=

ffered the punishment of death by hanging. care, and as far as I recollect, conducted himself pro That the law could in this respect be safely altered, is perly during that period. He came to London with ore than I would undertake to affirm. Immunity from his father, and I am assured by a very respectable riminal accountability up to a fixed period of life, and tradesman, who knew him well, that he would not have consequent freedom from restraint and punishment objected to take him into his service. He is now fourntil that period arrive, would be repugnant to every teen years old, and a boy of an intelligent countenance. ictate of social prudence and justice. On the other He was apprehended in May last as a vagrant, for selland, to seize upon the first dawn of the faculty of dis- ing religious tracts in Bishopgate church-yard, without erning between right and wrong, when childhood is a hawker's license, and sent to the city bridewell for a nanifest in the language, the deportment, and in the month. There he passed the day with twenty men very person of the culprit, and throw the offending and four boys committed for various crimes, and he slept child into a mass of ripe and hardened offenders, subject- with a prisoner who employed him to pick pockets ed to the same punishment, and condemned to the same and steal from the other prisoners, and received, as the association, has in it something so revolting to humanity, boy says, the produce of his thefts. The man and five that the spectacle never fails to enlist the feelings against others took a fever, and the boy continued to sleep the law, and judges and juries are often tempted to with him during its progress. He caught it himself, strain their conscience in order to produce an acquittal. brought it home, and communicated it to his father, Either alternative is dangerous to the future welfare of mother, and three brothers, one of whom died. The the unfortunate accused. If by the irresistible impulse father told me, that before his apprehension, he was a of humanity, he is restored to liberty, he returns to his good and dutiful son, and that he had no fault to find former haunts and habits, emboldened by impunity, and with him. His mother said he was a quiet, demure boy, hardened, perhaps ruined, by the base association to fond of reading, and always willing to go with her to a which he has been exposed, even before his trial, by place of worship. Now, he never takes a book into his confinement with untried prisoners. If he be condemn-hands, except to purloin it; and if she mentions any reed, his fate is almost inevitably sealed. Nothing less ligious service, she is answered by execrations on her than a miracle can save him from destruction. and her advice. She placed him in a school, but he sent word to the master, with a desperate oath, that he would never go again. She cannot keep any work in the house. He has stolen and sold her bible, his father's to his brother; he is seldom at home: his father has clothes, and the clothes lent by the Raven-crow school found him at night sleeping in the baskets of Covent Garden, with a horde of girls and boys, thieves and prostitutes. I was much struck with the behaviour and feeling lamentations of his parents. They spoke to the boy more in sorrow than in anger,' and even excused his unkindness and depravity, as resulting from this confinement. On the other hand, I was as much struck with the hard, careless, scornful manner in which he replied.''

Such were the effects of the imprisonment of a child in a common jail; and such must always be its destructive effects. Nor are they limited to any grade of offence, nor to those who have been convicted. Those who are committed for the slightest misdeeds, (as happened in the instance just quoted) and those who are committed for trial, innocent perhaps of what is imputed to them, are alike exposed to the ruinous action of the corrupting mass into which they are thrown. (To be continued.)

"Of all the men we meet with," says Mr. Locke, "nine parts in ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." What must be the education of those whom we put to school in a common jail! Evidence is not wanting to establish as a melancholy fact, what we might readily infer from observation as likely to be the case. T. F. Buxton, in his "Inquiry," states the result of his personal examination in a number of prisons, from which it may not be unprofitable to make some extracts. Speaking of the Borough Compt er, he says, "The jailer told me that in an experience of nine years he had never known an instance of reforma tion; he thought the prisoners grew worse, and he was sure, that if you took the first boy you met with in the streets, and placed him in his prison, by the end of a month he would be as bad as the rest, and up to all the roguery of London." At the jail of St. Albans, he asked of the jailer, "Have you ever known persons come here comparatively innocent, who have gone out quite depraved?" "I have not," is the answer, "known persons come here innocent, because they are sent here for some offence; but I have known several sent here for first offences, whose minds were not wicked, though they had been guilty of the one offence. I have known a great many, (I can't mention the number,) who coming in thus, have gone out quite depraved; but I have never known one, who coming in wicked, went out better." "Many and very grievous," says Mr. Buxton, "are the instances which have come to my knowledge of persons corrupted by prisons. When I first went to Newgate, my attention was directed by my companion to a boy, whose apparent innocence and artlessness had attracted his attention. The schoolmaster said he was an example to all the rest, so quiet, so reserved, and so unwilling to have any intercourse with his dissolute companions. At his trial he was acquitted upon evidence which did not leave a shadow of suspicion upon him; For the intermediate points of the compass thus: North but lately I recognised him again in Newgate; but, followed by 3 rapid strokes for East, will show that the fire is Northeast from the State-house; and so on for with a very different character. He confessed to me all the others. that on his release he had associated with the acquaintances he had formed in prison: of his ruin I feel but little doubt; and as little of the cause of it. He came to Newgate innocent; he left it corrupted."

