disposal, and fully recognizes and explains the difficulties which attend each. Those which impede the boys from going to seaa mode of life peculiarly fitted to these lads-will, we hope, be overcome by the establishment of Reformatory Ships. The example already so successfully begun in the Akbar, will, we hope, soon be followed by the establishment of other similar schools. There is already a project for placing one in the Bristol Channel.

Mr. Turner considers that the military profession is especially fitted for youths leaving Reformatories. He says,—

"A second means of provision in England would be by enlistment in the army. This is the great French Reformatory outlet; one-third of the colons placés of Mettray are enlisted. I hope I may not offend the feelings of any our friends when I say I could heartily wish that this way were practically open to us; ay, and that a considerable number of our protégés were entered on it.

"Of course no Christian minister can abstractedly admire war as a profession. But the discipline of the regiment provides so exactly for the weakness, the need of external regulation, the want of self-control and moral self-action, which characterizes the young offender; and it seems so right that those who have injured their country by their criminal example and pursuits should make sacrifices, and endure toil and hardships, in return, in the defence and protection of its interests,—that I should be glad if I could place many of our Reformatory scholars in the army."

There are difficulties in the way of this mode of disposal, which Mr. Turner considers might be overcome by the establishment of a military school, and of a military class at such a school as Red Hill. We think this a very good suggestion; and if the military school were made a place of reward for those boys who had conducted themselves well, and in which they could remain until they were old enough to enter the army, we think such institutions would afford material aid to managers of Reformatories.

Mr. Turner does not consider that the exchange of boys and girls, in order to separate them from their former companions,

VOL. II. NO. III.

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between different counties at a distance from each other, can be carried to any great extent, because he fears jealousy would be created, lest these strangers, coming from some distant Reformatory school, should be taking the place of the honest residents of the village. We hope, however, that such feelings would not be created among the labouring classes; or if they should be, that the removal and reformation of the dishonest of the neighbourhood would soon cause them to feel thankful that their own children no longer ran the risk of contamination from such company. Mr. Turner's opinion of the difficulties of disposal leads us to hope that many of them will cease altogether; he himself has considerable expectations of their greatly diminishing as Reformatories grow older, and their managers more experienced. We cannot help being sanguine enough to hope, that when they have had time enough to prove their power of turning the dishonest into the honest, and the idle into the industrious, the feelings of employers will change, and those pupils who have successfully passed through their probation will enter the labour-market under favourable auspices. The managers of the Glasgow Refuge-an institution founded twenty-two years ago, a length of time quite sufficient to demonstrate the soundness of its Reformatory power-find no difficulty in getting employment for their pupils.

Mr. Turner strongly recommends the establishment of Patronage Societies as another means of securing the care and superintendence of young persons leaving Reformatories. Such societies have already been founded in one or two places; we hope they will soon spread all over the kingdom. We must however observe, that the tone of all the speakers in this discussion seemed to us to imply, that in finding occupation for these young persons, we shall be dealing with a number of young criminals. They did not appear to us to verify to their own minds the fact that reformed criminals are criminals no longer, and having become honest, may justly claim, as beseems the character which they have acquired, to be treated like honest people. The number of Reformatory institutions as yet bears no proportion to that of juvenile criminals, and of late such has been the demand for admission, that managers have been

obliged to dismiss their pupils after a shorter stay than was perhaps advisable, in order to make room for new candidates; this, added to the former want of interest in the cause, and, as we before stated, the short experience the public have had of efficient Reformatory treatment, explains the difficulties experienced in placing out the pupils in this country. Time and patience will, we hope, remedy this evil, together with the growing interest in the subject, which will induce the respectable classes to become the protectors of, exerting themselves to find suitable employment for, their wards, and exercising the influence of a kind friend, to whom their protégés shall look up for guidance and encouragement. A useful and honourable avocation will thus be given to many an unemployed gentleman and lady,—an avocation, too, bringing with it its own reward,— improving and refining the minds of those so employed,affording the best relief for sorrow,-the most potent remedy for discontent. At present, too, it is thought desirable for young persons leaving Reformatories to conceal from those they live among (we do not mean from their employers) that they have ever been in such institutions. Perhaps, for fear of their being avoided and pointed out as young criminals, this concealment is necessary. We hope, however, that the day is not very far distant when the necessity will cease. It is an evil that these young persons should be taught to use concealment, for however good a purpose. It is difficult for them to distinguish why it is sometimes right, and at others wrong.

