The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-24 00:00:00

UST.

111EIRD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, 7 o'CLocK.

SPORTING NOTES.

THE SPRING HANDICAPS.
In The Sun of this evening will be found the weights for
all the important Spring Handicaps. The Chester Cup
weights reflect the greatest credit on Mr. Topham for the
care he has taken in adjusting the handicap. Helen, from
her performance in this race last year, is likely to become
a warm favourite. She has only 31b. more to carry than
she did as a four-year-old, hut those who back her will
have cause to regret their investments, as she will, in all
probability, be used as a market horse. Solon, the hope cf
the Irish division, has been handicapped out of the race.
Baragah, Ackworth, Zambesi, Copanhagen, Lion, Tho
Clown, Leprochaun, and Eltham are the best of the
top weights. The Grinder, Lord Zetland, Valiant, Harry
Brailsford, Little Goy, Morris Dancer, and Nukuheva the
middle weights, and Grappler, Helen, Miss Williams,
Dagmar, and Marco Spada, the light division. Gladiateur
was nominated without the consent of the owner, but has
not been handicapped. The Lincolnshire Handicap is
the first event to be decided, and those that strike me as
best in are Saccharometer, Gemma, Stockinger, Idler,
Valiant, Perfumer, and Little Gentleman. For the Great
Northamptonshire Stakes, Scaniander (last year's winner),
Valiant, Watchbox, and Chimney Sweep are not over-
weighted.

In the Third Edition of The Sun of next Tuesday wil
appear the complete List of Acceptances for all the Brea.
Handicaps.

A FRESH MAN.

Sir George Bowyer, M.P., on Religion and
Reformatories.

~..
-..

(From the Lire;pool Mercury.)
The annual soiree of the Liverpool Catholic
Young Men's Societies was held on Thursday In
St. George's Hall. About 1,200 persons sat down
to tea, which was supplied by Mr. J. Milbourn, St.
Anne-street. Afterwards the chair was taken by
Sir George Bowyer, Bart., M.P., and there were
also on the platform the Earl of Denbigh, the Rev.
Canon Took (Manchester), the Revs. Father Teeby,
M‘Grath, Shepherd, Caldwell, Bonte, Van Hee,
W. Cothan, J. Cotham, Almond, Lenoir, Walsh
(Bootle), Guy, M. Doon, Broodie, D. Power
Nugent; the Rev. Dr. M'Cartan (Wolverhampton),
Lieutenant-Colonel Bidwill ; Messrs. E. Kelly, J.
Fairhurst, J. Yates, H. Sharpless, J. Radley, J.
Whitty, J. N. Lomax, E. Latham (who wore the
Grand Cross of St. Gregory and the Order of
Malta), &c.
The CHAIRMAN said he had naturally turned over
in his mind what subject would be most likely to
be most acceptable to the assembly he saw before
him, and several things had suggested themselves to
him ; but within the last few days he had found
that so great a public interest had been excited by
the able speech of Lord Stanley with regard to the
mode of dealing with offenders that he had resolved
to make a few observations on that subject. (Ap-
plause.) That was a subject upon which it was
rather difficult to say anything which might be called
new ; nevertheless, he thought he could present
that subject in a point of view in which it had not
been heretofore presented, either by public speakers
or in the public press of the country—he meant he
wished to view that subject in that point of view
in which a Catholic would naturally view it.
(Hear, hear.) He had heard many long speeches on
the subject of the mode of dealing with offenders on
what was called, in the common slang of the day,
the reformatory movement. He had heard many
debates in Parliament on the subject; he had read
many speeches made at public meetings upon it ;
but in all these speeches and in all these debates he
had not been able to discover what was the real
power—what was the real influence--by which it
was proposed to reform these offenders. A bad man
could not be made into a good man by mere educa-
tion. Reading, writing, and arithmetic would not
make a dishonest man and a bad man and an of-
fender against the laws of his country into a useful
citizen. (Applause.) It was true, as it had been pro-
posed, and to a great extent carried into effect, to
give to those persons who fall under the operation
of the criminal law of tho country an industrial
education--to teach them means by which they may
earn a livelihood, and by that means may be taken
away from criminal pursuits—that was no doubt a
most important and a most useful method of pro-
ceeding, but after all it applied only to one class—
to that class of persons who pursue a criminal course
of life as a means of livelihood, and who, if they
were able to gain their living in any other way,
would do so ; and this class he feared was a very
small class among the criminal population of the
country. (Hear, hear.) But they had to deal with a
class which is becoming a really great evil. He be-
lieved if they were to take the offenders and lunatics
together they would find that they cost the
country more than the standing army. (Applause
and hear, hear.) He was not sure whether taking
the offenders alone without including the lunatics
the expenditure for them would not equal the ex-
penditure for the standing army. This showed there
was something in the condition of the country
which required strong remedial measures, and what
those measures are to be was the great problem, and
a problem he had never heard solved by any who
had spoken on the subject. Lord Stanley had prac-
tically and wisely suggested what should be done
with another class of prisoners—he had suggested
that those who were incorrigible should have
means provided them to enable them to emigrate
to places where their old associations would
be separated from them, and where they
could commence a useful life. That, no doubt,
was a very wise and practical suggestion ; and, in-
deed, everything that came from Lord Stanley was
always practical and useful. (Applause.) But still
he (the chairman) asked, where was the great in-
fluence which was to reform those people ? They
talked about reforming criminals—they talked about
the great reform movement, but what was the great
power which was to regenerate those men and make
ba4l good ? , He said there was only one power that
ccild tic) 'it, and that was the power of religion.
(Applause.) Religion, and religion only, could re-
form these people, and make them resolve to lead in
the future a good and useful life. And it was the
Catholics who had the key to openee
wthheoghaatdettoottahkies
great mystery— it was the Catholics
religion
the lead in this great movement,andthatbec
Ifause
they had the true religion. (Loud applause.)
religion was to do the work, it mustCatholic be
re-
ligion. (Hear, hear.) The
the true religion, and it was the Catholics who emus
do the work. The Catholics ought to set an exam. the true
w as

ple, and it was through them an example must come
for all that was to be done in this great movement,
which was of so much importance to this country
and for the welfare of humanity. (Hear, hear, and
applause.) He had no doubt there were persons
present who did not belong to the Catholic Church.
It had always been his practice through life to avoid
saying or doing anything to give the slightest offence
to those who differed from him in opinion—(ap..
plause)—but he must be allowed to speak freely on
this subject. He remembered many years ago going
to a Protestant reformatory for boys. He had a
letter of introduction to the person who had the
management of the institution, but he was absent.
He (the chairman) was therefore shown over the es-
tablishment by an inferior official, and he did not
regret it, because by that means he was enabled to
get at the unbiassed truth, and obtained information
which the rules of etiquette would probably, have
precluded the princival from giving him. The insti-
tution was certainly an admirable one ; there was
divine service every day in the chapel, and the
chaplain gave religious instruction to the inmates.
He (the chairman) said to the person who conducted
him over the institution, " What is the effect of this
religious instruction? Do you find that it makes the
bad boys into good boys ?" His answer was, " No.
They come here wicked ; they go away wicked. We
keep them under discipline ; but the moment that
discipline is withdrawn they return to their vicious
habits,, and go from here as wicked as they came.
They are wicked when they come here, and they
steal from each other when they have no one else to

steal from. In fact, we do not reform them." That
was a very simple admission. In the last session of

Parliament, as_ a member of the committee on the

poor laws, be asked several Protestant witnesses of
eminence questions with regard to the effect which