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fast his integrity, and steadily pursued the path of honour and consistency. During a long series of years his health was extremely delicate, and he withdrew from society to the retirement of his happy home, where he cultivated and enjoyed all the domestic charities. With a keen relish for every thing fair, felicitous and good, and animated by a most thankful and cheerful spirit, he lived a happy life, notwithstanding the many cares and anxieties by which he was visited. In simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world; and they who knew him best, respected and esteemed him most. He lived to see his children and his children's children filling, and preparing to fill, stations of usefulness and honour in the world, and he was happy in witnessing their success and happiHis last days were days of per

ness.

fect tranquillity, comfort and hope. Nothing could exceed the composure, serenity and cheerfulness with which he contemplated the approach of death, nor the placid and pious joy with which "he fell asleep." His trust in God and his faith in Christ were strong and unwavering; and of none more truly than of him might it be said, "See in what peace a Christian can die!"

1846. Jan. 17, in his 57th year, at his residence, Mont-le-Grand, near Exeter, after a short illness, Captain GILBERT WAKEFIELD, son of the Rev. Gilbert Wakefield, B. A., late of Her Majesty's 36th Foot. He served with his regiment through a great part of the Peninsular war, and was present in every action in which it was engaged, from the siege of Burgos to the battle of Toulouse.

MARRIAGES.

1845. Nov. 30, at the Old chapel, Ipswich, by Rev. T. F. Thomas, Mr. JONAS HART to ELIZA HAGGAR.

Nov. 30, at the Old chapel, Ipswich, by Rev. T. F. Thomas, Mr. WILLIAM GREEN to EMMA ELIZABETH MURRAY.

Dec. 26, at the Scotch Presbyterian church, Birmingham, by Rev. J. H. Ryland, of Bradford, Yorkshire, Mr. JAMES LINDSAY, of London, to ANN

DOMESTIC.

BURREL, daughter of William JACKSON, Esq., of Smethwick.

1846. Jan. 1, at the Unitarian cha. pel, Taunton, by Rev. R. M. Montgomery, Rev. W. A. JONES, M.A., of Northampton, to MARGARET, second daughter of the late Rev. W. BLAKE, of Crewkerne, Somerset.

Jan. 7, at the parish church, Wakefield, Mr. A. B. A. ELLIS to MARGARET, youngest daughter of the Rev. Thomas JOHNSTONE, both of Wakefield.

INTELLIGENCE.

Reformation of Juvenile Criminals. Ever since the town of Birmingham, some six or seven years since, received its Charter of Incorporation, the attention of the learned person who fills the high and responsible office of Recorder to the borough seems to have been called to the feasibility of plans for the reformation of juvenile offenders. To profound legal knowledge and acumen, Mr. Hill unites sound judgment and a heart throbbing in unison with the best impulses of humanity. Perhaps no situation is more trying to a feeling and conscientious man, than that where he is

compelled, by the duties of office and those he owes to society, to inflict heavy punishment on persons who, by the force of circumstances, have been almost irresistibly hurried on in a course of depravity, and thus have rendered themselves amenable to human laws and penalties. How many are brought to the bar of justice, whose guilt, though great, is scarcely chargeable on themselves-who, homeless, friendless, ignorant of all that is good, having no means of distinguishing right from wrong, are doomed to expiate their offences by imprisonment, which in almost every case deteriorates the character-by transportation, which appears to consign to irremediable

degradation and to life-long infamy! And then, again, there is the young, the very young offender, often comparatively innocent and pure-often the mere tool of older, more practised and quite hardened villains: if such can be reformed, how great the gain to society and to themselves! The estimable individual alluded to has for the last four years or more endeavoured, when circumstances appeared at all to justify a departure from the rigid demands of justice, to save juvenile convicts from the contaminations of a jail, by dismissing them with a nominal punishment, on the express condition that the former masters or mistresses be willing to take such back to their employ-a system of inspection being adopted and regularly carried out, so that the results might periodically come under his notice. From time to time, Mr. Hill has made known to his fellow-townsmen what these results have been. Such a disclosure took place at a meeting on Friday evening, the 8th instant; and a brief account of the proceedings may not be unacceptable to your readers.

