The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-01
atistiCs Of Education aud Crime In Great
Britain.
From the London Examiner

From the London Examiner
Some months ago we laid before our readers
some remarkable evidence OF the neglect of educa-
ton Wales, and of the trightful pths of igno-
rance consequently prevailing. The gaol returns
just published by order of the House OF Commons,
present not less astounding proofs OF the deficiency
Of education in England. We shall take the ex.
amples as they are arranged the alphabetical
order, not selecting the most striking instances
The chaplain OF Bedford gaol states that the great
majority Of the prisoners are ignorant STUPID and
uDconcerned -unacquanted with the commonest
scrptural phrases The chaplain of the Berks
gaol reports, that of 63I prisoners 236 were igno-
rant OF the alphabet and 204 unacqualnted with
the first principles OF the Christian faith, and gno
rant even OF the Savlour's name. He observes
children, or men, still childish, had learned to read
and write, but had not learned to think about or un-
stand anything which they had been taught the
ears had heard, the tongue had learned uiterance,
but the mind had received no idea, no impression
Lamentsble 1t 49, he proceeds to say that even the
criminal population of Christian land should
show proportion of one-ihrd strangers to the very
fret truths OF religion. The Abingdon chaplain
Ignorance, and unable to repeat the Lords prayer
81 could not read, and 50 knew neither the Creed
nor the Commandments. The report of the Bre.
con chaplain IT,, that though the majority of prl-
soners can read mperfecty, yet their education
has been so defective that they have no noton of
the bearing and connection OF part of sentence
with another, or of The meaning of words OF
frequent occurrence IN Scripture. Nine out of ten
".
servalon were, he states, totally ignorant OF the
st rud,ments OF Christianity: six out of ten
did not know whose son Jesus Christ is, nor
wherefore he came into the world five out Of ten
did not know the Qneen's name The Bucks re-
Ioit sets iorIh that about half the prisoners can
r. ad and write one-iourh can read easy pas
saees OF Scripture another fourth are either lg-
noront OF the alphabet, or unable to read the sim
pest words and thai ignorance is almost uni
tormly accompanied with the greatest depravity.
The Cambridge chaplain reports that out of 229
prisoners, lao were able to read 50 could not read,
OIL could not repeat the Lords prayer, % were Ig-
ncTant OF the Commandments and the Greed. In
Con- all, IL appears that out Of 63S prisoners 304
could neither read nor write; I39 could not repeat
The Lords prayer, and were ignorant OF the Ss-
vour's name In Dorset, out OF GA prisoners, 400
did not understand The mranIng oil the Lords
prayer emo II9 were entirely ignorant, one or two
OF the very name, and all Of the work and mission
oi,he Redeemer. And this Is The general tenor Of
The reports ; indeed, we have NOT met with sim
gle exception where The lies OF education and
crime are embreced, but some of the returns are
defective in this important branch of Inquiry
And with these dsgrscefu facts IN evidence, from
all qusrt,rs will the opponents of the ministerial
sysiem for extending public instruction yet mann
tain that the education Of the country is neither
detective in quantity nor in qualify J
A CoIdFeE IN AFRICA is stated that cItI-
non of L. 1T I.r