Victorian London - Crime - Prostitution - London Labour and the London Poor

London Labour and the London Poor
A Cyclopædia of the Condition and Earnings of Those That Will Work, Those That Cannot Work, and Those That Will Not Work.
By Henry Mayhew.
London: Griffin, Bohn, and Company, Stationers' Hall Court. 1862.

1850	2,502
1851	2,573
1852	3,750
1853	3,386
1854	3,764
1855	3,592
1856	4,303
1857	5,178
1858	4,890
1859	4,282
1860	3,734

After some search I have been enabled to give the trades and occupations of those women.

74	were	Hatters and trimmers.
418	”	Laundresses
646	”	Milliners, &c
400	”	Servants
249	”	Shoemakers
58	”	Artificial flower-makers
215	”	Tailors
33	”	Brushmakers
42	”	Bookbinders
8	”	Corkcutters
7	”	Dyers
2	”	Fishmongers
8	”	General and marine-store dealers
24	”	Glovers
18	”	Weavers.

The remainder described themselves as having no trade or occupation.
     In ten years then 41,954 disorderly women, who had given themselves up to prostitution, either for their own gratification, because they were seduced, or to gain a livelihood, were arrested by the police. The word disorderly is vague, but I should think it is susceptible of various significations. In one case it may mean drunkenness, in another assaulting the police, in others an offence of a felonious nature may be intended, while in a fourth we may understand a simple misdemeanour, all subjecting the offender, let it be borne in mind, to a fine or incarceration.
     Now, 41,954 is an enormous total for ten years. In an unreflective mood I should be inclined to say that prostitutes, taken collectively, were most abandoned, reckless, and wicked; but it is apparent, after a minute's study, that they must not be taken collectively. This forty odd thousand should be understood to represent, for the most part, the very dregs, the lowest, most unthinking, and vilest of the class.
     We must look for them in the East, in Whitechapel, in Wapping, in transpontine dens and holes, amongst sailors' and soldiers' women. In the Haymarket there is not much drunkenness, and the police are seldom interfered with. If a man, with whom a woman is walking, is drunk, and makes an assault upon the police, the woman will content herself with the innocent, and comparatively harmless amusement of knocking off the policeman's hat, afterwards propelling it gracefull with her foot along the pavement. This pastime is of rather frequent occurrence in nocturnal street rows, and always succeeds in infusing a little comic element into the affray. Amongst the disorderly women of loose habits we see that milliners largely preponderate; 646 in ten years, who have broken the laws in some way, enables us to form, by comparison, a vague idea of the number of milliners, dressmakers, &c., who resort to prostitution; for if so many were disorderly, the number of well-behaved ones must be very large.
     Another curious item is laundresses, of whom there were 418 in the hands of the police. Either the influence of their trade is demoralizing in the extreme; or they are underpaid, or else there are large numbers of them; I incline to the latter supposition.
     That there should have been only 400 servants is rather a matter of surprise than otherwise, for they are exposed to great temptations, and form a very numerous body.
     In our next statistics we are able to be more precise than in the former ones. Peculiar facilities are afforded prostitutes for committing larcenies from the person, and there are annually some hundreds taken into custody, and some few convicted. Only the other day I was passing through Wych Street, on my way from New Inn with a friend, and it so happened that we were instrumental in protecting a gentleman from the rapacity of some men and women of infamous character, by whom he had been entrapped.
     In Wych Street there are five or six houses, contiguous to one another, that are nothing more or less than the commonest brothels. The keepers of these places do not in the least endeavour to conceal the fact of their odious occupation; at almost all hours of the day, and till twelve o'clock at night one may perceive the women standing at their doorways in an undress costume, lascivious and meretricious in its nature. Although they do not actually solicit the passer-by with words, they do with looks and gestures.
     It might have been a little after twelve o'clock, when, as I was passing one of these houses, a gentleman, with his coat off, and without his hat, rushed out of the doorway and ran up the street. He held a small clasp-knife in his hand, which from his manner I guessed he would not hesitate to use if hard pressed. He was in an instant followed by a pack of men and women, perhaps four or five of each sex, in full cry. They were nearing him, when he turned suddenly round and doubled upon them, which manœuvre brought him in my direction. I saw, when near enough, that he was intoxicated. Directly he perceived me he implored my protection, saying, "For God's sake keep those fellows off." The noise attracted the attention of a policeman at the end of the street, who came up to see what the origin of the disturbance was, and the crowd fell back at his appearance.
     The gentleman said he went into one of the houses to get a cigar, when he was set upon by some women, who attempted to rob him. Although drunk he was able to put his hand in his pocket and take out a small clasp-knife he always carried about with him. He brandished this in their faces, when some bullies descended from the upper regions, and the victim fortunately effected his escape into the street.
     This man might have been robbed and subsequently drugged, without much fear of discovery, for the subjoined statistics will prove that such outrages are of frequent occurrence in the metropolis.

