VISIT TO THE QUEEN'S ORPHAN SCHOOL
No.III

(From our own Reporter.)

31st January, 1853

I will now proceed to give you the particulars of my inspection of the female and infant departments of the Queen's Orphan Schools, through the whole of which I was taken by the excellent matron, Mrs. Smyth. I will commence my account by stating my gratification at seeing such excellent "quarters" have been provided for the officers of the institution. By studying the comfort and domestic happiness of that too much neglected class, teachers, the first move will be made towards the great educational desideratim of the island, namely, a superior grade of persons to fill the high office of training the young idea, and of implanting in the minds of children, when they are most susceptible of receiving them, the seeds of good. WE proceeded first to the school-room, which was of similar proportions to that of the boys, but differently arranged as to the furniture and fittings. One half of the room is completely empty, the other half contains on each side of it short desks and forms. Upon my expressing surprise at the peculiarity of the arrangement, I was informed that it was owing to the monitorial system being in use, by which system the girls are taught standing round a monitor in semicircles; a broad aisle runs up the middle of the room to foldiing doors at the top, which, when trown open, display a pretty little altar. This room is the one appropriated every Sunday to the Roman Catholics for the celebration of their worship. At each end of the apartment is one of those patent ventilators first brought into use and found so successful at the Milbank Penitentiary, London: I was disappointed at seeing no maps round the walls, but Mrs. Smyth said they had been taken down for the holidays. As the whole of teh female and infant parts of the building rivalled that of teh boys in cleanliness, I shall conclude my remarks upon that great necessity in institutions of the kind I am describing, by agreeing in the observation Sir William Denison is reported ot have made while going over these schools, that if "cleanliness is next to godliness, the Orphan Schools must be very near to Heaven." After the school-room we visited the dining-room: I should have much liked to have seen the children assembled here to notice how the "gastronomical lecture" was administered, but unfortunately my visit was badly timed, being just after one meal. We then mounted to the dormitories. These rooms are upon exactly the same scale as those of the boys, but instead of hammocks the girls sleep upon ireon bedsteads, each of which is furnished with a hari mattrass, two sheets, two blankets, and a rug; each girl above twelve years of age has a bedstead to herself, under that age they sleep in couples. There are three dormitories, two devoted to Roman Catholics and one to the Protestants. At the end of the dormitories is a press for each girl, with her name written upon it, and in which she is expected to have her clothes neatly folded and placed. The storeoom was next paid a visit. Here are the provisions and clothes used in the establishment: I must praise those of both kinds which I saw. I tasted some rice as white as milk; the sugar was likewise of an excellent quality. I saw not meat, but I trust that whatever is consumed by these young children is of a better quality than that which I saw hanging up in the boys' department. The clothes all appeared homely and god; the flannel was of a superior texture and warm. From the storeroom we wended our way to the kitchen, where I observed some yards of currant pudding being put into immense boilers, with which the children were to be regaled as a consolation for the postponement of the awarding of the prizes. The next place I visited afforded me more pleasure than anything I had yet seen in teh establishment; I allude to the bath-room. Here are two baths, one hot and one cold and in these every girl in the school receives a thorough ablution twice a week, under the superintendence of the industrial mistress. No wonder disease so seldom visits the institution—no wonder not a single death has occurred in the Queen's Orphan Schools during the last half-year. In addition to the bath-rooms, there is a lavatory for daily use, to which the children descend from the dormitories: around the sides of the lavatory are a great number of small tanks, into which the water is continually passing and repassing. The floor of this room is composed of bricks, and its fours sides incline to a grating in the middle, through which the water ought to pass; but owing to something wrong in the pipes, the water does not drain off as fast as it should, consequently the bricks are always wet. It will be seen at once how standing upon damp bricks, especially in cold weather, must certainly produce those dreadful plagues to children, chilblains; and I am afraid the constitutions of the girls must suffer severe injury from these repeated wet feet. I earnestly urge upon the authorities to have a wooden grating made: this would counteract all the evil consequences of the water not flowing off quick enough. From the lavatory we proceeded to the laundry, where two or three hundred pieces are washed and mangled every week. Here are employed two professional laundresses, assisted by six of the orphan girls; here all the washing required by the inmates of the institution is done, with the exception of bedclothes, these are sent out to the Cascaes. In the laundry is kept ready day and night a boiler full of hot water in case any child should have a fit or other ailment which might require immediate immersion in a hot bath: too great praise cannot be bestowed upon this forethought and constant care for the health of the children.

