The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-23 00:00:00

say sass, .odd venture to enter the port, a boat was seen
to approapproach..&h „,:." torn sada, the bowsprit carried away, c.sd
its Kii.-uni„,...gonble. Every one gave up the vessel as
lost, and so certain was that belief, that for some time not
even a pilot offered to put off to its assistance ; and when at
tenons did propene to g 0 on condition of receiving an in-
demnity, the captain of the port refused to permit him to
venture. At length the Feu!, a Brighton steamer, left the
port, sad went as near to u:e distressed vessel as possible.
When within reach of it one :of the sailors of the Fame,
named Pope, leaped on the vessel, At the imminent risk of
kis life, and attached a rope to it. After two hours' exertions,
the Fame succeeded in towing the boat into the port. The
spectators raised a subscription for Pope, and another to
waist the unfortunate persons on board the boat. The latter
were four in number, two of whom were nearly half dead
with fatigne.
ITALY.—VENtne, SEPT. 15.—The ninth Italian
seissatific congress held its first sitting on the 13th instant.
lady in the morning high mass was celebrated in the pa-
trierehal church of Saint Mark, by the cardinal patriarch.
The assembly then met in the saloon of the grand council,
restored for the occasion to its pristine magnificence, in the
farmer palace of the doges. The viceroy, has sons, the Arch-
duke Frederic, vice-admiral, the civil, military, and eccle-
siastical authorities, and an immense concourse of people,
attended the sitting. Count Giovanelb, president general,
made the opening speech, in which he proved the utility of
scientific congresses. The next day he proceeded to the
nomination of tha chairmen and secretaries of the different
sections. The Prince of Canino, who had just returned
from Rome, was named president of the section of zoology
and comparative anatomy.
DUCHY OF NASSAU.—GREAT NASSAU TUNNEL.
—The great tunnel through the mountain on which stands
the town of Weilbung, in the Duchy of Nassau, formed for
improving the bed of the Lahn, has just been terminated
after five years' continuous labour. The waters of the Lahn
were to be let into the tunnel on the 12th, and 2,000 gas
lamps were to be lighted, and alwaya kept burning. The
formal inauguration of the gigantic work is to take place on
Ott. 15.
BAVARlA.—Mmvicrv, SEPT. 15.—The King of
Prussia arrived in this capital on the 14th, on his return from
Italy and Tyrol. lie alighted at the hotel of the Baron of Bern-
storf, ambassador of Prussia to Bavaria. He started next day
for Donanwerth by • special train, and intends going, by
Wurtzburg and Aschafferburg, to the Rhine, where he will
pass a review. Prince Charles of Bavaria was to meet him
in the following week at Coblentz. In the ensuing week
Prince Luitpold, as plenipotentiary of the King of Bavaria,
will preside at the opening of the assembly of the states, in
the usual form.
RUSSIAN PROVINCES.—WARSAW, SEPT. 12.
It is said the cholera has declared itself at Kieff, and ad-
vances rapidly towards the west. The consternation is
general in this town. A few days back the Prince of War-
saw held a conference with several physicians of the capital,
to take into consideration the measures proper to be adopted
lin such sad circumstances. Orders have been issued for the
hospitals to be immediately got ready. The soldiers hare
received warmer clothing. The camp formed in the environs
of the town has been atruck. The Czar, who had begun his
journey of inspection, repaired to Kieff the instant he heard
I the cholera had appeared there. He is expected at Warsaw
about the middle of next month. The typhus is also raging
in the kingdom of Poland, and carries off whole families.
This scourge is attributed to the bad food of the inhabitants.
GREECE.—ATHENS, SEPT. 6.—The government
has asked the English cabinet to grant • delay for the pay-
ment of the half-yearly interest of the loan doe in
September. The refusal of M. Rothschild to accept M.
Eynard's bill was merely owing to a matter of form. M.
Eynard having requested the assent of the Chambers to this
loan, they will, no doubt, grant it.—Augsburg Gluette.

THE PENITENTIARY CONGRESS.

