Tim GLASGOW "HOUSE OF REFUGE."

THE institution in Glasgow to which we alluded last week in the article " Charity and Charities " is called the 1Ieu8e of licferge,— a name by no means conveying its true character and objects, which are not general, but exclusive. It is open for the reception of juvenile thieves, who may be willing to abandon their course of crime and accept the blessings of an honest education.* The prin- ciple is One of so much importance, grounded as it is on a want long felt by the community, and its operation—so far as it has been proceeded with, in the only instance of its adoption in this coun- try—has been so successful, that we have thought some account of the charity might not be unacceptable to our readers. The design originated, as it probably will do wherever it meets with imitation, in a conviction—by no means confined to Glasgow— that in sending young rogues to gaol we take the most inthffible means to make old rogues of them ; a conviction long since enter- tained by the speculative politician, but of late years so incontes- tibly established by direct evidence, that it no longer remains to be argued, but to be acted upon.

The object proposed by the Society had no sooner been made known to the public of Glasgow, than the latter evidenced their high appreciation of it by subscribing, within a few days, the handsome sum of 10,000/. for carrying it into effect. With this

*We may remark that the Society under whose direction it has been esta- blished calls itself, also without much literal accuracy, the " Society for the Suppression of Juvenile Delinquency." There are natty forms of delinquency besides thieving; but no other, we believe, of which this Society takes cool- sum in hand, the Directors proceeded to work; and, having pur-- chased a piece of ground distant about a mile from the town, raised an edifice whose only fault is the possession of an exterior somewhat too gay for the gravity of its purpose. This house, situated in a healthy spot, was first opened for the reception of in- mates in February 1838 ; and from a Report published early in the present year, it appears that the number received in January last was 164. These, however, have been continually increased by fresh arrivals—averaging altogether about 12 per month ; and the num- ber reported to us when we visited the establishment a few days since was 237. An institution which has been so short a time in operation can hardly be expected to have perfected its rules and arrangements ; many of which must depend for their ultimate adoption, rejection, or qualification, on the results of experiments now in the course of trial. A list of regulations was originally drawn out ; from which it has been found expedient in so many in- stances to depart, and experience is still likely to suggest so many new modifications, that it is impossible to speak finally of the in- stitution either as regards its modus operandi or the extent of its capabilities. On entering the house, a boy becomes bound ap- prentice for the space of three years to one of four trades taught within the walls : these are weaving and winding, tailoring, shoe- making, and naffinaking. The day is divided between education and labour. The former, as far as we had the opportunity of judging, is conducted on a liberal and sensible plan. Although religious instruction naturally forms a prominent feature, grammar, geography, writing„ and arithmetic, are also essential parts of every day's routine, and are not held less necessary to the work of moral reformation than to the object of qualifying the pupils for the dis- charge of any duties they may be called to in a respectable course of life. The following extract from a letter written by the teacher, Mr. JOHN GARDENER, places in the most satisfactory light the re- sult of this system. Speaking from personal observation, we should say that its truth might be entirely confided in. " The conduct of the pupils in schookis orderly, and their attention regular, much beyond the average of scholars in general. The tasks assigned are generally well-committed, and accurately and distinctly repeated; their an- swers to the questions put to them show that they understand the subject. Amongst the greatest number of them there seems to be an increasing desire for instruction and a willingness to improve. There seems to he every proba- bility that the greater number will turn out useful members of society, with MOTO

than an average quantity of knowledge."

These boys, usually received into the house in a state of squalid wretchedness, presented to our view an appearance of health and contentment, which, alone, went far, we confess, to convince us of the merits of the institution. It was to our minds a very conclu- sive argument, that if boys, who had been in the habit of picking pockets, drinking, swearing, and keeping bad company, could live happily in a house where the only reward for continued mental and bodily labour was coarse but SUFFICIENT FOOD, those boys had not pursued their previous career from any natural inherent depravity, but from WANT. This remark at least applies (as we shall pre- sently show beyond a doubt) to by far the greater number of the cases that have come under notice at the House of Refuge. The exceptions are comparatively few, and even of these many might be traced back to the same great fountain of evil through mediate causes. No doubt some boys may be originally impelled to crime by a vicious disposition, (though we believe the case to be much rarer than is ordinarily imagined,) and it is still more probable that others, without being either naturally vicious or very, indigent, may have been led into the same courses by the lore of adventure, till both vice and indigence have been engendered, and real want has come to be felt simultaneously with the power and final skill to supply it. For such boys the means of reform are no less to be sought in a " house of refuge," where. excluded from the scenes of excitement which flirmerly misled them, they may still find their wants supplied as well as their activity exercised. That even this class of cases, in which the original incitement to a violation of the law is the spirit ofenterprise and the possession of some rare theuhies for its indulgence, may still be referred to WANT—as at least, if not the mother, the .stemnother of the crime— will be apparent to the reader it' he will only cast his eye upwards in the scale of society, and consider those examples, so frequently occurring in " life, where young men of a similar temperament to what we have described, rrin on for a long time in a very similar course of adven- tures, and are only saved at last from fidlowing it out to its natural consequences by the interposition of Providence in the shape of a Peerage or by accession to the paternal acres. Ripe for the gallows, they take their " seat and their oaths." The shoemaker's son may be the less expert ruffian, but to him—rejected of society and with no estates—his intlimy must become his trade : he shall make no speeches in the House of Lords! To reclaim offenders of this kind is most necessary, but most difficult. Sturdy and resolute young fellows. fearing nothing. and who have passed the point from which return to honest society is possible without some moral quarantine, can hardly be expected to answer the increasing demands of hunger and want in any but one way—the way in which they have learnt to answer them. Such, probably, become in the end male- factors of the worst and most daring class, though they may have been, at first, amongst those least criminal in their intentions. Though for these there is no House of Lords, let us "thank God," as COMIETT used to say, there's a House of Refuge, which will answer the purpose as well.