The hospital was the last apartments of the female school I visited, and I was agreeably surprised to find that out of so large a number of children, many of whom must be of delicate constitutions, there was not a single case of serious illness. The hospital contained ten little inmates, but they were all sitting up and appeared cheerful and happy. Mrs. Smyth called to one little afflicted creature of about five years of age to show how nicely she could walk, and it was affecting to see the pride expressed in the face of the poor little child at the praise of the good lady for the performance. I was told she was malformed about the hips, but that great hopes are entertained by Dr. Bedord, the physician to the institution, that she will be ultimately cured. I saw no other case severer than a cold in the hospital. The children sent in here are visited regularly be Dr. Bedford, who orders them every comfort with an unsparing hand, and they are never sent into the other parts of the building without his certificate that they are perfectly cured.

From the hospital we passed to the fine large playground, ornamented with swings, roundabouts, &c. I was pleased at seeing these accessories to health so liberally bestowed upon these poor orphans; everybody knows the good effect of the roundabout in strengthening the arms. At the end of the playground is a part covered in for bad weather.

I might here notice that I remarked no instance of fighting or quarrelling, although our visit was quite unexpected amongst the children, the greater portion of whom were not aware of our presence: this speaks volumes for the excellence of the management.

I returned to the schoolroom to view the books used in this department, and also the copybooks. The former I recognised as mostly belonging to those presented to the world by the Irish National School Commissioners; the latter were generally well written, partaking greatly of the style of the lady who set the copies in them. Considering the ages of the writers, from what I saw I should say that the Orphan Schools are particularly forward in the important branch of primary education—writing. I am glad to see that Mulhauser's system of writing is in use here: I have often wondered it has not been taken more advantage of.

The diet of the girls is precisely similar to that of the boys. The younger children can always obtain a piece of bread when they are hungry. The girls' time is spent as follows:—At 5:40 dressing and saying morning prayers; 6 to 7 washing; 7 to 7:30 minute inspection by the matron as respects health, cleanliness and neatness; 7:30 to 8 breakfast; 8 to 8:30 recreation, with exception of those employed in domestic duties; 8:30 to 9 religious instruction; 9 to 12 school; 12 to 12:30 recreation, with exception of those employed in preparing dinner; 12:30 to 1 dinner; 1 to 2 recreation; 2 to 4 school; 4 to 5:30 recreation; 5:30 to 6 tea; 6 to bed-time recreation. I asked Mrs. Smyth if the report was correct that the girls were taught embroidery, knitting, netting, &c., instead of the much more useful plain needlework? She assured me it was incorrect; that the girls have never been taught any kind of fine needlewor, but were obliged during the time set apart for work to make their clothes; and that between 2000 and 3000 garments per annum were made by them. Upon enquiring how much time was set apart for needlework, judge of my surprise at being told one hour! This is undoubtedly, after religious instruction, and reading and writing, the most important branch of female education; and girls who are being educated by charity to make them working men's wives, or servants in families, have one hour set apart for learning the principal part of their calling. Upon referring back to the day table, I find six hours thirty minutes devoted to recreation: surely, if none of the time set apart for work can be spared, it would be better to subtract another hour or two from recreation, than let them leave the school, as they must do at present, quite ignorant of every kind of needlework but the commonest. This is radically wrong.

The girls have three complete suits of clothing per annum and six pairs of strong shoes: they change all their under clothing twice a week. The infant school is equally well conducted with those departments I have described. The little children are taught by means of pictures, which hang round the walls of their school-room; there is a large playground for them, and three nurses are always with them. Upon the whole, the Institution is as excellently carried on as it was philanthropically founded, and it reflects the greatest credit upon every officer connected with it.

February 1, 1853

The distribution of the Prizes took place yesterday. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Sir William and Lady Denison arrived on the meadow adjacent to the building. The band of H.M. 99th Regt. was in attendance, and received His Excellency with "God save the Queen."

The children were then marched into the field, and the awarding of the prizes at once commenced. The rewards consisted of everything suitable for children, from the handsome satinwood work-box given to the grown girl just leaving the institution, to the ball presented to the little infant for being good. Sir William Denison made a few kind observations to each little recipient.

Lady Denison having given permission, the following pieces of music were sung by the children under the leadership of Mr. Salier, their instructor:—"The labourer's song," "Let us endeavour," "The kine are homeward going" (round, three parts), "The stormy winds," "The hours is come of twilight grey," "God save the Queen," &c. A cheer was then given, and echoed by the infants, who were walking two and two under the care of nurses. The masters then put the children into squares, and buns were plentifully distributed. Play ensued, and the performance might be said to be finished.

As Sir William Denison and C. E. Wilmot, Esq., in leaving the schools, were riding down the broad avenue, the children mounted upon the fence and gave several good hearty cheers, to which His Excellency as heartily responded, waving his hat at the same time.

