The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-31 00:00:00

CRIME AND IGNORANCE.

We think that, although the ordinary connexion of
ignorance and crime is still as distinctly traeeable as
ever in the calendars of assizes and sessions—which
now contain a column, marking the degree of profi-
ciency of every prisoner in the elementary knowledge
of reading and writing—there is beginning to be dis-
cernible in these calendars the operation of an exten-
sion of these rudiments of instruction amongst the
class of persons in which criminals are generally found
to exist. For example, in the calendar of prisoners
for trial at the present South Lancashire Assizes on
charges of felony, generally of a very serious descrip-
tion, we find the numbers to stand as follow :—There
are just 100 prisoners named in that calendar, of
Whom we find 30 (that is 30 per cent.) can neither
read nor write ; 24 can read imperfectly, but can-
not write ; 34 can read and write imperfectly ; seven
can read and write well ; and five can read and write
in a superior manner. Of the seven who can read and
write well, three prisoners are charged with crimes
against person, not property, viz. fratricide (from sud-
den passion), manslaughter, and rape ; a fourth with
forgery (which offence required a degree of intelligence
and education), and the others with horse-stealing
and other felonies. Of the five, who are still more
proficient in reading and writing, four are indicted
for forgeries ; and the fifth, a clerk in the post-
' office, for stealing a letter. We apprehend that
few persons are now to be found who would gravely
contend that education is an evil, because it has
in some few instances enabled individuals to com-
mit forgery. The answer to such an obsolete argument
would be that, of persons able to read and write well,
this calendar contains only 12 per cent., while there
are 30 per cent. of criminals utterly ignorant of both
reading and writing ; 44 per cent. more who are
ignorant of writing, and can only read imperfectly ;
and 34 per cent. more who only read and write im-
perfectly. The two classes would stand thus :—Of
comparatively ignorant and uneducated persons, 88
per cent.; of comparatively educated persons, 12 per
cent. As it appears to us, this is a very cogent argu-
ment for national education ; and such facts ought to
appeal powerfully to the legislature, in behalf of some
comprehensive measure for that purpose. But as we
have stated (though, not having former calendars at
hand, we cannot state how much per cent.), even this
melancholy statement of things shows, as we believe,
a decided improvement on the calendars of a few
years back, when they first began to record these
things. Fifteen per cent. of the prisoners in this
calendar are females ;_ and 17 per cent. (both sexes)
are under 20 years.of age.

THE CANTERBURY UNION BANK.-011 Monday
and Tuesday, the Commissioners, under the fiat in this
bankruptcy, met at the Guildhall Concert-room, Canter-
bury, to admit further proofs of debts, to audit the ac-
counts, and declare a dividend. The debts and claims
upon the joint estate of the bankrupts. amount to
122,691., upon the' separate estates—Mr. Halford's,
16,5431. ; Mr. Baldock's, 11,2641 ; Mr. Snoulten's,
2,9001. The Commissioners declared a dividend upon
the joint estate of 4s. in the pound ; upon Mr. Bal-
dock's, ss. Gd. ; upon Mr. Snoulten's, 20s. No dividend
was proclaimed upon Mr. Halford's separate estate.
During the last fourteen days considerable stir has
been created at Montrose, from a dispute betwixt the
shipowners and seamen regarding the rate of wages for
the ensuing season. The rate paid last year was 31. per
month ; and, considering the depression the shipping
interest has sustained, the owners at first this season
made offer of 2/. .155., being a reduction of ss. This
offer was refiised bythe men, and, after numerous meet-
ing betwixt the parties, a great number are now on
board at 21. 10s. per month, being ss. less than they
were originally oirered.—Edinburgh Paper,