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In

The principal class consisted of nineteen girls, all approaching the prescribed age of fifteen, when they must be transferred to another part of the Asylum, away from their innocent companions and friends. They were ranged in a semicircle fronting the visitors, and Mr. O'Brien, Poor Law Inspector, clearly and cleverly tested their ac. quirements in the various branches of their educational course. short, it was quite evident that they had received a well grounded, solid, English education. Some specimens of the writing were particularly beautiful, and such as the first in the land might be satisfied to emulate. In arithmetic also they displayed very considerable proficiency. The head teacher, who in turn examined them, and appeared most solicious to advance her pupils in position, as she had already to her credit, improved them by her instructions, informed the ladies that several of the girls embroidered and worked in a very superior manner. These girls then left the room, and after a few mi nutes the audience was invited to their laundry where they were busily engaged in the different operations of washing their clothes, ironing them, &c., doing their work assiduously and tidily. Some junior classes were afterwards examined, but for the present we shall confine our remarks to those whose fortunes are peculiarly concerned. There appear to us two great reasons which should induce employers to take these girls into their service: first, because they will, by so doing, consult their own interest; and secondly, because they will be conferring an immense benent upon those whom they release from living to maturity, and, perhaps old age, in the workhouse. It is for the good of one desiring a capable and quiet servant to have a person trained to do everything by rule, and at all times to be orderly and neat; and the long habit of acting at once upon being directed, has 'made the m docile and attentive. We need not dilate upon the advantages which they must possess from their excellent education, which is such as may be looked for in vain in any ordinary servant. We are assured that equal reliance may be placed upon the excellence of their moral characters; indeed these orphans have, in many instances, been reared from the cradle in the workhouse, and have not been subject even to the chance of vicious companionship or the contamination of evil advisers. But were the value of these candidates for employment less approved than it is, yet their position should move the benevolent even at a risk to make an effort to protect them from the trials which they must otherwise now be subjected to. We have not overcoloured the amiability, skill, or good conduct of these young creatures, who are inmates of a workhouse without any fault of theirs, and were they always to remain amongst their present associates, although their energies might be thrown away, yet they might escape from the more dreadful evils which now, if they be not employed, will beset them. According to law they must at fifteen pass into the division of" able-bodied paupers." These are the originals from whom every picture of the vice, sloth, filth, and ignorance that surround the professional vagrant has been drawn. Thanklessly and doggedly they go to the workhouse as a lair in which they may escape from the cold and hunger of the sharp winter days, but they will be away, as incorrigible vagabonds as ever, to tramp and thieve through the long

days of summer. There are fearful wards in this part of the house, to which the dark destiny of the orphan girls will probably lead them, if they be not now assisted. The companionship of such coarse and violent women must soon break down the purity and delicacy of their minds, for being constantly exposed to the influence" of sights and sounds unholy," the firmest determination must give way in despair. In this department there are two black solitary cells which, we are informed, are not unfrequently tenanted, yet amongst these vile viragoes must these modest children now pass to undergo a terrible probation if no hand be stretched to save them. Doubtless, the minds of our readers will suggest many other recommendations which would entitle these desolate girls to the protection and care of an uncoerced charity, and if they consult their hearts they will find promptings there which it will be well for them to follow.

From Aris's Birmingham Gazette, of Monday, April 12th, we take the following most interesting passages:—

WARWICKSHIRE EASTER SESSIONS.

The County Reformatory.-The Committee of this Reformatory reported that the Institution continued to progress satisfactorily. It contained thirty-six boys, being within four of the number for which accommodation was provided. Since last Quarter Sessions they had obtained the admission of six boys convicted at the various Petty Sessions in the county into the under-mentioned Schools, viz. :-Three to Saltley, one to Red Hill, one to Milbourne Refor formatory Schools, Dorset, and one to Hardwicke, Gloucestershire. --Mr. Bolton KING, M.P., remarked upon the expense of maintaining the boys, which was greater per head than that incurred by keeping pauper lunatics; and urged that several persons had contributed to the Reformatory upon the understanding that it should be confined to boys committed from the rural parts of the county, while at the present time out of thirty-six boys in the Institution twenty were from Birmingham, while some boys from their own rural population were sent to Saltley and some as far as Dorsetshire. It did appear to him that this was not exactly the intention of the contributors to this Institution when it was first founded.—LORD LEIGH contended that the only way to meet the existing evil was to take the juvenile criminals from towns.-E. GREAVES, Esq., urged that the cost of maintaining the inmates was regulated upon a most moderate scale, and one that could not reasonably be diminished.— Lord Leigh said the Birmingham Gaol contained a large number of poor boys from ten to fourteen years of age who could not be accommodated at Saltley. He thought they were bound to receive the juvenile criminals from Birmingham, the largest manufacturing town in the county.-W. JAMES, Esq., testified to the value of send ing boys as far from their friends and associates as possible. He could not look at the question in such a narrow point of view as to say that Birmingham must take care of Birmingham, and the county take care of the county. He contended that in reforming these boys they were doing good to the whole country, and he thought one of

