Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-10-18
FELoN ASSOCIATION IN LONDON.

There is i society in London which processes to
take into consideration applications Of parties who
had been formally convicted Of crime, but who
are now anxious to retire from the scene of their
former msdeeds and enter upon a new course of
life. The society has fund which is used to pro-
cure free passage 10 the United States for appli-
cants such as are here described. In point Of fact
the whole thing is designed as an arrangement to
get rid of tho ieon population of London. as far as
possible, by securing to that class of characters an
easy conveyance to the United States.
The active agent of the association, whose name
is Jackson, styles the concern the "City Mission"
A case having recently occurred in which the ope-
rations of the "Ci,y Mission" and its agent were
involved, an inquiry was had into the nature and
objects of the associations and in reference 10 this
the London Times says;
1t came out in the of the investigation that
Mr. jackson and his friends had met with great
success in throwing thieves Of various degrees of
standing in the profession upon the United States.
They plumed themselves upon the success of their
eNertons. Mr.. jackson asseverated over and over
again tn the magistrate that s'the positive belief
that the parties shipped had LED the life Of often
convicted criminals was entirely essential for their
applications TO be entertained, and that there was
ton had ever been in fault, except in the instances
then before the court" 1t had turned out that of
the two emigrants whose fortunes were then under
discussion, the one had never been convicted ofany
offence at all and tho other simply of some infringe
ment of the hackney coach act. The success how
ever, with which they stimulated crime, and made
themselves out objects for the favorable interpos-
ton OF the society, may be taken in itself as very
pretty act OF rascality, and must have gone great
way In removing any apprehension lest the bounty
oil the association had by mistake been dispensed
upon worthy objects. @
II would be merely frivolous to waste any thing
like reasoning upon such scheme as this. We
are prepared to admit that the directors and SUD.
porers may be mistaken, but benevolent men, but
all considerations apart of the imtoerable injury
they unjusfably nflictng upon the United
States-what will be the effect of their proceedings
upon the criminal population at home? A free
passage to America is a signal boon to be conferred
upon the honest and industrious it has been the
daily and nightly thought of thousands and hun
dreds of thousands, who, in the midst of infinite
temptation, have never swerved from the path OF
rectltude and honesty. 1t would be i'm vain for
such men TO present themselves at the board of Mr.
Jacksons association Ii would be useless for them
to number up their years, their children the temp
taions they have withstood, and the honest acts
they have performed. They have not been drag
ged to the station house and the police court thew
have never seen the inside Of the prison van, nor
exercised their limbs upon the readmill the peni
tertiary, the hulk, and the convict colony are to
them unknown; they have no claim upon the boun
ties OF the association let them stand aside and end
their lives as they began in the midst of ceaseless
toll OF body and corrodiug anxieties ofspirit.