The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-17 00:00:00

LONDON, WE'DNESDA,Y

INSTITUTION for the PROTECTION
OF FERA LES FROM SEDUCTION.
On Monday a meeting of imblemen and gentlemen was
held at the London; Taveee, Bishopsgate-street, to sup•
port measures for " the more / ffectual prevention of
tseding in seduction and prostitution." which were
introduced last evening into the House of Commons by
Mr. Spooner. The ineeeng was a very numerous one.
Sir E. N. BUXT,N, in the absence of Lord R. Gres-
venor, M.P., was voted to the chair. He said the object
of the Bill they were met to consider was to prevent the
crime of what he might call the English slate trade, by
which persons induced by force or fraudlul persuasion
young females to become prostitutes in the great cities
of this country. It was not necessary to enter largely
into so distressing a subject, but he could not avoid men-
tioning the defects in the law that punished promptly
and severely other offences, whilst it had no provisions
to check the atrocities of those men and women who
made it the business of their lives to decoy young femalee
into a course of prostitution, and so destroying their
minds, bodies, and souls.
The Rev. Mr. 'lncses, of St. Pancras, moved the
first resolution :—" That this meeting recognises and de-
plores the baneful influence of a systematic and exten-
sive trading by procurers and brothel keepers in the
seduction of female children and young women." It was
very painful to state that the law was inoperative to pre-
vent this nefarious trade, and that so many were allele ed
to carry it on with impunity. The law as it stood was
surrounded with difficulties, and therefore it was of the
greatest importance that something should be done to
make it effectual.
Mr. CLEWES seconded the resolution.
'lle Earl of MOUNTCASHEL said the subject had en-
gaged his attention for many years, and he had the sa-
tisfaction of thieking that he was the first individual
who had suggested un institution for improving the laws
for the protection of women. In these reforming times
it was astonishing that no steps had been taken to amend
the laws nn this subject since the days of George 11.
That law was defective, and did not go to the root of the
evil. The law required was one that would effectually
prevent the system of trading in prostitution. Was it
nut shocking that, in this moral and religious country,a
set of people should be tolerated, who lived by corrupt-
ing females, and selling their bodies and souls for the
vilest purposes? Yet such ~was the case. There did
exist a set of beings—wicked demons he would call them
—who lived by betraying their fellow-creatures into a
course of the most dreadful misery and infamy. Ought
they not to exert themselves in every possible way to
atop this system of evil—in checking which they wire
interested as fathers, brothers, and Christians? He would
not go into long details of the evils caused by this system
of seduction, but would confine himself to one melancholy
case, of which he had a positive knowledge. About two
or three years ago, a baronet—a gentleman belonging to
an old family, of large property and great respectability,
who had been sheriff of his county—had two daughters,
young ladies brought up according to their rank and
sage, whom he sent to Paris, to an excellent school, to
complete their education. At vacation time they were
to return by Boulogne, and embarked there in a steamer
for London. At the landing-place servants were wait-
ing, for them, but the steamer did not arrive until the-
middle of the night, and the servants having returned
home, the passengers landed, and the young ladies had
not been heard of by their families ever since. All that
-mild be learned was, that a well-dressed female had
paid them great attention during their voyage, and the
conclusion eventually come to was, that she had decoyed
theta to some irCamous house, and that th -y were now
either physically or morally dead. Such a calamity
might come home to any man's family, and the parties
causing it might escape with impunity. In a country
not so much vaunted for m,rality as our own—he meant
France—the code penal would be found to contain more
salutary laws for the protection of young females than
the statutes of England. This was a disgrace which he
hoped to see removed, and he would aid every measure
that tended to do so.
The resolution was then put and carried.
The Rev. ROBERT MUNRO, Chaplain of the Bridewell
Precinct, moved the second resolution, to this effect—
" That by an enactment of the 25th of George
11., the Legislature of this country not only
sanctioned the principle that prosecution against
inothel keepers should be encou aged, but endea-
voured to aff ird the requisite facilities for carrying
eut the principle. Lengthened experience had shown
that the facilities afforded by that Act are not sufficient
fn. the object which it contemplates, and proves that the
existing law is inadequate to the protection of female
chastity." lie considered the proposed 13i11 would do a
treat deal of good, and therefore it should meet with his
most cheerful support.
Mr. &imam:mem seconded the resolution, and con-
sidered it disgraceful to the country that prostitution
should be carried on more openly than in any of the
;•;,tin tries he hail travelled in, whether European, African,
Asiatic, or American.
W. EVANS, M.P., supported the resolution, and
considered that the happiness, honour, and strength of
any society depended, in a very great degree, on the
character of its women. Whenever their character was
lowered, it must fall on the whole mass of the com-
munity, and therefore he was most anxious that every-
thing should be done that the law could do to prevent
injury to female character.
The Rev. Mr. GLANVILLE also spoke in favour of the
resolution.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
The Rev. Mr. CRAY moved the third resolution—
" That in order to the effectual protection of female
chastity it is requisite that the law should declare the
Procurer to be criminally responsible as well as the
brothel-keeper; and that in order to the due execution
•if the law against both parties, the cheap and speedy
process of a prosecution before a magistrate should be
sanctioned before Parliament."
The Rev. Hr. BROWN having seconded the resolution,
was adopted.
The following resolution, proposed by the Rev. Mr.
LUSIGNAN and seconded by the Rev. Mr. WOODYER,
was next carried:—" That this meeting approves of
'he Bill which is to be introduced into the House of
Commons by Mr. Spooner, M.P., and desires to ex.
Dress their moat hearty thanks to that gentlemen fir
eking the prominent position he has in the advocacy of
this cause."
\lr. SPOONER, M P., said that he had promises of sup-
:pert from many Members of ivarliament who formerly
iced to laugh at the notion of legislating fur the protec •
ion of female virtue.
A petition was drawn up, and signed by the chairman
en behalf of the meeting, to be presented to Parliament,
,waying for the adoption of the proposed, or some equally
efficacious measure.
Thanks having been passed to the chairman, the meet-
ing separated.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.—This theatre was crowded
in every part on Montle night, the attraction being the benefit
of Mr. Bunn. The performances were of a very varied descrip-
tion, including the services of many popular artists, whose
contributions were received with great enthusiasm. In the
course of the evening Mr. Bunn addressed the house in a
brief speech suitable to the occasion.
SACRED HARMONIC SOClETY.—Handel's oratorio,
Belshazzar," will be performed by the Society, for the first
time, on Friday next. Although Belshazzar has lain dormant
for many years, it is one of the great composer's finest works.
l'he libretto is understood to have been written by Mr. Jennens,
who compiled for Handel the text of the Messiah.
MR. BEULER.—This gentleman gave his annual
concert on Monday evening at the Crown and Anchor Tavern,
and as usual, had a full attendance. The comic songs of the
veteran were the staple of the entertainments, all of which
were received with great merriment. The remainder of the
programme was made up of songs and duets, executed by Mr.
E. Day. lMr. Trenklee. Mr. Sporle, Mr. Shoubridge, Miss
Stewart, Mrs. Aveling Smith, and others.
FRAUDS ON PERSONS PURCHASING HORSES.--MOD-
day's Police Gazette contains an account of the manner in
which individuals have been duped into buying horses of
unknown persons for large sums, when in reality the animals
were valueless. A Mr. Hagan, of Agnes-street, Waterloo-
road, on Saturday attended a sale in a livery-stable yard, in
Chester-street, Kennington, when he got into conversation
with two men. One of them, dressed as a groom, stated that
the other was a gentleman, who wished to buy his master's
horse, and had been endeavouring to make a bargain for
thirty guineas, but having disagreed his master would not
sell it to the gentleman at all. The other, whose dress was
that of a gentleman, said he was anxious to obtain the horse,
and offered Mr. Hagan a commission if he would purchase it
for him, to which he assented, and after looking at the horse
they adjourned to a neighbouring public-house, where Mr.
Hagan paid the man who personated the groom 31/. 10s. for
his master. It subsequently turned out that the horse was
not at the utmost worth more than 61. or 71. The other fraud
of a similar character was practised on Mr. Henley, of Shep-
pard's-lane, Brixton, who paid 271. for a horse not worth 4/.,
by two men, who stated that the owner would not part with
it to an omnibus proprietor, and after getting possession of
the money appointed to meat him at a public-house. where
he was to pay them 41. more, but of course they did not keep
their appointment.

