r.i.iM'. rnrr.vTiMX OF THK. 



IJI.I.M'. I.I M CATION OF TIIK. 



Ill 



bout ten only have not been answered ; th pupils, wit 

 ttooi. pom en good morel ciureoten for steadiness, diligence, nd 

 in principle ; forth* miwt |Kut these return* are attested liy the 

 inini.-t.-r of the pariah. M..-I of tli.-m retain, to a greater or ln 

 degree, their power of reading, though many of them are greatly in 

 want of books. Few are able, even witli the utmost exertion to 

 maintain themselves hilly ; but nuwt of them are doing wh.it they can, 

 and only twelre receive parochial relief. Those able to do iu".t 

 - their .up|>oi t are workers nt baskets and mats. I nit tin- greatest 

 difficulty prevail- in finding eiiiploymeiit for the musical pupils, many 

 >'f whom h iving IK-CM educated for musicians, are unfitted for work of 

 any other kind, and <.peml nnwt of their time in idleness. The 

 importance of the in.luxtri.il work taught in the school is thus clearly 

 established. 



The Hospit.il and School for the Indigent Bliud of Norwich was 

 originally established in the year 1805, first for that city, and sub- 

 sequently (as the condition of receiving a donation) for the county of 

 Norfolk alao ; but its doom have been opened to other parts of tin- 

 kingdom since the year 1819. The Mind in the more elevated sphere 

 of society appear not (infrequently to have been the first benefactors of 

 their more indigent brethren. Mr. Tawell, a blind gentleman residing 

 in Norwich, first called the attention of that city and its neighbourhood 

 to the wants of the blind, and with a munificence commensurate with 

 his zeal, he purchased " a large and commodious house, with an 

 adjoining garden of three acres in extent." which he offered as the 

 basis of the institution. The plan of the Norwich Asylum was to 

 unite a school for the young with an hospital for the aged. It 

 designed to admit the young pupils at the age of twelve years, and to 

 keep them in the school till they should have attained a sufficient 

 knowledge of some trade, an far as this could be accomplished within 

 three years, but under no consideration to keep them longer than that 

 time: some however have been kept longer. With respect to the 

 aged, the rules express that none shall be admitted who have not 

 attained the age of sixty-five years. It appears from the account of 

 the institution published up to the end of 1833, that from the estab- 

 lishment of the institution to that date, 153 pupils had been admitted 

 and 48 aged persons : 77 had been discharged qualified to work for 

 themselves; 12 had proved incapable of instruction; 4 had left the 

 asylum without leave, 13 had been discharged for irregularity, and 16 

 at their own request ; 43 had died, and 36 remained on the books. The 

 expenses seem to hare averaged about HOW. per annum, and the 

 income about equalled the expenditure. (We can give no more recent 

 account of the Norwich school, as no answer has been received to our 

 inquiries.) 



The Asylum for the Blind at Glasgow is pre-eminently a manufac- 

 turing establishment, although much attention is also given to the 

 religious and secular education of its inmates. It was founded by 

 John Leitch, Esq., of Glasgow, who was himself partially blind ; he 

 bequeathed 50002. towards opening and maintaining the institution. 

 Since the opening of the asylum in 1828 to the commencement of the 

 present year (1859) 334 blind persons have been admitted; of this 

 number 103 are now in the establishment. The manufactures carried 

 on are of sacks and sacking, twine, baskets, mats, mattresses, and 

 knitting. The sales in 1858 produced 69601., which was about 6701. 

 less than the previous year, and the value of the manufactured 

 materials on hand was 2024/. The revenue is chiefly derived from the 

 ales, and in this respect the Glasgow asylum differs from every other 

 in the kingdom. It solicits no annual subscriptions, but Mfmdl 

 entirely for its support upon donations and legacies ; this source is 

 precarious, and sometimes, as during the past year, a deficit occurs. 

 By the system pursued in this asylum the blind are placed, as nearly 

 as circumstances allow, on a level with other workmen. Many of the 

 adulU reside with their families in the city, and go to their labour at 

 the asylum like other artimnx. The superintendent purchases the raw 

 materials for the manufactures, and keeps an account of the work each 

 person performs, from which a statement of their earnings is made, and 

 they are paid every Saturday. The male adults are allowed the same 

 rate that other workmen have for the same kinds of work ; if a man 

 can make five or six shillings a week, he receives that sum for his 

 weekly wages. At the end of every four weeks a statement of his 

 earnings is made up from the work-book, and whatever he has earned 

 over that sum is paid to him, and also an additional shilling a week 

 a* a premium u]ni his industry. If the amount which he ought to 

 earn l not earned, or the work be bad, no premium U allowecL At 

 the monthly settlement some of them will have several shillings to 

 receive in addition to their regular wages and premiums. Ever since 

 the regulations regarding wages have been adopted, a marked improve- 

 ment has taken place both in the quantity and quality of the work 

 produced. The blind workmen and their families receive the fruits of 

 their labour with much pleasure. A spirit of industry is excited and 

 kept up very different to their former habits, and an opportunity is 

 thus afforded them of enjoying the blessings of home, which could 

 not be cultivated when they were maintained within the establish- 

 ment. A few elderly females are placed upon the same system ; 

 they work in the institution, but reside at their own homes. Females 

 generally, above the age of eighteen years, are admitted as day-workers ; 

 they dine at the asylum and receive regular weekly wages; their 

 apartments are separated from those of the males, and no intercourse 



i ).. nintt.d. H..VS and cnl- from ten to sixteen years of age reside 

 in the hoii.-'. and in addition to attendance on their classes, they are 

 taught tn perform light works suitable to their age, till old n. 



