The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-13 00:00:00

A meeting of ticket-of-leave men, convened by Mr.
H. Mayhew, the author of " London Labour and the
London Poor," was held at the National Hall, Holborn,
last evening, with the view of affording to persons of
this class who are anxious to lead a reformed life an op-
portenity of stating the difficulties they have to encoun-
ter in their endeavours to obtain an honest livelihood.
About 50 members of the body responded to Mr. May-
hew's invitation. The men were admitted on present-
ing their tickets-of-leave, and were required on entrance
to fill up the columns of a register, setting forth their
ages, their occupations, the offences for which they were
last convicted, their sentences, and the amount of in-
struction they had severally received. From the infor-
mation thus collected it appears that only three out of
the 50 present were above the age of 40, the large ma-
jority ranging between 18 and 35, the highest age of all
being q 8 ; that they consisted of labourers, hawkers,
costermongers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, carpenters, and
other handicraftsmen : that their previous punishments
varied from two years' to 14 years' transportation ; and
that more than one half of them had been educated either
at day-schools or Sunday schools. Suspecting that the
men would be unwilling to attend if the police presented
themselves at the hall or at its entrance, Mr. Mayhew
took the precaution to apply beforehand to the Metro-
politan Commissioners on the subject. The authorities
at once acceded to the request thus made to them, and
not a solitary constable was permitted to overawe the
meeting.
Mr. MAYHEW opened the proceediazs by explaining at
some le g‘h the object for which he had called them to-
gether. He wag anxious, be said, that the public should
be made b Ater acquainted than it was with the condi-
tion and the aspirations of ticket-of-leave men. He had
himself trusted and tried many of them in various ways,
and hod never been wronged one farthing-by them, and
be u ished society to feel as strongly persuaded as lie
was that there was a latent sperk of good left in every
one of them, however degraded, which only required
developing to raise them to the pesition which all must
&sire :o see them fill. Having described the nature of
the ticket-of-leave system, and eulogited its introduction,
Mr. Mayhew preceeded co contend that it had worked
most suceessfully, inasmuch as statistical returns proved
that only 51 per cent. of the total number of tickets of
leas e arinted between September, 1553, and December
31. 1855, (namely 4.612) hal been followed by relapses
on the part ef their recipients into their former courses ;
whereas the average proportion of recommittals within
the United Kingdom was 33 per centeof the entire num-
ber of prisoners tried. Various obstacles, however, in-
terposed to check the benefits that must otherwise flow
from the recent change. Among these were the roving
and unsettled habits of the men, which indisposed them
fir steady, monotonous employMent. To do anything
effectual for their permanent amelioration society must
as far a; possible work in consonance with their nature,
and not in opposition to it. In this respect trading at-
fo-ded a good outlet for their industry, requiring as it
did no certificate of character from those who em-
barked in it, and all that they wanted was a little
stock-money to start with. The formation of a society
which should advise and help them in the work of self-
elevation was most desirable, and the establishment of
street rraekets conducted under proper regulations to-
gether with lodging-house' and other adjuncts would
also be of essential service towards the same end. After
some other remarks Mr. Mayhew invited several of the
men to amend the platform, and express their opinions
as to tie beat mode in which their class might be
a ;sistee.
The first to answer this summons was a young man
of neat and comparatively respectable appearance, who
seemed to be known to the rest by the name of "Peter."
With great fluency and remarkable propriety of expres-
sion he proceeded to narrate his own past career.
Having, he said, been transported for seven years, ho
was sent to Milbank Prison, where he was put to the
tailoring business. Being fond of books, he was enabled
while there to improve his previous education, and even
began to "tackle " algebra. After the lapse of 14
months be went to Portsmouth, where he was employed
in wheeling harrows from morning to night. During,
the whole of his confinement his perpetual source of
anxiety was what was to become of bine when he should
be lihereted. -He applied for counsel and encourage-
ment to the chaplain, but that gentleman refused to do
anything for him unless be became a communicant, a
thing which he was obliged conscientiously to decline.
He succeeded better with the second clergyman of the
prison, who was a man of more liberal ideas than his
predecessor ; and he frequently expressed to him his
fears that no other resource was open to him, on regain-
ing his liberty, but.to return to London, where he bad
been fiat transported from, and that, eing a marked
man and known to the police, and having no character
to offer as a security to any employer, he would never
find work, but must go back to thieving to save him-
self from starvation. (Applause.) When released he had
61. 12s. in his pocket, and when he got to Southampton
the officer of the penal establishment, in whose company
he wog, kingly offered him a'drop of brandy. He took
a little, which, as he had not tasted spirits for 4 years
before, immeiiately got into his headeeso that with the
sanerema Anite

