_Whereas_, The increase of Juvenile Delinquency in all the large cities of our country, has claimed the attention of philanthropists; and _whereas_, the Board of Managers of the House of Refuge, Philadelphia, are desirous that errors in modes of training the young, and other causes co-operating to produce the evil referred to, may be presented in such a form as to claim the serious consideration of parents and guardians throughout the land; therefore, _Resolved_, That the Board of Managers do offer a premium of one hundred dollars for the best essay, and fifty dollars for that next in order of merit, to be awarded by a committee of literary gentlemen: _Provided_, that such essays shall not exceed fifty octavo pages in length, and shall be contributed before the first day of July, A. D. 1853; and whether successful or not in competition, shall be at the absolute disposal of the Board of Managers. In accordance with the above preamble and resolution, the premiums therein named are now offered, without restriction as to the residence of competitors. The Rt. Rev. Alonzo Potter, Frederick A. Packard, Esq., and Stephen Colwell, Esq., have consented to act as the Committee, to examine and adjudge as to the merits of the Essays offered in competition. Competitors for the above named premiums, will please address their manuscripts to "John Biddle, No. 6 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia;" and send therewith, their names and places of residence, under sealed envelopes. As the object of the Board of Managers of the House of Refuge in offering the above-named premiums, is mainly to call the attention of parents and guardians to errors in the prevalent modes of training the young--a subject which should claim the attention of every reader--the undersigned would call the attention of editors of newspapers generally, throughout the United States, to this advertisement, and ask the favor of an insertion of it, or of the more important parts of it, in the columns of their papers. By order of the Board of Managers of the House of Refuge. THOS. P. COPE, President of H. of R. JOHN BIDDLE, Secretary of H. of R. _Philadelphia, Feb. 17, 1853._ { Third page of cover. } _From the Episcopal Recorder._ This periodical gives a large amount of information on Prison Discipline, and cannot fail to interest such as grieve over the sufferings occasioned by crime, and regard the imprisoned criminal as still belonging to our common humanity, and needing the commiseration of the wise and good. _From the Public Ledger._ We have received the October number of the Pennsylvania Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy, published under the direction of the Philadelphia Society for alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons. It is stored with interesting matter.