LARCENIES from the PERSON by Prostitutes, during the years 1850 to 1860

Year	Larcenies	Convicted	Total loss
1850	684	116	£ 1,814
1851	640	98	1,890
1852	639	97	2,095
1853	605	112	1,578
1854	607	119	2,019
1855	688	96	3,017
1856	780	94	2,668
1857	854	79	2,928
1858	777	39	2,370
1859	681	93	1,743
1860	692	39	1,936

     The first thing that strikes us in looking at these figures is the small amount of convictions that followed arrest. For instance in 1850 out of 684 arrested only 116 were convicted. Yet we must not forget the difficulty of proving a charge of this description, and the unwillingness of men to prosecute. It is only natural that a man should have a repugnance to appear in public and mix himself up in a disgraceful affair of this sort. Any one who cared for his character and reputation would at once refuse, and in this repugnance we must look for the cause of the escape of so many offenders.
     Whenever an occurrence of this sort takes place in a brothel, one would imagine the police would have some grounds for prosecuting the keeper for harbouring thieves and persons who habitually break the public peace, but the criminal returns of the metropolitan police, from which we have before quoted, do not give one reason to think so.
     Let us examine the number of arrests for keeping common brothels, during the last ten years.

NUMBER of PERSONS taken into custody for keeping Common Brothels, during the years 1850 to 1860

Year	Females	Males	Total
1850	4	4	8
1851	12	5	17
1852	4	6	10
1853	9	3	12
1854	none	-	-
1855	6	4	10
1856	12	7	19
1857	6	8	14
1858	10	8	18
1859	9	9	18
1860	12	5	17
Total			143

The largest number (19) was in 1856, while in 1854 there were none at all. But we have already drawn attention to the difficulty the police have in dealing with these cases.
Of those arrested:

1	was a	clerk
1	”	sailor
13	were	servants
3	”	tailors
1	was a	printer
1	was a	sawyer
1	”	interpreter
1	”	cabinet-maker
1	”	brass-founder
1	”	green-grocer
1	”	butcher
2	were	milliners
3	”	laundresses
9	”	labourers
2	”	smiths
6	”	carpenters
3	”	general and marine store dealers
1	was a	carver and gilder
4	were	shoemakers
2	”	watch-makers
2	”	painters
3	”	bricklayers

The rest were of no trade or occupation, and depended for a livelihood solely upon this disgraceful means of subsistence.
     It is odd to see butchers, printers, tailors, carpenters, brass-founders, interpreters, bricklayers, and cabinet-makers combining this with their own legitimate trades, and if this is a common thing among the trades, how wide-spread the evil must be, for we have only an average of about 12 arrests annually, and this very small amount, with the perhaps light punishment awarded the offender by the sitting magistrate, or if committed by the judge, is evidently purely insufficient and ineffectual to act as a deterrent to others holding the same demoralizing views, and practising the same odious profession.
     A few pages back, while commenting upon crime amongst bawds and prostitutes, we took the liberty of criticising some remarks of Dr. Ryan‘s about the prevalence of murder in immoral houses. The best proof presumptive he could have adduced in support of his theory he utterly neglected to bring forward. I mean the returns of the metropolitan police of the number of persons reported to them annually as missing.
     This return, so enormous, so mysterious, so startling, is certainly very alarming before it is analysed. But when with the eye of reflection we calmly and dispassionately look at it, our alarm diminishes as rapidly as it was excited.

