The Sun. — 1847-11-11 (London, England)

REFORMATION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS.  The annual report of the Philanthropic Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, St. George's fields, Southwark, has just been issued, from which it appears, that since Jan. 1, 1847, eighty boys left the Institution.  Of that number—Forty-three were regularly apprenticed ; twenty placed in employment by their friends or relatives; nine sent to sea, in the navy or merchant-service; five left the Institution without the permission of the Society; one (an invalid) under the care of his parish at Norfolk ; and another a Parkhurst boy has been convicted of a felony (after living with his master six weeks) and is now transported. The report states that— " Ninety boys have been admitted since the same date, (January 1), viz.,  15 On discharge from Brixton House of Correction, 5 .. .. Horsemonger Lane, 9 •• ... Westminster Bride well, 4 ... •.• Chester Castle, 1 .. .. Knutsford Gaol, 2 .. • • Salop County Gaol, 2 .. .. Newgate, 21 On the recommendation of London Magistrates, 3 • • • • ... of Country Magistrates, and 28 .. ••• • • of Secretary Sir G.Grey. " Of the twenty-four received on the recommendation of magistrates, most have been once or twice in prison for previous offences.  - " Of the twenty-eight placed in the Institution by Sir G. Grey, twenty-one were removed from Parkhurst on the 16th of July; one from Exeter Gaol on the 15th of June, and six from Millbank on the 27th of October.  " The boys received from Brixton, Horsemongerlane, Stafford, Chester, Knutsford, and Shrewsbury, are admitted in consideration of contributions from associations of county magistrates and others ; the two received from Newgate are paid for from the sheriffs'fund. In the case of the boys from Parkhurst and Millbank, the expenses of maintenance, outfit, &c., are defrayed by the Government.  " It will be seen, from the foregoing statement, that the amount and extent of the society's labours, and the calls on its interference, are continually increasing; and the Committee see reason to believe, that the use • fulness and success of the society's efforts have equally augmented. Of the boys placed out in the three previous years (1844-6) the very great majority appear to be doing well, and give every promise of being able to maintain themselves honestly and comfortably in the world. In the report published in May last, it was stated, that thirty-nine out of the fifty-five who left the institution in the year 1845, and twenty-seven of the thirty-eight who left in 1846, were doing well, and behaving creditably. Of the sixty-six so spoken of, only three have since disappointed the Committee's expectation ; while, on the other hand, several instances have occurred, in which youths, on whom the society's care had seemed to be spent in vain, have changed for the better, and become steady and industrious.  " The facility with which good situations have been obtained for the lads who have been discharged from the Society's care is very encouraging—almost every week has brought applications from masters of respectable character and position for boys trained in the society's school, a circumstance chiefly attributable to the good conduct of the lads who have been previously placed out. The parties applying for apprentices being usually induced to do so from what they have heard or seen of the • Philanthropic ' boys. " The committee wish that they had equal reason to congratulate the society's friends on the increase of its pecuniary resources. The Philan• thropic has, however, suffered in common with other valuable charities from the difficulties and embarrassments which have prevailed so generally during the last nine months."  M. George Fabricius, a German violinist and musical composer, committed suicide a few days ago at Brussels, in consequence of having, from agitation, failed in the rehearsal of a concert which he was to have given on Monday at the Theatre Royal.—Galignani. A