Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-20

lord Brougham who had been rendered familiar
with the subject of infant deliuquents in England
and Scotland, by the evidence taken by a commit
Tee of parliament bore testimony in favor OF the
Institution in Germany near Hamburg, the one III
France at Mettray near Tours, the one in England
in the country of Warwick 1T Dunsmore, that
were founded upon the principles of preventive
discipline as great moIal results that had been
most satisfactory. He said that five bundled and
twenty-One conVictS had been received IN the IN
St.tution at Mettray since its establishment oil
these seve; teen had died; twelve only bad been
sent back to prison; one hundred and iorly. lour
had been placed out in various situations, anu the
remainder were still in the establishment. vi tue
l44, seven of these number mad relaPSed' nine
WeTe of doubtful character, 1913 were conducting
themselves to the full satisfaction OF those with
W HON they had been placed. This presents IA
yorable contrast with the reports from tile alS ana
prisons of England. The proportion OF tue male
juvenile re-committalS to the whole number oil
male Juveniles during one year wa 66 per cent;
Of these $50 had been in prison four times or often
er. III the metropolitan jailS the proportion OF re-
committal to the number OF Juvenile prisoners
averaged $50 per cent. 1dleness, ignorance, and
deStiutlon are the primary CAUSES OF these re- COM
initials of infant offenders. The House OF Refuge
is designed to remedy this with its school and work
shops, and is founded on the wisdom OF the maxim
that ''an ounce Of preventive Is worth pound OF
cure"
The acknowledged unfitness Of jails and pen
itentiarieS for the confinement and imprisonment
OF young offenders, has enlisted the enlightened
and humane sentiment Of the age, in opposition
to their prosecution. The law authority OF the
country las been reached with this sentiment, and
ma slstrueS, courts and its officers are renlsS in
their prosecutions, and this numerous class OF Of
tenders are permitted to indulge in their depre-
dations on society until they are Incidentally
lost and become confirmed felcns in the peniten-
nSry.
The House ofRefuge by its remedial adaptation
TO juvenile delinQuents, stands commended to the
public patronage. The institution ought TO be
under State authority, under the supervision OF
State officers, and the State should have the SUI
pTeme control of il. Its benefits are 10 extend to
every portion of the State, aud it ought not 10 be
limited in its usefulness by local and special in
fuences. The State has jurisdiction over its
criminals and their Offences and ought TO provide
the remedy loE their correction 10 reclaim the
young offenders, secure society againS: their flu
ture depredntions, is the design of tnis institution.
The injury perpetrated by young offenders, falls
on society; society bears the expense of their
prosecution and confinement, and the House Of
Refuge is proposed as great moral Tenovator
that is to SupeIcede in its benefits TO great eX-
tent, the CRIME and the expense Of ails and State
prisons.
Wheeling, or Ohio county is designated as Ill g
place to locate this Institution. THIS city TIE
banks of the Ohio river, aud admits of approach
10 it by the tier OF river counties in the State, and
is the terminus of tile great trunk Of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, which runs upwards of two
hundred miles in the State Of Virginia. There,
infant delnQuenlS can be conveyed safely, cheaply
and expediciouSly, aud city where the fabrics
and products OF their labor can be sdvantageously
disposed Of, and where the improved deIinquenls
can Ue apprenticed out to some art, trade, man
ufacturing establishment, not only to their adyan
tage, but that Of the public.
Virginia has her Lunntic Asylums, which with
her patronage and munifcence, she has not only
sought TO afford home 10 the insane and ideotic,
but reclaim the wandering mind OF these unfortu-
nate SONS and daughters. An Asylum for the
deaf and dumb, and blind, TO reach the mute with
letters and the blind with light. And while a
system of State Improvements is destined 10 be a
network of roads and communication throughout
the State and the fruitful means Of augmenting
her population she now only needs Virginia
House of Refuge TO stay the march of crime and
the progress of vice. TO stand forth In enviable NV
airy with her Sister States.