the first steps to be pursued was their removal from old associates and haunts.-J. O. BACCHUS, Esq., would be sorry that Birmingham should consider itself left out, for when there was a deficiency in their funds he canvassed the Birmingham people, who readily gave £100, and he could go, with equal confidence, to them again when necessary. Of the twenty boys Mr. King had spoken of as coming from Birmingham, four were committed from Erdington and Saltley. Some further discussion ensued, in which Bolton King, C. H. Bracebridge, H. T. Chamberlayne, and others took part, and the Report was then adopted.

BIRMINGHAM GIRLS' REFORMATORY.

The annual general meeting of the supporters of this Institution was held on Tuesday afternoon last, at Dee's Hotel, Mr. J. W. WHATELEY presiding. There were present Mrs. Whateley, Mrs. Kynnersley, Mrs. Hardy, Mrs. James, Mrs Kekewich, Mrs. J. T. Chance, Mrs. Kempson, Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. J. Sturge, and Miss Albright; Mr. Sampson Hanbury, Secretary, the Rev. Sydney Gedge, the Rev. F. Morse, Chaplain, Mr. W. Morgan, and Mr. Ť. Kekewich.

The Report, which was read by the Rev. F. MORSE, stated that the number of girls in the Reformatory was 33. The state of the Institution was in every respect satisfactory. The work of education was gradually and steadily advancing, and it was hoped that no girl would leave the Institution without being able to read, write, and add up a sum, nor without being acquainted with at least the elementary truths of the Holy Scriptures. The state of the house afforded a gratifying indication of the girls' attention to house work, and there was a great improvement in the girls' needle-work. The Institution had during the year been visited by Mr Bowyer, one of her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, and also by Mr. Sidney Turner, one of the Inspectors of Reformatories; and the remarks of both these gentlemen upon its condition had been very gratifying. The sanitary state of the Reformatory had also been satisfactory, there having been unusually little illness; and this immunity, as was stated by Mr. Townsend, the surgeon, was owing not more to the advantage of the locality than the admirable arrangements of the Institution. With respect to the eleven removals, seven had been placed in situations, one had died, one had been sent to prison, one had absconded, and one had been taken away by her friends. Five out of the seven in employment had been most exemplary in their conduct, had kept their places, and were doing well. These results, the Report ob. served, could not but encourage the supporters of the Institution to persevere in their exertions with good hope for continued success.

The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the Report, and in doing so congratulated the meeting on the very satisfactory state of the Institution. The Rev. Sydney GEDGE, in seconding the motion, took occasion to observe that the Report was one which could not fail to be gratifying to all of them. They had the testimony of Miss Carpenter

to the fact that in dealing with criminal girls they were dealing with a most difficult class, inasmuch as they were more depraved and hardened than criminal boys. At the same time it was obvious that the influence of girls in after-life for good or evil was far greater than that of boys. Therefore they had a harder and more important work to do, and he did feel deeply thankful to God that they were enabled to hear that five out of the eleven who had left the Institution had given such a satisfactory proof of having derived substantial benefit from the moral and religious instruction and training they had received in the Institution.

The financial statement, which was read by Mr. HANBURY, showed that the income of ths Institution from all sources had amounted to £968 9s 3d. (including a balance of £115 from the previous year), whilst after defraying all household and other expenses, there remained a balance in hand of £97 17s. 10d. Mr. Hanbury stated that there was an item of expenditure for furniture which would not occur again, the Institution being now complete for forty girls.Mr. MORGAN said that although there was a balance in favour of the Institution, it would be well not to relax their efforts, inasmuch as it was uncertain whether the Government grant might not be diminished.-Mr. HANBURY said he should be sorry if any impression got abroad that Government intended to withdraw or diminish the grant. He had made some enquiries and believed Government aid had been promised until March, 1859. He also believed, though he could not state it with certainty, that there was a disposition on the part of the Home Office to contribute some support if the Privy Council refused.