This meeting was the second of the kind. The writer of this article had the privilege of attending, the previous one having been held two years back. It was a tea-party, held in the large room of Dee's Royal Hotel, and nearly three hundred persons must have been present. The former meeting was described as one "of a very novel kind; for around the well-spread tables, over which the worthy Mayor presided, were placed not only Christian and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Churchman and Dissenter, Tory, Whig and Radical, intermingled with many of the gentler sex, but also the functionaries of the law of nearly every kind-the judge and the reformed criminal-he who resolutely but mercifully administered the law, and some of those who had fallen under his judicial censure. To the eye of benevolence, the sight was as beautiful as it was entirely new. The proceed ings of the evening bore some resemblance to the justly-celebrated piece in the Evenings at Home- Difference and Agreement; or, Sunday Morning:' Here, said Mr. Ambrose, is a thing in which mankind were made to agree.' In the leading particulars, the preceding account will serve for what took place on the second evening. More persons, however, were present, and some of them of higher rank-as a Peer of the Realm and the two Mem

bers for the Borough were among the company. The Mayor (H. Smith, Esq., a leading Unitarian) presided, and made some admirable remarks in introducing the Recorder, who sat at his right hand, to the meeting. That learned gentleman then entered into a most interest

ing statement of what had been effected in the way of reforming young persons who had not been previously convicted, for the last four years. It is important to keep the fact in view, that his plan goes not beyond a first conviction; for, he said, it was his almost invariable rule to visit a second offence with transportation. It appeared that during the time mentioned, seventy-eight young persons had been sentenced to nominal punishment and given up to their former employers. As far as was practicable, they were visited once a quarter, but at uncertain times: the result, in figures, was, that thirty-four had manifested good conduct, and might be fairly considered reformed; eight had left the town, but nothing shewed that they had gone away in a disgraceful manner; fifteen were nowhere to be found, of which it was to be feared some had relapsed; eight cases were yet doubtful; and nine had been re-convicted, and consequently transported. Of the seventy-eight thus dealt with, thirty-six were entirely and most deplorably ignorant; thirty-eight could read and write very imperfectly, and were not at all, intellectually, better than the others; the other four had received a tolerably good education, and of these last one had been re-convicted. The experiment, though not quite successful, was every way encouraging, and gave a stimulus to further exertions. A large debt of gratitude was due to the masters; for had they not consented to help him, the whole must have failed. Many of them were in the room, but, as on a former occasion, their names would not be mentioned. He was most glad that the former proceedings had gone abroad; for attention had been excited to the object, and the plan was, to some extent, pursued elsewhere. His friend, the Assistant Judge of Middlesex, had, however, found that in the Metropolitan county little could, in this way, be effected. In the short space of eighteen months, two hundred and seventy boys, from the ages of nine to fourteen, had been convicted: of these, only four or five could be returned to their employers. The great majority had no masters, no friends, no home - were

alone in the world. One boy, of thirteen, had been transported, because it was found nothing else could be done for him. A great change had taken place in the public mind respecting the object and mode of punishment. The lex talionis was now nearly given up, and scarcely less so, that punishment must be entirely exemplary-that the reformation of the offender was not worthy regard. He mentioned the fact that Captain O'Connochy, the late Superintendent of Norfolk Island, was in the room, and would doubtless give the result of his experience: that was, that very much of our criminal jurisprudence was wrong, particularly time sentences, which should be converted into labour sentences, A certain portion of labour should be demanded from the criminal, and when this was well done, his sentence should expire. The enlightened Archbishop of Dublin had long most strenuously advocated this change. Mr. Hill then mentioned some important agencies at work in this town, particularly as regards schools for the very poorest and most ignorant, and concluded by admonishing his audience of the necessity of all doing what they could to make criminal jurisprudence analogous to the plan and workings of Divine Providence, so that public justice might be one of the Christian agencies of the land.

A vote of thanks and confidence to the Recorder was then proposed by Lord Calthorpe, and seconded with much force by R. Spooner, Esq., M. P. for the borough; but before it was put from the chair, Captain O'Connochy was introduced to the meeting, and received with much applause. The Captain is a very gentleman-like person, with a highly intellectual and benevolent cast of countenance, his age apparently fifty-five; he apologized for appearing at all, as he was not accustomed to harangue a large audience. His remarks were evidently the dictates of long experience, acting under the influence of a sound mind and Christian feelings. He said that there had been two very opposite opinions entertained, and by men of distinguished reputation on each side, of the end of punishment. One party had strenuously asserted that punishment should be wholly exemplary. The criminal's feelings were not to be regarded; his interests must merge in those of society; the offending few must be sacrificed to the innocent many. On the other hand, it was said

that reformation should be the sole object of human punishment, and that every thing should be done for this purpose alone. There was truth in both views, and they might be made to coalesce; but, singly, neither could be carried out. Crime must involve suffering; it was the order of God's providence; but we might change the expression, might call punishment discipline, and then so far the end would be

