The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Nor am 1, for one, much afraid that a power of this kind,
however arbitrary, will be often abused. On the contrary,
I believe the danger lies on the other side. It is so repug-
nant to the spirit of our laws to condemn without a trial,
that an English Minister is under a much stronger tempta-
tion to withhold the exercise of such a power in cases where
it is justly demanded than to use it oppressively. I have
said that the working of the system has been, as I think,
exaggerated, both by its opponents and its admirers, for
evil and for good. For evil, because 1 feel certain that con-
victs who have now tickets of leave would have been
released unconditionally, after a detention not very much
greater than that to which they have been subjected under
the new system. And I ground this opinion on three im•
portant facts. Ist. On the growing impatience of revere
punishments evinced by the public. 2nd. On the usage
of liberating transports not sent abroad, long before their
terms of transportation have expired. To these two facts
have already adverted ; the third is, that the Legislature,
when it substituted penal servitude for transportation, very
much abridged the duration of the punishment. The real
evil with which we have to contend stands thus. So long
as we could impose our criminals on other communities,
we did not trouble ourselves to cultivate the science of
reformation, and now that this lazy and selfish resource
has failed us, we, in the stress of our difficulties, are com-
pelled suddenly to call upon the functionaries of our gaols
to perform a task demanding qualifications with which,
without a long previous training, it is unreasonable to ex•
pest them to be endowed, or at least in such full measure
as to insure success. Having weighed these circumstances,
you may perhaps arrive at the conclusion that no small
portion of the unpopularity which has fallen upon the new
system is produced by it having come into existence just
at the time when the country was beginning to suffer from
the augmented number of convicts, which the stoppage of
transportation had liberated at home, instead of their being
thrown into our colonial population as heretofore. The
disease, if I may so illustrate my meaning, results from the
obstruction of the accustomed outlet, namely, transporta-
tion ; but the remedy, the ticket-of-leave system, failing to
work a perfect cure, has been censured, as if it were the
cause of the malady. The reason why 1 think the system
has been over-estimated for good as well as for evil is,
because it applies only to a comparatively small class, and
because the evidence of reformation remains doubtful,
although I must admit much more cogent and applying to
a larger proportion of the licences than I had expected to
find it. And I make this admission without forgetting
that large subtractions may be required from the estimated
results. The estimate is that from eighty to ninety per
cent. of convicts discharged with tickets of leave are per-
manently reformed.

To the reformatory establishment at Mettray the
learned recorder bore the highest testimony :
There is, as you well know, an establishment, at
Mettray, in France, for the reformation of juvenile
offenders, which stands at the head of all reformatory in-
stitutions. Mettray enjoys every possible advantage. Its
founder and chief director, M. de Metz (who, by his
visit here last week, may be personally known to you), is a
man of unrivalled ability, long experience, and unexampled
devotion to his great enterprise; his institution has gra-
dually attained its present exalted height, by fifteen years
of enlightened administration, conducted with sedulous
care and assiduity. And yet even Mettray does not reclaim
a greater proportion of its inmates than ninety per cent.
Nevertheless ninety per cent. is to my mind a result so
wonderful that nothing short of the very searching investi-
gations which I have had the opportunity of making could
induce me to accept it as worthy of confidence ; and that
being so I must be permitted to receive the estimate of re-
formations effected among the ticket-of-leave men with
some doubt and misgiving, though with implicit reliance
on the sincerity with which it is promulgated. The truth
is, that permanent reformation demands years to test its
reality, and the system has not been in operation for a suffi-
cient length of time to furnish the required proof. The
probabilities certainly look the other way. Mettray deals
with young and plastic minds and bodies. It retains its
wards a long time, often for many years. None of them
leave Mettray until employment is procured for them.
Each is placed under the superintendence of some bene-
volent person residing in the neighbourhood of his master,
who watches over the youth with the care of a guardian.
Mettray is looked upon by those who have been its in-
mates as a home. It is a high gratification to them to
visit their colonee, as they are taught to call it. If they
have not failed in their duties they are always kindly wel-
comed, and should they through misfortune be thrown out
of work, they find hospitable reception at Mettray.
And in a few concluding sentences stated briefly but
clearly his admirable views upon the leading princi-
ples of the right system to be adopted for the re-
formation of criminals. With Mr. Recorder Hill the
lever of reformation is " industry." Nothing but
bard work and poor diet—he attacks the moral
through the physical—the weak point of criminals :
That quality which, of all others, it is most essential
should be acquired by the prisoner to insure him against
relapse is industry. We can measure the quantity of
labour and estimate its value, especially if it be of the
simpler kinds, with some approach to accuracy. Let, then,
an account be opened with each prisoner, placing to his
credit the value of his labour ; the real value, if productive
labour can be found ; an assumed value, or rather a value
upon an assumed scale, if his labour be not of a produc-
tive kind. Let him clearly understand that each day's
labour will tell upon his liberation. If large in quantity
and good in quality, it will materially advance him on his
way. On the other hand, if deficient in either of these at-
tributes, his progress will be retarded. But a distant future,
however bright—and no brighter prospect can open to the
eyes of a prisoner than that of liberty—will not suffice with-
out some hope of benefit nearer at band. Let the prisoner,
then, be allowed to expend a kart of his earnings in the

