TRANSACTIONS OF THK SECTIONS. 129 



He could not predicate more of them than he could of himself. But all had at least 

 been kept long enough away from Cheltenham to break the course of education which 

 had been handed down from boy to boy. Of fifteen who had left the school, six were 

 doing well, one had fallen, but was still hopeful, three unsatisfactory, but never con- 

 victed, four had been convicted, and one had not been heard of lately. The other 

 twenty-four were still either in his (the Hardwicke) school or in others, where situa- 

 tions would probably be found for them that would keep most of them away from 

 Cheltenham. He was by no means one of those who abused the prison system. In 

 many points it was admirable ; but it certainly had the grand failing, that after a boy 

 or man had undergone his punishment he was returned to the world with very little 

 capability of earning an honest livelihood, or doing anything but steal again. Now, 

 he thought they might say, — 1st, that they had been able at Hardwicke to receive 

 for two years all regular thieves, and to break off the connexion between them and 

 the innocent ; 2ndly, that they had wiped off from themselves the reproach of com- 

 mitting boys to prison, and then turning them out without enabling them, if they 

 pleased, to live honestly ; Srdly, that they had reduced the degree of evil necessary 

 to confer the title of regular thief as low as they could well hope, there being now no 

 such thing as a gang, or connexion between the dishonest boys, but all being merely 

 boys yielding to a sudden temptation, — not premeditately planning a theft. 



The two other points he would touch upon very briefly. When a boy was once 

 committed to the school for two years, he believed it was by no means intended by the 

 Legislature that he should necessarily remain the whole of those two years at the 

 school. It was extremely undesirable that he should do so, because it would then be 

 difficult to find a place for him exactly at the moment that his sentence chanced to 

 expire. Power had been given to the Secretary of State to release a boy at any time 

 upon good grounds shown for it ; he always appeared willing to exercise this power. 

 But if he could go further, and, without granting a pardon, he could allow a boy leave 

 to go on trial for a time, it would enable the managers, if the boy behaved ill or did 

 not suit his place, to receive him back again, and at any rate to keep a more thorough 

 surveillance over him for the first part of his new service. 



The third point was the allowing a parent or guardian, where good proof of respect- 

 ability could be shown, and in such cases as in the opinion of the committing magis- 

 trates and manager of the school should be desirable, to bail a boy out from the school, 

 on finding security for his good behaviour for a time longer than the expiration of the 

 sentence. Mr. Baker then concluded by recapitulating the three points : — First, the 

 giving attention to clearing a district* ; second, the giving leave on trial; third, the 

 permitting hail. 



Statistics of Cheltenham. By Richard Beamish, F.R.S. 



This paper gives a short account of the early history of Cheltenham, its connexion 

 with the Crown, and grant to the celebrated Bohun, Earl of Hereford, its present 

 government under commissioners, and its rapid increase in population from 3076 in 

 1801 to 35,051 in 1851, being greater than that of any town in England, with the ex- 

 ception of Lemington Priors, which in 1801 numbered but 315 inhabitants, and in 1851 

 15,724; Cheltenham having increased 1039-5 per cent, in 50 years, while Leming- 

 ton in the same time increased 4891 '74 per cent. 



The paper further shows the salubrity of the climate of Cheltenham in the longevity 

 of its inhabitants, and its immunity from epidemic diseases, cholera never having 

 visited the town, which is attributed to the high range and great equality of tempera- 



* The Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions at Midsummer ventured on what will probably be 

 a most important step in recommending to the magistrates of the county, as a general rule, 

 {not without exception nor interfering with the due discretion of the magistrates) to send all 

 boys on a first conviction to gaol for one week (thus securing the lowest diet, and not giving 

 them time to overcome their dislike to a prison). If they are convicted a second time, to 

 send them to the Reformatory. If they relapse after this, they fairly merit penal servitude. 



If this be feasible, as it probably now is in Gloucestershire and will be in all counties when 

 they have had sufificient time, three important points will be gained. 1st. There will rarely 

 be any boys in our gaols. 2nd. No boys can become habituated to gaol. 3rd. Unless the 

 police are very careless, no boys can obtain sufficient practice in crime to enable them to 

 teach others. 



1856. 9 



