RELATIVE INSTRUCTION (according to Marriage Marks) and CRIMES, in same Years as before cited, of the ten most instructed

and the ten least instructed Counties and Welsh Districts.

We have selected these twenty counties simply because they are in the two extremes as regards "instruction," omitting the medium counties as not declaring decisively either way.

The only safe conclusion from the premises is, that the marriage mark test, affecting about one and a half per cent. of the population, is not even a test of who can write their names, and still less of who are educated, or even moderately instructed; and that even if it were, it has no real relation to crimes whatever. It is, in fact, mere trifling to bestow any reliance upon it.

Density of population has, however, so general a coincidence with greater criminality, that some relation may be said to exist

between them. Thus we find the fifteen counties most promi, nent in these two features rank thus:

Thus, ten out of the number, to which asterisks are prefixed, concur in being much above the average for criminality and density of population. This fact is important, and whatever may be its cause, it indicates the direction which our philanthropic efforts should take. The cause is indeed of far less importance than the fact. It is most gratifying to us to find so able, clear-sighted, and right-hearted a person as Miss Carpenter espousing the same views we put forth in 1848, as to the means required for this great end. Her admirable work on Reformatory Schools for the dangerous and perishing classes, is seasonably timed, and will not fail to direct the attention of all wellwishers to social progress, to this most vital subject.

It is proposed by a number of gentlemen, who have paid earnest and deep attention to the condition of the "perishing and dangerous classes of children," to hold a conference as early as may be practicable, with a view to make such united efforts as may lead to an improvement in the legislative enactments for these unfortunate beings. Among the gentlemen who give their invitation to this conference, are Sheriff Watson, M. D. Hill, Esq. Q. C., Jelinger Symons, Esq., and Joseph Hubback, Esq., Secretary of the Liverpool Industrial School. As we understand that Mr. Hubback has consented to act as Honorary Secretary, any gentleman desirous of attending the conference can communicate with him.

The object of the Conference is as follows:

A consideration of the Condition and Treatment of the Perishing and Dangerous Classes of Children, and Juvenile Offenders, with a view to procuring such

legislative enactments as may produce a beneficial change on their actual condition and their prospects.

The children whose condition requires the notice of the Conference

are,

First, those who have not yet subjected themselves to the grasp
of the law, but who, by reason of the vice, neglect, or extreme
poverty of their parents, are inadmissible to the existing
School establishments, and consequently must grow up with-
out any education, almost inevitably forming part of the
perishing and dangerous classes, and ultimately becoming
criminal.

Secondly, those who are already subjecting themselves to police.
interference, by vagrancy, mendicancy, or petty infringement
of the law.

Thirdly, those who are convicted of felony, or such misdemeanor
as involves dishonesty.

The provisions to be made for these three classes are,

For the first, Free Day Schools.

For the second, Industrial Feeding Schools, with compulsory attendance.

For the third, Penal Reformatory Schools.

The legislative enactments needed to bring such Schools into operation are, for the Free Day Schools, such extension of the present government grants from the Committee of Council on Education as may secure their maintenance in an effective condition; they being, by their nature, at present excluded from aid, yet requiring it in a far higher degree than those on whom it is conferred.

For the Industrial Feeding Schools, authority to magistrates to enforce attendance at such Schools on children of the second class and to require payment to the supporters of the School for each child from the parish in which the child resides, with a power to the parish officers to recover the outlay from the parent, except in case of inability.

For the Penal Reformatory Schools, authority to magistrates (or judges) to commit Juvenile Offenders to such Schools, instead of to prison, with power of detention to the governor during the appointed period, the charge of maintenance being enforced as above.

It is in this scheme assumed that society has a right to protect itself from injury and loss, such as it at present suffers from this class of children; that the existing system does not so deter or reform as to protect society; and that EDUCATION, including both instruction and training, is the only means of effecting any material diminution of juvenile crime.

