ask
whether mothers on all occasions found their chil-
-1 dren such good correspondents as they wished
them to be ?—(Captain Ackerley—" You would not
allow them to write.") If that gentleman had
any observations to make, he (the Chairman) would
be happy to hear him by and by.—(Copt. Ackerlev—" I
intend to do so—l air. here on behalf of these children.";
He did not mean to say that the Society was per-
fect, but he was satisfied that any person who would
investigate the circumstances, would admit that they
had taken all the precaution in their power. And
with regard to the writing of letters, as that was a
point upon which difference of opinion existed, he
would state that the Society had in every case given
directions to the children to write to their parents and
friends. Again it had been said that the children had
been sold as slaves, but lie would refer them to a
passage in the Report in proof of the injustice of
these statements :—" Although the Society believes
that incalculable benefits will result to the community
and to themselves by the emigration of the children of
both sexes which infest our poor-houses, our streets,
and even our prisons, yet it conceives that paramount
care should be taken in all cases, and particularly in
Colonies where slavery exists, that there should not be
the remotest possibility that any of them should be con-
signed to a state of captivity, or to situations where, in
the event of their being improperly treated, they
should be without the means of redress.—(Hear, hear.)
The Noble Chairmain then referred to the statements
that had been made in the Police reports, of the treat-
ment of children at the Cape. These statements had
been made hastily, and, he believed, unjustly ; and he
regretted that the press had given currency to rumours
to the prejudice of a Society which had done a vast deal
of good.—(Hear, hear.) He believed it would be
found that every exertion had been made, on the part of
the Society, to promote the comfort and happiness of the
children sent out ; and he had no doubt that it would lay
the foundation of the future prosperity of that colony.
The Secretary then read the Report, which was of
very great length, and entered minutely into the pro-
ceedings which have been adopted by the Society since
its first establishment.
The Secretary then read the Treasurer's Accounts,
from which it appeared that the receipts during the past
year amounted to 5,8751. 13s. 6d., and the expenditure
to 5,2141. 17s. 4d., leaving a balance in hand of 5701.
16s. 2d.
Jones LABOUCHERE, Esq., the Treasurer of the So-
ciety, said, in looking over the Report there was one
feature peculiarly striking, and that was the anxiety of
the Committee to'court inquiry into its proceedings, and
this was a strong prima faeie case in its favour ; and he
trusted the result would be to convince the public that
the Society was deserving of support. The Society had
been accused of being ;kidnapping Society, the infer-
ence being that children had been sent out under false
pretences. Now the 19th resolution of the Society
completely refuted any such charge, and no child was
sent out without its own consent and that of its pa-
rents, and there were instances of children return-
ing home after proceeding as far as Gravesend.
The second charge was, that of the children not
having written to their parents. Every inducement was
held out by the Society to cause children to write home.
The third charge, which was of the most paramount
importance, was, that children were not properly treated
ley their masters. An inquiry had been instituted, and
it was impossible to speak positively on the subject un-
tilthini thencge
di
improper
oepasrulp
et the
r shouldßheapdo
rbte m made known ; and he was con-
vwould
occurred
weresatisfactory.
proper
reme-
dies at the Cape, and if a case of oppression occurred on
the part of a master, he was not allowed by the So-
ciety to have another apprentice.—(Hear, hear.) The
meeting ought to give their confidence to the Society un-
til it was proved they had done something wrong.—
(Hear.) With respect to Captain Brenton, there was no
man actuated by stronger feelings of Christian charity-