You see there is little to describe, but much to think of. The education of these 507 young orphans will hereafter have a great influence upon the young colony. It is not merely 507 children we are educating, but the parents of perhaps a couple of thousands who will most assuredly be influence in their conduct by that of the parents. I think it right to give the result of a little quiet examination I made of a little fellow 10 years of age. I asked him to spell "Jeremiah," and he did so correctly; then to my question of "How many parts of speech are there, and can you repeat them?" came the correct answer. I followed with "What is an adjective?" He replied, "A thing that qualifies a substantive." Likewise, "Do you like being at school?" "Yes, sir." "Do they beat you much?" "No, sir." "Do you like being at school better than being at home" "I cannot say that." The quick manner in which the answer was given, the open manly way in which the little fellow fixed his eyes upon me, showed that, while the education he was receiving was good, intimidation and fear were not the means used to make him accept it. The general rosy and healthy looks, the clean and neat attire, and the modesty yet frankness of the orphans confirmed my former conviction that the system is excellent which is in operation at the Queen's Orphan Schools.

THE FACTORY.

We briefly noticed last week, the death of the infant Vowles, the latest victim of the cruel treatment (of which so much has been said and written) to which the poor innocent children, confined in the Factory for the offences of their parents are subjected. It is very possible that much of what is reported or imagined of these cruelties may be exaggerated but, confirmed as these reports and opnions are by the vast number of deaths which occur in that dismal prison amongst its unoffending inmates the infants, and by the details in the case before us, the authorities must be held inexcuseable by every class in the colony, if the present excitement of the public mind is not allayed by an open enquiry into the management and state of the Factory generally, and particularly into the treatment of the children and the healthiness or unhealthiness of the place where they are confined; a close committee of Government Officers, whether medical or prison discipline functionaries, will not satisfy the public mind, on the contrary, the attempt to meet the present excitement by an enquirty so conducted will only have the effect of making an impression that the grounds of complaint are greater than the public now suppose them to be, and that the authorities are desirous by a sham report under official sanction to cloke mismanagement and something worse, which they are afraid to expose to the public eye, for fear of the censure which must attach to every person implicated in tolerating their existence, after they have been so often forced upon their attention by the public voice speaking through the press. Let the enquiry be conducted, by gentlemen, who cannot be suspected of official or prison discipline bias. Probably one of the Judges, would be the fittest person to preside on such an enquiry, assisted by Magistrates in whom the public repose confidence, unconnected with public office—at least with the prison discipline branch of it. Let the leading medical practitioners, unconnected with the Government Medical Department, be either appointed on the committee or requested carefully to examine the state of the establishment and give evidence thereon before the committee. Let Dr. M'Braire's conduct be subjected to the most perfect scrutiny. For if the impression that has gone abroad of his want of humanity and attention to these hus unfortunate fellow creatures be unfounded, it is but justice to him that his vindication should be established in the most satisfactory manner, or if there is any just grounds for the impressions that exist against him, it is a duty to society that an adequate censure should be passed upon him not only as a warning to other medical men who may be entrusted with the discharge of a similar duty, but, with a view to prevent him from again, being entrusted with the medical charge of any other public institution either of charity or for punishment. Will Sir John make no enquiry into the correctness of the reason assigned by the coroner for not summoning Dr. M'Braire to give evidence on the Inquest. Has Dr. M'Braire ever refused to obey the summons of the Coroner, if he has, he ought to have been instantly dismissed from the service of the Government. For there is an end to all the authority of the laws, as well as of those who administer them, if the example of setting their authority at defiance, is to be suffered to pass with impunity in the immediate servants of the Government. And it is generally reported that Dr M'Braire has evinced the same spirit of contumacy, with respect to the authority of the head of his own department. But we think Mr. Moore lost sight of his duty to the public and of the respect due to his office in taking any hearsay statement of Dr. M'Braire's intention as a reason for not issuing a summons, if he considered that his evidence was at all material, (and eveyr man must think that it was most material on such an enquiry) and in the event of his refusing to obey the summons it was Mr. Moore's duty to have adjourned the inquest until he had taken the necessary steps to compel his attendance and made his contempt of the summons a subject of complaint to the Governor. While we contend against every abuse of power we hold that the good order of society can never be maintained where any man is suffered to treat with contempt or defiance, the lawful mandate of any lawfully constituted authority, and the contempt or defiance is not against the individual but against the law which he is (no matter how unworthily) appointed to administer.

According to our promise we copy the evidence, from the Colonial Times without one word of comment. We heard the whole of the evidence of Mary Vowles, and we can vouch for its correctness; but in addition to what was elicited by the Coroner, the poor woman told us as she left the room, (in answer to a question which we put to her), that she was, on the authority of Mr. Hutchinson, confined for two days in the cell, and for what? For the heinous offence of running into the presence of Mr. Hutchinson to pray for permission to see her dying child!!!

