The Sun.
London, England, 1820-05-24 00:00:00

NtWS.

DEAL, MAY 23.—. Sailed last night the Tanjore,
Dacre, for Madras and Bengal. Came down front
the River, and sailed, the Thomas, Tate, for the
Cape of Good Hope. Iternaing in the'Downs the
Lady Borringdon, Living, for Bombay.
Poatsatomt, May 23.—Arrived the Hope,
Flint, . ftom the Downs, for Madras and Bengal.
Came into harbour the Prince Christian Auguve,
Peterson, from the Mothetbanir.

TottaAr, .MAY 22:,--Sailed last evening
.his
Majesty's ship Egeria, and the Inspector cutler,
for Newfoundland'.

DELINQUENCY AND PUNISHMENT.

SOCIETY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OE PRISON DT
CIPLINF„ AND FOR THE REFORMATION OF JU-
VENILE OFFENDERS.

A general meeting of the friends and subscri-
bers to this Society-took place yesterday, at the
•Freemasons'-hall, Great Queenastreet, Lincoln's-
ion- fields. The meeting was announced for one
o'clock, but long before twelve the Hall was more
than half full. At one o'clock there was riot a
single seat, or scarcely standing room to spare,
even in the galleries. The number of ladies
(among whom were notice(l, as usual, a large pro-
portion of the Society of Vricnds) was vet y Meat ;
bo !IMO so, indeed, that we do not remember
any similar meeting erg tit could boast a larger
asst tnhlaee of rank, fashion, and bsarcy. It was
Intl'-past one o'clock before his Royal Highness
the Puke of Gloucester, the pat 1(111 01 the So-
ciety, at rived, At that time, or soon after, were
noticed, arm-roust many other distinguished Itiends
of the (too if ',riot),
Niarcvarsi of Lansdown. 1:trl Grosvenor, Lord Bel-
grav,, Lurd Nugent, Lord :NuelslAnd, the of Saint
S'r T. Bart. M P. Nlr. Ptiorll, M.P.
134,1%. 'A. Rotolo., M P. N. Wnitlio-el4l, M.P. W. F.
Buxton, Ni P. Nlr, William Wilberforce, M.P. Mr. Milford,
and Colonel Barry, M.P.
• At about halt past one Weiss( k his Royal High-
ness the 1.),,15e of GLOUCESTER took the Chats.-
11:s Royal II g: ness shortly after addressed the
I\leetioe, and said, :too he tell an anxious desire
to testily the warm hoe esst which he felt for the
objects of this most exct Hero Itotitwiim ; but he
was at that moment Ishoutiog under severe iodis-
position, and he feared the- state of his health
would not permit him to stay during the whole of
the To oceedioes. Ile could have wished to ewer
into a detailed statement of the objects of the So-
ciety, but be had the satisfaction of reflecting
that he should be tollowed by an honourable
Friend, who had devoted notch of his rime to the
promotiou of those objects, and who would not
only state them to the Meeting, hot also detail the
steps which had already been taken for the pur-
pose of carrying them into effect. It was a most
gratifying and satisfactory reflection, that wher-
ever the objects of this institution had been stat-
ed, they had not only not met with any opposi-
tion, but had been uniformly received milli the
retest cordial approbation and sopport. ills Hon.
Friend would now state to the Meeting the objects
of the Institution.
Mr.'''. F. BUXTON said, that he %horrid have felt
some degree of embarrassment in taking so pro-
minent a situation on this occasion, surrounded as
lie was, by Gentlemen so much better qualified
to address the Society, if he had not happened to
be acquainted with the commencement of the In-
stitution, It originated with a number ot Gen-
tlemen who resided in one of the most distressed
districts of the metropolis,whose benevolent dispo-
sitions led them not only to afford pecuniary
hot to inspire into the circumstances which con-
tributed to the increase of crime. They found that
a large mother of children of the most tender years
were engaged in a regular and organized sys-
tem of crime ; awl it appeared, among other
instances of eat ly depravity, that a boy of only nine
years of age had been implicated with a gang of
delimit-tents, and committed to pistol upon tour
separate charges within the year. This was in
the year 1813, and when he stated that in the
course of one year 2,000 similar cases came under
the notice of these Gentlefneo, it would be ac-
knowledged that these appalling facts were calcu-
lated to make a deep impression. It was under
such circumstances that these -Gentlemen formed
themselves into a Committee, and they had con-
tinued by six years of uoremitted exertion and
unexampled sacrifices, to merit the support and
gratitude of the public. Ile would allude to one
instance of the nature of the sacrifices made by the
Committee. The house of the Secretary had been
destroyed by fire, and his whole property consum-
ed, but with the most disinterested zeal for the in-
terests of this Society, lie had rescued every Paper
and article belonging to it from the flames. Con-
siderable success attended the exertions of the
Comarittee ; but still their benevolent designs
would have been frustrated front the want of a
public asylum, if that difficulty had not been re-
moved by one of their Members, who, -disregard-
ing all private or prudential considerations; and
influenced only by principl o, of the most gene-
rous and enlarged philanthropy, took these juve-
nile delinquents into his own house. Upou..ap-
plicat ion to the Committee of the Refuge for the
Destitute, a portion of the buildings belonging
to that Society was afterwards lent for the
purposes of that Institution. The Committee
afterwards extended their views to the state of the
prisons throughout the metropolis, a subject
which had been much neglected since the inqui-
ries of Mr. Howard and Mr. Nield, though of
late, from the active exertions of his Honourable
Friend, Mr. Bennet, it had excited considerable
interest, and Newgate had almost become a place
of fashionable resort.--There was one great
axiom upon which all their endeavours for the re-
formation of prison tl;scipline hinged— the neces.;
sity of constant employment. lie was aware that
sonic persons deprecated every plan which had
a tendency to make prisons too comfortable ; but
lie could not conceive that any evil could possibly
result front an attention to the comforts of
prisoners combined with regular and constant
discipline, or that plain diet and cleanliness could
have any corrupting influence upon men who had
been accustomed all their lives to filth and wretch-
edness. The old principles of prison discipline
were calculated to confirm offenders in" habits of
idleness and dissipation; upon the new prin-
ciples they applied labour and regular discipline
in opposition to those habits of idleness which
were the source of crime. Upon the old prin-
ciples the number of prisoners who returned to
gaols after liberation amoroWed to 30, 40, and
even 50 per cent, while the largest number of
returns upon the new system did not exceed five
or six per cent. The old principles applied cruelty
instead of discipline to the reformation of offences,
acid aroused the passions instead of controolitig
diem. The beneficial effects of the new system
bad been exemplified in a most striking man-
ner, by the exertions of the Ladies' Committee,
among the female prisoners in Newgate ; and it
was found, that criminals who had pased their

