The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-29 00:00:00

UNIVERSI IT REFORM..
Mr. GLADSTONE ackf.d Lord John Russell when
it was proposed to proceed with the adjourned debate on
the motion for the appointment of a commission to in-
quire into the management of the Universities?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said it was • net a
Government measure, and ho could not undertake to say
when the adjourned debate would be proceeded with, but
•ahenever it was resumed he should move an amendment
that it should be adjourned for three months.
OCCUPATION OF THE NEW HOUSE.
Sir GEORGE WIEY said he understood the new
House, owing to the favourable change in the weather,
would be ready for occupation on Thursday next, and if
convenient for Hon. Members, he would propose that
they should have a morning sitting in the new House on
that day at twelve o'clock. Sime anxiety had been ex-
pressed with respect to the progress of the Irish Elec-
tion. Bill, and no doubt that Bill might be taken at the
merning sitting.—(Hear, hear.) It was intended to
meet in the old House again at five o'clock.
Is was then agreed that the House at its rising tel-
jeure until Thursday, at twelve o'clock.
EMIGRATION OF PAUPER CHILDREN.
Mr. W. MILES presented sereral petitions from
various parts of the country in favour of a plan for the
emigration of pauper children. The Honourable
Gentleman, after presenting the petition, thee
proceeded to move, " That it is expedient that the Go-
eernment, with the consent and assistance of the boards
of guardians throughout England and Wales, should
take immediate steps to forward the emigration of
orphan girls, inmates of the several workhouses, and
capable of entering service, to Australia as apprentices."
It urns of the utmost importance to the country, circum-
scribed as England was, to have a free outlet for its super-
abundant population, and what outlet could they find
better than a colony which, by the fertility of it; soil
and the congeniadty of its climate, rendered it peculiarly
adapted to the energies and constitution of English-
men? Parliament should, therefore, encourage as much
as possible the introduction of capital into the
colony of New South Wales, while next to that it ought
to facilitate the transfer of domestic servants from this
country to the colonies. The emigrative capitalist, with
a familv, experienced no greater inconvenience when he
reached the colony than the difficulty of procuring do-
mestic servants, and it was the knowledge of that incon-
venience which bad induced him to bring forward the
present motion. He wished, it to be understood that
all the arguments which he should have to bring for-
ward might be applicable to New South Wales,
and without going to times gone by for reports,
'he would wish the Members to refer to docu-
ments which had been long before the House.
If they would refer to the returns from the
Aix magisterial divisions of Sydney red from Port Philip,
they would find the great request in which female
servants were in these oistricts. That was the general
complaint in nll those districts, and the question
was, whether England was in the position to provide for
the colonies; and be thought that if the House would also
peruse the domestic returns relating to this t'his', they
would find that there were abundance of materials.
He found that there were as many as 173
boys and girls in the twelve workhouses in the
county which he represented who were capable
of entering service. and the boards of guardians
entirely approved of the proposition for their removal to
the colonies.. The number of these young persons
was rapidly increasing, and the cost of their sup-
port and education entailed a very large sum upon
the country. Soon aft?: the formation of the poor-law
unions his attention was very much directed to one
union,containing a population of 56,000 persons and
three
workhouses, in which were located the ab'e
bodied, the aged, and the young; and on examining the
pauper school, he was astonished at finding such a large
number of children, many of whom were orphans and
without protectors or friends. Inconsequence of the ex-
pense of maintaining three workhouses the inmates
were transferred to one large establishment, where the
children, up to the age of 15, were kept apart from the
elder paupers, not being allowed to enter the general
ward. After that time they were occasionally employed
in the women's ward; but he was sorry to say, from
the description of persons with wbom they then as-
sociated, they frequently became contaminated. At
the age of sixteen they were considered able-bodied,
and could leave the house at any time, on giving
twenty-four hours' notice; and ho could mention nume-
rous instances of the demoralisation and crime which
resulted from these orphan girls being suddenly cast
upon the world. It had been stated that a general
disinclination existed in the colonies, particularly in
Australia, to the reception of pauper labour; and in that
respect he thought they' were right, because so far as
able-bodied men and women were concerned, they were
neither efficient labourers nor servants; but with respect
to children the case was far different, and he would en-
deavour to show the result of their industrial training,
because on thattitrraincionog depended their usefulness to
theEm igcroalotioninstcs.
ommissionepresrl
aunpdi neplruoapl el
yr 1 ya-smaahel rte3el a report made to the
Ind that the children brought
earn their
tnsreesalivelihood rotuhgehte
zuipstbinygtheelirrepumarsetna rt
heh
eeihnytcpeo el
labourl
roiognoei
neasst
believed
ottahfl eats wythhtlewensondaUecolbrd2 pargoev ew
hmoreoha
vedesirable.ot emigrantsadthe adv atnhtann
es of the
education given to children in the workhouse:. Since
the period at which that report was written, other evi-
dence had been given confirmatory of what he had
stated. He referred to the evidence of those gentle-
men who had been sent out, he believed, by a com-
mittee of the Privy Council, under the authority
of the Poor-law Board, as commissioners to de-
termine as to the education of the echoolecasters;
and as to the efficiency
_of the
of the five cora-
schools. When he
stated the name of gr. luffn e 1 as cue
sure the House would receive with
mi'El°ners' lie ivas• he might have given. Mr. Tuff-
defeience any opinion
eol
rl
kh statedou s
e
ahreaatlt ?et;
the'.
saat
tfhreqguenlstprreemseanrtka ovfervyis:utopresriotor
w
schools
appearance to the bey;
I I- and altogether of
in 00
stunted in growth, less healthy
I was long puzzled to
an inferior physical develoPalcnt•
.ltahteterfoarrmeercoan;
looking and well-grown, ht leler
account for this difference, as b
the
very similar • but I am now persua irvede t
thatrn t n
it
I work
to the want of appropriate industrial
for the boys. t eof
is
owingot
is
In general there is no difficulty
in finding abundant
suitable employment for the girls ; and thotpda a con-
siderable part of it, 'such as sewing, is sedentary, the
female constitution. accuse to suffer far less from con-
fueement than the other .sex, and in washing, scour'