The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL RAGGED SCHOOLS,

The annual meeting of the supporters of the Liverpool
Industrial Ragged Schools was held on Tuesday, in the
Theatre Royal; the Mayor, Samuel Holme, Esq., in the
chair. Amongst those on the platform, were the Rev.
Dr. M`Neile, the Rev. Dr. Guthrie, (Edinburgh,) the
Revds. J. H. Higgins, Thomas Carter, (chaplain of the
gaol,) J. B. Lowe, Wm. G. M. Falloon,Wilson, D. Hume,
F. Bishop, F. Barker, J. R. Conor, Drummone, Ander-
son, William Graham, Pollock, Crichton, Warr, Charles
Lawrence, James Lawrence, F. Ould, S. Minton, J.
Lundie, A. Cromer, Messrs. C. Inman, E. Cropper. T. D.
Anderson, William Rathhone, Adam Hodgson. John
Campbell, R. L. Jones, J. Beazley, Charles Langton,
William Hall, E. Heath, T. Sands, T. R. Arnot, J. Burt,
T. Postlethwaite, 3. C. Duncan, T. Tyrer. Grundy, J. R.
Brougham, Neill, R. H. Taylor, S. Kearsley, Arbuthnot,
T. H. Holderness, T. Clarke, R. Dawson, G. Glen, C.
Cotesworth, J. Bold, C. Bushell, Charles Grayson, J. G.
Brown, Ellis Brodie. J. 0. Johnson, Admiral Grenfel,
S. Stitt, T. H. Headlam, Reginald Radcliffe, and John
Eden. The meeting, which commenced at two o'clock,
lasted two hours and a half. The report stated
that there are now enrolled in these school's, 196 boys and
112 girls; 1-73 of whom were barn in Liverpool, 100 in
Ireland, and 35 in other places. 124 are above, and 184
under, twelve years of age. The average daily attendance
of boys is 69; girls, 32. During the last year, out
of the 308 children admitted, 28 boys and 24 girls have
gone to situations ; three boys and -five girls have been
sent to parishes, on which they were found to have claims.;
"5 boys have gone to other schools, 13 have left Liver-
pool; '64 boys and 29 girls have left the school of their
own accord • 4 have died ; and boys have left sick.
'Since the schools were opened, in July,lBso, 112 boys
and 52 girls have obtained employment. 'With the
boys who have gone to situations a communication is
endeavoured to be kept up. Every Sunday afternoon a
member of the committee attends the school to meet the
" Place Boys." Sometimes more than twenty are
present—advice and instruction is given, Thrift is en-
couraged by the establishment of a savings' bank, and by
such means it is endeavoured to water the good seed
sown, that fruit in due season may be reaped. Several
boys have been sent to sea,,many of whom, on their re-
turn to port, visit the schools on Sundays. To make the
institution still more efficient, the committee have had
under their consideration the desirableness of having, in
connexion with it, a vessel moored in the river, where
lads who evince a predilection for sea may be trained as
-sailors. With respect' to 'the financial affairs, last year
the deficiency amounted.to £272 15s. 2d. ; this year it is
£228 10s. 101 ; to wipe off the debt entirely, and to
ensure the continued efficiency of the institution, a vigo-
-1 rous effort will be required. After an eloquent opening
address from the Mayor, in which he called attention to
"the fact of the Corporation of Liverpool expending
X 160,000 for a new gaol' for the town,