975

improvement of his diet. By acting on these principles we
shall have provided fur training hint in habits ut industry.
But although industry will, when he leaves his prison,
furnish hint with the means of honest maintenance, yet,
unless he has learnt the art of seltgovernineut, he will nut
be effectually protected against the temptations to fall back
into evil courses by, which he will be assailed. Let him,
then, be informed that every subtraction from the fund
created by his labour for the indulgent)* of his palate will,
like indolence, retard the hour of freedom. Thus he will
be taught economy. Other habits are very desirable, but
these are essential; and having explained how they may
be induced, I must not dwell on the means of reformation
at greater length. The principle that the convict
should be detained until by industry and good conduct be
has earned his right to be free was first enunciated by
Archbishop Wbateley ; but it was developed into a system,
and thus rendered capable of practical application, by Capt.
Alaconochie. May his services even yet, late though it be,
obtain for him some recognition from his country before the
day shall arrive when earthly recompense will avail hint
nothing.

THE ROEBUCK TESTIMONIAL promises to receive
extensive support in Bath. According to the Bath
Journal, a meeting of gentlemen had been held to
consider the best means of promoting the subscrip-
tions, and a resolution was unanimously adopted,
acknowledging the ability, zeal, and fidelity with
which Mr. Roebucks parliamentary career during
twenty-three years has been so eminently distin-
guished ; the great value of his independent services
to the country; and anticipating the pleasure with
which the electors and others of Bath will embrace
the opportunity of " contributing to a public testimo-
nial to be presented to him in recognition of his
great national services, and in commemoration of his
worth as a liberal, patriotic, and disinterested states-
man." . _ _

THE Inns, we see, not content with claiming
Pelissier, the projector of the attack on the Malakoff,
have claimed also M'Mahon, the actual captor of the
Russian fort. A Moriat Mac Mahon, it is avowed,
forfeited his estates on account of his fidelity to his
king and his religion during the revolution. His
grandson was naturalised in France in 1750, and
settled in Burgundy, where the family are possessed
of considerable property. The father of the present
general was born at Autun, served in the French
army, attained the raid( of lieut. general, and was
made Grand Cross of the Order of St. Louis.

STAG HOUNDS are to be introduced in Kent, in
consequence of there being too few foxes. Mr.
Waldo has been compelled to put down his pack of
fox hounds, and proposes to hunt the county with
stag hounds in lieu. The meets of these hounds will
extend from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells to the
kennel at Kuockholt. The Cheltenham Stag
Hounds commenced their hunting season yesterday,
when the first stag was uncarted about seven miles
from the old meet.

THE RUNNER GENARO, who backed himself to
outrun any number of horses for a given time, and
who was defeated at a match a few days since in
Paris, obtained a return match last Sunday at Long-
champs. The conditions of the race were, however,
changed, and very much in favour cf the man.
Instead of running equal distances, Genaro was only
required to make three turns round the course for
every four made by the horses, and he was allowed
to walk when he pleased, whereas any horse ceasing
for an instant to trot or gallop was to be deemed
distanced. Instead of the duration of the match
being indefinite, it was agreed that it should be
limited to seven hours. The start took place at ten
o'clock, eight horses starting, including Loto and
Old Ireland, the conquerors on the former occasion.
The l'aris papers characterise the whole affair as
exceedingly stupid, and express no surprise at
Genaro this time beating the horses. The value of
the stakes was 2,000 f.
A NEW ORGAN about to be erectedlat the Found-
ling, was tested on Monday at the factory of Messrs.
Bevington's, the builders. The organ is a very fine
one, and reflects credit upon the skill of the builders,
each manual extending from CC to C, with a set of
pedals of 21 octaves. The organ contains forty-fonr
sups in all, exclusive of five on the pedal, and five
on the pedal octave. The organ hitherto in use at
the Foundling was the one presented to the institu-
tion by Handel. The inside has been removed, and
the new organ, by the Messrs. Bevington, will be
placed in the original case.
A TOTAL. ECLIPSE of the moon is to take place on
the 25th of October. It will commence at tifty.three
minutes past five in the morning, will be totally
imr
mersed at thirty-three minutes past six, and at its
height at thirty-eight minutes past seven. The
moon will begin to emerge at twenty-eight minutes
past eight, and the eclipse will terminate at twenty-
three minutes past nine. We shall only see it par-
tially, as on that day the moon sets at thirty-three
minutes past six. The astronomers of Australia will
alone be able to watch its phases.
AN Enormous Vassar., bearing the name of Mala-
koff, and having the same proportions as the Napo-
leon, has Just been launched at Toulon.