accomplished. The criminal should be placed so as to be in a condition of bettering himself. He strongly advocated, from theory and experience, the plan of making the offender work out his own redemption. Wages were the great stimulant to human exertion. Now, a man had no motive to work. Pay him for his labour, deduct the expense of his food and clothes, and then let the rest run up for his benefit, and a reformation would ere long be effected; he would come out an altered, a new man. He had been engaged in the very worst of the penal settlements for four years; his system had not yet been fairly worked; still good had already come of it, and much more if it could be put fully into operation. But transportation itself was a horrible punishment; he who was not thoroughly depraved when he came to the colony, was sure by taunts to be made so before long. He could almost weep tears of blood when he reflected on the scenes he had witnessed. Things were not so bad now as at first, but there was yet very much to amend. Thus, at one time, there was but one clergyman in the settlement; and a peel of bells having been sent to the colony, by the late Mr. Wilberforce, no one knew what to do with them, till first a steeple was built to receive them, and then, after a long interval, a church. Eight years ago, not a single clergyman was on Norfolk Island, though now there are several; but till you made the convict better in point of outward condition, religious instruction did him little good, perhaps none. The present system en. couraged idleness, skulking, even mutilation of the fingers, to avoid labour. Punishments also were dreadful. It had been the custom, in order to strike terror, to convey the criminal at once from the dock to the gallows; no interval was allowed. Some years since, a clergyman was sent from the mother colony to Norfolk Island, to prepare a number of men for death who had been condemned for mutiny. Twenty

seven had received this sentence, of whom thirteen were left for execution, the remaining fourteen being reprieved: when the several parties' fate was announced to them, those condemned to die rejoiced at the prospect; the respited men mourned that they were not to suffer like their companions. The recital of this fact appeared to thrill the assembly with horror.

Much more and well was said by the gallant Captain and others; but as I am not giving a formal report of the meeting, the preceding sketch may be deemed sufficient. Those present must have felt that deep gratitude is due to him who has thus aimed, and with so large a measure of success, to satisfy the claims both of justice and humanity, and who has brought to his task wisdom and benevolence in no ordinary degree. May society recognize the great principle, that none of its members can suffer without involving the suffering of the whole; that compassion is due to the most abandoned; and that it is the duty of every individual to aim at preventing crime by spreading knowledge and virtue, and by the unvaried practice of forbearance and love!

T. B. B.

Unitarian Chapel, Gloucester. This chapel is one of the oldest Nonconformist edifices in the kingdom, having been erected some time before the passing of the religious Toleration Act. It can easily be supposed, therefore, that time had made some ravages in this sanctuary of religious freedom at the period when the litigation in Lady Hewley's case rendered the tenure of its occupants precarious, and thus prevented them from entering upon a course of extensive repairs and improvements which they desired to effect. Happily, the passing of the Dissenters' Chapels Bill relieved the Unitarians of Gloucester from the fear that their time-honoured chapel could be wrested from them, and they accordingly commenced with much spirit the renovations they had long designed, and which they have completed in a style of neatness and beauty which does as much honour to their taste as to their liberality. Notwithstanding, however, the generosity with which many of the congregation stepped forward, the building fund shewed an excess of expenditure beyond the subscriptions; to reduce which, the Rev. W. James, of Bristol, consented to preach two sermons here on Sunday, Jan. 11, with the view

of promoting a collection towards liquidating the balance, and also of taking advantage of the opportunity to advocate and explain the cause of Unitarian Christianity before such members of other Christian denominations as might be induced to attend.

In his morning discourse, the Rev. gentleman paid a warm and eloquent tribute of respect to the memory of the Rev. Robert Aspland; and in the evening, Mr. James took for his subject, "The Unitarian Doctrine briefly stated, and proved to be in Harmony with the Life and Teachings of Jesus." We have seldom heard a discourse distinguished by more powerful and at the same time persuasive reasoning, more earnest and uncompromising in principle, and giving so little cause for offence to any.

In

On the Tuesday following, one of those most pleasing social gatherings, a Teameeting, was held in the chapel. Upon this occasion the Gloucester brethren were favoured with the company of the Rev. William James, of Bristol; the Rev. Henry Solly, of Shepton Mallet; and about thirty friends from Cheltenham. The tables were laid in the chapel school-room, which was very pleasingly ornamented with festoons of evergreens, flowers, &c., and with the portraits of several Nonconformist divines. this work of arrangement, the willing, diligent and tasteful hands of the ladies were exerted with the best effect; and their kind offices were not lost on other senses than the eye, for most satisfactory provision was made to gratify the more substantial appetites of the company, and the ladies presided over the teatables in a manner with which every guest had good reason to be pleased. After tea, the Rev. Dr. Davies, the muchrespected minister of the chapel, on being voted into the chair, expressed the great gratification he felt at this their first congregational social meeting, and then proceeded to give out different sentiments which were responded to by gentlemen present.

