come here, they must follow the rule and teaching of this house. We can have no second species of religion here, but we are willing to give the Catholic children over to you; establish a school, and you shall have them." Surely this rendered it absolutely necessary that the Catholics should adopt the course they were now acting upon. Mr. Langdale then entered into an explanation of the reasons which had induced him to consent to become a vice-president of the Protestant institution-adding that having consulted with his friend, the Rev. Mr. Walker, he was advised to accept the office, and on mentioning the circumstance to the Bishop, he approved of the course pursued. He argued the necessity for the establishment of a reformatory school to which children of the Roman Catholic persuasion could be conveyed, and expressed his belief that they had more powers of correction in themselves than the Protestant religion had. He believed that men of that character whom they knew were connected with their church, and who were dedicated by vow to the reformation of these unfortunate individuals, possessed greater powers of correcting than they who were not so set apart, and he was convinced that it would be their own fault if they had not such a system established in this reformatory school as would enable them to turn out these unfortunate children amended characters on their return to the community at large. From a statement in the report to which he had previously referred, it appeared that in an institution in France, the reformation was so completely effected, that not above eleven per cent. of those who had been instructed in the school had been found afterwards to return to a criminal course of life. The Rev. M. Trappes briefly seconded the resolution, which (with those which followed) was unanimously adopted. T. Meynell, jun., Esq., said he was extremely happy that it had fallen to his lot to announce an act of liberality on the part of their worthy bishop, of a character which was seldom to be met with, and which would relieve the Catholics of this county from the very heavy outlay which they would have otherwise had to make for the pur. chase of a site for the contemplated institution. He proposed, "That a site for such school, with a suitable farm, being offered by his lordship, the Bishop of Beverley, that the same be gratefully accepted, and that the thanks of this meeting be given to his lordship. Mr. Meynell stated, that in addition to the farm-house and buildings here offered, there was about seventy acres of land which would be admirably adapted for the purpose of such an institution. Mr. Price seconded the motion, and passed a high eulogium upon the Bishop of Beverley, and the Hon. C. Langdale, for the interest they always manifested in any matter which interested the Roman Catholic body. He spoke of the benefits of reformatory institutions, and expressed his hope that the Catholics would support this institu tion in such a manner that its efficiency and value might be greatly extended. They were accustomed to move and pass exceedingly good resolutions, but they had not the resolution to carry them out. He hoped, however, that they would not merely pass resolutions pro forma, and offer just encomiums to any one of their members, but that they would also determine to carry out to the fullest extent, the advantages of an institution which was admirably adapted not only to benefit the religion of which they were professors, but the county at large. H. C. Maxwell, Esq., moved the following resolution :- That for the purpose of carrying out the measures requisite for adapting the house and land presented by the Bishop for a reformatory school, and for the support of the establishment, donations and annual subscriptions be solicited from the Catholics of Yorkshire.' This resolution tended more to deeds than to any superfluity of words, and he believed there would be very little difficulty in raising the subscriptions required. The Institution was forined upon real, pure, Catholic charity; the site for it was a donation from the Stourton family, who had ever been distinguished for their Christian benevolence; and it was a step in the right direction. At the present day, the education of the people was seized upon by the laity; a position which the Catholics considered it ought not to occupy. Education, he was sorry to say, was now too much a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence, but he hoped that in this institution they would shew the Protestants a model establishment in which the errors of youth are corrected by the effects of religion; of which, at present, they were without an example. The Rev. Canon Brown seconded the resolution, and stated that from £703 to £1,000 would be required to put the establishment into operation. He also read a list of donations, some of the contributors being members of the Protestant faith. It was then proposed that the management of the funds should be entrusted to a committee composed of the following clergymen and gentlemen:—The Hon. C. Langdale, the Hon. P. Stourton, W. C. Maxwell, Esq., J. Holdsworth, Esq., Rev. M. Trappes, T. Meynell, jun., Esq., Sir W. Lawson, Bart., the Rev. Canon Walker, S. S. Byron, Esq., the Very Rev. J. Render, Rev. Canon Brown, Rev. W. Fisher, Sir C. Tempest, H. C. Maxwell, Esq., and R. G. Gainsforth, Esq. The Rev. Canon Walker seconded the motion and alluded to the liberty they now possessed to establish reformatory institutions, the necessity for which was so obvious. Mr. Gainsforth then offered some lengthy remarks, in the course of which he contended that the most effective mode of suppressing crime was the education of children before they became criminals. He referred to the want in their body, of a strong middle-class, the members of which, by education and habit, should be fitted to occupy positions of trust and confidence. He also alluded to the reformatory institutions on the continent, with a view of showing that there, where Catholics were in a majority, they were even more liberal to the Protestants there than the members of that body in this country were to the Catholics. He proposed the appointment of two gentlemen, whome he named, as honorary secretary and treasurer to the institution. Mr. R. Anderson seconded the resolution. After a few words from Mr. Collins, who spoke of the considera. tion manifested and expressed for the Roman Catholics, at the meeting of the 4th inst., Mr. Maxwell vacated the chair, which was taken by Lord Stourton. Mr. Meynell moved, and the Rev. Canon Walker seconded, a mo. tion, presenting the thanks of the meeting to W. C. Maxwell, Esq. for presiding, and that gentleman having returned thanks, the proeeedings terminated. Here our RECORD of the quarter ends, but in closing it we would beg the earnest attention of our friends to the fact, that in most of the speeches, hereinbefore presented, there is a very general feeling expressed, that the State should aid the Reforma tories more liberally; and that voluntary support alone will not suffice to develope the full benefits of the Reformatory system. If this be true of England, how much more true of Ireland; and if the Youthful Offenders' Act be advantageous for England, surely it, and a stringent Lodging-house Act, will not be withheld from Ireland. How much Ireland needs such legislation, and how that legislation should be framed, we have, in the 18th Number of this REVIEW, endeavoured to show, founding our opinions and statements upon the most unquestionable evidence and authority. : But, whilst we thus write of governmental support of Reformatories in Ireland, where the principle has not been practically introduced, we must differ with two of the speakers at the Bristol Meeting. In England the voluntary, or private support of Reformatories has been found to work most admirably the Reformatories are useful to the State, the State recognizes their usefuluess by contributing, under The Juvenile Offenders' Act, to their maintenance, but the State has no right to step in now and say,-all Reformatories aided by us shall belong to us exclusively, and yet this is what, in effect, was contended for by two speakers at the Bristol Meeting. In our mind, until the voluntary Reformatories shall be full, or until they shall be proved unfitted for the duties which they undertake, the State has no right to obtrude itself, and declare, we will recognize no Reformatories save those of which we are sole and complete owners and directors. We protest against this plan, it is contrary to all the evidences of successful action offered by Holland, by England, and by France. With regard to the Ticket-of-Leave System, we wish to impress upon the minds of our readers, that they have now before them the opinions, on this most important subject, of M. Demetz, of Mr. Recorder Hill, of the Rev. John Field, and of the Rev. John Clay : all are in support of the scheme when properly carried out; all declare that up to this period, through neglect of wise percautions, plain to every thinking man, The Ticket-of-Leave has been, in too many cases, an evil to the holder and a source of alarm to the public. |