Mr. A. HODGSON moved the first resolution,—" That
the' Liverpool Industrial 'Ragged Schools are continuing
completely to answer the end for which they were
established ; namely, to give destitute, and even criminal
children, at least a prospect of becoming honest, indus-
trious, and useful members of society."
The'Rev. Dr. GUTHRIE? crEdinburgha having seconded
the resolution in an eloquent speech of some length,
The Rev. Dr. laPNeetz moved the next resolution,
." That the industrial training and diversity of employ-
ment provided in the schools and garden are found
peculiarly attractive and beneficial to this class of children;
and that a ship moored -in the river, wherein some of
the boys might be trained,as seamen, would, in all proba-
bility, prove a most valuable auxiliary to the institution."
'ln the course of his speech,- he adverted to an interference
with the useful operations, of the schools in Soho-street,
by the Roman Catholic Priesthood. "It is welt known,"
says the report, " that thereare many abandoned parents,
who even, when earning a, tolerable subsistence, spend
the whole in licentiousness, and leave their children to
Misery and want; and others, again, who not only
neglect, but systematically-corrupt, their unhappy off-
spleng, endeavouring, through them, to obtain means
for the indulgence of their own evil propensities. A
ntewure is therefore reeuire'd,, by which the real oulprit
can. be reached." No doubt of it. 'Where the parent
was the real culprit the measure was what he had just
read., the magistrate should =be invested with power to
take the children from such-. 8 parent, and compel such
parent, if able, to pay for the maintenance of such child
at school. But suppose the parent was not the culprit—
(hea'r\)—suppose it was found, to be some one elseswho
went between the child and the parent—suppose it were
discovered that some •one had, hindered the parent •from
sending his or her child, who,,bad been so relentless that
the tears and entreaties of the parent had not prevailed—
suppose it were found in this country that there was some
secret tyrannical power behind the scenes, interfering be-
tween parent and child—absolutely hindering their work,
he asked was that to be passed-.unnoticed ? (Applause:)
Was the real culprit to be let alone ? was all the blame
to be laid upon the parents? lleanevr of parents who
were not to blame. He knew of a mother who, weep-
ing at the ,Eight, was nevertheless compelled to see ,a
child taken oat of an industrial,-raged school. Where
was the culprit then ? Where, he asked again, was
the secret tyrant, who was lording it over British society,
that was practically interfering at• every turn with our
British liberty, who was hiding himself from the British
view ? Ay, and there were but few'Britons who had the
courage to charge him out and show ;Lim. (Long and
loud applause.) He said it would never do to ensconce
this and cover it over as if it were not existing, and blame
the,unfortunate parents. He did not excuse the " aban-
doned parents" referred to, but he said there were other
parents;; and if blame fell on some, let him be the apolo-
gist ,for others.—for poor, ignorant,,helpiess, but affec-
tionate parents, who would gladly send their children to
their schools, who would rejoice and thank them for it,
not mile for the porridge given, but the edacation and
training ,given. And yet they could not send their chil-
dren to -their schoole. They dared not. (Why;? Why ?
What hindered. " Some measure should ,be adopted,"
says the report, " by which the real culprit .could be
reached." Yes, was it within his worship's wisdom as a
magistrate—was it within the wisdom of any of.his bro-
ther magistrates—was it within the reach of themisdom
of our most worthy senators, in the House of Commons,
the House of Lords, or both,cornbined, or the privy coun-
cil, to devise some plan that-thould save children and pa-
rents from the secret tyranny that was exercised by the
canon law of Rome, in English society ? (Applause.) He
.said that in that case the .Rotnan Catholic priest was the
culprit. (Hear, hear.) The Roman Catholic priest in-
terfered, and would not allow the child to be brought,to
school. It is a fact (said the speaker, turning to the side
of the platform). Gentlemen might deny it, and leave the
room as they denied it. (Cheers.) If he wanted any
proof of the truth and importance •of anything he said, •it
bad been supplied. Truth, truth must be told, no matter
who stood or fell—(applause)—and if we as Britons, in
British society, if we were to be cajoled, and browbeaten,
and hindered from speaking out under whatever pretence,
from courtesy, ar from whatevercause—ifwe were to yield
and allow those secret enemies of our order, ourschools, our
liberty, to see we were afraid to expose them, farewell to
British liberty, farewell our liberty! (Hear,hear, and loud
applause, and a voice, "Go on.") Yes, he intended
in the strength of God and in that good cause, to
go on as long as he was able. (Applause.) But this
was nor mere theory. This had been done within the last
few days in this town. An industrial ragged school,
with which he was happy to stand in some degree con-
nected, had been thus treated, and children had been
withdrawn by the tyranny of the Roman Catholic priests
against the will and against the entreaty of their own pa-
rents; and when the priest was remonstrated with by the
mistress of the school, and told he should take the children CURIOUS MARRIAGE LEASE.—An assault case came
on the streets, not them eared for in the schools, he said, before the Birmingham magistrates last week, which, like
"It is the souls of the children lam concerned for. The the majority of matrimonial squabbles, would bare been
souls of the childrea to the street are not in danger, but simply interesting in the eyes of those immediately con-
the souls 011ie children in the school are." (Sensation.) cerned, but for a legal curiosity which was brought to
Now, the mayor had said they were going to ask for some light in the course of the hearing. William Charles
legislative enactment. Dr. Guthrie was going to London Capas was charged with assaulting his wife. In giving
to lay this matter before her majesty's government, or her evidence, Mrs. Capes mentioned that her husband
some committee of the House of Commons ; and accord- was not living with her, but was "leased "to a young
ing to the statement of the report they were going to ask woman named Hickson. This being a species of contract
alleged assault.
for some plan whereby power could be given to the magis- unknown to the magistrates, further inquiry Into the
trates to send children to the industrial school and compel matter was made, when it was elicited that a regular legal
and
parents to maintain them. Oh, if an enactment could but document had been drawn up by which Capas.r,
pass our legislature which should compel the secret irre- Hickson bound, or, as they termed it," leased them.
sponsible tyranny of the men he had alluded to, to let selves to each other for the term of their natural lives.
go their hold, and leave parents to their freedom, to leave The " lease" was produced in court and read. The girl
fathers and mothers of children to act as they would wish Hickson was present at the time of the
themselves, to draw that extraneous influence which was On being asked about the
." lease." she admitted that she
operating
w hhoe rwee jrues
at
dayseirts
ehad o ina sloruelnadnda—ndfosrciritby Mr. Camp-
parentstime she signed it
cation in that case—he did not doubt but that in many in- that if Capas' wife gave. her any annoyance he would put
stances it might be as here ; but generally speaking, in in that paper. as evidence. She moreover said that the
pwtausranloetdthue..
belt, the
andawy
e r statedwhothatotlidt 'hewarsadtrtahwen up
Ireland and in this town it was not the parents that in' paper was signed at 111 Is office, and that she believed Mr.
terfere.—Mr. Inman seconded the resolution proposed by Campbell charged 14s. for drawing it up. The magis-
Dr. M'Neil ; and after brief addresses from the Rev. V. trates fined Capes 2s. 6d. for the assault, and commented
M. White, Mr. Cropper, Mr. Heath, and Mr. Hubback, in very strong terWri On the dominant which had been
the meeting separated. ' brought before them.

