434 APPLICABILITY OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. 



the inhabitauts how easy it would he to get rid of the miasmata hy 

 means of a drain. The project was well received ; but the owners of 

 the property would not agree ; there were difficulties in the way ; the 

 drain would be an innovation ; it would be expensive ; and so the 

 marsh was allowed to exhale its poison as before. But, as some 

 amends to those suffering from ague, the people of the high tOAra 

 redoubled their benevolence in the shape of bark and ague- drops. 

 They refused to drain the marsh, but they were willing to cure the 

 marsh fever." 



As it was in Lincolnshire, so is it, I fear in Canada, and in this 

 City of Toronto. Although we are too young yet to equal the Mother 

 Country in our criminal statistics, still we make a very respectable 

 attempt to do so. From the statistics of the Toronto gaol alone 

 during the year 1856, as compiled by the Governor from the Gaol 

 Register, the whole number of prisoners committed to the Gaol of the 

 United Counties of York and Peel (including the city) was 1967. Of 

 these, 401 males and 246 females could neither read nor write ; 253 

 males and 200 females could read only ; 570 males and 198 females 

 could only read and write imperfectly ; 68 males could read and write 

 well ; and only one male had a superior education. 



In 1857 the following is the result of a similar Gaol census : 

 The total number of prisoners committed during 1857 was 1906 ; 

 of these 293 males and 203 females could neither read nor write ; 

 278 males and 264 females could only read ; 727 males and 123 

 females could read and write imperfectly ; 18 males could read and 

 write well, and there were none who had received a superior educa- 

 tion. From these statistics it appears that more than ninety-five 

 per cent, of the 1967 prisoners committed to the Toronto Gaol 

 during the year 1856, had grown up without the advantages of a 

 good common school education ; and 99 per cent, of those committed 

 during 1857 ; facts which show that had a legal provision been 

 made, such as would have secured to all these prisoners a good com- 

 mon school education, the number of prisoners committed to the 

 Toronto Gaol during the last two years would not have exceeded one 

 hundred, instead of swelling to 196 7 and 1906 respectively ; their crimes 

 would have been prevented, and the time, trouble, and expenses attend- 

 ing their detection and punishment would have been saved. By re- 

 turns obtained from Mr. Allen, it appears that the number of juvenile 

 delinquents under fifteen years of age, who have been committed to 