Mr. Handel Cossham's paper "On the Connection between Juvenile Crime and the Drinking Habits of Society," demonstrates, on irrefragable evidence, that drunkenness is the great cause of crime, and points out means by which, in his opinion, this great source of evil might be dried up :

:

"Our ministers, missionaries, and teachers, may labour earnestly, zealously, and faithfully, but there will still be a large mass of society outside their efforts,-debased, demoralized, and ruined by drink, who will keep the ranks of our criminal population filled up. We may establish Ragged Schools and Reformatory Schools,—and no one rejoices more in these efforts than myself; but still crime will go on, in spite of

all these benevolent efforts, unless something is done to check the great source of crime. And here I must observe, that I fear we are more prone to furnish the means of reforming than we are of preventing evil,-it seems more fashionable to punish than to prevent crime. Surely it is not necessary for our population to commit crime before Christian sympathy and aid can be afforded them. Let us practically carry out the proverb, 'Prevention is better than cure.'

"As to the means by which drinking, and consequently crime, can be diminished, I may remark that the refusal of magistrates to grant so many licenses would tend very materially to check the monstrous evil; and it does appear somewhat anomalous that those who are so frequently called upon to punish for crimes committed under the influence of drink, should also license the houses for the sale of these drinks. Masters and employers of labour might do much to check the evil, by discountenancing the practice of fines, footings, part payment of wages in drink, &c.; and also by encouraging by their example sober habits in their work-people.

"Ministers and teachers of the young may do much, by calling attention to the seductive nature of these drinks, and doing all they can, by example and precept, to discountenance the use of that which retards the progress of religion and education, and leads to vice, immorality, and crime.

"The public generally may do much, by assisting those who are now labouring earnestly in the cause of temperance, whose efforts have already produced most beneficial results, and whose labours, if supported by the Christian, philanthropic, and virtuous portion of society, will do more to check the progress of crime than any other means that has yet been adopted.”

There are, however, other ways in which drunkenness may be diminished,-by establishing rational amusements for the poor, and by better education, especially for women. This is the great want of our age. Women in the labouring classes are unfortunately very ignorant of their household duties; they have no power of making their husbands comfortable, consequently the men go to seek at the public-house what they cannot get at home, We have said before, "Reform your girls,

and the number of criminal boys will rapidly decrease;" we now add, "Educate your girls in a knowledge of their household duties, and drunkenness will as rapidly diminish." Mr. Cossham relies, we think, a little too much on the published table of criminal returns. They tell him that crime, especially juvenile crime, has increased fivefold during the last half-century, while the population has scarcely doubled. Statistics are liable to prove erring guides, and require to be examined with unsleeping vigilance. Besides, we must take into consideration that the convictions which form the returns quoted by Mr. Cossham are no just criterion of the amount of crime in the country. During the later years of the half-century, the means of detection have increased so much, that it is by no means fair to compare the smaller number of convictions of former years with the large numbers of the latter ones, and conclude that the augmentation to be found in the tables is altogether caused by the increase of crime.

Mr. Cossham's paper, on the great cause of crime, leads naturally to the very interesting one contributed by Mr. Alfred Hill, which treats of its prevention. Containing an account of the rise and progress of Industrial Schools in Scotland, from their first establishment in Aberdeen, by Sheriff Watson, to their present state and prospects under the statute passed in 1854, and known by the name of Dunlop's Act, the purport of which is, "that children under the age of fourteen found begging, or having no home or proper guardianship, and though not charged with any actual offence, having been brought in by a police officer, &c., may be sent by a sheriff or magistrate to a Reformatory or Industrial School which has been 'sanctioned' by the Secretary of State, for such time as may appear necessary for their training, provided that they shall not be detained after they have reached the age of fifteen. The parents or parish may, however, by finding security for the children's good behaviour, prevent their being thus sent to school. Punishments are provided for children unlawfully leaving school, and for persons unlawfully withdrawing or harbouring them. The expense of a child's maintenance may be compulsorily obtained from the parents or parish. By the