Star.
London, England, 1817-10-31 00:00:00

GUARDIAN SOCIET Y.

Yesterday a riimerous and respectable Meeting
took place At the nzyptian Hall. Mansion house, tor
the purpose of considering the Report of the (.it.ir-
dian Committer, appointed to devise the most
tual means of checking the great increase of
tutiun in the City of Lund,4l.
There was a prodigious concourse of females pre-
sent, on whom the d,fferent speeches seemed to have
a powerful effect.
The Lunn Warm was in the Chair, and opened
the business of the day. The institution, his Lord-
ship observed, had rapidly improved within the last
two years. Of its utility there could be no doubt,
although opposed by some, who said it affirded en.
couragement to crime, instead of operating to the
prevention of systematic prostitutien. In Lis capa-
city as Magistrate, he had observed the admirable
effect. Malty poor creatures guilty of nothing but
perhaps the venial sin of leaving their homes in the
countty to speculate in Lyndon, upon the d.togerous
experiment of bettering their condition, had fallen'
victims to such an untortunate enterprize; and it all
others were to be excluded from the protection c.f the
Society, would not the argument in favour of the
Institution be unanswerable? There being a com-
plete union formed between the duties of the Society
and those of the Magistracy, Utilities were rendered
which caused the aid to be immediate, and by a per-
severing activity, benefits might be expected cumnien-
surate with the hopes and zeal of those who pleaded
and acted, in the cause-46mi alobru.re.)—To the
Ladies of the Guardian society, under whose pro-
tection wets deluded orphans and penitent wretches,
whose lives of debauchery had given them disgust,
instead of making them abandoned, the thanks of
the Meeting were particularly due. Their exertions'
should be seconded 1011 that be tosad do in a cause,

PRTCE SEVE'..-PENCE.

the labour in which was so fully repaid by the
heart—(4o/aure )
The Report was then read. It was a most awful
hisyry of vice; the terrible superfluity of
brothels and ot tom ile procm..sses, and attributing
tie birth to the miisi execralsle crimes to the- Liam:-
rag nmiltititles of infamous women, who issue into
the streets to make others as wretched and depraved
as the:,iselves. As an instance of chi/ deplorable lad,
it was stated, that ihree oatishrs in the City contained
3CO lionses'co ill fame, and upwards of 3.000 wretched
w The Repoli further stated, that the Goar-
.fian Society, in the midst of this scene of orror, •
were boiled iii afforJiii;! pportnnities return to
virtue; that in Irian) cases their efforts were wholly
uniuccessful, many ut the creatures ot t:+; it c:i iritt
having not only returned to their old ',tactic, s, but
expressed their determination to abide in them lot
ever. To this appalling picture there was happily a
reverse Tie Report presented the soothing prospect
o'. reform tti.o-r is the caws of some, Ind its actual
,xiste:ice in others, wh.) :Leiit neon the victims of early
seeLetion, and of a calculating and mercanary sys-
tem of dAinquency. It dwelt with peculiar delight,
it the feeling is to he inferred from the language,
up,,r, the nuttier-vs applications ; 'upon the alio of the
particularly that given upon all °CC&
Hives, and under all circumstances, by the Lord
Mayor and it recorded the c,:re of a girl of 16, who
was seduced, left almost naked, remotefrom friends,
and almost froM holm in beings, anti delivered of a
child behind a hedge. This was one of the objects
to whom the protecting hand of the Society was not
held out in vain, and upon whom its religious voicii
had b,vas evrci..Al without c,.nteropt or inattention.
Dr. Cowen said, the Report was admirable and
ample, ad o-e•sing the heart as well as the onderstanda
ing. Oae of its most remarkable qualities was, that
It contained nothing calcidoti d to offend a modest
ear • a circumstance of great difficulty upon such it
theme, and unqttestionably preventing much injury
to the cause. The lovitution presented the Magi&
tract' with the means of making provision for Orose
who could nit be relieved except throtsgh the ordo.
nary ways of justice, and the establishment of a Pe..
nittui ivy and a Magdalen Asylum, was no argu.
tbeut apainar the propriety of forming one with views•
as beneficial as humane. Uitiortunately, all proved
inadequate to the immensity of the will; but if that
evil ciorld not be extinguished (which certainly was
the cast), was it therefore not to be repressed. If
human nature could not be restored to her own dig.
fifty, the continuance of her depravity should meet
with some opposition. Those vices by which she was
most disgrac d. and which had ccntri!iuted La her
tall, should b.Jaunted into the daikiwss from which
they came, and not be permitted topollute the sight
and to di,gio rho C. ; and the least that could be
done for society was :0 Attemy to diminish a griev.
once which it was impossible to annihilast—(6frase
applau re). To the Lord Mayor the utmost praise
was doe, and vriinriut r.tsting a". lketion sr*
M igistrates who were to succeed him. he hoped they
wood eioleavoor to emulate a conduct s hick it
would he stnimEsible for them to surpass. He eon•
cludol with moving, that the Report should be re-
ccivid and ordered to be printed, Sze. ike.
Mr. Davao: seconded the motion. •

