The National Register. — London, England, 1821-09-30 00:00:00

SOCIETY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRISON DISCIPLINE. The Committee of this benevolent, enlightened, and estimable ass; dation, have just published their third report. The public are already too well ac quainted with its character and objects, to require from us any account of its origin, or enumeration of its past philanthropic labours. We cannot, however, t'eny ourselves the gratification, and our remlers the tidvantage, of extracting some passages fron. the re-'. port before us. The first extract, after stating the attention paid to the new system, removes an objec tion often advanced by the enemies of the society. ' and the abhorrers of incarcerated " Turkey carpets," that the principles of tose benevolent persons tend ' to diminish the terrors of imprisonment, by render ing a prison a place of enjoyment, rather than of punishment. s. With sincere pleasure, the Committee report that daring the last year improvements in the eme.truction and a.anagrmeut of gaols have beet' piogressise, and that the ' mat:ism at, thrum:hoot the k iliceloni evince all earnest desite to amend those wi bin Iheirjlia dietiors. In the ' e ons , rnetien of 'dace. of ruchoemrnt, the gnat advan tage. of inspection become mote and more justly appre ciated. In most of the gaols erecting, or about to be erected, that impuriant object has eleititi eel considei ation —provi•ion has also In en made for an enlarged stale of clas•ification, and suitable AC(1)111111011,0 iOll provided for the iiitroductimi of vat hills litwitches of labour. In seve ral instanees, on the application of the magistracy, the Committee have, without delay, pre-paled plans. and surge-steel iniprovenieets in designs about to be adopted t and they have had the satisfaction to find, that their views have mp t w ith the cone'', rence of those 110 Ilan e favored them with their coutionitieations. " In many in loons, in %%Mel' tin %mitten regulations have hitherto been in force, Inlets, Selected ft um those observed iu the most approved eitols, have been adopted, and there prevails a strong IMAM!: in fivoni of the iitiroduction of employment. Licht and voluntary employ tin tits are pro. per for the entries', %%hem the law considers innocent, until proved to be putty ; bnt a broad and marked dis tinction should be observed in the ireatmeet of the con victed, on whom. in most, if not in all cases against pro p( ray. the personal penalties of hard labour and rigid dis cipline ought to be enforced. To idefliet them in the same &glee on all descsiptioos of offenders wool,' be impolitic and tiejled ; but both may, without difficulty, be adapted to the several classes of prisoners, from the temporary enrrection of the idle app' entire, to a severity secondary only to capital punishment. The efficacy of such a sass ten's of hard Menu on the 'Midi and habits of att offender li;14 not, even yet, been generally flied, or fully appreci ated, in this rountry ; but where the experiment has been feitly made, the benefits have been most striking. Few who have been subjected to this tpt cies of punishment regard impi 'swim( lit without terroi ; and the Committee cannot too all oitely tritium their opinion, that the law which now infliels it only tin certain classes of offenders, should be extended to other cases, to which it might be as justly applicable. In !lick !Omer Report, the Committee enumerated several it ades, which were suited to the employment of prisoners. On this subject great difficulties impede the isbe aof the warmest fiends fo prism: discipline. In the selection of a trade, piofi., howes er desirable, mast not be regarded as essential. The amendment of the prisoner ' is the object to lie aimed at, and if this can be attained, even at a peruniniy loss, it is wise policy to pnrsint it.— In support of this opiition, the Committee have nitwit pleasure in quoting the voidable les i illolly of that experi enced magistrate, Sir John Arland, w hie in his evidence before the gaol committee of the House of COilllllOllS, observes, ," Prison labour is the groundwork of all Un proven:mit, of getietal tranquillity, and hope of retie' Illa tion in a pi isonei's habits of lite and disposition of mind. Give a prisoner art ion by labour awl employment, amid it ill give him a determined aii cello') towards a better ay stem of Pie: imlustrions habits ntnst be created, be the expense what it Ilidy, and the mural • Sects produced will c pensate for all mum gaited loss that may be sustained." " 'the spirt with which exertions have been main to Introdnee labour into pelmets has been highly gratifying ; lied in the manufacturing counties, whi re there are fewer tbfficulties in this respect. than iti other districts, the employment of pi Ise:niers has been can led on at consider able piotit " The following picture of the results of enlightened seal and well directed charity cannot tin' to interest the feelings of every man eche desires the reforma tion and improvement of the ignorant and criminal portion of his fellow creatures:— " In tout pi hams, the to eel ion of the prisoners in read ing and writing has bes n attended with excellent • Vets.