from other counties, provided no expense whatever fall upon this diocess on their anount, and also, that no Yorkshire boy be ever refused.

These two conditions are but just; and therefore I cannot receive other boys, unless I am enabled to raise a fund to build for their ac commodation. I think I am not asking too much, if for each boy I demand the sum of £10, to be paid upon his reception; this sum is calculated as scarcely sufficient for raising the building and providing the bedding. If any Committee will make arrangements for a determinate number of boys, the same number of boys will of course be received in succession without payment, so that £10 will always give a claim for one inmate, £100 for 10, and so on.

For the encouragement of private individuals who may take interest in some particular boy, I am inclined to accommodate such boy upon payment of £2 10s. a year in advance, during the period of his detention, provided there is a vacancy.

I wish to make known, that the situation of this Reformatory School, with 70 acres of land, and workshops for the more useful trades attached, together with the large staff of Brothers of the Institute of Charity, who have charge of the establishment, afford ample means for the education of juvenile delinquents.

I take the liberty of informing

of these details of this Reformatory School, hoping that the great interest you take in this work of charity, will suggest the means, either by Committee or by private assistance, to carry out the reformation of the unfortunate portion of our Catholic boys, It is certain that without suitable accommodation for all the Catholic boys, they will either be persuaded to declare themselves Protestants, in order to be sent to Protestant Institutions, or otherwise, to be allowed to return to their criminal habits.

It is worthy of remark, that up to the present, which is to say during a little more than one year, we have in the three Catholic Reformatory Schools 420 boys, and consequently taking an average of 4 years for the time of detention, we ought to have accommodation for at least 1600 boys.

I feel persuaded that many persons interested in this work of Charity, are deterred from undertaking it by the great difficulties connected with the opening of new Reformatory Schools, both as regards the expenses of building, as well as the obtaining of a competent staff to conduct it; consequently, I hope to meet with the encourage. ment and assistance of all charitable persons for carrying out my proposition, which implies the attainment of the same end with comparatively little trouble or expense.

If any Committee agree to adopt my proposition, I beg to be informed of it as soon as convenient, in order to be able to make ar rangements with the Yorkshire Committee, for carrying on the necessary buildings, together with those to be erected for the Yorkshire boys, next Spring.

All correspondence connected with this subject should be directed

to me.

Rev. C. CACCIA, RECTOR, Catholic Reformatory School.

Near Market Weighton, Yorkshire.

QUARTERLY RECORD OF THE PROGRESS OF REFORMATORY AND RAGGED SCHOOLS, AND OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRISON DISCIPLINE.

The Fourth Annual Report, that for 1857, of the Directors of Convict Prisons in Ireland is now before us, and from it we learn that the accommodation for convicts in the Government Prisons on the 1st January, 1858, may be estimated as amounting to 3,486.

GOVERNMENT PRISONS.

Number in custody on 1st Jan., 1858,
Accommodation on Ist January, 1858, 2,750
COUNTY AND CITY GAOLS.

736

Males. Females. Total. 1,603 674 2,277

3,486

Number in custody on 1st Jan., 1858, 13

Gross Total of Convicts in Ireland, 2,298.

NUMBER OF CONVICTS SENTENCED DURING THE YEAR 1857.

Total Females, 131.

Gross Total of Convicts sentenced in Ireland in 1857, 426.

A

Disposal of Convicts.

Discharged unconditionally,

590

Ditto on petition, sentences having been commuted 22 Released on "Orders of Licence,"

Total,

298

. 910

The most important portion of the Report is that which relates to the INTERMEDIATE PRISONS, as Lusk, and Smithfeld. Referring to these and to the Female Prisons, the Directors write as follows:

"We have the satisfaction of reporting, that during the past year we have found the results of the special treatment of convicts in intermediate prisons, on a system explained in our two former Reports, to have quite equalled our expectations. The conduct of the prisoners, both under detention and after liberation, confirm this statement. We believe it would be difficult to find any body of men who would behave themselves more submissively to the rules, or give their labour more freely to the public service than we have found to be the case with the convicts who, since the commencement of this system, have been placed in the intermediate prisons.

In April last we located as many convicts as were at our disposal for the purpose, (60), in two iron huts, on Lusk Common. They were at first employed in levelling the portion of the common on which the huts stand, and forming it into a parade ground and vege table garden. When this was finished, they were employed in draining the commons, and at spade labour in the fields; the former work, about which they will yet be occupied some time, is excessively heavy, and the Superintendent of Drainage reports most favourably of the willing labour of the prisoners. We have before explained that the common is to form a portion of the farm to be attached to the juvenile prison which it is contemplated shortly to erect. There will be means of employment there for some time considerably in excess of the labour we shall have at our disposal.

