The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-06 00:00:00

FINANCE OF THE COUNTY.

Mr. SMALLPIECE, the Treasurer of the County, re-
ported that after all payments the County was indebted
481/. Is. over and above the expenditure of the cur-
rent quarter.
Mr. HAWES, M.P., said he understood that the
sum of 32,000/. was insufficient to meet the county ex-
penses ; but it should be known that the expenditure
had not increased, but that the substantial cause of the
increase was the creation of new offences under new
laws, to the operation of which, with an improved system
of police, might be attributed the increase of the county
expenses. They were also paying off the
,principal and
interest upon the Lunatic Asylum.
After some discussion a two-penny rate was allowed,
in answer to Mr. Smallpiece's application.

APPLICATION TO GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH ASY-
LUMS FOR DISCHARGED JUVENILE PRISONERS.

Upon the Reports of the Visiting Justices of the se-
veral prisons being brought up,

Mr. HAWES rose, and observed that before the
Court sanctioned the report of the House of Correction
at Brixton, perhaps he might be allowed to draw the
attention of the Court to the large number of young
offenders who had been committed to that prison ; and
he held in his hand a return, to show how little effect
had been produced upon them by their imprisonment.
He believed that the motion he was about to preface
would not only reduce the county rates, but would also
diminish crime. In 1840 be found that the number of
juvenile offenders committed to the several prisons in
this county, amounted in number to 503 males under
17 years of age, and 76 females under the same age ;
but of these no less than 284 had been previously con-
victed ; so that in point of fact, assuming that he could
suggest any plan to the Court for the reduction of
crime among this class of offenders, a diminution of the
expenditure of the county funds would follow as a
matter of necessity.—(Hear.) The object his motion
sought to attain was to arrest the progress of crime,
and prevent young offenders being re-committed.—
(Hear.) The Court was aware that a very admirable
system had been established in this county for the pur-
pose of recovering young offenders when they were dis-
charged from gaol. In order to show them the good
that the. Asylum for the Destitute had done he would
refer them to the 36 youths who had been admitted
into it between the beginning of 1839 and the month of
November 1841—three of them bad been placed in
the Children's Friend Society, two of them had been
heard of and were doing remarkably well, but no ac-
counts had been received from the third. He would,
however, leave those three, and allude to the other
53 that were received into the Refuge, and who were
employed during their stay in that Asylum in cutting
wood and in Various other ways. After they left the
hstitution twenty-five of them became shoemaliers,
and thirteen followed tailoring, and all of them
were following industrious habits. Of the fifty-three
already mentioned eight had been apprenticed by the
Refuge, with a premium of Si. each, and had turned out
good members of society. Five of them had been sent
to Canada, with proper outfits, and were doing well ;
and seven had been restored to their friends. There
were still twenty-four in the Refuge, who likewise pro-
mised to turn out well. Now, if out of the 284 juve-
nile offenders who had been recommitted to prison in
1840, anything like such a proportion bad been re-
claimed, it would have been attended with a consider-
able saving to the county, and the Magistrates would
have had the gratification of rescuing many from that
wretchedness which the repetition of crime must in-
evitably bring upon them. Ho called upon the Court,
therefore, to memorialize the Secretary of State to give
Justices the power to raise rates for the maintenance of
refuges for discharged and destitute prisoners, just the
same as they now can for maintaining prisons and houses
of correction. It was calculated that fifty juvenile
offenders would cost but 231. per head per annum,
making less than 1,200/. per year, which would not re-
quire the sixth of a penny county rate. Mr. Hawes
then alluded to the opinions of several Judges upon the
necessity of discharged prisoners being provided for, and
concluded by reading a memorial to the Secretary of
State, embracing the chief points of his address to
the Court.
Mr. Jariscir seconded the 'notion.
Mr. Bunco]: regretted that notice bad not been
given by the Pion. Mernbei fbi'Lsnbetis Of his inten-
tion to bring forward this motion. He should be sorry
to be supposed to be objecting to it, but he could not
consent to concur in it without giving it his most serious
and attentive consideration. He begged to urge upon
the Hon. Member for Lambeth the necessity of post-
poning so very important a subject until the attention
of the whole of the Magistracy could be drawn to it,
and when he (Mr. Briscoe) had no doubt ho should be
able to lay sonic facts connected with the prisons be-
fore them. The worthy Magistrate concluded by
moving, as an amendment, the postponement of the
question until next Session.
Earl LOVELACE urged the necessity of the Court at
once deciding upon Mr. Hawes's motion, on the ground
of the near approach of the sitting of Parliament, and
the many important questions which would press on the
Secretary of State as the Session advanced.
Mr. KEMBLE, M.P., supported Mr. Briscoe's amend-
ment.
In reply, the amendment was put and negatived, and
the original motion for memorialising the Secretary of
State was carried.
Then Court then adjourned.

ANOTHER CONVERT TO ROME.—It is with
great concern that we record another exampla of the
influence and tendency of Puseyism. Since the publica-
tion of our last paper, a respectable tradesman of this
city, and his family, have left the Establishment, and
joined-the Church of Rome ; the party we refer to at-
tended " the Sacrifice of the Mass" at the Roman Catho-
lic Chapel in St. Clement's on Christmas Day, and was then
received into communion, and on Sunday last attended the
same place with his wife and family. When we state that
the person we refer to has been a diligent reader of the
" Tracts for the Times," and a constant attendant upon
the ministry of Mr. Newman at St. Mary's, the circum-
tances will excite little surprise; but indignation will
mingle with the regret which the fact calls forth ; and
it will be demanded—how long will Mr. Newman be
permitted from the pulpit of St. Mary's to point the way
toward Rome. We have . not a word of reproach for
the man whose faith has been thus perverted :—" Church
principles" have been inculcated upon him ; he has re-
ceived them, and, no doubt, after severe mental strug-
gles, 1, a has followed- these "principles" to their natural
consep ences.—Oxford Clironicl, Jan. 1.
The .I;:larquis of Waterford had several of his
•
k bounds po4,imed last week, in the covert of Dahgan'