One more instance is related by Mr. Buxton at some length. It is of a peculiarly affecting nature, and deserves to be repeated for the solemn lesson it conveys: "G. M., the son of a journeyman butcher, in reduced circumstances, was educated at the endowed grammar school at Burnet, under the Rev. Mr. Man, who writes me word, 'G. M. was for some time under my

STATE-HOUSE FIRE BELL.

Mode of ringing the Alarm Bell, so as to show the direction of FIRES from the State-house.

When the fire is to the North, the bell will be rung by single strokes-for the South, by double strokes, in rapid succession-for the East, three-and for the West, four strokes.

N S E W

1 2 3 4

The following table exhibits the whole scheme:-
N. E. I, 3.

N.

S.

I.
II.

S. E. II, 3.

N. W. I, 4.

S. W. II, 4.

The Bell will not be rung before 10 o'clock at night, unless it be known that there actually is a fire; but after that time for every alarm. When the direction of the fire is not known, the bell will be struck five or more times in rapid succession.--Aurora.

TAXABLES OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA,

For 1821 and 1828, compiled from the returns in the office of the County Commissioners. Also the number of votes given at the Ward, General, and Electoral Elections of 1828, in the City.

Vice and Immorality-Messrs. Sullivan, Leech; Selt zer, Fullerton and Jackson.

To compare bills and present them to the Governor for his approbation-Messrs. Hay, Scott, Bertolet, Houston and Drumheller.

1828.1

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE.

50,033

How far this calculation may prove correct, remains to be proved by an actual enumeration. It is probably the nearest approximation that can be made in the absence of better information.

The Districts of Passyunk, Moyamensing, and East and West Southwark, contained in 1821, 4015 taxables, and in 1828, 5095-making an increase of nearly twenty-seven per cent.

The Districts of Kensington, Penn, and Northern Liberties, contained in 1821, 7396 taxables, and in 1828, 10,971-being an increase of about forty-eight per cent. The result of the whole will stand thus:

The increase of taxables, from 1821 to 1828

City

Northern Districts

Southern do.

City and County

30 per cent.
48

27 33

་་

State Library-Messrs. Duncan, Burden and Kerlin.
Thursday, Dec. 4.
The message from the governor was read, and refer-
red to Messrs. Hawkins, Hay and Scott.

On Friday morning John De Pui, Esq. was unani-
mously re-elected Clerk of the Senate. Mr. De Pui
nominated Walter S. Franklin, Esq. as his assistant, which
was unanimously approved of.

Samuel S. Stambaugh was elected printer of the English Journal; and Jacob Stoever printer of the German Journal.

E. F. Cryder & Co. were elected printers of the bills of the Senate.

Friday, Dec. 5.

Mr. Bertolet-the petition of citizens of the county of Schuylkill, praying for the creation of a fund for the formation of a general system of education. Referred to the committee on education.

Mr. Hawkins, from the committee appointed to arrange the several items of the governor's message, reported sundry resolutions, referring the governor's mesage to committees, which were twice read and adopted.

Mr. Krebs read in his place, and on leave given, presented to the chair, a bill, entitled an aet authorising the governor to incorporate the Schuylkill Valley and Navigation Company.

Saturday, Dec. 6.

In 1786 there appears to be a striking difference beMr. Wise presented the petition of citizens of Westtween the taxables of the county and those in 1779,probably the effects of the revolution. Also, between the tax-moreland county, praying that a state road may be laid ables in the city in 1793 and 1800, occasioned perhaps by out from Robbstown in said county to Cooks-town in Fayette county. Referred to Messrs. Wise, Drumhellthe different fevers within that period. er and Ringland.

It is to be observed, that in 1825, there was an alteration of the limits of the Eastern Wards of the City, and an addition of a new ward, (Pine,) formed out of New Market and Cedar wards.

From the table of votes it would appear that at neither of the late elections, did more than one-half of the

taxables vote.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF
PENNSYLVANIA.
SENATE.

Tuesday, December 2, 1828.
At 11 o'clock the Senate met-present twenty-eight
Senators.

A resolution for furnishing each senator with three daily newspapers, &c. was adopted.

