The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-02-15
LOCAL AATYHRo.

Public Eassrprsss.-In MI cities on The At
Iantic borders the humane and charitable have
found 1t necessary TO labor with the marines
Of their ports, and to secure to them moral
and religious iustrnctiou. To do this ehrctu-
ally, beihels have been erected and religious
denominations Of every creed have aided in
the work. In Richmond similar efforts are
being made, and with some certainty OF sue
cess. The .Ssamen's Friend Society" have
started subscription list to raise @lu,t0O for
the erection Of bethel on the corner OF C1ry
and auth streets, and 80, ,OCU of the amount have
been contributed. Encouraged by this sue
cess, they have already br0ken ground for
foundation, and II those Of our citizens who
feel an interest In the morality Of the sailors
VII! but do their duty. the entire amount
needed will soon be raised.
At the last meeting of the City Council. .
petition was presen ted. praying that body 70
contribute S3,NO towards the erection Of the
Bethel. The reasons given to show why the
city should make the contributions are As fol-
lows: The Bethel is to be used for the purpose
Of a0ordinE moral and religious instruction
| TO sailors residingin or visiting this poit, and
also those persons residing in the immediate
neighbcrhood OF the dock, with whom the
sailors associate, and by whose moral i'm.
provem.nt the sailors are to be greatly influ-
enced. 1t is also to be used for q Sunday
Schools fiourishing one being already in ex-
istence, and attended by children of various
ages who can neither read or spell, and who
have heretofore attended no school or place of
religious instruction. If these were the only
ItdSOuS lOI ASKING civ 0lO, t0ey might well 70
considered amply sufficient TO ensure it. But
there is another and more potent reason in
the minds of some members of the Council
why the appropriation should be granted.
In Jefferson Ward. the number Of children
hatshould attend the Ward School is large, but
unfortunately the city has no suitable school
room to accommodate them. The petitioners
propose to give the city the use of the base
ment of the Bethel for school purposes. only
reserving the right to use it for Sunday
Schools, and in guarantee Of its perpetuity to
have the building insured.
Only few mouths since the city expended
between two and three thousand dollars in
Monroe Ward, for a public school. house; and
now that the School Commissioners of JefYer-
son w ard join in this petition, in order that they
may have accommodations for the education
OF the INDECENT youth in their district, the
Council will be unwilling to do less for them;
and especially so, when by the appropriation
they can aid in preparing place of worship
tor the hundreds of marines that annually
10 attend any other than church appropriate
ed TO them. BY the constitution of the ''Sea-
mems Friend Society,"" the organization is
preserved from any denominational or secta-
rian influence, by the election of managers
from the various churches, SO that no one de-
nomination will be able to secure controlling
influence.
The petition to which we have alluded, is
now in the hands of a committee Of the Coun-
Gil, and If repOA ted upon tavorabiy. will no
doubt meet the approval of the City Fathers.
Jefferson Ward is very much in need of q
school-roOm, and the city cannot furnish q
more suitable one than she can secure by the
plan OF the petitioners.