Also, that in all the schools above named, the object in view is not so much to give a certain amount of secular knowledge, or to enforce a temporary restraint, as to train up useful and

self-supporting members of society, acting on a religious principle. Hence they will be best conducted by individual bodies, carrying into effect their own religious convictions, with close and rigid inspection by the State as to their effective working.

The parent has a double duty to discharge towards his child; first, to supply him with the means of subsistence; secondly, to train him in the way he should go. It is then further assumed, that, by neglecting the second part of his responsibility, he ought not to be permitted to escape the first.

The objections usually raised to such reformatory plans are, that they "confer a premium on crime," and "interfere with the liberty of the subject;" the religious question also presents obstacles. These difficulties are all met in the preceding scheme and the principles assumed.

ART. VII.-LANDLORD AND TENANT Under the
PRESENT CRISIS.

N these momentous and progressive times, when science is making such rapid strides in agricultural improvements, it is absolutely incumbent on us, whether we possess broad acres or narrow garden strips, to co-operate in carrying out more liberal covenants either under private arrangements or public enactments, and more enlightened views respecting land culture, as it is only by an assiduous attention to this subject we can hope successfully to compete with the foreigner. Thus, agriculture, although temporarily depressed by low prices and excessive burdens, (for the burdens of land bear an unfair proportion compared with personal property and stock in trade, so much so that in the eventful session of 1846 Sir Robert Peel said, "The land is entitled to protection on account of some peculiar burdens upon it, but that is a question of justice rather than of policy; but I have always felt and maintained that the land is subject to peculiar burdens,") and aided by security for improvements in the shape of an acknowledged "tenant right," may again take its stand amongst the other arts and sciences, increasing the energies of the tenant, unshackled by the caprice of landlords, and, by employing the labourer, stopping crime and degradation, and, by increasing produce, serving the best interests of the community at large.

Although properly constructed leases and agreements vary

VOL. XV. NO. XXIX.

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according to the prevailing customs and modes of tenure in the several districts or counties, yet they ought to be clear, distinct and simple, and it becomes the duty of the landlord to let the tenant have such an equitable interest in the culture of the soil, so as to invest the capital employed beneficially for himself, and improve the landlord's interest. Two modes of letting land now principally prevail, viz. a holding for one year, extinguishable at the end of the year by a six months' notice being given by either party; and by a lease for a certain number of years mentioned in the agreement. The relative superiority of holding by lease or by a yearly tenancy has been much disputed; but we believe it is a fact that cannot be denied, that where leases for years are the prevailing mode of letting, there the best rents are paid, the land better cultivated, and the farmer reaps the most profit. A written agreement to enter into a lease when required has been held at law as good as a lease, and is generally a precursor to a lease.

The word "rent" implies the return in service, corn, cattle or money for the land demised. There are three kinds of rents: rent-service, partly in corporal service and partly in money; rentcharge, where lands are made over to another for a certain term, with a sum of money reserved as a yearly payment, and a clause of distress for non-payment charged on the land; and rent-seck, or dry rent, which has no clause of distress. The adoption of a corn rent in place of a fixed money rent takes away the only element of uncertainty which need cause any doubt to the tenant, and, owing to Free Trade principles, is likely to become more general than formerly, as it is impossible, supposing a farm to be well cultivated, that the tenant can pay the same rent when wheat is 40s. as at the time it was 60s.; and the usual way is to take the average prices of wheat and barley for three years, and for the tenant to pay a proportionate rent to the price, and as the rent would be measured, not by the average of one year, but three years, the tenant would never have to pay a large increase of rent in one year, as the presumption is, in the course of three years there would be both abundant and deficient harvests.

of

With regard to Ireland, we are told that a new and remarkable law is necessary; that the contract between the possessor the land and him who desires to have it for the purposes of tillage requires to be taken out of the common order of contracts; and that a supervising power to regulate the terms of the bargain between the two parties must be appointed by the state.

Admitting that there are cases which justified legislative interference with the free-will of contracting parties, two assertions demand remark. The Irish tenants are miserable, and demand