— Schools have been fot med at Be diced, Durham, Chelmsford, - incisester. Hereford, Maidstone, Leicester House or Cur rection, Shrewsbury, Watwark, Wm enter, &c. Much sta inable ;assistance has ore., derived its Iles department bum the labours of respectable iadisiduals, eSpCcially females, itelia,4 white the 'auction of the magistriett s and detecta.iu n. tie chaplain. Tiler are, indeed, many mutters in aluck the Ititerests of the pt is, tier ate Heat ) connected, which Ilthutrgli Incapable of being made the *Were, of direct legistation, are of considerable imp“rtanet —works of usefol..ess, 11l which Hee magistrate', Chaplain, ur g. seen. r cannot be' exp. cted to engage ; but the per mei:lure or which u V isitio,; As.oeste. lion nogla he rentleii d 1.1011 . 1 lit lietiCial, No tine Will dis pute the hem lit of such labour-, who has a ithessed the admirable exertions of fells. Fey and Der benevolent &stockist% is The Lillie s' Cenimittet. visiting Newgute and the Berough Compter have ettutinued to devote themselves to ie. hop rat% emeriti of she temate pus ms iu a spirit worthy of teeir enlightened zeal mat Cite owns clues ity. "f he beneficial *Teets of their exea totes base heel' esteem' by the progaessive decrease in the mom.. u of female pti,nuns re-committed, which I as dimmishud since u.r visits of the Ladies to New. gate no letal than 44) per f DIICII lahalli cannot he ono testily nowt t Oiled t but !lane to ho hate oat) w ithessed the uffieleutiog core and jtidierl,l,s toralgeuleots of the A,.,. cwt . w lash) the maul, can turna but an ivade guide concep ton of the exit eit aed ;asstduilr tit tile exertion+ of those lattice. Female coevicts einnat - knig for New South Wales are fo nt-bed tly the Ladle, all w ith the menus of emplu)tulad, and ul I illslitSChtlll, Oil the THE NATIONAL REGISTER voynze; and such a system has been established as is best calculated to promote good during the passage. Nut a ter• Bel now departs for New smooth Wales with female convicts, but cab rims to that divtant shore abundant 'milks of the un• wearied efforts of these ladies to reform the character and plies bite the miseries of the female criminal. Nor are their 'mentions tutu lieu to those under Frntence of the Females who are ilischat.itd from Newgate, destitute, but disposed to return to the paths of vitiue, are also objects of their kind solicitude. It is pleasing to find that the admi rable example of these ladies has been successfully followed, nut in this country alone, but on the Continent. At Bedfoid, Ply mouth, Laura: ter, Cis, bier, and' York, similar associations hove hem, formed ; ant! at Paris, Si. Petershorgh, Geneva, klemem, and Turin, ladies of distinguished rank hm.ve engaged ilhaldour in this interr.tiog work. The society, like the benevolent Howard, whose principles and zeal seem to guide and animate their labours, have not confined their exertions to Great Britain, but have endeavoured to diffuse informa mation on prison discipline and to incite to improve ment in prisons over the Continent. The following passage recounts the success of the spirit of ame lioration which they have awakened or encouraged: " It is grata, ill to observe, that the patriotic zeal in which the St. Petersburgh society originated continue: to animate its supporters. The several prisons in the llus-i.soo dominions are in u limn of i ',vest igation, and unpin taut itss po us metal In their management a. daily ints minced. Au anllli s y prison society has been formed at Cronsiasli, under the Imperial pals °nage ; and, f • the emineet chuesseters Alto are personally ess aged in its intnigeinent, much benefit is likely io result from its establishment. " In Sweden and Norway, the cause of pri-on discipline is is likely to pro-per. A respectable and intelligent pit)si clan, Dr. Ilolst, of Christiana, less been for some time past engaged in travelling on the Continent, and iu this country, under the auspices of the Swedish and N ors. egian Govern ments, for the put pose of collecting information relative to the management of prisons and hospithis. During his stay in this country, the Committee, at their weekly meeting;, were freequently favoured is ills the company of this gentle. man ; and from the great attention which lie paid to the objects of Isis mission, and the correct Tien s which he cit e' tamed on the subject of prison disciplines there is every reason to hope that Isis country will derive important bene fits tram his researches. " The Committee have lately received accounts of the pro ceedings of the Royal Society of France for the amelioration of prisons. Committees have liven formed for the purpose of drawing up instructions to the magistrates of that kingdom, and several reputts have been made by them. Under the unthority of the late Minister of the Interior, his Esrelleney the Duke de Cezes, a lass of questimis