The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-11 00:00:00

COALS.

Lord H. VANE wish, crittask the Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs whether his attention had been
directed :o the high duty imposed by France on coals
imported into that country by sea, compared with that
levied on coals imported on the laud trontier by the
Meu-e, and ►hrough the department of the Moselle; an►'
whether, in the event ot his attention having ►,een
dirt cted to that subject, he entertained any hope taut the
French Government will consent to ► qualise the duties?
Lord PALMER ,TON said some communications had
passed on the subject between the two Governments, but
nothing bad passed in the matt,- r within the lust twelve
months. His own impression, however, was, that the
regulation referred to by the Hun. Member were op-
posed to existing trea•ies between the two nations, and
efforts would be made to get rid ot it.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Mr. M. MILNES then rose to emit the attention
of the House to the treatment and condition of juvenile
criminals in this country. There was no subject, he
said, of more impartance and interest to the, statesman
and philanthropist than that of prison discipline, but
it was a strange circumstance that the one branch of it,
which was involved iu the least difficulty, namely, the
treatment of juvenile offenders had seen almost entirely
neglected. Juvenile criminals were incr% using daily it.
somewhat singular, _u_
this country, and it would appear
it nevertheless was true, that they were treated as men.
When he said this question had obtained very little at-
tention he knew very well something had been done
with regard to penal treatment of young offenders. At
Parkhurst they had established a penal school in-
stead of a prison, but still it was an establish-
ment essentially and immediately of a penal nature,
and one in which the reiormatory character was
utterly forgotten. The boy from rarkhurst was thrown
upon the world with an unfitness for independent
action, and destitute of the ability to serve his country
as an honest citizen. Very little reflection might have
taught them that it could hardly have been otherwise,
because what had been done at Parkhurst had been to
give a boy a sl.ong impression of punishment; they had
done nothing to improve his heart or to awaken his
conscience; they had done nothing absolutely of a re-
formatory character. He (Mr. Mtlnes) would
recommend the establishment of some such asylum fur
criminal youth as ev,.s found in the Philanthropic Insti-
tutien, which was of lung date, but it bad only risen
into vigour and promise under the guidance and energy
of that remarkable man, Mr. Sidney Turner, and be-
come the model for the Maiterui in France. It was not
for him (Mr. M. Mtlnes), under present eircum
stances, to lay down any distinct plait under which
a measure of that kind might be adapted to
the large prison population ; but he would
suggest, as the Noble Lord the Member for Bath
bed by a late measure established in all the counties in
England tit and proper asylums fur those persons who
had been unfortunately deprived of their reason, estab-
lishments of a similar nature should be formed
for the purpose of reforming from the way s of
inevitable crime that enormous body of youthful
offenders. On a rough catculation between 70,000 end
80,000 persons came under the notice of the law in
the metropolis and the adjacent districts, and at least a
seventh part cf those persons were under thin. en
years of age. Ho thought that in the first place
India
abbele administered-
The
dis
aught
g juvenile
eni
ie corporaltff upduenriss fishmeal "
the should
y
trict; for the second offenceo
the child should
be sent for one or two years to one of those reformatory
houses; and fur t be third offence to be sent to one of those
establishments tor so keg a peiod as even five or six years.
The 9th 01 Victoria was passed at the ins7arice of a lad),
who, from her is) mpathy with her suffering fe low-
creatures, might be placed on a parallel with Mrs. Fry—
he meant Miss Murray; but, notwithstanding the excel
lent provisions 'of that Biii, it had remained inopera-
ti‘e, because the Government had, from some cause or
other, not made use of that valuable instrument
placed in their hands. Notwithstanding all they had '
done with respect to summary convictions, crime was
still on the increase; and whilst nu proper provision
was made fer the retorne.tlon of juvenile offenders, it
would continue to increase. Why could they not send
them to the colonies, to become there useful and
reformed members of society? The colonies, which
would shrink with horror at receiving a number
of old transports, would receive with gladness children.
He was con•,ent to leave the question in the hands of the
Right Hon. Baronet, who, be trusted, during the recess
would direct his attention to this important subject, ano
that in another session he would not leave it to an
individual Member of the House. Next seseion he
• trusted the Right Hon. Baronet would have made a step
in the right direction; but it he conceived the subject
unworthy of his attention, and did not stir in it, he (Mr.
Manes) should, year after year, press it upon the atten-
tion of the House, in order to destroy that more
anomaly of confounding the crime of the man with the
delinquency of the child. He moved for leave to bring
in a Bill to amend the laws relating to the reformation
of juvenile offenders.
Mr. HUME seconded the motion.

Sir G. GREY said he should be ready to acquiesce
in the motion it he really thought his Hon. Freud had
a Bill in his possession.
Mr. MILNES said he intended his motion to
apply to the introduction of a Bill next year.
Sir G. GREY said he quite agreed with the Hon.
Gentleman in most that he had
,said. With him, he
thought that far more might be done with the young
offenders than with these of more mature years, and that
the Government should apply themselves more to the re-
formation of the young than to those of advanced age.
It should be remembered that Parkhurst was not a
penal school, but a prison, and that very great good
had resulted from its operations. It bad been esta-
blished for the reception of youths between fourteen
and sixteen, who baying committed offences which
subjected them to the penalty of transportation,
were sent there at the recommendation of the judge or
the chairman of the quarter sessions; and after a time,
if their conduct was good, they were aunt abroad to
some colony where they would be free from all liability
to contamination. The prison combined two elements,
the reformation of the inmates and punishment for
the penal offences which they had committed,
and the object which Parliament hsd in view in
establishing it had been fully answered. The chief
evil of the present system was short terms o.
imprisonment fr. quently with respect to parsons of
tender age, who were, by that means brought in con-
nexion with persons of a more advanced age and of a
more hardened character, and who came out of
prison much worse than when they went
in. The Honourable Gentleman had adverted to
the Act lately passed, giving power to summarily con-
vict, and he (Sir G. Grey) was happy to state that
the results of it had been must satisfactory, and that the
punishment which It inflicted was looked upon with more
dread than any other kind of punishment. Ile should br
happy to consider any suggestion that could be thrown
out for the more ti a t ijnetory treatment of juvenile , ff li-
dera, but h 4 had to protest against the as-umption
that the subjial was free !tom all difficulty.—
(Hear, hear.) The Philanthropic Society admitted that
it was atteeded with great difficulties. In the report of
the society a numb .r of valuable sugeestion4 were
thrown out, among which was one that parents should
be made liable to the support of their chi:a tee
who, tntoegh tr fir Tiegkc+, • hi curve inmates -ut
any tuf our prisons or reformatory institutions.
dithoush, however, he considered that a very desirable