ilges In a boiti tieAande to the iaWs cf CA and
man, now rendered a willing and grateful obe-
diehce to the salutary regulations which had been
imposed upon them. ‘Vith respect to a charge
which had been insinuated against those benevo-
lent Ladies, in consequence of a disturbance
which bad recently broken out among the female
prisoners in Newgate, he observed that a most
exaggerated account had been gheo of that dis-
turbance. It was the practice to permit the fe-
male convicts to see their ft iends, on the night
pievions to transportation ; but upon a late
occasion it was not deemed prudent to extend
the usual indulgence, and considerable tumult
took place in consequence of the prohibition. It
ought, however, in candour to have been stared,
because it afforded a striking proof of the improved
state of Newgate, which was mainly owing to the
exertions of these Ladies, that oily eight of these
convicts were implicated in the tunoilt, and that
80 refused to join in it. In adverting to the to•
reign operations of the Society, the lion. Gentle-
man observed, that the Emperor Alexander bad
Liven his most cordial seppoet to the objects
of the Society, and that a t liooketiou of n similar
nature had been formed at :tit. Petersburgh and
Moscow, of which the Emperor hail named him-
colt Patroe, -and his Prime Minister, Pt ince Ga-
littin, President. The Hon. Gentleman" then re-
capitulated the objects of the Invitetion, which
were—fiigt, to establish a central toeus of com-
munication upon its general views and interests; '
ne-xt, to form a penitentiary for juvenile rleliu-
qtieros; and lasdv, if it shoot(' he the opinion of
this nieetioz, in furtherance of those objects, to
keep up the temporary refuge for the dt.stittite.
The Marquess of LANSDOWN, iu proposing the
first Reeohe ion, said that it was unnecessary to
occupy the time of the Meeting, after the Hon.
Gentleman had so ably and distinctly stated the
course which had been putsaed, anti that which
remained to he pursued. Ile was confident that
there would he but one sentiment in this Meeting
as to the propriety of following in those paths,
which he had pursued with so touch honour to
himself, and benefit to the cottony, and of adopt-
iag his suggestions with that vigour and purse-
' veraece which would alone give them due effect.
Lord AUCKLAND seconded the Resolution.

