The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-06-06 00:00:00

EDUCATION OF THE POOR.

The following interesting extract of a Letter from
the Rev. Mr. Fuel), Ordinary of Nowgate, to BASIL
Mortrantt, Esq. forms part of en Appendix to the
Letters of Pvvitias which lately appeared in the
S'TATE:::SIIN, in Vindication of Mr. LANCASTER, and
which hate been lately collicted and published by
the Author:—
Deatt Ste,—With regard
.to your question,
"What are tit. causes of the commitment of so many
crimes ?" I answer (with all due deference- to wiser
heads), that an aversion from labour impels some
plunder, with the hope of artfully obtaining from
others, that maintenance for which they are un-
willing to exert their own industry. 2. Others are
in lined to w ork but cannot obtain employment;—the
imperious calls of nature, therefore,uecessarily, as it
were, stimulate those eho are groaning under those
calls to prey upon the public. 3. A depraved dispo-
' coition coerces others tot !under, not caring what fate
may befal them. .1. NVicked parents and vicious com-
panions drive the young and the unthinking into the
perpetration of crimes of various description', 5. But
the chief cause of the committing of crimes, is; to he
. ascribed, in my huml.le opinion, to the want of early
instruction in reading ; consequ ntly, a total
ignorance of relizinn, as well as of every moral
principle. Indeed t;e lower orders are jay habit,
so far familiarized with the Divine Being, as
to swear by him ; but they nei her believe in him,
nor pray to hail why? because-lhey have not
beet: made acquainted with him in th it yah, nor
have they enjoyed the greatest of all Wesiings, as
! well as comforts., of being instructed in his holy
word. You cannot expect these people to practise
what they do not knoW. Let the poor be but edu-
cated, and I will venture to assert, that in the
' course of th:rty years at most, there will not be one-
fourth of the crimes which are now committed.—
About 7 or 8 years back, going into the desk,. at the
Chapel of New-gate, on the first Sunday after the
preceding Sessions, I saw twelve men in the con-
deinned felons' pew, who, from the respectable ap-
pearance of their 'dress, and the ease of their de-' I
portmeut, seemed to hare been proper characters to
be introduced into the very best company. When I
announced the day of the month, and mentioned the
Psalm, I was very much astonished to observe that
not one of these convicts took tip a Prayer Book
(though there were several lying before them), neither
did any of the party seem to know a single particle
of the Church Seryice, or when they were to sit, or
stand, or kneel. The ensuing day, I attended them
in the condemned room, when, after some conversa-
tion suitable to their forlorn situation, the following
-dialogue took place:
ORDINARY.—" I take it for granted you are all
Dissenters ?"
A PRISONER.-.--" Oh dear Sir no; I believe we
are all Churchmen."
ORDINARY.—" How did it happen, then, that
' none of you opened a Prayer Book yesterday, during
Divine Service?" Upon this, there was rather hii ap-
pearance of confusion, and a dead silence. I put the
question a second time, and one of them hesitatingly
stammered out, " Sir, I cannot read," " nor I, nor
I, nor I," was rapidly uttered by them all.
ORDINARY.—" Now is it, then, that calling your-
selves Churchmen, you seemed so ignorant of the
customs of the Church, as not to answer one of the
common repouses ?"
A Paisoxee.—" Sir, I have not been in the habit
of going to Church ; for, as I was never taught to
read, I did not chose to go there to expose my igno-
rance." So said several others : and some said, " their
parents never went."
ORDINARY.—" As you have not been in the habit
of going to Church, and none of you can read, how
came you to say that you were Churchmen ? What
is the meaning of the word Churchman ?"
A l'aisciaeti.—" I really do not kneel', Sir; but
this I am sure of, that I am no Catholic, nor one of
my family."
ORDINARY.—" Were you ever taught the Cate-
chism ?"

IPitisowt.—" I never heard of it in my life."
M this very time, I have thirteen capital male
convicts under my care, twelve of whom are Church-
men like those whom I last mentioned, and not more
than four of thrill can read ; the thirteenth is an Irish
Catholic, and is not acquainted with a single letter.
If my memory served, I could quote hundreds of
instances of similar ignorance amongst criminals.—
Can it be expected, then, that such poor untaught
creatures eau be sensible of the immorality of their
conduct ? Certainly. not. lam positive the rising
generation cannot be made more guilty than the pre-
sent; by learning to read; and therefece, I am for
the experiment-bring made; hot tfhethet by, Dr. Bell's,
or Mr. Lancaster's 'method, -seems• to me of small
constquence. Do but teach•theM to read, and in-
struct them in the prineipks.of religion, and leave
the event to the Almighty. - • • •

• • MARRIED. • •
On Thursday hit, at Mary-le-bonne Church, It. Chenevir,
Esq to the Countess de !tumult.
On Thursday. the 28th ult. at Carlisle, the Rev. Jaracq Slade,
111. A. Rector of Tevenhain, Cambridgeshire, to Miss .Iveusta.
Law, third daughter of the Rev. Dr, Law, Prebendary of

DIED.
Died suddenly, on Wedneslu last, Mrs. Messiter, wife of
Richard Messner, Esq.
On the 11st March last, at Berry-hill, St. Mary's, Jamaica,
J. Emil:shank, Esq. of Ballard s Valley.

Rocks.
' Freehold Estate of 'lll4 Acres v;f:fatids
10 BE SOLD fi Y A UCTIOX.
By Mr. STEWART,
Al his Great Roam, 121, Piccadilly, on WEDNESDAY', June
10, at Twelve, in Three lane, with humedinte pOssesi 11111 l
TILE valuable FREEHOLD EiTATE of
BUCKSIIR11)(11:., lathe Pstrith, ond adjoining the Town
and Borough of Weucloyer. BuckirOtaistshire, with vote fon
the County turd Borough of Aylesbury ; comprising ts 1) Writing-;
home for a family of re,pecintiility.; out Miters' barns. farts=:
w areayard, garden, orchard ; trout area a nn.l fish poncli; 101. Acre&
or iirialfle and meadow hurl e%trinive right of c. 1111 l non, or
iiieep walk, bounding the same. The Estide is well. wooded ;
orchard nod garden phoned with choke fruit trees; the
whole tery compart.ond inclosedron and tiOjoining the 110110 Le
road, and a hnvich of the (fraud Junction Canal: catiVeytatris.:
to umt from Loudon every day. A line part of the t unitiry torsi
field spurts,
Ric•oud Staples, Bailiff, Bucksbridge,- Wendover, 'wlyilsett 1
the Estate.
Partlealies hod fourteen days preceding the, le vir Tlittprany
, solicitor, Buckingham t the An I, Nrirthiimp!
White WM, DOM Mi. .4ka C'Cre*N
Avner.harn ; While Borst, U %bridge ; Red Liao, Wendoyeri
arid of Mr. Stewart, 494, Piceidilty.•

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THE STATESMAN.