Presbyterian Chapel, Dukinfield.

The annual Christmas party of the congregation assembling at the above place, was held on Friday evening, Jan. 2nd, in the school-room connected with the chapel,-Samuel Robinson, Esq., in the chair. The meeting commenced at five o'clock, when about 400 persons sat down to a comfortable meal. After about an hour, the business commenced by Mr.

Robinson's being called to the chair and summoning around him the ministers who were present. Among these we observed the Revds. James Brooks, of Hyde; Dr. Beard, of Manchester; Henry Green, of Knutsford; T. E. Poynting, of Manchester, &c. The Rev. R. B. Aspland, the minister of the place, was unavoidably absent in consequence of the lamented death of his father.

The choir, who in the course of the evening added much to the pleasure of the meeting, having sung "God save the Queen," Mr. Robinson apologized for his position in the meeting, which, as a congregational meeting, had always hitherto been presided over by their respected minister. But a melancholy event had suddenly called him from among them, and though he (Mr. R.), when called upon to take the chair, had felt it impossible to refuse, yet he trusted that the meeting would excuse his deficiencies. The loss which their minister had suffered, had been a loss to them also, and to the whole Unitarian body. They had in that room had the pleasure of meeting the Rev. Robert Aspland; and knowing, as they did, the great talents and worth of that gentleman, they most heartily sympathized with his son in his sorrow. He begged to wish all the company a happy new year, and concluded by introducing to the meeting Dr. Beard, who would speak a few words on Christian Unity.

It was

Dr. Beard began by enforcing, from the general condition of society, and in particular from the disgraceful scenes which in his walk from Manchester he had that day witnessed, the necessity of Christian unity in the execution of benevolent and philanthropic designs. But what was the true basis on which Christian union could be formed? not an uniformity of religious faith, for if any twelve honest men had the same evidence placed before them, he be lieved that no two of them would decide alike on such intricate questions as form the staple of every creed. An attempt was now being made by the Evangelical party among the Church and the Orthodox Dissenters-a party always noted for intolerance and bigotry-to effect an alliance between certain Christian bodies. The qualification for membership in this alliance was belief in eight articles of faith, which Dr. B. read to the meeting, and which comprise, the inspiration and sufficiency of Scripture, the doctrine of the Trinity, of the utter depravity of human nature, of justification by faith alone, &c. He then pointed out the inconsistency of establishing first

the sufficiency of Scripture, and then, in direct contradiction of this article of the creed, superadding so many supplementary interpretations of Scripture, clearly shewing that the promoters of the Evangelical Alliance required Christians, before they could become members, not only to recognize the sufficiency of the Scripture as a rule of faith, but to read the Bible with their eyes. And even these narrowing propositions were wholly inefficacious to any one who really understood the state of the case. In how many different ways might not the doctrine of the Trinity be expounded and believed! And to decide fully on the question, it would be necessary to spend each man a life-time for himself, in the study of the subtle controversies on these points, which from the first ages of the Church had agitated the Christian world. The Evangelical Alli

ance

was attempting to establish its Christian union on an unscriptural basis. The foundation on which he (Dr. B.) would propose to establish it, he obtained from the Scriptures. It was "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Such an union could not be otherwise than for the best interests of mankind. It would promote, not check, the progress of free inquiry, and would be far more efficacious than any other in rousing and sustaining feelings of piety towards God and good-will towards man. Dr. Beard concluded by shewing the desirableness and necessity of such a union of Christians, as well as some means by which it might be promoted.

Interesting addresses followed from Rev. James Brooks and others.

Meeting of Parliament.

In our last No. we hopefully ventured on the prophecy, that "we are on the eve of achieving a system of perfect commercial freedom." The Queen's Speech, and the masterly exposition of his opinions by her Prime Minister, have shewn that the prophecy is likely to receive immediate fulfilment. We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of preserving in our pages the concluding paragraph of the Royal Speech,-a document worthy of the Noble Lady who presides over these kingdoms. Her Majesty, we are assured by an eye-witness, delivered to her assembled Parliament this important Speech with a dignity and emphasis that did credit to her head and heart:

"It is my earnest prayer that, with the blessing of Divine Providence on

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