STATE PAPERS. 



567 



committee prefer that delivered in 

 by Mr. Bevans, which seems to 

 them to unite nearly all the dif- 

 ferent arrangements which have 

 been generally approved, and 

 which combines these advantages 

 with the strictest economy. The 

 whole cost for the construction of 

 a building capable of containing 

 400 boys will amount at furthest 

 to 24,000/. which sum they cannot 

 help contrasting with the expense 

 of erecting a penitentiary at Mil- 

 bank, which is estimated to cost 

 350,000/ and which is only in- 

 tended to contain 800 persons of 

 botii sexes. 



Your committee have examined 

 much evidence as to the general 

 management of the various peni- 

 tentiary establishments supported 

 by private benevolence which exist 

 in the metropolis. They refer 

 generally to the testimony of those 

 best qualified to give the most cor- 

 rect information as to tliese places ; 

 and the concurrent opinion of all 

 is favourable to measures such as 

 they think it their duty to recom- 

 mend. The Refuge for the Desti- 

 tute, and the Philanthropic, have 

 fully answered the views of their 

 charitable founders and benefac- 

 tors. They have redeemed hun- 

 dreds from the ruin and misery 

 into which they were plunged ; 

 and it is with peculiar satisfaction 

 your committee have learnt, that 

 the only check to the further pro- 

 gress of this great work is to be 

 found in the deficiency of the funds 

 at present appropriated for that 

 purjjose. That deficiency it is the 

 object of your committee to sup- 

 ply ; and they feel convinced that 

 the government cannot more eco- 

 nomically employ the funds of the 



public, than in the construction of 

 places of penitential y confinement 



Your committee liave inquired 

 into the expenses of the mainte- 

 nance of the persons in the differ- 

 ent penitentiary establishments, as 

 well as the number of individuals 

 they are calculated to hold : with 

 the exception of that at Milbank, 

 they are all supported by volun- 

 tary contributions. 



The Refuge for the Destitute, on 

 t-he 14th of May last, contained 

 40 males, and 60 females. The 

 former cost annually for food and 

 clothing Tdl. I's. and the latter 

 28/. Il5. ; the difference arises 

 from a greater allowance of food 

 being given to the females, who 

 woik extra hours. The success 

 of this society has been considera- 

 ble ; and it has been found that 

 about two-thirds of the persons 

 confined and employed there have 

 been reformed, and returned to 

 habits of industry. 



Your committee have also learnt 

 that the applications from persons 

 of both sexes to enter into this 

 establishment are most numerous, 

 both from the criminal as well as 

 the destitute poor ; and that if 

 the funds of the institution were 

 greater, a much larger proportion 

 of those persons would be received. 



The Philanthropic Society con- 

 tains at present 41 girls and 160 

 boys, the children of convicts, and 

 those who are convicts thenij^elves : 

 the expense per head, dividing the 

 cost of the whole establishment by 

 the number of persons, is about 

 3.5/. per annum. But your com- 

 mittee observe, that the appren- 

 tices to the number of 60 maintain 

 themselves, having earned near 

 2,0001. last year, the principal ex- 

 penses 