aas issued, in order to obtain returns of the sate of the prisons g and these returns have been embodied in a report fro n the Minister to the King, a hich also contains a detailed view of the law rela tive to prison discipline. The laws of France presume the existence of a variety of prisons, and enact tawny provisions which it is impossible m the present state of the buildings to execute. It is, bus eser, hoped, that as information no the subject of prison discipline, is extended, larger allowances will be made for the extension and iinprovement of the build ings, and that the ithenations will he made oil the bed prin ciples. " By a report of the Prefect of the department of the Seine, it appears that labour in the prisons under li.s jurisdiction has been considerably extruded. In France. as in sonic other countries, great assistance may be derived from the exertions of Les Seenrs de la Charlie, in vi icing anti contribming to the reformation of female prisoners. Several of the prisons in France have been visited by a valuable Alember of the Committee travelling through that kingdom; whose accounts in the appendix will be read with great interest. " In Switzerland, considerable exertions have b ee n made for the improveitteut of prisons. Being divided into I several cantons„many of them very small, and each having a separate government, that conntry is not it) a sititatioit in which much perfection of prison management is to be expected. The greatest desire, however, is manifested by all classes of society to ameliorate the prisons. " lit the canton of Bern, and in ilie Pays de Vain!, Dew prisons are to Le erected. At Geneva, atiso, a h0e... ! 0 1 correction is about to be built. 'Die Commit tee have cis deavoared to facilitate the objects by furnishing plans, and have given a promise of assistance to other cantons. " It occiirred to the gentleman to whom the Committee have alluded, that information on the subject of prisons was much requited on the Continent : lie therefore pub lished a pamphlet in Ft ench, entLled ' Ditties stations on the Prisons of Switzerland,' a Mt a translation of part of Mt. Iluxtou's work on Pusan Discipline, describing the well-arranged prisons of Ghent, Bury, exc. with the Re port ;lithe Ladies' Committee at Newgait. This tract has been extensively circulated, nut only lei So iizetland, bat throughout France and Italy. " There is great reason to hope that efforts will shortly he made to ameliorate the prisons in the dominions of the King of Sardinia. A co 11111 l h , SiOll has been given to inves tigate the state of these gaols to Comte d'A echo, a noble man wipe has the improvement of the criminal very warmly at heart. In the ptttout at 'rutin, where the prisoners acre crowded, exposed to the excesses of heat and cold, without allowance of clothes, or the means of employment, and where one third of the number were on the wick a lady of tank, urged Ly the example of a distinguiMeti female in this country, was found labouring alias, giving work, and prodding dollies for the prisoners, 'Hosting theist a portion of their earnings till they lett the prison, n l i ll istering to their bodily wants, and extending to them the comforts of "The Commits, e have been honoured by a communica tion from the Kiug of NVoitemberg, which affords suiting reason to hope that the state of the prisons in his dominions has attracted such notice as will speedily lead to the adoption of material improvements." The following extract, with which we reluctantly conclude, presents at once grounds for congratula tion, subjects for censure, and incitements to exer tion:— " The labours of the legislatnre—the disposition of the nui- 4 ihtracy—the public 'merest aide+ the subject conti nues to excite—the actual introduction of improvements in the coustrinction and discipline of vat boos gaols—the the diffusion of information, and the amendment of prisons in fog den couutries--pt use that the cause is steadily advancing. " But although the. considerations is highly enema. I raging, there is y et truvu to accomplish iu this wink of national improvement. So extensive are the defects of classitieation, that in thirty gaols constructed for the con finement of V,915 prisoners, these were, at one time in the last year, no liwer than 8,537 prisoners; amid the whole number imprisoned in those gaols, during that period, amounted to Yt3,703. There are yet prisons where idle and its attendant evils reign mtrestrained—a here the sexes are not separated—where all distinctions of crime are couromided—whete few can enter, if nncors rnpted, without pollution ; and if guilty, without inem. ring deeper stains of criminality. Theme are yet prisons which iective not the pious visits of a Christian minister —which the light of knowledge never enters—and where the truths and C011%014601/3 of the Gospel are never heard. There are yet gaols where, for the lit entity II the prison • err, utensil' e ale resorted to, as revolting to Moist, feel. Mg as they are repugnant to the spirit and letter of English