:i < the regular workshops. The girls and female adults 

 are under the superintendence of a matron, who also has the raange- 

 ment of the sales. Several of tin- Mind men are employed in calling 

 on the customers of the asylum to deliver goods and to solicit 

 It is common for adults who reside in distant part* of the city to go to 

 and from their employment without a guide, and no accident has 

 ever h \]'|-M< ,] to any of them. The usual branches of learning are 

 taught to the young blind in the Glasgow asylum ; the timedev 

 school by both boys and girls is five hours a day on five days 

 week, the chaplain being their teacher. The books used are printiil in 

 the Roman alphabet, which was arranged under the superintendence 

 of John Alston, Esq., the former treasurer of the asylum, these books 

 are printed on the premises, and are so numerous as to form a library 

 in raised type. [BLIND, ALPHABETS FOR THK.] 



There are three Asylums for the Blind in Dublin. The oldest of 

 them, Simpson's Hospital, was opened in 1781 ; it was founded and 

 endowed by a merchant whose name it bears, who was himself subject 

 to a disorder of the eyes, and was also a martyr to the gout. The 

 design of the hospital is to provide an asylum for blind and gouty men, 

 the preference being given to those of good moral character, who have 

 formerly been in atllucnt circumstances. About fifty persons partake 

 of the benefits of this charity. It was incorporated in 1799, and its 

 income is about SOOO/. per annum. 



The Richmond National Institution for the Indigent Industrious 

 Blind is supported by subscriptions and donations; it was ..]. n.<l in 

 1809 ; the inmates, who are all indigent, are instructed in the trades 

 ordinarily taught to the blind. At present the institution contains 

 forty men and youths, who are lodged, maintained, and clothed t ! 



The Molineux Asylum is supported by subscriptions, by the profits 

 of a chapel, and by charity sermons ; it is solely for the reception of 

 females, who are admitted at ail ages. Those above fifty have here a 

 permanent abode. The younger section of the establishment are 

 lodged, clothed, and fed ; and for a certain number of years i 

 instruction in those employments by which it is intended they shall 

 earn their living. This asylum was opened in 1815, hi the mansion of 

 Sir Charles Molineux, Bart. This family has been among its most 

 liberal benefactors. 



In 1835, the Ulster Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, established 

 at Belfast in 1831, admitted blind pupils also. This union of the two 

 classes is a specialty in which this establishment does not stand quite 

 alone. Between the two classes of inmates there is nothing in common, 

 so far as their education is concerned ; different senses being addressed, 

 the process of instruction is essentially different, but when a m- 

 of intercourse has been established between them by means of the 

 manual alphabet, their being associated together is not without somu 

 points of interest. 



On subjects of instruction the first place is given to religious 

 training, and as a result of this, some of the blind pupils have become 

 devoted and efficient city missionaries ; one of them occupies an im- 

 portant position as one of the ministers at Brooklyn, New York. The 

 other common branches of an English education also receive attention, 

 and all who have voice and ear practise vocal music. About six 

 daily are devoted to school, and two and a-half hours to manual 1 

 A large amount of the instructions conveyed is given orally, but the 

 relief books printed at Glasgow, and those produced at Bristol are used 

 by the pupils. Ninety-one deaf and dumb, and thirteen Mind, are now 

 in this institution. 



The Limerick Asylum for Blind Females was established in 1835, 

 chiefly through the instrumentality of the Dean of \Vat--iford. It 

 is capable of accommodating twenty inmates, but the funds of the 

 institution do not afford support to this number. 



The Yorkshire School for the Blind was instituted at York in 

 memory of the late William Willx-rforce. Its design is not so much to 

 provide maintenance for the blind as to give them such in 

 may help them to gain a livelihood for themselves, attention being at 

 the same time paid to their moral and religious instruction 

 friends or parishes therefore contribute towards th- while 



they are in the institution. Those persons only an who 



have lost their sight to such a degree, as to be able at most OB 

 distinguish light from darkness those who have a capacity for in- 

 struct inn those who are free from any dangerous or . .minn 

 disease and those who have no vicious habits. 



It is found from the recent reports of the Yorkshire school that less 

 time is devoted to manual labour than in these asylums generally ; l.ut 

 it must be remembered that the inmates are young. Music is much 

 cultivated, and affords satisfactory evidence of its utility. With the 

 view of forming a correct opinion on this subject, inquiries wen 

 tilted in 1856, as to the condition of the pupils who had left school. It 

 was found that eleven had obtained situations as organists, and were 

 enabled to maintain themselves fully ; four others were engaged in teach- 

 ing music and tuning instruments, and thus maintained themselves to a 

 great extent. In addition to those who had left school, there > 

 male adults and one female still resident in the school, who were filling 

 organists' situations. The results of these inquiries < i otln T indus- 

 trial pursuits were lew satisfactory, and the inference drawn was, that 



