The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-25 00:00:00

TA

plrv. z perfect faroiligrity with the literature of the
land of Camoens, and a capability of appreciating
the excellencies and blemishes of its different writers.
The criticism is interspersed with several happy and
appropriate quotations ; from the quaint malapert
ditty of Cassandra :

"Dices quo mecase yo;
No quiero marido, no:"
To a delicious carol of spring, ;nost characteristic of
the sunny Peninsula We give the graceful imitation
of this latter song, paraphrased from the original by
the reviewer :

" I'll away to the garden,
For winter is over ;
The Rose is awake
To the song of her lover
I will go and discover
The passionate Nightingale singing above her.
" From the boughs green and golden
That slope to the river,
A Nymph gathers lemons
To give to her lover :
I will go and discover
The shy little Nightingale singing above her.
" Near the vineyard, where often
I have spied out a rover.
Sits a damsel who sings
To he heard by her lover :
I will go and discover
The bold little Nightingale singing above her."
In the article headed " State of Ireland," the
reader will discover merely a recapitulation of the
account already published in all the newspapers,
besides a variety of suggestions as to the restoration
of that afflicted island to agricultural and commer-
cial prosperity. The suggestions are about as
feasible as the nine hundred and ninety-nine
already made by the vagrant charlatans
of political economy, scattered through the
country. If the Government attends merely to
the numberless and conflicting schemes advanced as
to the social redemption of the Irish it will be in im-
minent peril of sharing the fate of the old gentleman
in the fable who had a boy and a donkey. The
Parliament and the Ministry must look more to the
dictates of their own sagacity and wisdom. Other-
wise the emerald isle will continue for an indefinite
period the victim of an erroneous legislation and of a
mistaken system of agriculture. In the paper re-
lating to " Agriculture in France," there are
so many statistical fallacies and extravagant
propositions that a merely cursory denial of their
accuracy would be inefficient and—in point of fact—
pert. The merits, or rather the demerits, of the
article must be discussed in a more detailed form than
our space at present will permit, in order to do jus-
tice to the plausibility of the writer, and the ennobling
truths of free trade. " Faraday "is the subject of a
well-deserved panegyric in a disquisition commemo-
rative ofhis recent discoveries in relation to light and
electricity—discoveries which promise to prove the keys
to a new knowledge. As a suitable beginning to the
Quarterly Review for 1847,we find a shrewd and compre-
hensive biography of the memorable Marquis of Mon-
trose—that heroic chieftain who is emphatically de-
signated " The Great Marquis" by his Caledonian
countrymen. To our thinking, however, the most
valuable and laudable paper in the whole number is
the one descriptive of the Ragged Schools—of their
original institution—of their progressive establish-
ment--of theiejtieritorious character, and of the ne-
cessity which cxised for some educational effort of
the kind. .The article is admirably written,
written with point, and sometimes eloquence ; writ-
ten with the intellect ready to perceive the more
crying wants of the indigent, above all written with
a deep and zealous feeling of unaffected benevolence.
As a testimony that these philanthropic establish•
ments have not been prematurely called into exist-
ence, here is a calculation enough to appal the least
credulous, and to render the spirit of philanthropy
contagious, if only from a dread of the consequences
likely to arise from so enormous an evil, if not
checked in its extension.
In the year 1845 there were taken into custody by the
metropolitan police 14,887 persons of both sexes under
20 years of age. Of these were summarily disposed of
by the magistrates-
-38 males, 15 females, under 10 years of age;
1,187 „ 123 „ at 10 and under 15 ;
3,519 „ 1,191 ~ at 15 and under 20.
There were committed for trial
12 males, 4 females, under 10 years of age;
370 „ 44 ++lo and under 15.
1,839 „ 257 „ at 15 and under 20.
Here is a list of agenda ample tmough to keep both
magistrates and police from growing pursy and fat ! but
it is not a full statement of the annuial mischief ; much
escapes the vigilance of the law ; much falls somewhat
within the limits of crime ; much, however pernicious,
cannot be ranked with offences againot the Queen's peace.
Now let us just look at the offences of some among those
whom the magistrates disposed of vesthout delay—
Assaults - - - - 1 under 10 years of age;
58 at 10 and under 15
714 15 and under 20.

Misdemeanours :
With intent to steal 3 under 10 years of age;
62 at 10 and under 15
128 15 and under 20.
19
*Unlawful posses- t 22 under 10
lion of goods,