Mr. Hawkins offered a resolution, which was adopted, inviting the electors of president to convene in the senate chamber, to-morrow, at 10 o'clock.

The following are the standing committees of the senate, with the names of the members composing them. Accounts-Messrs. Logan, Hunt, King, Hay and Mor

ris.

Claims-Messrs. Herbert, Leech, Ray, Scott and Sul

livan.

Judiciary System-Messrs. Hawkins, King, Kelley, Miller and Morris.

Militia System-Messrs. Ogle, Ryon, Hambright, Ringland and Seltzer.

Banks-Messrs. Kerlin, Burden, Wise, Miller and

M'Clure.

Education-Messrs. Kelley, Herbert, Fullerton, Hunt and Houston.

Roads, Bridges & Inland Navigation-Messrs. Brown, Duncan, M'Clure, Powell and Wise.

Agriculture & Domestic Manufactures-Messrs. Powell, Ray, Reiff, Drumheller and Krebs.

Election Districts-Messrs. Ryon, Hambright, Jackson, Bertolet and Ringland.

In the House of Representatives-Mr. Wilkins presented a petition from inhabitants of Allegheny county, praying for an appropriation in aid of opening a road from Uniontown to Pittsburg.

Mr. Frick-four petitions from citizens of this commonwealth, praying for an appropriation in aid of improving the state road from Rodger's Ferry to Sunbury.

Mr. Moore-a petition from inhabitants of Erie county, praying for the repeal of the acts which prohibit the issuing and circulating bank notes of a less denomination than five dollars.

Mr. Kerr-two petitions from inhabitants of Washington, Fayette, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, praying for the erection of a new county out of parts of the said counties. Referred to Messrs. Kerr, Patterson, of Mifflin, Shindel, Lawson and Martin.

Mr. Simpson-two petitions from inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia, praying that provision may be made

by law for the election of the aldermen of the said city by the people. Referred to the members from the city of Philadelphia.

Mr. Binder-a petition from inhabitants of Philadelphia county, praying for the incorporation of a company for the construction of a Rail Road from the neighbourhood of Willow street, on the river Delaware, through the Northern Liberties and Penn township, to the river Schuylkill. Referred to the members from the county of Philadelphia.

Mr. Lehman-a petition from the select and common councils of the city of Philadelphia, praying for an extension of their powers in relation to pavements in the said city. Referred to the members from the city of Philadelphia.

The speaker announced, that in conformity to the 28th rule of this house, he had appointed the following standing committees, viz:

Messrs. Cunningham, Blair, Boyd, Binder, Mallary, Kerr, and Overfield, a committee of Ways and Means. Messrs. Mallary, Champneys, Workman, M'Sherry, Evans, (Mont.) Banks and Waugh, a committee on the judiciary system.

Messrs. Wilkins, Slemmer, Hergesheimer, Gebhart, Fuller, Robison and Geiger, a committee on claims.

Messrs. Patterson, (Mifflin,) Forrey, Pile, Lobach, Kline, Clymer and Wolfersberger, a committee on agriculture.

tures.

Mr. Boyd-a petition from the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, praying for a continuance of legislative patronage to that Institution. Referred to the members from the city of Philadelphia.

Mr. Bonsall a petition from sundry inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia, praying that provision may be made by law for the election of the aldermen of the said city by the people.

Messrs. Snyder, Hastings and Lobach, were appointed a committee to bring in a bill, entitled an act to repeal an act entitled an act for the relief of the poor.

Messrs. Snyder, Martin and Hassinger, were appointed a committee to bring in a bill entitled an act relative to the opening roads in the city and county of Philadelphia.

A number of items of unfinished business of the last session were referred to appropriate committees. Invitation to Gen. JACKSON, to visit the Capitol of Penn sylvania.

Gen. Duncan, of Philadelphia, offered the following resolution;

Whereas, Gen. Andrew Jackson, president elect of the United States, is expected soon to visit the city of Pittsburg on his way to the seat of the General Government, and whereas, it would be highly gratifying to the citizens of this commonwealth, to welcome to their Capitol, "the man who has filled the measure of his country's glory"-therefore,

Messrs. Bonsall, Cooper, Blodget, Petriken, Post, Caldwell and Lambert, a committee on education. Resolved, That a committee, to consist of three memMessrs. Kreps, Lauman, Siter, Gebhart, Cox, Hes-bers, be appointed, in conjunction with a similar comton and Livingston, a committee on domestic manufac-mittee of the Senate, if the Senate shall appoint such a committee, for the purpose of respectfully inviting the President elect, and in the event of his acceptance, escorting him, as the guest of the people, from Pittsburg to Harrisburg, to participate in the anniversary festival of the 8th of January, 1815.

