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the countenance and support of the first charactersresiding in this quarter of the metropolis. Mr. Lancaster has received from me every counte-nance and protection in his laudable exertions, whichI could afford, either by advice or recommendation;and the result has been, that many of our philan-thropists, as well as some of our first nobility, havevisited him, and now afford him both their counte-nance and protection; and you will perceive from theinclosed advertisement, that he has attempted thegigantic task of teaching by his own efforts, no lessthan one thousand boys, with the assistance of monitors.I consider his system as a great and important dis-covery, favourable to the improvement of the risinggeneration, in habits of religion and morality; andI trust and hope, it will become universal all overGreat Britain, Ireland, and the United States; as ameans of ameliorating the state of society in futuretimes, and of diminishing the mass of crimes, andthe demand for punishment, among those who are tosucceed the adults of the present age, whose irregu-larities and turpitude cannot easily be kept withindue bounds. And it is a matter of no little regret,that where efforts are used upon proper and correctprinciples, for checking crimes and penal offences, that we find in America, as well as here, cabals, andindividuals disposed to place obstructions in the wayof the due and proper execution of every goodmeasure. I am very much concerned, (from your letter of the20th of June recently received,) that you have beencompelled to abandon the superintendence of yourexcellent institution of the New York state prison.I have no doubt, however, but the abuses, irregularities,and want of economy, which will result from this newand erroneous principle of management, will becomeso prominent and glaring in the view of the com-munity, as to produce that species of paramountinterference, which will bring back to the aid of this