NUMBER of PERSONS reported to the Police as lost or missing, and the number found and restored by the Police, during the years 1841 to 1860

Year	Reported lost or Missing	Restored by the Police
1841	1,000	560
1842	1,179	623
1843	1,218	623
1844	1,111	543
1845	2,201	1,000
1846	2,489	1,082
1847	2,216	1,111
1848	1,866	1,009
1849	1,473	994
1850	2,204	1,137
1851	1,876	928
1852	2,103	1,049
1853	2,034	900
1854	2,286	941
1855	2,178	964
1856	2,371	1,084
1857	2,171	1,198
1858	2,409	1,264
1859	2,374	1,054
1860	2,515	1,164

For twenty years the number of persons reported lost, stolen, strayed, and missing has been steadily increasing.

In	1841	it was	1,000
”	1851	”	1,876
”	1860	”	2,515

Of which

In	1841	560	were restored by the police
”	1851	928	”	”
”	1860	1,164	”	”

   Now unscrupulous statisticians and newsmongers would not hesitate to say that the “Fleet Ditch” Dr. Ryan is so fond of might unfold a tale that would elucidate the mystery.
     It is surprising that in these enlightened days such monstrosities should be listened to.
     How many, I should like to know, disappear from home and enlist in the army? How many run away to sea, and how many commit suicide?
     A little reflection shows us that the tales of murder in immoral houses are only bugbears conjured up by moralists to frighten children. Not designedly perhaps, but more through ignorance than anything else.
     Perhaps the number of suicides committed annually in London may be of some use in reducing the number of lost and missing.

NUMBER of SUICIDES committed during the years 1841 to 1860

Year	Suicides committed	Year	Suicides committed
1841	139	1851	120
1842	134	1852	109
1843	112	1853	131
1844	155	1854	118
1845	144	1855	116
1846	162	1856	127
1847	152	1857	154
1848	100	1858	90
1849	131	1859	180
1850	140	1860	104

     I find also that the number of suicides prevented by the police, or otherwise, is on an average nearly equal to the actual number of suicides committed.
     Many attempted suicides may not be genuine attempts; for we often hear in the police courts of people endeavouring to make the public believe they wished to destroy themselves, with the sole object of exciting sympathy and drawing attention to their case. However, it is difficult to distinguish, and it is clear there are annually many unhappy wretches who do make away with their lives, and also numbers who are providentially prevented.

Rape

is a crime that has not fluctuated to any great extent during the last ten years. I see that in 1850 there were 22 arrests for this offence, and the same number in 1860. Most of the prisoners were in a low station in life; 17 in 1850 only being able to read, or read and write imperfectly, and 15 in 1860 were in the same un-intellectual position. In 1855, 21 individuals were given in charge, 16 of whom were imperfectly instructed. It must be remembered that not all those who were charged were convicted, or even committed for trial, because the charge of rape is one easy to trump up, and it requires very sound and un-conflicting evidence to bring the charge home.

Concealing The Birth Of Infants

is a crime I am glad to perceive of more frequent occurrence, than feloniously attempting to procure abortion; for of two evils it is better the less preponderate.

Year	Concealing Birth of their Infants	Feloniously attempting to procure Abortion
1850	12	1
1855	10	1
1860	17	0

     In 1860 there were 2 cases of abduction, and in 1850 none at all; but in the latter year there were 61 cases of indecently exposing the person, which offence had in 1860 attained the dimensions of 103, three only, of which number were females, in the former instance eight.
     Of course it is only natural to expect that as the population of the empire increases, crime also will increase; and will more especially show its hideous and unwelcome visage in the metropolis, the centre of a vast and densely-populated kingdom. Where masses of men congregate, there disorder, dissension, and crime will have a place. We have to thank an efficient police force for keeping them within reasonable dimensions.
     I have already adverted to the difficulty experienced in even approximating to the actual number of prostitutes existing; but the magisterial authorities are enabled to catalogue and number those who are known to the police and those living in brothels.
     The subjoined table will be found extremely interesting:

Division and Local Name	Number known to the Police
	Total	Well dressed who live in Brothels	Who walk the Streets
	Total	Well dressed who live in Brothels	Well dressed	All others
A or Whitehall	None	None	None	None
B or Westminster	469	177	17	275
C or St. James	208	58	150	-
D or St. Mary‘bone	428	143	133	152
E or Holborn	511	173	58	280
F or Covent Garden	428	50	204	174
G or Finsbury	225	24	33	168
H or Whitechapel	811	73	82	656
K or Stepney	1015	..	310	705
L or Lambeth	657	147	207	303
M or Southwark	661	53	140	468
N or Islington	441	90	136	215
P or Camberwell	222	44	96	82
R or Greenwich	570	172	124	274
S or Hampstead	331	14	56	261
T or Kensington	97	..	5	92
V or Wandsworth	187	14	40	133
Totals	7,261	1,232	1,791	4,238

This is the latest return that the authorities at Whitehall are in possession of. It will be seen that the largest number of prostitutes are in Stepney; but the prostitution in this district, it would appear, is of a low description, and mostly ambulatory, as no evidence of any women living in brothels is given in the return.
The registered increase since 1857, is in most districts absolutely nothing, whilst the decrease in many localities contrasts very favourably indeed with the increase. For instance:-

Increase since last return, made in July, 1857			Decrease since last return, made in July, 1857
A		None	A		None
B			B		55
C			C		110
D			D		98
E			E		35
F			F		52
G			G		124
H			H		992
K			K		50
L			L		145
M			M		6
N			N		4
P			P		6
R		169	R
S		100	S
T			T		9
V			V		22
	Total	269		Total	1,708

The police have thought it necessary to make special arrangements in special localities, to prevent disorder and enforce the law.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS of POLICE made, and at what places, to prevent disorder and enforce the law

Division and Local Name.
A or Whitehall	Cockspur Street-an additional constable occasionally. St. James‘s, Green, and Hyde Parks-additional constables during summer months.
C-St. James	Regent Street, Waterloo Place, Quadrant, Haymarket, and Coventry Street-four additional constables (and sometimes more) from 3 P.M to 3 A.M., daily.
D-St. Marylebone	Oxford Street, Edgeware Road. Harrow Road, and Paddington Green-one additional constable from 7 P.M. to 6 A.M., daily. Regent‘s Park and Bayswater Road-two additional constables from 9 A.M. to 6 A.M., following day. Portland Place-an additional constable from 10 P.M. to 6 A.M.
E-Holborn	Lower Regent Street and Portland Place-one additional constable from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M.; one ditto from 7 P.M. till 2 A.M.; two additional constables from 10 P.M. till 2 A.M., and a sergeant in plain clothes.
F-Covent Garden	Strand - a sergeant, and occasionally constables. Long Acre-a constable frequently.
H-Whitechapel	St. George‘s Street and High Street, Whitechapel-a constable, and a short beat, each place.
L—Lambeth	Waterloo Road, Herbert‘s Buildings, and Granby Street-an additional sergeant and two constables patrolling.
S-Hampstead	Regent‘s Park-an additional constable to patrol. Primrose Hill-twoadditional constables for eight hours after Park constables go off duty.

COMPARATIVE RETURN of the NUMBER of PROSTITUTES known to the Police, at four different periods, within the last seventeen years

Division and Local Name	In	In	In	In
	1841	1850	1857	1858
A or Whitehall
B or Westminster		660	524	469
C or St James‘s		390	318	208
D or St Marylebone		429	526	428
E or Holborn		461	546	511
F or Covent Garden		698	480	428
G or Finsbury		320	349	225
H or Whitechapel		474	1803	811
K or Stepney		827	965	1015
L or Lambeth		854	802	657
M or Southwark		531	667	661
N or Islington		457	445	441
P or Camberwell		152	228	222
R or Greenwich		288	401	570
S or Hampstead		216	231	331
T or Kensington		92	106	97
V or Wandsworth		157	209	187
Totals	6598	7006	8600	7261
NOTE -The total number only for 1841 can now be given.

