The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-12
The Child Migrants OF London.


While reading with much satisfaction Of the exa.
minstion of nearly thousand young children, of
both sexes, which took place on Monday last at the
Essu .sn read Ts 1as tn h PA
the metropolis check our hopes and damp our exul-
tation. In the streets, prsessed mendicants and
thieves, who could give no account Of themselves,
tho police picked up fourteen. Ninety-four could
not give the slghest trace Of their parents, while
two hundred and thirtyone are stated to have pa
rents in good condition Of life; that this defec-
tiOn arises either from pcrverse disposition the
part of the children, or from neglect the part
of the parents, or from both combined. 1t was
stated that the parents of five hundred and
eighty osuld at least maintain them; but thix
present case it evident they did not and, per-
hars we should modify the assertion by admitting
that they could only partially provide for them. The
reAt exhibits systematic plan, the evils of which
viz, that the parents of Al sent their offspring
into the streets to beg, and as this is system
Ct coercion compelling children to bring home some
thing, somehow, under pain OF blows or depriva-
ton of food it is clear that this batch must contr
butte an annual quota to the class Of professional
thieves which exhibits the deplorable and ptiless
Train of circumstances under which they destined
Tor n life OF yagrancy and crime, terminating one
knows not how, and breads to question. Here we
ave total-a fraction OF the whole, however-of
one thousand three hundred and sixteen, all
OF whom were found In the streets, outcast
and alien one half pessly So and the other moety
nder pretty much the same condition at the very
est. We now come to the second division, those
'ound in the low lodging houses, professionally mendi-
csnts and thieves, levying contributions the pub
lie, through misplaced sympathy, or by the bolder
chances OF robbery. In these dens the police disco
vtred forty that had 10 parents. One hundred and
five had parents who could maintain them and on
this score nothing Is added. One thousand one hun
bred and eighty parents could help to contribute to
tie support OF their children but it is not stated
in what proportion nor where the balance is 10 come
from, left to guess at the one and to infer the
latter, certainly without much fear of error Four
hundred and ninety.three were sent out by their
parents to beg, steal" convey" the wise call it
and the fact of their having been found in the
lodging house" is proof Of their want Of adequate
success as also OF tie system of home terrorism,
which holds them in subsection, the dread Of
the merciless treatment they receive, as rule,
should they return TO their brutali2ed parents
wi hout the requisite amount. We have, in this
latter division, total of thousand seven hundred
and eighty-two, making in oil three thousand and
ninetyeglt juvenile mendicants and thieves, who
by the force Of their position condemned TO live
by plumber in prison for the rest of their career
besides adding to their numbers in certain ratio q
second generation which must continually descend ia
tie scale, and, morally speaking, be more helpless,
degraded and dangerous with each advancing age
These numbers, however, do not give us anything
like correct idea Of the vast amount who do not
come under the notice Of the policethose families
OF children which seen with men and women,
about the streets daily, the infants that are
hired cut, carried TO charity by their own
parents As IL is part OF The proficient the art OF
nendicancy to avoid coming under the cognizance of
The police OF all, it is fair to assume that bv
fer the greater majority manage matters 20
well as TO succeed IN their object. The num-