The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-15 00:00:00

EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The progress already made in this important
measure must be gratifying to the friends of humanity,
and proves that my appeal of last year to the constituted
authorities of the land was not made in vain, but has
been responded to by the Government, who have now
seriously set about a remedy, by the communication lately
issued from the Home Office to the magistracy of the
kingdom, informing them of the suspension of transpor-
tation and the determination to give employment to the
prisoners in this country ; thus has one step been gained,
and it is now only accessary to go one step farther to
accomplish the desirable end, viz., to employ them when
out of prison, and by such means restore them gradually
to society again.
Such a system Alin relieve the calendar of twa thirds
of the number of prisoners whose repeated convictions
entail so heavy an expense on the country, and will obvi-
ate, to a great extent, the necessity of separate and silent
systems; and will not only render the erection of new
prisons unnecessary but reduce the numbers at present
in existence.

The powerful aid the press has afforded this praise-
worthy cause cannot be sufficiently acknowledged; and
as the public mind has now been awakened to the pre-
sent demoralizing system, and the Government being
more actively engaged in correcting it, the day is not
far distant whew by a revision of our criminal code, and
the employment afforded, many thousands of human
beings will be rescued, which will prove that the mer-
ciful, system of prevention, which I have so humbly advo-
cated, will supersede the cruel and expensive system
of perpetual punishment.
. .

Perseverance in this humane cause must insure suc-
cess, and supported by an influential committee and
a strong battery of facts, the legislature in pursuing these
laudable measures will not only benefit the great body of
tho people, but save thousands who otherwise must be
lost, and will carry out an act of the greatest economy
and- which will do honor to our country. I am, Sir,
your obedient servant, JOHN LAURIE.
1, Hyde Park-place, Jan. 12, 1847.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND THE
ORPHAN CHILDRREN OF THOMAS HOOD.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—The statement on this interesting subject con-
tained in your paper of the 11th inst., which was taken
from the Examiner, is incomplete without the notice of
an important offer of a sum of money to the children,
which was contained in a private note to Mr. David Sa-
lomons, which accompanied the official reply to the me-
morial of the trustees. In that note Lord John Russell
says, if 100/. from the Royal bounty would be accept-
able, he would advise her Majesty to give that sum to
Mr. Hood's children.

The official reply having somehow found its way into
the public press, it is but justice to Lord John Russell
to show how promptly and kindly he has responded to
the appeal made to him on behalf of these orphans. Fok
reasons which he states, he is unable to grant any pen-
sion before next June. He expresses his regreti at this
circumstance, and says he should have been-.happy to
recommend the continuance of the pension,, but until
June next the Crown has not the power to grant any
pension on the civil list. The whole sum grantable
within the year has been already bestowed, and any
grant he should recommend for the childten would be
illegal' and void. It cannot be doubted that in June the
pension will be granted to the children. Meanwhile a
grant of 1001. from the Royal bounty has been given.
For this new grant there is a precedent exactly in point
were such necessary.
Sir Robert Peel advised the Crown to acknowledge the
merits of Sir Martin Shee, "the President of thp Royal
Academy, by the grant of a pension from the civil list.
It was settled on Lady Shee. Lady Shee died within a
year of the grant of the pension, and, as the benevolent
intentions of the Crown were thus defeated, her Majesty
was graciously pleased, by the advice of Sir Robert Peel,
from the 1,2001. grantable within the next year, to allot
a pension to the daughters of Sir Martin Shee equal in
amount to that granted to his wife.
Oa the occasion of the original grant of the pension
to Hood the course pursued •by Sir, Robert Peel was
similar to that now taken by. Lord John Russell. When
the pressing case was made known to him, he could not
(probably for a similar reason) immediately comply with
the request; but he recommended a gift of 1501. from the
royal bounty, and shortly afterwards he bestowed the
pension.
It is most gratifying to observe the ready recognition
of the claims of literary distinction, totally independent
of and apart from any political services. On this neutral
ground Ministers politically opposed are ready to meet
and to rival each other in their eager desire to break
through -the restraints imposed on them by a too nig.
gardly_economy of the state.
That the limitation of the amount to which pensions
to persons of literary eminence can be legally granted is
far too great, and unworthy of this great nation, must
be painfully felt by the Prime Minister as often as claims
strong as those of Hood's family are presented to him—
claims he cannot hesitate to recognise, though unable to
,relieve them. _ _

It would be no difficult matter to procure a grant of a
laker amount, to be placed annually at the disposal of
the Crown, on advice of the first Lord of the Treasury.
The justice and necessity of such a measure would be
admitted by all parties in Parliament, and by none more
willingly than by the Prime Minister,
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
ONE OF THE TRUSTEES.

THE PROTECTIONISTS AND THE