Has Mr. Hutchinson authority to inflict such a punishment without reference to a magistrate? and if he has, we think that the man who could inflict such a punishment for such an offence, committed under such circumstances, is not a proper person to be invested with such authority. But let our readers peruse the evidence, and let them judge for themselves:—

CORONER'S INQUEST.

On Thursday the 15 inst. pursuant to a requisition, an inquest was held at the Rose and Crown, New Town Road before J.H. Moore, Esq. the Coroner, and a highly intelligent jury of fifteen, to enquire into the cause of the death of Thomas Vowles, an infant, the son of Job and Mary Vowles, of Veteran's row, when the following evidence was adduced:—

Mary Vowles—I am the mother of the deceased child Thomas Vowles; I am a prisoner of the Crown, but came free into the colony in the Princess Royal; I was ordered into the Factory for six weeks, and hard labour; I went in on the 3rd of February last; my child was then alive and quite healthy; I was nursing it and had plenty of milk at that time; the child was teething; I took the child to the Factory with me, by Mr. Spode’s special permission; I do not know whether it is usual for mothers under sentence to be allowed to suckle their children; my husband told me he had applied to Mr. Spode for special leave to suckle my baby; I carried it to the Factory when I was going in for punishment, and had the child in my arms when I went in.

[The Coroner here cautioned the witness not to permit her feelings to exaggerate the evidence. He was anxious and determined, as far as he could, to arrive at the truth, and would commit any witness, whom the jury might consider to deviate from the truth?]

Mary Vowles continued—I was undressed, as is customary, and clothed in the prison dress.

Coroner, to Mr. Hutchinson, who was in attendance.—This, I believe, is intended as a precaution to prevent infection, &c.?

Mr. Hutchinson—It is, Sir; and also to prevent the conveyance of any improper article into the establishment.

Mary Vowles, continued.—After I was dressed a woman name Spruce I think, took the child away from me, by Mr. Hutchinson's orders, Mr. Hutchinson being present; the woman took away the child, from the place where I was; I told Mr. Hutchinson that I was suckling the baby, when he said, if I made any noise, and did not go into the yard, he ould put me in a cell. I had, at this time, received notice from my husband, that Mr. Spode had given me especial permission to have the child with me, for the purpose of suckling it; I told Mr. Hutchinson that I had this permission; I told him this in the presence of Mr. Cato and the van-man. Mr. Hutchinson still refused to let me have the child to suckle. The van-man said to Mr. Hutchinson, "This woman has permission to go with her child;" Mrs. Cato said to me, "It is a pity for the child to be taken from you, and you had better ask Mr. Hutchinson to give you leave to have the baby with you," I did again apply to Mr. Hutchinson, and he again refused; Mrs Cato went up stairs to Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson, and in my hearing said, it was a pity to have the baby taken from me, and she begged of them to let me be with my child. I did not exactly hear the reply, but Mr. Hutchinson called out to me, if I did not go quietly into the yard, he would put me in a cell. The child was taken from me; this was on the day in which I entered the Factory; the woman, who received the child, went in through the door, leading into the nursery; I was prevented from following her. The child had not a minute's illness from the day of its birth up to that time; it was a strong healthy child. I next saw my baby in about five days afterwards; this was on a day, on which according to the regulations, mothers are permitted to see their children; I did not know my own child, it was looking so sickly, and altered, much for the worse; the baby, after being a few minutes with me, recognised me. The day before that in which mothers were permitted to see their children, I asked Mr. Hutchinson, at a time when he was giving wool to women to pick, if he would allow me a bit of paper, to write to my husband, as he wished to have the child, for it was not suffered to be with me. Mr. Hutchinson answered, "No such think; you have no business here." I then asked a woman for paper, and having no money, offered her my bread for it, I could not rest day or night for thinking about my baby. This woman asked me 3d for the paper; her name was Emma, and she was a servant to Mr. Bedford. She had paper at that time, but gave it to some one else. It was by word of mouth that I communicated to my husband that I was separated from my child; this was after the visiting day; the child was at this time teething; I was not permitted to see the child again, till he went home. My husband, I believe, took away the child; I was not allowed to see the child on parting. I did not serve the whole period of my sentence in the Factory; I served five weeks all but one day; my husband was anxious that I should go home, and see my baby before it died; it was my only child. My husband applied for me to get out, and I was permitted to go out under an order from Mr. Spode; I was forgiven the remainder of my sentence.

Coroner.—Just like Mr. Spode, he is so kind.

Mary Vowles, resumed.—When I got home, I thought my baby was dying; I could not feel any motion in the dear child, till I had had it in my arms for ten minutes; this was on a Friday, and on the Monday following (yesterday week) the baby died. When we went into the Factory, the child's bowels were quite regular, and the evacuations were of a natural quality; when I came home, they were quite gree