Messrs. Good, Lawson, Alexander, Wilson, Owens, Laporte and M'Kee, a committee of accounts.

Messrs. Duncan, Driesbach, Rankin, Haines, Shendel Patterson, (Washington,) and Heck, a committee on vice and immorality.

Messrs. Roberts, Matheys, Frick, Miller, (Lehigh) Doudel, Kreps and Horner, a committee on the militia system.

Messrs. Stevens, (Mont.) Miller, (Chester,) Whitlatch, Black, Stauffer, Byerly and Rankin, a committee on election districts.

Messrs. Snyder, Hastings, Riter, Farrell, Horn, Simpson and Forrey, a committee on banks.

Messrs. Evans, ( Fayette) Trimble, Stephens, (Adams) Power, Lightner, Banks and Long, a committee on estates and escheats.

The resolution was laid on the table till to-day.

Mr. Moore gave notice, that on to morrow he would ask leave to bring in a bill, entitled an act to repeal an act passed at the last session, entitled an act concerning small notes for the payment of money.

Francis R. Shunk was unanimously re-elected clerk, and appointed Thomas J. Gross as his assistant. James Smith was re-elected sergeant-at-arms, and Tho mas Wallace, door-keeper.

Samuel C. Stambaugh was appointed printer of the Journals in the English language, and of the bills. Jacob Baab was elected printer of the Journal in the

Messrs. Champneys, Rehrer, Martin, Hostetter, Dries-German language. bach, Frick and Workman, a committee on bridges, and state and turnpike roads.

Messrs. Snyder, Champneys, Banks, Workman and Simpson were appointed a committee to arrange the va

Messrs. Shannon, Hergesheimer, M'Reynolds, Has-rious items of the Governor's message. singer, Fuller, Galbraith and Boals, a committee on corporations.

Messrs. Kerr, M'Sherry, Martin, Bastress, Evans, (Mont.) Hastings and Metzler, a committee on local appropriations.

Messrs. Foulkrod, Fullerman, and Parkhurst, a committee to compare bills, &c.

Mr. Butts presented a petition from inhabitants of Bucks and Northampton counties, praying for an appropriation in aid of improving the road across Flint Hill. Referred to the committee on local appropriations.

Mr. Patterson-4 petitions from inhabitants of Mifflin county, praying for the erection of a new county, out of part of the said county. Referred to Messrs. Patterson,

Messrs. Binder, M'Clear and Petriken, a committee Petriken, Black, Buttz and Post. on the library.

Messrs. Lehman, Denison, M'Reynolds, Shannon, Lawson, Buttz, Moore, Bastress, Patterson, (Allegheny) Blair, Galbraith, Morgan and Lightner, a committee on inland navigation and internal improvement.

On motion of Mr. Hastings, ordered, that an item of unfinished business relative to an artificial road from Potter's Old Fort in Centre county, to the Juniata turnpike road in Huntingdon county, be referred to Messrs. Hastings, Shannon and Rankin.

Mr. Kerr-an act erecting parts of the counties of Washington, Fayette, Westmoreland and Allegheny into a separate county, to be called Jackson county.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

Agreeably to an act of Assembly, the Electors of the state for President and Vice President of the United States, met on Wednesday last in the senate chamber of Pennsylvania. William Findlay, late Governor of the state, was appointed president of the college; and on the votes being counted, it appeared that general Jackson received the unanimous vote of the college for President Mr. Hastings-a petition from sundry citizens of this of the United States, after the 4th of March next, having commonwealth, praying for the establishment of a gene-received twenty-eight votes. J. C. Calhoun received the same number of votes for Vice President. Har Rep

Thursday, Dec. 4.

ral system of education. Referred to the committee on education.

REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE,

VOL. II.-NO. 23.

EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD.

PHILADELPHIA, DEC. 20, 1828.

HOUSE OF REFUGE.

NO. 51.

spectable position in society, how great a debt of gratitude dn you owe? Acquit yourselves of some smalt portion of it by helping your destitute fellow creatures. Think of the little neglected wanderer, abandoned to his own weakness, without parental instruction, without counsel, almost without a home, and extend to him some support, when he is in danger of falling; help to provide for him a Refuge, that the blossom of hope,' which has lived through poverty and neglected, may not be finally blasted by the impure atmosphere of a jail. You will still be debtors, largely debtors; but when you are bestowing a parent's benediction upon the tender objects of your love, the tear of thankfulness and joy that springs from a grateful heart, will not be the less sweet or pure, for a consciousness that we have done something to impart to others a portion of that comfort which is so freely given to us.