The discharges on licence from the intermediate prisons have, we are happy to state, outnumbered our expectations; the consequence has been, however, that the number of selected convicts on public works has much decreased. We have, therefore, been obliged to allot Carlisle Fort to a class of convicts in an earlier stage of their imprisonment, and have, of course, withdrawn the privileges and rules applicable to it as an intermediate prison.

The iron buildings erected at Lusk appear to fully answer the purpose for which they were required. In a memorandum published by the Chairman of our Board, in October last, and which is appended to this Report, a calculation has been made of the cost and value of productive labour of 100 prisoners located and employed as at Lusk, based on the experience there obtained.

It will be observed how profitable and convenient such labour may be rendered for the public service.

Between 1st January, 1856, and 1st January, 1858, there have been 547 male convicts discharged on licence, and 478 discharged unconditionally, from the intermediate prisons.

Ninety-eight female convicts have also been discharged on licence. During that period the number of licences revoked have been twenty-five, viz., twenty-two males and three females, eight of which have been for neglect of conditions.

The male and female convicts on licence pardoned, subsequently for good conduct on probation, have been 105, viz., sixty-six male and thirty-nine females.

Very many inquiries have been made respecting prisoners discharged absolutely from the intermediate prisons in 1856 and 1857, and also those discharged on licence during 1856, before the new rules for efficient supervision were established. These inquiries, necessarily limited in their extent, (about 300), and which are recorded for inspection at Smithfield Depôt, have been very generally satisfactory, especially when taken into connexion with the circumstance, that only four of the 1,025 have been re-committed to the convict prisons in addition to the twenty-five whose licences have been revoked. We are not disposed to place too much value on this statement as conclusive evidence of their having quitted their evil courses. We prefer resting on the more positive and reliable data we are, through the amended rules of subversion, enabled to produce concerning those discharged in 1857. We may remark, however, that fifteen male convicts discharged on licenee in 1856 are stiil employed in this city, and are giving satisfaction to their employers. We have, during 1857, discharged the following number of prison. ers from the intermediate prisons and refuges :

The convicts discharged on licence are accounted for in the following return :

RETURN of CONVICTS DISCHARGED on LICENCE from SMITHFIELD and LUSK, &c., during 1857, and the way they are accounted for.

Discharged,

Smithfield and Lusk.

How disposed of—

Favourably reported on in Dublin,

Pardoned and subsequently gone abroad,
Favourably reported on by Constabulary,

Left for England and Scotland, ten having

been heard from,

Licences revoked,

75

How disposed of—

Favourably reported on by Constabulary,
Pardoned and subsequently gone abroad,
Licences revoked,

:

250

Total discharged on licence in 1857, and accounted for,. This return has reference to male convicts only. All convicts on licence are reported on, if in Dublin, by the lecturer, if in th country, by the constabulary, until they receive a pardon, or quit the

country.

Of those discharged since January 1, 1857, a period during which the constabulary supervision has been exercised over the convicts discharged on licence, and therefore more positive and reliable information obtained, only seven licenses have, as yet, been revoked: of these, three were for wilful omissions and breaches of conditions, &c.

RULES FOR THE REGISTRATION AND SUPERVISION OF CONVICTS ON TICKET OF LICENCE.

January 1, 1857.

His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant being desirous of accurately testing the practical working of the ticket of licence system, by a well organised system of registration of licensed convicts, whereby they may be brought under special supervision and a check be laid upon the evil disposed, has been pleased to sanction the following regulations, which are, therefore, circulated for the information and guidance of the constabulary.

1. When an offer of employment for a prisoner is accepted, a notification thereof will be made by the Directors of Government Prisons Inspector-General of Constabulary, by whom it will be transmitted to the constabulary of the locality in which the employment is to be given, with all necessary particulars, for the purpose of being entered in a Register at the constabulary station.

II. Each convict so to be employed will report himself at the appointed constabulary station (the name of which will be given to him) on his arrival in the district, and, subsequently, on the first of each month.

III. A special report is to be made to head quarters by the constabulary whenever they shall observe a convict on licence guilty of misconduct or leading an irregular life.

IV. A convict is not to change his locality without notifying the circumstance at the constabulary station, in order that his registra tion may be transferred to the place to which he is about to proceed. On his arrival he must report himself to the nearest constabulary station (of the name of which he is to be informed), and such transter is to be reported to head quarters for the information of the Directors of Government Prisons.

V. An infringement of these rules by the convict will cause it to be assumed that he is leading an idle, irregular life, and, therefore, entail the revocation of his licence.