84 Me. G. Andeeson on the Education of the Working Classes, 



In New York City, in 1850., children five to fifteen, 90,145 

 At school, all ages, 102,974 



In Great Britain, 1851, chUdren five to fifteen, . 4,694,583 

 At school, aU ages, 2,492,841 



Bad as the state of matters is thus shown to be, there is great room for 

 doubt whether or not any amelioration is taking place — whether the 

 education of this country is advancing in even as high a ratio as the 

 population. 



CO'XECTION BETWEEN IgNOEANCE AiTD CrIHE. 



The intimate connection between ignorance and crime is a fact almost 

 too patent to require proof. Any amount of evidence might be brought 

 forward, but one or two statements on that point may be sufficient. 



Mr. Clay, the chaplain of the Preston House of Correction, says, 

 that one in fourteen of the whole male working-class population 

 comes annually within the grasp of the law, and that of all who are 

 imprisoned in Lancashire, only 2 per cent, can read and write properly. 



Out of the prisoners sent to the Preston estabhshment, he further 

 says, that " 72 per cent, (nearly three-fourths) are in a state of such 

 utter debasement that it is in vain to attempt to give them instruction, 

 as they could not understand even the words used in doing it." In 

 1853-54, he had 16,500 male prisoners, and of these 9,641, nearly 

 60 per cent., could neither read nor write at all. 



Captain Willis, of ^Manchester Jail, says, that out of 8,294 prisoners 

 32 per cent, could neither read nor write. 



Captain Greig, of Liverpool, states, that out of 25,111, only 2 per 

 cent, could read and write well, while 50 per cent, could do neither 

 at aU. 



The criminal statistics for 1854 give an increase of 9 per cent, on 

 the committals of the previous year ; and on the subject of instruction 

 the following is the result : — 



Criminals of superior education, . . .2 per cent. 



Could read and write well, . . . .4 — 



Total educated, 



Could read and write imperfectly, 

 " read only, 

 " neither read nor write, 



who have little or no instruction. 



. 6 — 



. 37 — 

 . 20 — 



. 37 — 



Giving 94 per cent. 



From the United States we have similar reports. Out of 28,000 

 criminals, only 128 had got a common school education ; and out of 