The boys admitted to this institution are usually recommended by one of the Directors, to whom their case has been made known. Many come there from the Police-offices ; many on their libera-

tion from Bridewell. Mr.. BREMER, the Governor of the latter, who was one of those originally active in the business of the charity,

deposes as follows-

" Taking the average of the last five years, the amount of juvenile culprits in Bridewell is, since the opening of the House of Refuge' about 100 less than before ; and any thing more true seas lleVer said, than what Lord Medwyn stated in his closing address at the last Justiciary Court-4 that many would have been btfore them, more than had actually appeared at the bar, were it not for the existence of this admit-able institution.'" And Mr. DAVIE and Captain MILLER, the former Assessor to the

Magistrates, the latter Superintendent of Police, have both borne the most decisive testimony to this important point—the great de-

crease in the amount of juvenile crime since the establishment of the House of refuge. We do not know what more can be said to Unite all opinions on the subject. The possibility of converting young thieves and -vagabonds into honest and industrious children being, as we conceive, already fairly proved, it only remains to apply the axe vigorously to the roots of the evil to rid ourselves in a great measure of one of the pests of snciety. What says Captain MILLER, a practical man, on this point?— ' e The growth of young thieves being checked in the bud, and the old offenders wearing out, as they would of course gradually do, the decrease of crime would follow as a natural consequence."

We have heard no second opinion expressed in Glasgow as to tie experiment of the House of Refuge : it is allowed on all hands to have been completely successful as far as its operations have ex- tended ; and, for the rest, it is perfectly clear that time cannot • diminish, but must continually and materially increase, its beneficial influence. In addition to the evidence of men personally con- cerned in police affairs, we cannot forbear quoting the following pas- ogle from the testimony of the Reverend Mr. GILCURIST, the Chap- lain to the Bridewell in Glasgow ; who has long dealt with juvenile delinquents, and has found how ineffectual all exhortation to amendment of conduct is, wanting some sanctuary for time young penitent applicable to the purposes of practical reformation. Many of the boys in Bridewell confessed how much happier they would be if they could lead honest lives ; but "it was quite im-

possible for them, however willing," because "they were known to be bad." But at the House of Refuge the reverend gentleman

.finds these same boys under totally different circumstances-

" Knowing the dispositions and habits of these boys as I do, nothing like this was expected on my part. Elsewhere I have shown the improvement which has already been effected in their aspect, manners and conduct. With regard to many among them, scarcely a feature of their former selves is visible. Their progress, also, in learning, and in acquiring a knowledge of some useful craft, Is highly creditable. And lam convinced that no one could engage with them in worship in their chapel on the Sabbath, without being most heartily gratified with their whole appearance." list of sixty-four questions, which each boy must answer on 'Admission to the house, is amongst the most interesting of the

printed documents connected with the institution. Copies of this list, with the answers given by each inmate, are preserved in a

book ; of which we regret we had not time to make some abstract, as it appeared to us to afford in itself a valuable and authentic body of information on the state of crime in the town. This is a feature which should not be lost sight of in any establishment of the same kind that may be undertaken : it is perhaps also capable of being improved upon. The questions having reference to the family of the boy, the conduct of his parents, his own haunts and

habits, and the general machinery of crime as far as he was ac.; quainted with it, appear for the most part well adapted to elicit the sort of information required ; but they might be carried further,

and made subservient as well to more philosophical views of the subject. To the question "What was your predominant desire?" the answer in the great majority of cases was—" My meat." Not unfrequently—" The theatre." From the answers to other ques- tions, relating to the first motives to theft, we have had no hesita- tion in speaking positively of the existence of WANT, or actual desti- tution, as the cause of causes—above and inclusive of all others that can be named—impelling to the commission of crime.

The Glasgow House of Refuge, itself a copy from an American model, will, we have no doubt, before long meet with general imi- tation in this couutry. Already we have heard with much pleasure

that such an imitation is in progress at Liverpool, under the direc- tion of the Chief Magistrate, Mr. RUSHTON. In Glasgow a similar establishment for girrs has been founded. If such institutions take root, it is to be hoped that the funds required for their support will be properly secured by assessment, and not made to depend on precarious charity.