FIRST DAY.
(Continued from yesterday's Express.)
BRUSSELS, SEPT. 20.-0. SUX,ISR, Esq., of Boston, wet
next called upon, and spoke in French. After apologising
for what he called his temerity in venturing to address such
an assembly in a language not his own, he said-1 have, how-
ever, but few words to say. The documents which I hold in
my hand, and which are the reports from serious prisons
to America, will speak fur me, and will offer to this congress
what is far better than any discourse or any individual opi.
nion—the stern eloquence of facto. The members who will
examine these reports will find that, if the system of sepe.
rate seclusion which they recognised at the last reunion at
Frankfort, as being the most fit to accomplish the various
objects of imprisonment, has not made great progress during
the past year in the United States, its rival system, that of
Auburn, with its rigorous silence, has at least lost many of
its adherents, and, in some states, been practically aban-
doned. In the state of New York, which gave birth to this
eystem, a new penitentiary was erected some two years
since, in which communications are permitted among the
prisoners. In Maryland these communications are almost con-
stant ; and in the state prison of Massachusetts not only is
occasional conversation allowed, but a society has been
formed among the prisoners-4 sort of academy, in
short, for the discussion of moral and political questions.
Whether these reunions, with the opportunity which they
must necessarily present for corrupting communications, are
a proof of progre's in prison diezipline, I shall not undertake
to determine. One is glad, however, to find that, at almost
any
.price, the Auburn system, maintained as it has been by
unishments so cruel and so disgraceful to humanity, is re-
laxed
and abandoned by so many of its former champions.
(Cheers.) Among the papers which I depose on the bureau,
is the 18th Report of the Inspectors of the Penitentiary of
Philadelphia. These inspectors are honourable and inde-
pendent citizens, who perform conscientiously the duty en-
trusted to them by the state. Their evidence, united to that
of the chaplain and surgeon, serves to confirm the happy re•
stilts already acquired from the experience of this prison.
The surgeon, Dr. Given, a gentleman not unknown to seve-
ral members of this congress, declares that—" Having com-
pleted a residence of two and a half years within the walls
of the Eastern Penitentiary, and during that period devoted
himself to the observatioo of its effects on the health of its
inmates, he does not hesitate to declare that the separate ris-
tem of imprisonment, when properly administered, is st
once the most humane and enlightened, and as safe as any in
use, ea it regards the well-being of the minds and bodies of
the individuals subjected to its discipline." Another ia-
wtant fact to be drawn front this report is, that the num-
ber of re-committals is constantly diminishing. In leg,
there were 11, one of which was for the second time. In 1846
there were four only ; and for the years, 1844, 1845, 1546, no
emend reoommittals have occurred. The diminution in the
years is from a proportion of 8 4.5-100 per cent. tel 3 25-100
per cent. The report of the inspectors of the New Jersey
State Prison, also on the eeparate system, is equally ado
factory. The good health and the excellent discipline of the
prison are shown by the almost total absence of sickness and
of punishment. Only one death had occurred in 1816, inn
total of 244 convicts. Another fact connected with this
prison, as ate awn in the inspectors' report, is "its net gal
during the year ending Dec. 31, 1846, after deducting the
support of the prisoners, amounting to 5,500 d 01.." The eir-
eumstance will be regarded as but of secondary importance
by those who do not consider it the duty of a state to 'Pecs'
late upon its crime. As the superior pecuniary profits of the
Auburn prisons have sometimes, however, been cited a
proofs of their superiority, it is well, perhaps, to show those
who are willing to avail therneelves of such an &quaint
the unstable grounds on which they stud. Meal
Another document which I 'present to the congress is the
third report of the Prison Association of New York; &docu-
ment to which I cannot invite with too much mammas
the serious attention of the congress. Since the publication
of the " Introduction to the Penal Code," of Edward
Livingston, nothing so important as this concerning questioes
of penal legislation and reform has issued from the United
States. It is the work of men of conscience and of talent,
who have known how to rise superior to those party
and sectional feelings which so often prevent, for a time, tat
recognition of truth. There arc some passages in this volume
of such importance, touching the questions before the tea'
grew, that I shall ask permission to read one or two. The
charge so often repested against the Philadelphia prism
the separate system generally, of producing inanity, is
known to the gentlemen who compose this assembly: they
know, also, that it has been presented in strong coleus. alsd
that comparative tables have been made of the insmity
at
Philadelphia and in the Auburn prisons. It now appeeM
that the nninhers whichlormed the basis of this °prepense,.
have been incorrect ; and that a far greater amount of bus-
nity has been produced in the Auburn prisons than he
authors of those tables have acknowledged. I find (p. 941.
ha the report of the inspectors of the Auburn prisons,
report is signed by Judge Edmonds and Dr. Russ, gentle-
men whose names are guarantees, the following usage
" In passing through the institution, we were struck ma
the large number of persons labouring under partial inausith
whose cases seemed entirely to hare tsoaped the nonce of
the physician. Some few of the most excitable were, ws
understood, under treatment." And grn, in their 1.P.4
upon the general question of prison discipline, they datl!.'.,
" The experience of another year, and the accuesalsosa we-
timony of all our prisons, tend to confirm us in the opisiee
ohrerAetuobfouremepixpanresesdof,
mthucathinmssorneityf
rinevenpristonsmiongmnathe ussep
shown by their reports. Another instance of an inane_
having been so severely whipped, that it caused bis das.
in a few days, has occurred. ' They speak also of t 194.:
ranee of the prisoners at Auburn, and attribute math of the
vice they detected there to the neglect to •proade
struetion. And here is developed another fact, that a Fr;
tion of that large revenue which the Auburnian directors Sa.
societies present as one:of the brilliant results of their tylleit
is due to the fact that little or nothing is l Theipearled
.prisoitttks
z for
nbtioonksue
~mAonralatitnetraptcttoioniso.
midst of society by imposing absolute silence
one of the strongest principles of our nature, ao.
cable in point of fact. .. To make lairs, Jeff:
violate the social order of our being, which are at 7
the law of our nature, and are impracticable in exerst!mif
to sustain a system by a refined species of torture, seiten.f....:
haps, to the walls of an inquisition, but not at all in awn
with the spirit of the age. • . All csprrienoe
that the impossibility of self-restraint in this par.e.m!...:
great that the certain effect of the law of silents gi
coa wwavicel
:behiarrimdipetisonthwelitoyp4rietinisipyamtpsenuettdoy;inatteschp,:irtirodflkiauls.dfs—siuththede
and violate it." And such is the judgment a
Auburn system, solemnly pronounced
of whom bad helped to create it : all
ei _l';
had bad the best opportunities for
practical operation, and severel of whom,
wthe.,thao.:7;
popularity as much as they seek the truth, au.
main"anohfandv.teehithiexedcputsairtessie,elrveeinincdotne. nthoc.Thf(eCoohpirefeeibiniornse.:al7:l;;;a:P7qU'rnauotio'lrdnagerosionotial:°Pudalthe-