The Rev. Dr. Tit Airs rose to move the wavers*
firm of the society %vita the Magittracyaitc. He said
the streets of London presented 4 mare afil sting
spectacle Oho) tLsiw of Paris, or any other chy 4:na
:he Continent. Tile object of the institution was
supported upon the arguments of humanity, wheels
were irresistible. /11 females were deeply guilty, that
were also deeply injurt•d and insulted, capti%A not
to the inciemeocy of the weather, but •to the
amanita of drunken brutality. In the bitterness of
their IL.arts they were heard to call upon the name of
but never for any p.apase except that of calling
down curbes along a ;tit i.. if the Guardia/4 could
s/ store peace of mind to those poor creatu.:es, and
point to the sour( e of mercy *tete they would find
no:ejection, alter the v;c.ll and frailties of their past
I le, it was surely a glorious occupatioo. and citified
'*ith it its rewards. The way to address then) was
not by saying, "you have been guilty, and ilwretore
are In sink into endless destruction; you have been
betrayed into vice, and therefore you must remain
as you ate." 'Those who ar6ued 4gainst the Instr..
union acted against the principle ct the Christian re-
-14;i.:11, the great Author of which was himself the
ct of accusati3n for associating with sinners, and
lett an example which the Soe:eiy sliewcd an ardent
&sire to unit Alt.

The Rev. Mr. Cnz dect,ee.', th et in proportion to
the disgust atteetling t!wse etiecting instances of
guilt, the duty became greater.
.The Institution was
supported upan principles of poach, patriotism,
rnanity, ade religion.
The Rev. Mr. Busmen sail., the evil was to be
contemplated sot etestraztedly, but as connected with
every calamity, seir hied aed temporal. It was celled
,
Leg 1011," Aid it as a Moloch to which humeri U.,
cr j 60:5 were made, and whes.e altar was besmeared
win the bluld of victims and p irents' tens. But
though we hated the sin we love,' the sinner, and
could not let stir perish, when mercy failed the arm of
• the Loan might be resorted to. The objections proved
hashing, is seeing that there CMS abuse. The hoe
et Heaven vre Abused, and better would it be !het
many uneeser "ging plasm)s reep the benefits of
the Institution, than Wet m: should fell for want of
a retuge ; for why should make light on earth of
what is a bow ce'of joy in Heaven. l'he Institutlem
substituted tae of industry for those of sin. In
'the name of the Losiu it lilted its banners and wetted
against vices, welch waited against the soul.
The Rev. Mr. CLAY LON and several other Gentle•
men also spoke.
'lire Resolutions were egi eel to unanimously.
Thanks were voted to the I..)&<es of Kent and Sete
sex, to the Lord Meyer, fee. ik,G. am! the uaeLius
seem rated .