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the character and disposition of each boy, and act accordingly. He will generally find that kind words, and above all strict justice, and impartiality, will secure to him their affection and respect, which, when once acquired, he will experience but little difficulty in mould ing them to his wish. It is, however, required that he should at all times act with spirit and firmness, and, when requisite, awe the refractory into instant obedience by summary punishment, Obedience is to be considered the first duty of the boys; mildness, combined with inflexible determination, is considered that of the master. He will endeavour as much as possible to govern them through the medium of their affections; but will never forget that discipline must be maintained.

8. The master will keep a vigilant eye upon the several monitors of divisions, and his constant attention must be directed towards rendering them efficient instruments in aiding him to keep good order in the establishment. His instructions to them must be clear and precise, and delivered in mild language, and in a very distinct tone of voice; he will also select, from among their number, one to act as a general monitor.'

As the scheme of the society became enlarged, and not only the youthful delinquent, but the children of honest parents also were received, and as a large demand for juvenile emigrants was found to exist, the society it seems began to relax in the rule which it had laid down in the first instance, and several detachments of children were shipped to meet the demand for them before they had undergone any lengthened probation at the asylum. The school, therefore, appears to us to have at this time lost much of its original usefulness.

With regard to the children who are received by the society with a positively, or even negatively good character, there may not exist any necessity for their undergoing the same probation with the rest, and they might perhaps with a safe conscience be immediately shipped for the colonies; as we are of opinion, that the circumstances in which they would there be placed, by calling forth all their energies and by placing before them distinctly the reward for labour, would be the best of schoolmasters. But as regards the offspring of vicious parents, and those children who are known to have been themselves guilty, we do not think the society is justified in sending them forth, until a proper discipline in the asylum shall have given them habits of industry, and of acting from principle. We, therefore, should consider the division of the youths into two classes as an improvement; the first might be shipped for the colonies upon the first opportunity after their reception; the second, before being shipped, should undergo a probation in the asylum. Such a course of proceeding as this would not, we are inclined to think, narrow the society's plan of emigration, while it would

make their school a mean of doing good with a less admixture of evil than could otherwise be the case. To give a previous education to all whom the demand for labour in the colonies might thus require to be sent from England would be impòssible; but not so to the unfortunate class which was the first object of solicitude to the society. In justice to the society, it must however be stated, that the conduct of even the first detachments of boys, among whom were many imbued with vicious habits, has not been such as to call forth complaint.

The demand for juvenile labour in the colony having, in the first instance, been ascertained, the next step was to form a committee there for regulating the destination of the children upon their arrival, and to settle the pecuniary arrangements of the society; when this had been done, sixty-nine boys from Hackney Wick were shipped, in the form of a school with its monitors, for the Cape of Good Hope. Of those who first sailed, the society has received most gratifying intelligence, the masters being satisfied with the boys, and the boys with their new situations. Several other exportations have also been made, but sufficient time has not yet elapsed for the receipt of intelligence respecting them all. The total of youthful emigrants has amounted, in this first year of their exportation, to 266 boys and 26 girls.

The society has not only the advantage of doing good, but of doing it with benefit to its own funds, a circumstance which will enable it to extend the sphere of its usefulness to other regions of the world, and to send forth a population not like a pestilence to blight young societies in their bud, but one that will add to the moral power and real vigour of any they may incorporate themselves with. This, we believe, has been the first instance of children emigrating. As inhabitants of a new colony, they have the advantage over grown persons in every particular. The children arrive without any prejudices upon their minds, and are ready to conform themselves to and take advantage of whatever circumstances they may be placed in; whereas persons of mature age have as much to unlearn as to learn; it is long before they can habituate themselves to what must be so totally at variance with what they have been accustomed to in the mother-country. It is up-hill work with them; they begin life twice over. The young emigrants arrive without incumbrances, without wives or children; they are unfettered, and after a time free to apply all their energies in contending with the difficulties of their situation with the greatest possible advantage. The youthful emigrant has but one mouth to feed, and one back to clothe; add to this, he is not turned out raw and ignorant, but, from his

previous apprenticeship, has become well acquainted with the actual state of things at the risk of his master, and, before he actually enters into life, has been educated and instructed for it as it is there. The reverse of this is the case with the adult emigrant, who is accompanied by a family; he has to contend, under the greatest possible disadvantage, with difficulties, of the nature of which he is utterly ignorant; he lands generally knowing but little what he is to do, or what he is likely to meet with; he has all to learn, and that, by the way of experiment, at his own cost. Besides this, however elated he may be with the hope of success, still the circumstance of complete separation from those whom blood and friendship have bound to him, must always afflict him. No connexions formed late in life have associations so pleasing as those entered into at an earlier period; we must not only perceive together, but recollect together. What an hour that is which we pass with an old friend in recalling the things which time has mellowed in the distance; when we touch occasionally a chord, which vibrates as though it were then that the circumstance was occurring! They have not this. The young emigrant has all his ties to form. From birth, perhaps, an outcast from society, of uncertain origin, unjustly branded with a stigma from this circumstance, it is probable that he has but few ties in the mother-country. The colony will easily be recognized by such an emigrant as his home.