     These are the only statistics relative to prostitution that I have been able to procure - indeed I may almost say they are the only ones procurable; and for them I am indebted to the courtesy of the authorities at Whitehall, who, during my researches, have most kindly afforded me every facility that I could wish for.
     I dare say that few things contribute so much to the spread of immorality as the sale of indecent and obscene prints and books, which were until lately so widely disseminated over the country by bookhawkers and the filthy traders of Holywell Street. Even now this trade is not entirely suppressed, although the police restrictions are rigorous, and the punishments awarded severe.
     Selling obscene prints and exposing for sale:-

In the year	1850	1
"	1851	4
"	1852	0
"	1853	0
"	1854	1
"	1855	0
"	1856	5
"	1857	4
"	1858	0
"	1859	3
"	1860	4
22

     Recently a man called Dugdale, who has grown grey in this disgusting occupation, was brought before a magistrate for selling obscene prints, and also sending some to customers in the country. The magistrate committed him for trial, when he was sent to prison for two years.
     It is always more or less interesting to know the extent of instruction among criminals, and with that idea in view I have put together the annexed table, in which I have included all the offences that bear directly and remotely upon the subject I am treating.
     As regards the man Dugdale, and the sale of immoral publications, obscene prints, &c., a long account of the prisoner's antecedents was given in the newspaper reports. He had been engaged in this infamous and diabolical traffic nearly forty years, and had spent a great number of them in prison at various times; tons weight of obscene books, pictures, and plates had been seized upon his premises, and he was well known to be the principal instrument for the dissemination of this sort of pollution all over the country. The prosecution was instituted by the meritorious Society for the Suppression of Vice. The judge made a few brief but impressive observations upon the inconceivable enormity of the prisoner's offence, and the whole course of his life, which he said had been one of vice, wickedness, infamy, and villainy, the real extent of which words would fail to describe. From the records of public proceedings for years past the Court had a knowledge of the prisoner's previous history, and it would be a waste of words and the public time to say any thing further to such a person. He was liable to three years' hard-labour, but, considering his age, the Court would refrain from going to extremity, but in the discharge of their duty to society and the rising generation they felt bound to pass upon him a severe sentence, which was that he be kept to hard labour for two years.

Table showing the degree of instruction of the persons taken into custody during a period of ten years - 1850 to 1860 Offences	Years	Total	Neither Read nor Write	Read only, or Read and Write imperfectly	Read and Write well	Superior Instruction
Concealing births of their infants	From 1850 to 1860	167	28	124	15	-
Feloniously attempting to procure abortion		9	-	3	4	2
Rape		324	44	226	97	1
Disorderly Prostitutes		41,914	10,134	30,921	784	75
Indecently exposing the person		1,155	129	785	212	26
Keeping common Brothels		143	22	81	40	-
Selling and exposing obscene prints for sale		22	-	16	6	-

       Whilst I am dilating upon statistics it may not be inappropriate to refer to certain figures and facts relating to the Midnight Meeting movement.
     By the courtesy of Mr. Theophilus Smith, secretary to the Midnight Meeting movement, I have been furnished with the general statistical results.
     20 meetings have been held.
     4,000 friendless young women heard the gospel.
     23,000 Scripture cards, books, tracts, and Mr. Noel‘s address at the second meeting circulated.

89	females restored to friends
75	placed in service
81	in homes
1	set up in business
2	emigrated
6	married
1	sent to France
1	to Holland
1	to New-York
30	left homes after a short residence
287

Of this number (287) very many (upwards of thirty) have given evidence of a change of heart.

56	restored at	Liverpool
50	”	Manchester
130	”	Edinburgh
30	”	Dundee
35	”	Dublin
17	”	Cardiff
10	”	Ramsgate
358

