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The Convocation of the Prelates and Clergy of the Province of York met on Wednesday ; but met only to be dismissed. Canon Trevor handed in a paper—the contents of which are not described.
• On Monday, Mr. Edward Riley Langworthy, proposed by Mr. J. A. Turner, and seconded by Alderman Higgins, was duly elected Member for Salford, in the room of the late Mr. B'rotherton. As had been anticipated, there was no opposition.
The Birmingham Association for the Removal of Obstacles to Education called a meeting last week to consider the case of vagrant children, and the best means for insuring them some kind of industrial and school 'training. The meeting was held at Dee's Hotel; Lord Calthorpe preaided ; Mr. Alfred Will and Sir Stafford Northcote attended to explain the measures they propose ; and Mr. Adderley, Mr. Muntz, the Reverend Granthrun Yorke, and the Reverend Mr. Miller, formed part of an influential audience. It appears from a report of the proceedings, that the subject has previously occupied the attention of the Association ; and that, at a former meeting, Dr. Guthrie of Edinburgh had called attention to "Dunlop's Act" as applicable to the case. Mr. Dunlop's net has been tried, and found to work pretty well in Scotland. Sir Stafford Northcote has drawn the heads of a bill, and, under the direction of the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Amendment Society, a bill has also been drawn by Mr. Alfred Hill and Mr. Montague Ainslie. These were now submitted for consideration. Mr. Hill explained that Mr. Ainslie, Sir Stafford, and himself, concurred in their views; and those -views were embodied in a bill.
"The provisions of the bill are shortly these. Industrial Schools and District Union Schools might, after inspection by the School Inspector, be certified by the Secretary of State as schools to which children might be sent under the act. Any child found begging, committing acts of vagrancy, wandering about without a home, or allowed habitually to frequent the streets, uncared for, 8rc., might be arrested by the Police, and brought before a Magistrate, who might authorize the child's detention in the Workhouse or other place not a prison, while inquiries were made ; and (due notice having been given to the parents and the Guardians of the Union in which the child was found) any two Magistrates, or one Stipendiary, might order security, not less than 11. or more than 51. if offered by the parent, or not more than 11. if offered by the Guardians, and if no sufficient security were offered, or if it were offered by the Guardians, and the Magistrates were of opinion that the child's up-bringing would not be likely to be attained if the security were accepted, they might order him to be sent to a certified school for such period as they thought necessary for his proper training ; provided he should not be detained against his will after fifteen years old, and that he might be discharged on security being found, or upon a proper occupation and livelihood being provided for him. For the maintenance of the child, the Magistrates were to be empowered to order a weekly payment to be made from the common fund of the union in which he was found, these children being a sort of casual poor, who are now chargeable in the first instance, to this fund ; the burden, however, to be shifted to the pariah of the child's settlement, if found. The Magistrates were also empowered to order the child's parents, if able, to reimburse the union or parish. To meet the religious difficulty, parents were to be empowered, under necessary
restrictions, to select the particular Industrial School to which their children should be sent. Children absconding from school were to be punished by imprisonment, or being sent to a Reformatory School. Persons encouraging children to abscond, or harbouring them, were to be liable to penalties. These are substantially the provisions of the Scotch Acts. Some minor pro visions have been introduced, suggested partly by the experience of the working of the law in Scotland, viz, that very depraved children may be sent to Reformatories instead of to Industrial Schools, to be, however, main
tained from the same sources as if they had been sent to Industrial Schools ; that Boards of Guardians may voluntarily contract with Industrial Schools for the maintenance of poor children ; that the managers of Industrial Schools may permit children, if they think it expedient, to sleep at their parents' abode, or at that of any other proper person' and that, at the instance of their parents, unmanageable children who are likely to fall into evil courses may be sent to school and detained there, provided the parents pay at least 2s. per week ; and that the Lords of the Treasury may pay to theschools 50s. a year per child." A sub-committee was appointed, with instructions to combine the views of the Sectional Committee of the Association, Sir Stafford North
cote, and the Law Amendment Society, and to render assistance in prcmoting a bill thus formed, by deputation to the Premier, conferring with Members of both Houses of Parliament, and by generally circulating information on the subject.
At the annual meeting of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, on Monday, Mr. Bouch, for Mr. Booker, long a resident in Demerara, stated to the Chamber the views of that gentleman on the growth of cotton. Upwards of 400 cotton estates have been abandoned in the colony, not because cotton-cultivation does not pay, but because there is no labour to cultivate the crop. If in work, those estates would produce 150,000 bales per annum ; and there is besides in Demerara virgin land sufficient to supply our entire demand. On the motion of Mr. Bouch, it was resolved, that the Chamber is prepared to support any measure which shall appear calculated to remove the obstacles to the introduction of free labour in our colonies, and which shall protect the free labourers who may be introduced.
The Tyne shipowners have resolved to reduce the wages of their seamen at the end of one month, owing to the depressed state of the coaltrade.
The Board of Trade ordered an inquiry to be held before two Magistrates at Southampton into tho cause of the wreck of the Tyne. Their report throws the blame on Mr. Yeller, the master of the vessel. " After a most careful and anxious investigation, we cannot arrive at any other opinion than that the ship was lost by the wrongful act and default of Captain Yeller, in consequence of the lead not being constantly hove on approaching the land, and in accordance with the Company's instructions, and the captain not making due allowance for the wind and strong ebb-tide that was runnieg from the time he passed Portland, and the total absence of those precautions necessary to insure the safety of a large ship within so short a distance of the land." In consequence of this report, the Board of Trade have ordered that Mr. Yaller's certificate shall be suspended for twelve months.
Peter Campbell, second mate of the American ship Tames L. Bogart, has been committed by the Liverpool Magistrates for shooting at a Coloured seaman on board his ship. There have been desperate struggles between the officers and crow of this vessel.
The other evening, about four miles from Bath, four ruffians stopped the chaise of Mr. Dymock, a surgeon, beat Mr. and Mrs. Mymock with bludgeons most cruelly, and got clear off with money and valuables to the amount of 100/. The lives of the sufferers have been endangered, and it is supposed that the ruffians intended to kill them, had not the sound of an approaching carriage soared them away.
Plymouth and the vicinity are a prey to burglars, who carry on their operations without any effectual check from the police.
Two farm-labourers near Chatham have been suffocated by the use of' Joyce's portable stove and fuel to warm the room in which they slept—the place was filled with carbonic acid gas.
The parish-church of Wallasey, near Birkenhead, was burnt down very early on Sunday morning ; apparently from tires lighted on Saturday night to warm the building for the Sunday morning service. The tower was built in 1530; the body of the church was much more modern.
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