The Dundee industrial school, accommodating 200 boys, was founded in 1846, and has been extremely beneficial to that town. Glasgow com menced the work in 1847, and has six industrial and reformatory schools, with accommodation for more than 1000 children. The Act 17 & 18 Vict. cap. 74, applicable to Scotland, which was passed in 1854, provides that children, apparently under 14 years of age, found in a state of vagrancy, may bo brought before a magistrate, and sent to an industrial school. This Act, commonly known as' Dunlop's Act,' has been found exceedingly useful in Glasgow, as well as in other large towns in Scotland. It has been ascertaiued that the amount of juvenile begging has been materially lessened since the Act referred to was brought into operation. The industrial school at .Ayr was founded in 1848; those of Greenock and Stirling were commenced in 1849 ; of Kilmarnock, Paisley, and Stranraer in 1850; and many others have been opened since.
The industrial schools of Edinburgh owe their formation chiefly to the exertions of the Rev. Dr. Guthrie of that city. The success of the efforts at Aberdeen and Dundee prompted Dr. Guthrie to take measures for forming an industrial feeding school in Edinburgh. An interim committee was formed, and public attention and sympathy were engaged by the publication of Dr. Guthriee first 'Plea for Ragged Schools.' The scheme received general support, and was speedily put in operation. Another industrial school was also commenced by other influential persons in Edinburgh. Dr. Guthrie's first Plea' was followed by a second, and the two have been recently republished with a third 'Plea; under the significant title of 'Seed-Time and , Harvest; or Plea, for Ragged Schools.' The results in the decrease of juvenile mendicancy and crime have been most striking and satis factory. From the Original Ragged Schools, 536 have been sent to situations, including those who have been sent out as emigrants, and those who have gone into the army and the navy; from the United Industrial Schools, 461.
About three years ago, cards of invitation to a tea-meeting were issued to as many of the old scholars of the Original Ragged Schools as could be found in Edinburgh. It was a very pleasant and joyous assemblage. About 150 attended, some of the guests being the wives, and others the husbands, of former scholars. Dr. Guthrie says : " We lingered over the scene. Nor could I look on that gathering of young men and women—so respectably clad, and wearing such an air of decency—and think what, but for the ragged school, they would have been, without tears of joy, gratitude to God, welling up to the eyes. It was a sight worth living for. It was our harvest home." In Ireland not many ragged schools have been instituted, and most of the industrial institutions now in operation are of recent establishment.
The Mill Street ragged school in Dublin was commenced in 1851. Up to 185S the average attendance of children at the Sunday schools varied from 149 in one year to 360 in another ; in 185S the number was 110. At the daily school for boys and girls, the average attend
ance varied from 60 in 1851 to 80 in 1358. A ragged school, dor mitory, and industrial home for boys, was commenced in 1853, for the benefit especially of destitute and homeless boys attending the ragged school. During 1859 there were 75 boys admitted ; of these 22 went to situations.
The following Refuges, in connection with the London Ragged School Union, had a total of 605 inmates in March, 1860. The figures appended indicate the number of children in the respective refuges : For boys :—Belvedere Crescent, Lambeth, 19 ; Bridge House, Wandsworth, 70; Britannia Court, King's Cross, 14; Brook Street, Hampstead Road, 18 ; Bryan Street, Caledonian Road, 32 ; Euston Road, 51 ; Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn, 100; Grotto Passage, High Street, Marylebone, 22; Hatton Street, Maida Hill, 28; Mansell Street, Whitechapel, 47 : total, 401.
For girls :—Albert Street, Mile End New Town, 38 ; Broad Street, St. Giles's, 52; Hill Street, Dorset Square, 60; Lissom Street, Padding ton, 33; Manor Street, Chelsea, 21 : total, 204.
From these refuges, during the year, 182 obtained situations, 49 were sent out as emigrants, and 80 were otherwise provided for. A new Homo of Industry for Females wag opened in October, 1860, at Old Pye Street, Westminster.
The largest Refuge in the metropolis is that in Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, entitled the St. Giles and St. George, Bloomsbury, Refuge for Homeless and Destitute Boys. It was commenced in 1852, in Arthur Street, St. Giles's, with about, 20 boys. In 1858 it was removed to extensive premises in Great Queen Street, formerly occupied as a coach factory. The number of boys at present in the house is about 100. They are employed in shoemaking, tailoring and other handicrafts, the return for which lessens the expense of the boys' maintenance. The same society has a refuge for 50 girls in Broad Street, Bloomsbury, and supports several ragged schools. The total number of children admitted into the two refuges up to the end of 1859 was 781; namely, 469 boys and 312 girls. Of the boys, 89 emigrated to Australia, Canada, the United States, and Sonth Africa; 34 entered the navy ; 15 entered the merchant service ; 76 were placed in situations ; 41 were restored to their parents and friends ; 2 were apprenticed ; and 3 enlisted. Of the girls, 99 were sent to service, 8S were restored to their friends, 13 removed to other institutions, 5 emigrated to Australia, 26 to Canada, 16 to New Zealand. Numerous and satisfactory communications have been received from and respecting the emigrants. Connected with the boys' refuge is a Band of Hope, the members of which are instructed in the principles of temperance, and are trained in singing, in which many of the boys attain great proficiency, and several obtained silver medals in a public competition for singing and recitation.