     A total of 645, besides a large number who through the influence of the movement have given up a life of sin, and sought a way of escape for themselves. The committee have heard of many.
     I append a list of the metropolitan homes and refuges.
    1. British Penitent Female Refuge. Cambridge Heath, Hackney, N.E.
2. Female Temporary Home. 218, Marylebone Road, N.W.
3. Guardian Society. 12, North side of Bethnal Green, N.E.
4. Home for Friendless Young Females of Good Character. 17, New Ormond Street, W.C.
5. Home for Penitent Females. White Lion Street, Islington, N.
6. Lock Asylum. Westbourne Green, Paddington.
7. London Diocesan Penitentiary. Park House, Highgate, N.
8. London Female Dormitory. 9, Abbey Road, St. John's Wood.
9. London Female Penitentiary. 166, Pentonville Road, N.
10. London Female Preventive and Reformatory Institution. 200, Euston Road, N.W., and 18, Cornwall Place, Holloway Road, N.
11. London Society for Protection of Young Females. Asylum, Tottenham, N.; Office, 28, New Broad Street, E.C.
12. Magdalen Hospital. 115, Blackfriars Road, S.
13. Refuge for the Destitute. Manor House, Dalston, N.E.
14. Society for the Rescue of Young Women and Children. There are five homes; the office at 11, Poultry, E.C.
15. South London Institution.
16. St. Marylebone Female Protection Society. 157, Marylebone Road, N.W.
17. St. James' Home. Whetstone, Finchley Common, W.
18. Trinity Home. 9, Portland Road, Portland Place, W.
19. Westminster Female Refuge. 44, Vincent Square, S.W.

From February 1860 to February 1861, by contributions and collections the Society, it appears from the balance-sheet, received 2,924l. 7s. 4d.