Address delivered by the Hon. John Sergeant, on Saturday, 29th November, 1828.-(Concluded from p. 351.) The unhappy beings who are thus by the nature of our institutions, and for the security of society, placed in a course of training which must inevitably lead to misery and vice, who are hurried, as it were, to maturity of wickedness, often to premature, and sometimes to infamous death, are the children of the poor. They are generally neglected and destitute, frequently without parents or friends to advise or direct them; and there are not wanting numerous instances in which abandoned parents, for their own gratification, direct their children into the paths of vice, by sending them into the streets to beg or to steal. There is, besides, a case of by no means rare occurrence, appealing, if possible, still more powerfully to our sympathy-the case of a widowed We would remind our fellow citizens, in the next mother, who sees her son rushing upon destruction, and place, that the objection to individual aid applies equalis unable by any authority she can employ, or by any in-ly to every sort of contribution, of time as well as of fluence she can exert, to reclaim him from his evil ways, money; and, indeed, to every kind of exertion. Those or arrest him in his progress to ruin. Where can she who give their labour, give that which is as substantial, But would it for a moment look for assistance or relief? If the power of the law and as valuable as money. be interposed, it sends him to jail, where he becomes be insisted, that the faculties of individuals, their time, still more degraded, and is condemned to deeper con- their exertions, and their means, are to be entirely and tamination. The true judgment of a mother's never- exclusively devoted to their own individual concerns→→ dying affection would readily assent to restraint, if acthat no effort is to be made to devise improvements, no companied with care and instruction, and freed from the contribution of time, or talent, or money, to introduce stigma and the poison of a confinement in prison. But them-that the human intellect is to be bound up in the the jail she regards as an extremity so disastrous, that narrow limits of our own personal affairs, and the feeltears and prayers, and every exertion she can employ,ings of man to be quickened by no generous sympathy are used to avert it; and when at last it comes, it is an for others? Happily, there are very few who practioverwhelming calamity. Thus is she doomed to wit- cally adopt this doctrine. In a government like ours, ness the downward course, and final ruin of her child, where the representative is chosen from amongst our without the power to save or to help him, like the poor selves, and is constantly dependent upon public opimother bird, that sees its unfledged brood, which it has nion, or support, he must be animated and sustained, in fed from its mouth, and sheltered with its wings, vio- all new undertakings of magnitude, by the expressed lently torn from the nest, and, helpless to preserve them sense of the community, and the assured co-operation of from the destroyer, can do nothing but utter a piercing his fellow citizens. His powers are limited; those of individuals are without restriction. This has been the cry of anguish and despair. history of all improvements, and this is the history of all the institutions of humanity which constitute the pride and the ornament of our city and our state. The enthusiasm of private benevolence, guided by individual intelligence, has led the way, and the Legislature has never been slow, in proper cases, to afford its aid in advancing the work. Look around you in every direction: begin at a remote period; explore the foundationr of all those establishments which Philadelphia can exhibit as "her jewels," and you will find that they were laid by the hands of individuals, and in part, or entirely built up and sustained by individual contribution. There, too, you will find, (its source hidden by time or distance,) the beginnings of the reputation of our benefactors; there you will discern the means by which the memory of the dead has come to us embalmed by their works of beneficence, still fragrant and fresh; and there too you will learn how their living followers are to make themselves worthy to be associated in the remembrance of posterity with their illustrious predecessors. What would Philadelphia have been without her institutions of humanity and charity? She would scarcely have deserved the title of a civilized or a Christian community. It may be difficult to draw with precision the line be

This is no fancy sketch; nor is it drawn from other countries, or from other times. More than one unhappy and anxious mother has already applied to the managers, and found a new hope in the prospect of a Refuge. If such be the nature of the institutions and laws, and such their inadequacy, or worse than inadequacy, in the case of juvenile delinquents-if the security of society requires, that without regard to their feebleness, their destitution, their inevitable ignorance, they should be treated as criminals, surely it is a noble charity which seeks to devise and to execute a plan for extending to them parental aid, affording them the means of instruction, and leading them into the ways of industry and innocence-which endeavours to rescue them from the effects of their unfortunate condition, ascribing, with equal justice and humanity, their errors, and even their vices and their crimes, to the want of that aid which childhood always requires.

You, whom the bounty of Providence has blessed with the means of conducting your children with every advantage, through the periods of childhood and youth, of cultivating their moral and intellectual growth, of guarding them from the approach of danger, and in due time placing them with strengthened powers in a reVOL. II.

45