The Duke of GLOUCESTER expressed his regret
that the state of his health would not permit him
to continue in the Chair, and renewed his assur-
ances of the warm interest he took in the welfare
of the Society. His Noble Friend, Lord Auckland,
had obligingly consented to take the Chair.
The Nataress of LatasoowN said, it was impos-
sible the Meeting sould• permit his Royal High-
ness 'o leave the Chair, until they had expressed
the grateful sense they entertained of his con-
descension, in presiding upon this occasion.
Ills Royal 114,,bness then left the Chair, amidst.
the enthusiastic applause of the Meeting.
‘VILBERFORCE proposed the next Resolu-
tion ; and in commenting upon the objects of the
Institution, regretted that the attention at
Legislature had not been sufficiently directed to
the moral and religious improvement of the peo-
ple.
Mr. STUPORS BOURNE seconded the motion.
After what had been so ably and eloquently stat-
ed by his Honourable Ft lends who had addressed
them, he should consider himself as not only tres-
passing on their time, but also weakening what
had been so forcibly urged. He most cordially
concurred in all that had been mentioned relative
to the necessity of prisons being properly con-
structed. Without runt, in vain would ameliora-
tion of conduct be expected ; for the young, by
mixing indiscrintimately with the veteran class of
depredators, would themselves become hardened
and practised in every species of vice. He had
seen the effects which bad happily resulted front
his Honourable Friend's (Sir ThoMas' Baring)
exertions in a county where he was a Magistrite,
and in the prison of which an almost incredible
reformation had taken place. This led him to be
the more sanguine it his hopes of the practical
goo:l which might be effected by this Society in
their labour of love.• He concluded by seconding
the Resolution, st Lich was theo pot and agreed to.
Earl Gaosveawa, in rising to move tue third
Resolution, observed, that the able speeches of
his friends who had preceded hint had nearly left
him nothing-to say. There were one or two points
on which, however, he should beg leave to say a
word or two. Ile sincerely regretted that the
Royal Personage who had just left the Chair had
been obliged to do so from indisposition, and he
perfectly agreed with the remark made by his
Honourable Friend, that while the Society was
honoured' by having such a President as the Duke
of Gloucester, still, considering the nature of the
Society itself, the object it was to accomplish, and
the persons who composed it,- he thought the
holding such an of was equally creditable to the
Duke, who was well known to be a distinguished
benefactor to all charitable Institutions; and while,
saying so, it was utterly impossible to survey the*
portraits in that Hall, of several illusti ions Members
of that Royal House,withoot calling to recollection
the many and inestimable advantages which bad
resulted to public Charities and other Societies
from these individuals. He would say for himself,
that from not being in the habit of attending
meetings like the present, though he trusted he
hail or ver been backward in supporting Charities,
he would have telt considerable tatbarrassment had
it not been for the easy tack he had now allotted
to him. There was here no topic to excite con-
troversy, as often was the case in matters of poli•
tical economy. In the Resolution which he held
in his hand, he saw it was stated that the youth
were in many instances made the victims of vice
even by their own parents. A more melancholy
consideration could hardly be entertained, and yet
there was nothing more true. Parents, it was well
known,not only urged their offspring to thecornmis-
sion of crime, but even threatened and ponished them
unless they regularly brought home some fruits of
their depredations. And was it then to be won-
s:dered at- that the perpetration of vice and crime
was so prevalent among juvenile characters The
prevailing distress of the country might also in
some cases be assigned as a cattae for urging many
to crime. Without inquiring at present into the
causes of that distress, or whether it would cons
tinue long or short, it was the duty of all who
had the welfare of the public at heart to eudea-
your to do somettliog to produce a remedy. :114s

tLe Society ti-Ccordingly tlitl, fur they ;-otAnt.,l not I
their operations to the mere reconimeudamion of
improvement 3 in prisons, but they had provided a
temporary refuge for reclainning the young. At
present their funds sere not however sufficient to
enable them to carry their benevolent efforts into
the full and much desired effect. He trusted that
when this was known, they would cheerfully con-
tribute their aid in rescuing front destruction those
who might be reclaimed, from their not having
far advanced in a career of immorality.
Dr. LUSHINGTON See()Mkt; the motion. Ft om
having been on the Committee, he had bad the ful-
lest opportunity of ascertaining the nature of the
case, and the alarming evil which existed. Onegreat
cause of the increase of juvenile offenders was
their being dimwitted to New-gate, and at their
discharge left destitute of all weans of support. If
he whose character Was unblemished could with
difficulty find employment, how was the prison to
find it whose character was tainted, whose repu-
tation was infamous. and solio was an outcast from
society ? On' of 210 who had been under the
care of the Society, only 20 had tnh,conducted
themselves ; y. t haul there been evtn more, still
that was co reason why the Society should not
persevere in its ;dhows. Children, it had been
already well observed, had been trained to vice.by
their parents and !datives, an instance of which
be would mention. Theme was one child of eight
years old, who had oily a mother alive, and that
infant, as he might justly be called, had been no
less than eiVileen times in diffeten, public offices
on different criminal charges. . How could the
case be otherwise ?—for these children Were ac-
customed to hear vice extolled and virtue ridi-
culed and condemned..
-- .