Traffic In Foreign Women

     ONE of the most disgraceful, horrible and revolting practices (not even eclipsed by the slave-trade), carried on by Europeans is the importation of girls into England from foreign countries to swell the ranks of prostitution. It is only very recently that the attention of Mr. Tyrrwhit, at the Marlborough Police Court, was drawn to the subject by Mr. Dalbert, agent to the "Society for the Protection of Women and Children."
     It is asserted that women are imported from Belgium, and placed in houses of illfame, where they are compelled to support their keepers in luxury and idleness by the proceeds of their dishonour. One house in particular was mentioned in Marylebone; but the state of the law respecting brothels is so peculiar that great difficulty is experienced in extricating these unfortunate creatures from their dreadful position. If it were proved beyond the suspicion of a doubt, that they were detained against their will, the Habeas Corpus Act might be of service to their friends, but it appears they are so jealously guarded, that all attempts to get at them have hitherto proved futile, although there is every reason to believe that energetic measures will be taken by the above-mentioned Society to mitigate the evil and relieve the victims.
     As this traffic is clandestine, and conducted with the greatest caution, it is impossible to form any correct idea of its extent. There are numbers of foreign women about, but it is probable that many of them have come over here of their own free-will, and not upon false pretences or compulsion. One meets with French, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, and other women.
     The complaint made before the metropolitan magistrate a short while since was in favour of Belgian women. But the traffic is not confined to them alone. It would appear that the unfortunate creatures are deluded by all sorts of promises and cajolery, and when they arrive in this country are, in point of fact, imprisoned in certain houses of ill-fame, whose keepers derive considerable emolument from their durance. They are made to fetter themselves in some way or other to the trepanner, and they, in their simple-mindedness, consider their deed binding, and look upon themselves, until the delusion is dispelled, as thoroughly in the power of their keepers.
     English women are also taken to foreign parts by designing speculators. The English are known to congregate at Boulogne, at Havre, at Dieppe, at Ostend, and other places. It is considered lucrative by the keepers of bawdy-houses at these towns to maintain an efficient supply of English women for their resident countrymen: and though the supply is inadequate to the demand, great numbers of girls are decoyed every year, and placed in the "Maisons de passé," or "Maisons de joie," as they are sometimes called, where they are made to prostitute themselves. And by the farm of their persons enable their procurers to derive considerable profit.
     An Englishwoman told me how she was very nearly entrapped by a foreign woman.
     "I met an emissary of a French bawdyhouse," she said, "one night in the Haymarket, and, after conversing with her upon various subjects, she opened the matter she had in hand, and, after a little manœuvring and bush-beating, she asked me if I would not like to go over to France. She specified a town, which was Havre. 'You will get lots of money," she added, and further represented 'that I should have a very jolly time of it.' 'The money you make will be equally divided between yourself and the woman of the house, and when you have made as much as you want, you may come back to England and set up a café or nighthouse, where your old friends will be only too glad to come and see you. You will of course get lots of custom, and attain a better future than you can now possibly hope for. You ought to look upon me as the greatest friend you have, for I am putting a chance in your way that does not occur every day, I can tell you. If you value your own comfort, and think for a moment about your future, you cannot hesitate. I have an agreement in my pocket, duly drawn up by a solicitor, so you may rely upon its being all on the square, and if you sign this - '
     'To-night?' I asked.
     'Yes, immediately. If you sign this, I will supply you with some money to get what you want, and the day after tomorrow you shall sail for Havre. Madame ------ is a very nice sort of person, and will do all in her power to make you happy and comfortable, and indeed she will allow you to do exactly as you please.'
     Fortunately for herself my informant refused to avail herself of the flattering prospect so alluringly held out to her. The bait was tempting enough, but the fish was too wary.
     Now let us hear the recital of a girl who, at an early age, had been incarcerated in one of these "Maisons de passé." She is now in England, has been in a refuge, and by the authorities of the charity placed in an occupation which enables her to acquire a livelihood sufficient to allow her to live as she had, up to that time, been accustomed to. Her story I subjoin:-
     When I was sixteen years' old, my father, who kept a public-house in Bloomsbury, got into difficulties and became bankrupt. I had no mother, and my relations, such as they were, insisted upon my keeping myself in some way or other. This determination on their part thoroughly accorded with my own way of thinking, and I did not for an instant refuse to do so. It then became necessary to discover something by which I could support myself. Service suggested itself to me and my friends, and we set about finding out a situation that I could fill. They told me I was pretty, and as I had not been accustomed to do anything laborious, they thought I would make a very good lady's maid. I advertised in a morning paper, and received three answers to my advertisement. The first I went to did not answer my expectations, and the second was moderately good; but I resolved to go to the third, and see the nature of it before I came to any conclusion. Consequently I left the second open, and went to the third. It was addressed from a house in Bulstrode street, near Welbeck street. I was ushered into the house, and found a foreign lady waiting to receive me. She said she was going back to France, and wished for an English girl to accompany her, as she infinitely preferred English to French women. She offered me a high salary, and told me my duties would be light; in fact by comparing her statement of what I should have to do with that of the others I had visited, I found that it was more to my advantage to live with her than with them. So after a little consultation with myself, I determined to accept her offer. No sooner had I told her so than she said in a soft tone of voice -
     'Then, my dear, just be good enough to sign this agreement between us. It is merely a matter of form - nothing more, ma chère.' I asked her what it was about, and why it was necessary for me to sign any paper at all? She replied, 'Only for our mutual satisfaction. I wish you to remain with me for one year, as I shall not return to England until then. And if you hadn't some agreement with me, to bind you as it were to stay with me, why, mon Dieu! you might leave me directly - oh! c'est rien. You may sign without fear or trembling.' Hearing this explanation of the transaction, without reading over the paper which was written on half a sheet of foolscap, (for I did not wish to insult or offend her by so doing,) I wrote my name. She instantly seized the paper, held it to the fire for a moment or two to dry, and folding it up placed it in her pocket. She then requested me to be ready to leave London with her on the following Thursday, which allowed me two days to make my preparations and to take leave of my friends, which I did in very good spirits, as I thought I had a very fair prospect before me. It remained for what ensued to disabuse me of that idea.