%Ve understand that the trustees of the National
Gallery have purchased a small and very interesting picture
by Raphael. This work was brought from Italy many years
since by the celebrated collector, Sir Marks Masterman
Sykes, who died about twenty-five years ago, and bequeathed
it to his widow, who, dying lately,-her representatives sold it
to the National Gallery, along, we are informed, with a
cartoon of the same subject by the same master. The sub-
ject is not very intelligible. A knight in full armour is lying
asleep, and on either side of him a female figure is standing.
One of these, from the attributes with which she is en-
dowed, would seem to represent Religion; the. other holds
an olive branch in her hand. The picture. though reckoned
an early one of the m meter, and even supposed to have been
executed before he studied under Perugino. yet possesses a
great deal of that grace of line, and sweetness and propriety
of expression which distioguish his later works.
CITY WINE Dons.—The investigation into the
extraordinary defalcatiors in the office of Mr. Fellows, the
late collector of the City wine dues, having terminated in the
detection of a long system of plunder, and the offer of a
reward of 1001. for the apprehension and conviction of that
individual, Mr. George Telson, who, together with Mr. Lart
and a few other gentlemen of the Corporation made great
exertions to elicit the :ruth, has given notice of motion to the
following effect :—" That the resolution of the Court of the
13d of October, 1815, vesting the appointment Of the collector
oc the City dues ol wines, in the London-bridge Approache3
Committee, he rescinded, and that the officer be elected by
the whole Court, subject to the standing order in respect of
the annual election of officers." The deficiencies amounr, we
are given to understand, to an enormous sum. The bite
collector used to perform the duties of the office for Alder-
man Ansley, when that Alderman was principal of the office.
EXTRAORDINARY EFFECT ON A RAILWAY FRAIN.
—.On Thursday evening last, as the up mail train had just
passed the Stavely station, on the Midland line, an unseen
impediment (it being quite dark) caused a most singular ac-
cident to the train and passengers. The obstacle proved to
be a large bale of flax, which had dropped unperceived
upon the line from the previous luggage train ; this caused
the engine to rear (if we may use the expression) two feet
high, but did not abate its speed; for, surmounting the
obstacle, it hit the rails again in precisely the right place,
and rushed forward; the passenger carriages did the same,
and no harm ensued, except to the nerves of the passengers,
whose horror at finding themselves first borne upwards and
then downwards, with a force which threw them all en masse,
may be readily conceived. As soon as practicable the train
was stopped, and the guarde removed the bale from the
no.-. Derbyshire Courier.