law. A more trepient gaol delivery throughout thi• kingdom—the abolition of borough gaols incapable of material improvement—and prompt measures for arrest. Mg the progress, and promoting the reformation, of the crinuhmal youth in the metropolis—ale objects which earnestly require the early consiJeration of his Majesty's Government." PRESERVATION OF ATHENS. It is with no common feelings of national pride that we insert the following document, so truly worthy of our country, and so highly honourable to her representative, Lord Strangtiird. Of the cha racter of that noble Lord, we have heard many ad mirable traits; but his fine taste for literatute, his love of the arts, and Ills devotion to science, were never more brilliantly illustrated than by this act which was anxiously performed, and which, we have every reason to believe : has :Lone saved the most in teresting vestiges of antiquity in Gree,:e froat utter destruction. coNsrmvriNOPLE, AUG. Vt.—Letter from his Ilittline‘s the Grand Vizier, to the Governor General of the MuLl'4, and to tile Commander of the Turkish troops beftne Athens. . . " Lord Viscount Strangford, the i'.nglish .lolhassailor to the Sublime Porte, having learnt that the Gummi, troops (may victory always attend them !) are on their march, to deliver Athens from the rebels who lia% e taken possession of ii, lie has presented an official note, signed with his respectable name, in which he signifies, that it would be highly agreeable to his Majesty the King of Great Britain, it orders were given for the protection and preservation of the ancient edifices and temples, and other ornaments of antiquity which are in the ancient rity amid the environs of Athens, and which have always been so highly interesting to the learned of Europe 66 Now, as his Britannic Majesty is so toll of friendship towards the Sublime Porte, and the cordial attachment and confidence between the two Giver tits daily in crease, and of the temples and other antiquities of Athens have always excited the admiration of LillaiilC, it is be coming the dignity of the Sublime Porte to sores for the preservation of those remarkable objects, and also for the purpose of doing what may be agreeable to the King of England, and to his .:tinbassador, our guud tend. " We therefore call upon yon, by your prudent zeal, and by this application of your authority, to bowie the ne cessary orders to all whom it concerns, that the ancient editices io Athen,, and the vicinity, may be pre.erved un injured ; that no damage may be dour to them, and that no complaints may be made to us by our friend the Am bassador, or by others, that our commands have not been punctually obeyed." BANK OF RIO DE JANEIRO. EATRACT OF A LETTER DATED RIO DE JANEIRO, •110. 4. " You %ill learn by this conveyance sad accounts of the Rio tie Janeiro IS .i.k, further detilleatiolli Navin: been (1.11 covered, by Itich it appears thia hot only the ditecturs out the inferior officers have had a •hare in the plunder of the e•tah kliment. 'l • he principal ett.laier absconded a few cloy • dty • ago; night created Muth confusion, and In, Bank stop..nded its payments fur three day•, TIT. On 11ie24111, Alta, and Slst ult. •' Tile report of Ibis stoppage w ill doubtless produce alai in and is nt ut enniidetice uh your side ; and indeed the b.tals has lora so long Ul•udmiuislered, taut coutidenue stout be restored, our tan btoiness t hut ouglify revive mita a ❑ew r • tent be adopted. " Prinr in opening the bank on tiie I•t iu•laut, a r.oti. wrs Ivrea that in future no pity mews ould be wad.• in si,. iu x r hinge for notes, beplial the a.iioulit ut I,io Faille:,• in in 1000, and of 4* in 20; inlet mediate sunis ill pto t ,urnn Silver is at a premium of 4 to :3 per cent.; ;;uhl touts li pe t cent. • Until the flee resumption of cash payments tu Ise plat e, we canontexpect the exchange to Har t at the enitie time .t 611J1,fileilit) to the commercial intei vets to know, that t!te resources of this country are quite adequate to re,tai e eouti,lence, if properly conducted : all that she requires ti "in Linage is a temptottry loan to pay off the present bat:K nott b, and liquidate the a hole of its concerns.' The Goven.ment have ordered all the telegraph!: between the Admiralty and the out-ports of Ert l :- land to be put in perfect repair.. The old manner of communicating is laid aside, the new mode being considered infinitely more expeditious and compre hensive. By the change of system the question given ut the home station will only be known to the offictr who presents it, and to him who lust receives it at the distant port. All persons intermediately em ployed will only have to make the fac-simile of the first signal and the returns, which may be received in fifteen minutes, at the distance of seventy-two miles, if the weather be favourable, The workmen arc busily employed at the Admiralty, at West spare, and other places. It is conjectured this . repair is for the more speedy co mmunication of intelligence during his Majesty's absence on the Continent. r '1 i