     We left the St. Katherine's Docks in the steamer for Boulogne, and instead of going to an hotel, as I expected, we proceeded to a private house in the Rue N-- C--, near the Rue de l'Ecu. I have farther to tell you that three other young women accompanied us. One was a housemaid, one was a nursery governess, and the other a cook. I was introduced to them as people that I should have to associate with when we arrived at Madame's house. In fact they were represented to be part of the establishment; and they, poor things, fully believed they were, being as much deluded as myself. The house that Madame brought us to was roomy and commodious, and, as I afterwards discovered, well, if not elegantly, furnished. We were shown into very good bedrooms, much better than I expected would be allotted to servants; and when I mentioned this to Madame, and thanked her for her kindness and consideration, she replied with a smile:- 'Did I not tell you how well you would be treated? we do these things better in France than they do in England.' I thanked her again as she was going away, but she said, 'Tais toi, Tais toi,' and left me quite enchanted with her goodness.
     I need not expatiate on what subsequently ensued. It is easy to imagine the horrors that the poor girl had to undergo. With some difficulty she was conquered and had to submit to her fate. She did not know a word of the language, and was ignorant of the only method she could adopt to insure redress. But this she happily discovered in a somewhat singular manner. When her way of living had become intolerable to her, she determined to throw herself on the generosity of a young Englishman who was in the habit of frequenting the house she lived in, and who seemed to possess some sort of affection for her.
     She confessed her miserable position to him, and implored him to protect her or point out a means of safety. He at once replied, "The best thing you can do is to go to the British Consul and lay your case before him. He will in all probability send you back to your own country." It required little persuasion on her part to induce her friend to co-operate with her. The main thing to be managed was to escape from the house. This was next to impossible, as they were so carefully watched. But they were allowed occasionally, if they did not show any signs of discontent to go out for a walk in the town. The ramparts surrounding the "Haute Ville" were generally selected by this girl as her promenade, and when this privilege of walking out was allowed her, she was strictly enjoined not to neglect any opportunity that might offer itself. She arranged to meet her young friend there, and gave him notice of the day upon which she would be able to go out. If a girl who was so privileged chanced to meet a man known to the Bonne or attendant as a frequenter of the house, she retired to a convenient distance or went back altogether. The plot succeeded, the consul was appealed to and granted the girl a passport to return to England, also offering to supply her with money to pay her passage home. This necessity was obviated by the kindness of her young English friend, who generously gave her several pounds, and advised her to return at once to her friends.
     Arrived in England, she found her friends reluctant to believe the tale she told them, and found herself thrown on her own resources. Without a character, and with a mind very much disturbed, she found it difficult to do anything respectable, and at last had recourse to prostitution; - so difficult is it to come back to the right path when we have once strayed from it.
     Perhaps it is almost impossible to stop this traffic; but at any rate the infamous wretches who trade in it may be intimidated by publicity being given to their acts, and the indignation of the public being roused in consequence. What can we imagine more dreadful than kidnapping a confiding unsuspecting girl, in some cases we may say child, without exaggeration, for a girl of fifteen is not so very far removed from those who come within the provisions of the Bishop of Oxford's Act? I repeat, what can be more horrible than transporting a girl, as it were, by false representations from her native land to a country of strangers, and condemning her against her will to a life of the most revolting slavery and degradation, without her having been guilty of any offence against an individual or against the laws of the land?
     It is difficult to believe that there can be many persons engaged in this white slave trade, but it is undeniably true.
     It is not a question for the legislature; for what could Parliament do? The only way to decrease the iniquity is to widely disseminate the knowledge of the existence of such infamy, that those whom it most nearly concerns, may be put upon their guard, and thus be enabled to avoid falling into the trap so cunningly laid for them.
     Much praise is due to those benevolent societies who interest themselves in these matters, and especially to that which we have alluded to more than once - "The Society for the Protection of Women and Children," over which Lord Raynham presides.
     Much good may be done by this means, and much misery prevented. The mines of Siberia, with all their terrors, would be preferred - even with the knout in prospective - by these poor girls, were the alternative proffered them, to the wretched life they are decoyed into leading. For all their hopes are blasted, all their feelings crushed, their whole existence blighted, and their life rendered a misery to them instead of a blessing and a means of rational enjoyment.
     The idea of slavery of any kind is repulsive to the English mind; but when that slavery includes incarceration, and mental as well as physical subjection to the dominant power by whom that durance is imposed, it becomes doubly and trebly repugnant. If it were simply the deprivation of air and exercise, or even the performance of the most menial offices, it might be borne with some degree of resignation by the sufferer, however unmerited the punishment. But here we have a totally different case: no offence is committed by the victim, but rather by nature, for what is her fault, but being pretty and a woman? For this caprice of the genius of form who presided over her birth she is condemned to a life of misery, degradation, and despair; compelled to receive caresses that are hateful to her, she is at one moment the toy of senile sensuality, and at others of impetuous juvenility, both alike loathsome, both alike detestable. If blandishments disgust her, words of endearment only make her state of desolation more palpable; while profusions of regard serve to aggravate the poignancy of her grief, all around her is hollow, all artificial except her wretchedness.

NUMBER of DISORDERLY PROSTITUTES taken into Custody during the years 1850 to 1860, and their Trades