Sir T. BARING, in moving the third Resolution,
said that he telt much embarrassed in addressing
them, but allusion having been wide to him by
his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Bourne), he
could (Mt help asikif lug them that the greatest
change had taken.place in the piison which that
Gentleman had mentioned, by the introduction of
employment, classification and instruction. He
strongly recommended the Society to the public
support.
Mr. %V. ALLEN observed, that from having re-
cently visited some of the.prisons abroad, be was
pupated to say, that 'he highly approved of the
Society and of its object. In one prison abroad,
he had seen an individual with nearly one hun-
dred weight of irons on him, the bolts of
which were of immense thickness. lie was happy
to say that in Sweden the number of criminals
was few, but this was owing to pains having been
taken to bring up the youth in virtuous h tbits. In
one place the jailor Was an old woman (laughter),
iand in another district in that country, contain-

ng a population of 200,000, thete were only 90
prisoners. The King of Sweden, the Emperor of
Russia, the ithnisfers of the King of Naples, the
Grand Duke af Tuscany, &c. all concurred in the
object of the Society. Indeed this was not a
question of mere patty feeling, for it was ,one in
which all parties might unite, and of this they
had that day a striking instance, in seeing the
dignified Clergy of the Church and Dissenters all
uniting. He conentled an animated address by
strongly urging ti►e necessity of new prisons in
which females might exclusively be confined and
properly classifi-d.
Mr LI. G. DouGLAss stated time improvement
which had been recently effected in the prisons of
Ireland. _ .

••,“•••‘••
The Honourable H. G. BENNET said, his object
in rising was to move the thanks of the Mecii,g
to the Country Magistrates, for the liberal sprit
they had evinced ? He recently traversed a consi-
derable part of England, and in not one county
was there riot some improvement going on in the
prisons.—He was glad that there %vas a pro-
spect of labour being introduced into the Middle-
sex Gaol, because this might formerly have
been called an academy of vice. Employment
was essentially necessary to give cffect even to
moral and religious instruclion. The Honourable
Gentleman then, at some length, entered into the
state of the case, and how loudly a remedy was
called for.

Mr. Gurney, Lord Nugent, Lord Belgrave, the
Honourable and Bevrrend G. Noel, &c,. 3 everdly
addressed the Meeting, after which thanks being
voted to the Noble Chairman, the Meeting broke
up at half-past five o'clock.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION.—From calculation
by the College of Physicians, no less than 40',00C
die annually in Great Britain of Consumption,
and at least 10,000 in London. The late William
Turnbull, Esq. a very ingenious Surgeon, ascer-
tained that every 20th person was ruptured.--
These complaints -are truly alarming to every in-
dividual i.vho uses the least exertion. It is also
inctedible the number that suffer from a certain
Disease, by being improperly treated. it was
those circumstances induced Dr. COOPER to select
eminent Physicians and Surgeons, of at least 30
years' experience, to form a Medical Board
; and
since the establishment upwards of 30,000 Pa-
tients have been cured without confinement—
many of them after hospitals had failed.
Messrs. COOPER and Co. are consulted at
Woodstock-street, Oxford-street ; and at Char-
lotte. House, Great Charlotte-street, Opposite the
Rev. Rowland Hill's, daily, from eight,
Mechanics have advice gratis every evening, from
six till eight ; and on Sunday mornings until 12
(Alm k.

*** RUPTURES of 30 years standing radically
cured without confinement.

*.l.* There are private doors at each house, and
private rooms for Females.
N. B. The Afflicted -would do well to read
Messrs. COOPER And Co.'s Lectures on two pre-
Diseases,'published at one shilling, by
Mr. HARVEY, 22, lilacLf►iiis-roed. They will
also prove useful to young Practitioners.

A serious affray took place on Saturday evening
last at the Red Lion, at Egerton, between two
men who had been drinking at the house till
a late hour, when a quarrel ensued, during which
one of the Imo stabbed the other with a large
knife above the hip bone, and he now lies rn
a hopeless state. The perpetrator of this foul act
was taken into custody on Sunday. We under.
stand he has a wife and four small children, and
the person svho was stabbed has also a wile and
five clatter).