If it be granted, as we think it must, that emigrants of the description under consideration have advantages which no others can have, we also contend that, for the colonists themselves, this is the exact description of persons they should be the most solicitous of obtaining, for they arrive at the precise period of life when they become the most useful and profitable servants. The colonists have not the expense of rearing them up from infancy, nor of supporting their aged relatives; they stand alone, ready to return hard labour for the lengthened period of five or six years, for the sum of 121., paid to the society, with food, lodging, clothing, good treatment, medical assistance when requisite, and a small sum for pocket-money, to be withheld in the event of bad conduct.

Now let it be borne in mind that this valuable service, certain in point of duration, is obtained at this low rate in the very countries where labour is of the greatest value, where labour is the thing, of all others, the most difficult to be obtained at any price—we have heard of emigrants who have been obliged to leave their property, which they have shipped from England at immense cost to rot upon the beach for want of assistance in removing it to their intended habitations. We

think it would be difficult to discover any other circumstances under which benefits so great can be reciprocally conferred. Although the exertions of the society have at present been almost entirely restricted to boys, it is aware of the importance, both moral and political, of extending them to the other sex. Already, as has been noticed, twenty-six girls have been sent; but it is now proposed, and indeed we understand that measures have been taken, to keep up the emigration of girls to as large an amount as that of the boys; and a committee of ladies either has been or will be formed in England, for the purpose of superintending an asylum of a similar description to that of the boys at Hackney Wick, while corresponding arrangements will be made in the colonies for attending to the female children after their landing.

Upon the first batches of boys being sent by the society, in consequence of the committee not being sufficiently experienced in making arrangements with captains of vessels and shipowners, the children were not treated on the passage by any means in so satisfactory a manner as could be wished*. As the children had been requested to write word back respecting their treatment, the society became acquainted with the fact, and a plan has subsequently been devised to obviate the recurrence of such abuse. A gentleman belonging to the society, who is well acquainted with such matters, personally inspects the vessel and accommodations, and stipulates for the exact rations and method of treatment while on board. But the paternal care of the society is not limited to education in the asylum, and to emigration, and apprenticeship in the colony. The arrangements that have been made in those colonies to which it has hitherto sent children, and which will be made in all to which it may hereafter send them, enable it to enforce the regulations which have been framed with regard to the treatment of the children by their masters: so that those who place children under its protection may feel an assurance, not only that they will obtain every advantage in the asylum, be well treated on the voyage, be placed out in situations most suited to their abilities and dispositions upon arriving at the colony, but that during the whole period of apprenticeship they will be able to obtain immediate redress for any ill-treatment they may be subjected to. The following is the printed form of indenture, which all masters who receive apprentices are under an obligation to sign.

This, however, does not apply to the first batch which went out in the Charles Kerr, for the children were treated while on board with parental kindness, and it is but justice to the captain of the vessel to mention the circumstance.

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in the name and on the behalf of the Committee of Management for Juvenile Emigrants, and as such duly appointed superintending guardians of a minor, and with the full and free will and consent of the said doth for, and in consideration of the sum of Pounds sterling, well and truly paid into the said of the age of

of

to dwell

Committee, put, place, and bind, the said years, or thereabouts, to be an Apprentice with , and as an Apprentice with the said from the date of these presents, until the expiration of the full term of years, or until the ; during which time the said Apprentice his said Master shall faithfully serve and obey, his secrets keep, and his lawful commands everywhere gladly to do and perform according to his power, wit and ability; and honestly, soberly, orderly, and obediently, in all things demean and behave himself towards his Master, and all those who, by the command of his said Master, will have any authority over him during the said Term. And the said , in consideration of the faithful services to be performed by the said Apprentice, doth hereby covenant and agree with the said in his capacity aforesaid, that he the said shall the said Apprentice in the Art, Trade, Mystery, or Employment of teach and instruct, or cause to be taught and instructed, in the best way and manner that he can during the said Term, and shall and will, during all the Term aforesaid, find and provide the said Apprentice with sufficient meat, drink, apparel, lodging, washing, medical treatment, and all other things necessary and fit for an Apprentice; and also shall the said Apprentice diligently and faithfully instruct, or cause to be instructed, in the principles of the Christian Religion, in reading and writing; and shall not treat the said Apprentice with hardship or severity, on pain of forfeiture of his right to the services of the said Apprentice, on due proof thereof before any competent tribunal; and on conviction, the future services of the said Apprentice shall be at the sole disposal of the Committee of Management for the time being, and that he shall allow the said Apprentice, weekly, the sum of twelvepence, one-third part thereof to be paid to the said Apprentice every Saturday, and the remaining two-thirds thereof to be paid into the Savings Bank, for, and in the name, and on behalf of the said Apprentice monthly, during the whole Term, and not to be withdrawn therefrom until the expiration of his Term of Apprenticeship; but in the event of misconduct or disobedience of the Apprentice, the said Master, at his discretion, shall pay the whole sum or weekly allowance into the hands of the Committee, and not pay any portion thereof to the said Apprentice.

And the said shall not cede over or assign the said Apprentice to any other person, or persons, nor take him out of the colony, without the written consent of the Committee of Management

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