•
A STRONG SWIMMER. A seaman named George
Goff, of the brig Voyager, Hoperoft, of Sunderland, has
just performed a notable swimming feat at this cold
season. On the voyage from Newcastle to Hull he fell
from the foreyard arm into the sea, about eight o'clock
on the evening of Monday last, and swam to Filey Beach,
a distance of two miles. Here he was fed, lodged, clad,
and sustenance money given to him by the agent of the
Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society, and a free
passage given him to Hull.—Newcastle Journal.

FARM-POULTRY.—The Council of the Royal Agricul-
tural Society, on the motion of Mr. Jonas, seconded by
Mr. Brandreth Gibbs, voted the sum of £lOO, as the
amount of prizes to be offered at the Gloucester meeting,
for improving the breeds of poultry best adapted for the
purposes of the farmer; and referred to the committee of
last year the report with which the council had been
favoured by the Society's Judges of Poultry at the Lewes
meeting, with a request for recommendations on the sub-
ject of the particular prizes to be offered in this department.
RECEIPT FOR JOINING GLASS.—MeIt a little isinglass
in spirits of wine, and add a small quantity of water.
Warm the mixture gently over a moderate fire. When
mixed by thoroughly melting, it will form glue perfectly
transparent, and which will re-unite broken glass so
nicely and firmly that the joining will scarcely be per-
ceptible to the most critical eye. Lime mixed with the
white of an egg forms a very strong cement for glass,
porcelain, &c., but it must be done neatly, as, when
hard, the superfluous part cannot easily be smoothed or
taken off.

EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY.—On Monday consider-
able surprise was occasioned at the inland department of
the General Post-office by the accidental discovery of
.bank-notes and jewellery to a very large amount, sup-
posed to be the proceeds of a series of letter robberies
which occurred two years since. They were found in an
extra office only used under a pressure of business. Some
of the notes were entire, and others in halves, and all of
them were creased, as if they bad been enclosed in letters.
Info!. rnation was forwarded to the secretary's office, and
the property was carefully deposited until steps can be
taken to trace the various owners.

.FRiCHTFUL DEATH.—James Granger, a plumber,
aged:32, in the employ of Messrs. Saunders and Co.,
builders, London, was a few days since engaged in melt-
ing nine pounds of lead in a ladle, when, in lifting a
ladle of water off the furnace, a quantiry of it fell into the
lead, which instantly spurted over his face and body.
His screams attracted the attention of his fellow work-
men, who conveyed him to the hospital, where the

house surgeon immediately attended the unfortunate man,
who he found was frightfully scalded about the face and
Reck. The lead had actually run into his eyes, and Mr.
Lane extracted from them two moulds, describing the
exact shape of the eye. Erysipelas set in, which shortly
afterwards terminated fatally.
THE GOVBENMENT BALANCE-SHEET.—From the

Government balance-sheet, issued on Thursday,—it ap:

pears that in the year ended the sth April, 1852 (after
abating the expenditure thereout defrayed by the several
revenue departments), the income or revenue was
X52,468;318 nth illd„ and the expenditure, including
unclaimed dividends, £50,291,322 14s. sd. The excess
of income over the expenditure was £2,176,996 35. 2d.
On the Ith April, 1952, the balances in the Exchequer
were £6,838,8=16 Ms. 2d. In the year ended the sth
January last the revenue was £53,210,071, and the ex-
penditure £50,192,511 13s. 9d.. leaving the excess of in-
come over the expenditure £2,417,559 6s. 3d. On the
sth January last the 'balances in the Exchequer were
£8,841,821 15s. Id. .Bimilar accounts are given for the
year ended the sth july, 1852, and the 10th October,
1852.

A HUNT ON THE R.Aa4wAy.—On Saturday, the pas-
zengers by the twelve o!clock train from Braintree were
somewhat startled by hearing the whistle and finding the
train pulling up about two miles from the Witham
station ; but on looking out of the window the only
" killing" sight to be seen was the East Essex fox-hounds
coming at a racing pace between the rails over which the
train was passing ; but luckily the driver had caught sight
of a red-coat and brought the train to a stand, or the de-
struction would have been serious, the hounds being so
well settled on the scent that the guard had to dismount
to prevent them getting under the ,engine ; and thwarted
there, they attempted the sides, till emote fr( a staunch
old hound behind the train set matters all right, and the
whole pack were " st him again," completely within the
rails over which the train had just passed ; and, after a
splendid run, the death of sly reynard prevented his again
coming the " artful dodge" in such dangerous fashion.