doing will receive a reward still greater in proportion; at the same. time, let his feeble virtue be stimulated by some present advantage, and his impulse to evil be restrained by a wholesome fear of chastisement or privation, and in this way you fit him to regulate his conduct in school and in life; for incentives and restraints similar to these operate upon men in society. Every year the punitive character of prisons and houses of correction is being blended more and more with the idea and the hope of reformation. In the late address of the governor, we see that State prisoners are receiving instruction in Evening Schools, and thus slaying that ignorance which is, to so large an extent, the source of their crimes. Such a school as ours is in the van of that movement; for it attempts to dry up the source, and thus prevent crime. One hundred dollars here may save the police force a thousand. This school has accommodations for twenty-four pupils. Only about half that number are there, on an average. More might be accomplished without much additional outlay. There is a class of juvenile offenders, brought before the municipal court for offences not the most serious, for whom the punishment must be either fine or imprisonment. The fine falls upon parents, who in some cases lament and suffer for what they would gladly prevent. Imprisonment would punish, but might not improve the offender. Moreover, there is no propriety in sending one boy to the city farm because he will not attend school, and another, no worse than he, and equally in need of instruction, to jail where he cannot attend school. Some provision should be made by which boys guilty of petty offences, no worse in their character than truancy, may be sent to this school. We doubt not that you, gentlemen, will take such action in this direction as may be needful. And in view of this it would seem that the appropriation for this school, though larger than necessary last year, should not be reduced for the present. Truant School Committee.-ALBERT P. MARBLE, JAMES M. DRENNAN, D. F. PARKER. |