The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-10-26 00:00:00

RAGGED SCHOOL UNION.

The fifth annual meeting of the Liverpool Ragged School
Union was held last evening, (Monday,) in the theatre of
the Collegiate Institution,—Samuel Holime, Esq., in the
chair. Amongst those present were the Rev. Thomas
Moore, Rev. J. B, Lowe, Rev. Mr. Matthias, Dr. Hume,
Rev. Mr. Howson, Rev. Mr. Robinson, Rev. Walter
Smith, Rev. Mr. Butler, Rev. Mr. Wallace, E. Heath,
Esq., J. C. Duncan, Esq.. R. Arnott, Esq., R. Radcliffe,
Esq., H. H. Statham, Esq., Rev. W. 11. Duck, Rev.
Robert Brown, A. 1. Ritchie, Esq., James Burt, Esq.,

&e.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said it
was with some feelings of regret that he saw so small an
attendance. He was unwilling to attribute it to a lack of
zeal in the cause, and supposed it was owing to the bois-
terous state of the weather. Among the many institutions
of a religious and moral character which did honour to
the piety of the age, there were few which had higher
claims upon their attention than the one for which they
were assembled. Among the poor and the destitute of the
population therewere hundreds of thousands of thechildren
whohad noopportunity of knowing anything of thecomforts
of home or of their duties as immortal beings. While the
offspring of artisans and others were provided for in
schools and other means of instruction, these wretched
little beings had nothing done for them until the establish-
ment of these Ragged Schools provided for a want which
had long been felt but had never before been met. Many
of them knew nothing of parents or home, their only
resort was the streets, their only language was
that of blasphemy ; and when it is considered that
we shall all have one day to give an account
of our stewardship, the duty was evident that
we should show ourselves sensible of the blessings we
enjoy, by doing our utmost to rescue these little outcasts
from their otherwise inevitable doom. It was gratifying
to see that much had been done, and he most cordially
recommended the Ragged School Union to their christian
charity, as an institution which was most especially de-
serving of their support.
The SECRETARY (James Burt, Esq.) read the annual
report of the committee, which has already been pub-
lished, but from which we give the following details :
" The Committee desire to record, that the experience
of another year has fully confirmed their previous convic-
tion of the benefits which Ragged Schools are calculated
to confer, and they rejoice in the aid which, by your as-
sistance, they have been enabled to render in so good
a cause.
" In the last report, the number of children attending
Ragged Schools was stated to be about 2,7oo—during the
past year, there has been an increase of about 500, and it
will be interesting to notice, that, by a careful examina-
tion, it has been found, that of these otherwise neglected
little odes, upwards of 1,500 are stated to be able to read ;
that about 350 are known to be in stated attendance on
places of worship; whilst more than 200 have been pro-
vided with situations, and, in most caes, are conducting
themselves satisfactorily to their employers, and thus bid-
ding fair to be creditable members of society. When it is
borne in mind, that these children are almost without ex-
ception of the very lowest class, accustomed to the aspect
of vice in its worst and most revolting forms, and who,
but for the instruction conveyed through Ragged Schools,
would have remained as ignorant as the most degraded
savage, it is surely a matter of heartfelt gratification to
every Christian, that, in the town of Liverpool, an instru-
mentality is now at work, by which, in so short a space of
time, and with comparatively such small pecuniary means,
so great an amount of good has already been accomplished.
It is worthy of remark, that of the 200 thus provided with
situations, upwards of SO have been drawn from the In-
dustrial Schools ; and your Committee are much gratified
in being able to state, that so much do the public already
appreciate the effect of the training and discipline which
these institutions afford, that no difficulty is experienced
in obtaining employment for such boys as the superin-
tendents can recommend."
The Committee, having alluded to the appointment of
Mr. Alexander Gillespie as superintendent, in the place
of Mr. Brennan, report most favourably of the manner in
which he has performed his duties. They state that,—
" By means of his regular and frequent visits, the Com-
mittee are kept in constant and affectionate intercourse
with the managers and teachers of the different schools,
while the experience and extended sphere of observation
afforded to their officer, enables him to be at once the
councillor of the more recent labourers, and the
strengthener of those whom a temporary want of
success might expose to great discouragement. In
numerous instances also has the superintendent been
enabled to follow up, or trace out cases of juvenile neg-
lect and wretchedness, and to draw them within the sphere
91 the Ragged School, which, but Or him, might hAvq.