The Committees and officers were re-elected, and thanks were voted to them for their services, as well as to Mr. and Mrs. Hanbury for their devotion to the interests of the Reformatory, and to Mrs. Morse, on her retirement from the office of Secretary, to the Ladies' Committee. The proceedings then terminated.

SALTLEY REFORMATORY INSTITUTION.

The annual meeting of the subscribers and friends of the Training College at Saltley was held on Wednesday evening last, at Dee's Royal Hotel, under the presidency of Lord LYTTELTON.Amongst those present were the Earl of Lichfield, John Ratcliff, Esq., Mayor, C. Shaw, C. H. Bracebridge, T. Bagnall, and T. C. S. Kynnersley, Esqrs., Dr. Melson, the Revds. Dr. Miller, I. Spooner, Sydney Gedge, A. A. Ellis, R. F. Williams, and J. T. Burt, Mr. Charles Ratcliff, Mr. W. Morgan, and Mr. W. R. Lloyd. Letters of apology were announced by Mr. Charles Ratcliff from Lord Calthorpe, Lord Leigh, the Right Hon. C. B. Adderley, M. P., the Right Hon. Sir John Parkington, M. P., Sir T. Winnington, the Revds. D. Melville, Sydney Turner, and W. Gover, and Mr. J. S. Wright.

Lord LYTTELTON, in opening the proceedings, said the meeting had been convened not so much to stimulate public sympathy to the Reformatory cause generally, as to make known the peculiar claims and

great progress of the Institution at Saltley. Although it was not easy to estimate the actual results of the system, there was no doubt that much good had resulted and would continue to result from the establishment of Reformatories. The legislature had wisely provided that the boys should remain inmates of such Institutions for a very considerable time before being sent forth into the world. From Saltley very few boys had as yet been discharged, whose conduct and course of life could be traced with clearness after leaving school. Many of them would probably attain to respectable positions in the colonies, and for his own part he believed that with reasonably good management and favourable circumstances, the best thing that could be done for these boys was to send them abroad. But whatever might be the apparent local results of the Saltley Institution, he (Lord Lyttelton) knew that in some parts of Great Britain the most remarkable results had been achieved through the working of Refor matories (hear, hear). In Montrose, as they all knew, the experiment had succeeded, and the establishment of a Reformatory at Hardwicke had almost put an end to juvenile crime in the city and county of Gloucester, There were some grounds for believing that the Saltley Reformatory had not been without a good effect in this locality. The circumstance which occurred a short time back in this town, when there was not a single prisoner for trial, and a pair of white gloves were presented to Mr. Kynnersley, was a most unusual one, and augured well for the moral improvement of the inhabitants. He at one time had grave doubts whether two Reformatories could be supported in this county, but he now found that a sufficient numher of juveniles were sent to fill both the establishment at Saltley and the county Reformatory, under the auspices of Lord Leigh. The alterations in the Saltley Institution would, he had no doubt, greatly promote its efficiency, while the improvement in the management would tend still further to diminish juvenile crime. Mr. Adderley had displayed the warmest interest in the Institution, and had given it the most substantial support, and to his enlightened views on this question they owed much of the success which had attended their efforts to benefit the members of the Institution (applause.) His Lordship concluded by calling upon

Mr. W. MORGAN to read the Report. This document stated that the buildings at Saltley had been enlarged so as to afford accommodation for fifty boys, twenty of whom would be sent, under a contract with the Committee, by the Magistrates of Staffordshre. To complete the buildings Mr. Adderley had kindly advanced the sum of 5001, to the Committee, and a balance of 2047. was likewise due to the contractor. An additional two and a half acres of land, adjoining the school, had been placed under cultivation, in order to find employment for the increased number of inmates. The Report will be found in extenso in our advertising columns. Mr. Charles RATCLIFF then read a financial statement showing a deficiency of 500l. in the building fund.

The MAYOR, in moving the adoption of the Report, said the rapid progress which had been made at Saltley must be encouraging and satisfactory to all who felt an interest in the Reformatory move. ment. For his own part, he was delighted, on visiting the Institution