intoxicated, and spent all his money the sati:Wiii4ii; and
not only so, but he got locked up into tlec bargain.
(Laughter.) At least, if ho did net spend it all himself
::omebo<ly else assisted him to spend it. (I, iughter.)
Arriving in London without a farthing, and wTiout a
friend in the world,with no prospect of employment, and
with no one, Übe wanted a meal, to say, "-Here it is for
yon," what was a man to do 7 Before he could brine,
himself to thieve he walked the streets in a vain search
for work for three months, until he wort out two pair of
shoes, and grow emaciated from having nothing batter
to eat than a bit of bread and a herritr,. In this despe-
rate state of thina he met with his old associates, and
for a period of 2 months ho did very well as far as money
went, for he made 51. or 61. a-week. This, however, was.,
earned by practices which he sincerely disliked; but then,
if the public would not allow him to make 1/. by honester
means, what was a man to do ? This course, as might
have beau expected, soon led to his apprehension, and
he was sentenced to another 12 months' imprisonment,
whin?, expired only last Monday. Hearing that this
meeting was to he held, he had eagerly attended it, in
the hope that it would result in some permanent-bene-
fit to him and those like him, who were struggling,
amid the greatest difficulties and ErvereA persecution,
to become honest members of society. (Hear, hear.)
Knocked about by the police en every side, and
cJldly received by the pu'b'ic, he was at that moment in
a condition in which he did not know where to g't his
I next meal without stealing it ; but if the encouragement
he'd out to his oppressed elate by the benevolent gentle-
men who had come forward that evening in their helial
was only realised, from that time forward he was deter-
mined not again to put his hand to any dishonest
action. (Cheers.) _ _ .

Tine next speaker was a cestermonesr, of about 25
years of age and rather diminutive stature, who said
that, having been left an orphan when only 10 years
old. he took to selling oranges about the streets to get
a living ; but after spending a year so in that way he fell
into the society of a few Westminster boys, avian whom
he went a-thieving, nuti! he got seven years' transporta-
tien at No nate. Three years and seven months of his
sentence were passed at the Isle of Wight, and 11 months
more at Portsmouth. He was pressed to take the Sacra-
ment while in prison, but not liking to play flee hypocrite
he refused. 'When released he returned to London arid
traded for two or three weeks in hareskins and rabbitskins.
While s. assieg through Tothill-street, Westminster, one
day, two policemen cause up to him and wanted to search
his sack, which was full of skins, because they said lie
was a ticket-of-leave man, and suspectA that he bad
somethirg not come honestly by. Rather than allow
them to look into his sack he went to the police-court in
their custody, and insisted on seeing the magistrate.
Before he could say a word to his worship about the
treatment he had received, the inspector spokefirst, called
hlin a " ticket-of-leave," and stated that he had been very
violent and saucy. Instead of listenino. tinder such eir-
cnin,tanees, to what he had to say f r himself, the magis-
trate also burst out, " Oh, you are an insolent fellow and a
disgrace to society—if the Secretory of State knew of
your doings he would banish you ;" and, as his worship
also muttered something about sending him to " oiled "
for contempt of Court, Le thought it best to " hook it."
(Laughter.) Having learnt something of shoemaking
while at the Isle of Wight, although not enough to en-
able him to get a living, he next tried to get work in
that line at Northampton, hut, having no tools, he
failed. lie then went on to Derby in a state bordering
on starvation, and be obtained an interview with a ma-
giArate in that town, whom he asked to assist him in
getting back to London. This gentleman would scarcely
believe his tale and thought him a returned convict.
Another person at Derlov, of whom lie had before this
begged alms, gave him ls. At length be reached Lou-
don
in a most iniserahle state, and by the help of his
cousie he got into the market again. Ire then did,
better, and last Christmas 12 months he got married.
His trade had been very low for the last six weeks, and
he just enannged to "crack a crust ;" but please God he
would never go back again to thieving. (Cheers.) He
was not much of a taker ; and therefore he would only
add that he hoped the kind gentlemen who had taken
up their cause would continue to exert themselves until
something satisfactory was done to give fair play to the
ill-need ticket-of-leave men. (Applause.)
A stonemason next addressed the assemblage, bearing
similar testimony to the hardships endured by his class.
He was not, however, so ill off as those who preceded
him, as since his liberation ho Lad obtained employment
at hie trade, and was now earning a comfortable liveli-
hood. At the samo time, be had been anxious to be
present to show his sympathy for the body of men to
wham he belonged, many individual members of which
be knew to be at this moment ground down. by
.the
heaviest distress.
An elderly man, who described himself as a dock
labourer, next recited his tale of misery. He had been,
he said, convicted of robbery at the Old Bailey, and sen-
tenced to 14 years' transportation, although entirely in-
nocent. He had been sent to Milbank, toWoolwicb, and
to Gibraltar, and at the latter place was subjected to the
harshest treatment. Flogging went on there from before
daylight till late at night. 21. 10s. out of the• sum of
4/. 14s. 6d. allowed him on leaving Gibralter was:stopped
to pay his passage home. He had worked for 1.5 or 16
months at the docks, but he was now out of wafts, and