The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-08-14 00:00:00

MR POLAR RXPROITIOIVS.

Some dashes having been expressed as to the troth of
the reports of the Discovery Skips not baying found • pas-
sage to the earthward practicable, we can now state. that
Ibis is placed beyond a doubt, by • letter from Capt. Nairn,
at the whale-Asking ship Prisms; of Wales. Capt. Nairn
wiles, a date ebb 7th ult. that on the 10th of Jew its
tat.llo. 2, bespoke the Diecevery ships, and was informed,
that the highest latitude they had reached was x10.1!9. ; that
he then west ea board with his log-book, and leaned, that
they amid Sad no passage farther to the northward on the
west Disk of Spitsbergen. lie adds, that the 011ietes grate-
fully acknowledged his attention, the Princess of Wales be-
ing the Aest ship they had seen, and offered. I. the owlet
hautboise snatorre to supply him with any thing be might
east; led that when last seed, the ships were steering to S.W.
maximal:an, JULY O.
AN Kaglish ship Merrell from Greentard reports its hay-
peg met the Paler !Expedition near Spitsbergen. in latitude
72.24.; all the ernes I. grad health. Captain Kotzebue,
who is denbilees at present at Croustade, cuilkl only 'redo to
tia the aide if fiehriairs Straits where be was impeded
in his Smellier progress by an icy tinnier. lie could neither
double eve Stalatakoi, in Asia, nor the Icy Caps in
America.

The lad Noislaa awls ladled% that fres dieleoverirs
mark open thettptie, New Siberia is not • continent, loot a
pulpy a Ares large islands, which ext. nil as far ms this
Pie h degree. and as Hie other side of which is seen • sea of ire.
This eirroinstassee scans hi confirm lb, hypothesis, that
Owl/Aland hi only a large Wand, that the bay walled Balla
is apse no She North side. and that there is no continent
Nader the Pole. According to the Russian them', it also
appears, that the cows of Siberia hod hem placed a little
too much to the ',reheard.

Mr. KEAN, the oett,r, ■td Isis fellow.stravellee,
were nearly clashed tantalite ou their way to Geneva.
by the hresskissit down of their carriage on the Join
Mon 111 l mos. about two o'clock ism the toorsiing ; but
they had the Nutlet furtuur to reach is 'silage shout
two mars front the ►ltot where the accident took
plsceb and tt livrt they obtained a shelter.

PRISON DISCIPLINE.

Report of the Cemonneitter eras Sudety for the 1 t
of Primo Discipline, end for the Itrinresetion Juvenile
Offenden.
- - - - -

LO DOS, NAV 16. NIL

Various circumstance have lately cosibimed to
excite general attain. to the operation of one
criminal laws, sad the whole theory of crime and
punishment has usderguae repeated discussion.
Ansonia the calms Mitch have costributed to
produce this most important impression upea the
public mind, way ha castrated the estroanisoary
number of convictions sad examining ; the alarming
increase of cense. more especially amongst children
and youth of both sexes; the disoiseefal condition
of many of our gaols; the certainty that the moat de-
structive cantioeseeo. necessarily following from
the neglect .f proms discipline, may he prevented
by the adoption of • hater systems; the practica-
bility of such reforms being also demonstrated, not
only by campaigns with prisms in other countries,
hut by reference to some of oar yes places of con-
finement. where a persevering adherence to wise
intestine hos produced the most beneficial effects.
To these. in conjunction with ether ceases, may be
attributed the strong feeling which has pervaded
the public mind. and convinced almost every re-
flecting individual, that some exertions are am,-
any to overt the progress of evils so injurious to the
best interests of society.
These considerations, so interesting to every
member of the community who perceives their im-
portance to the protection of property, the refor-
mation of the guilty, and the future peace and
happiness of all, made an impression more 'Neu-
hotly strong upon the Committee of the Society
for inquiring into the causes of the increase of Ju-
venile Delinquency. In the discharge of the duties
intrusted to them by them by the Society, the in-
dividuals composing that Committee had very
many opportunities of observing the extent of the
evil, and the causes to which it was to be priori.
pally attributed. An intimate acquaiinsuce with
the practice. prevailing in many of the prisons, and
the rules adopted in some of the best regulated
gaols, as well ass knowledge of the consequences
resulting from neglect, enabled them to form •
judgment respecting those remedial measures which
careful deliberation, joined with experience, have
sheen) to be bolt practicable and efrwacious. They
deem it, therefore, • part of their ditty to make
known some of those oboervationv which appear
most important, with reference to the great ends
of all punishment where death is not inflicted.
Wherever the law has abused it less punishment
than death, it has manifestly two objects in view :
the repression of the offence, nod the reformation
of the offender. Little indeed as this latter object
may be specifically pointed at in our lamp, it must
nrce.sarily have come within the scope of the Le-
gislature; fur it is inseparably connected with the
prevention of crime, 4-onsuch as he who liar
once commenced a course of crime, will natu-
rally pursue that career, unless his habits and in-
clinations be corrected. To a certain degree,
fear of a repetition of the punishment may deter
him ; but fear is one only of the many motives
which actuate the !moan mind, and no wise
Government would wish to rely solely upon one
cause of prevention. whet, so many additional in-
ducemeuts to virtue may he secured. Besides,
when it is so notorious that the severest punish-
ments, even the inflictiuu of death, does not effectu-
ally deter others front the commission of the same
crimes ; when forgery is rapidly and hourly increas-
ing, notwithstanding the unprecedented number of
executions; it would be uuwiae to act upon the
supposition that any punishment would, by the ope-
ration of fear alone, deter the criminal from a per-
severance in his vicious courses. We must call to
our assistance, therefore, some additional safe.
guards; we must acquire dominion over the mind
of the offender, by combining with the fear of re.
peated punishment other, and. if possible, more
powerful motives. No one can be at a loss to per-
ceive that we have other means ready at hand ; hut
to what extent the frailty of our nature may allow
them to be efficacious, is beyond the reach of bus
turn penetration to discover. Obedience to the
laws can never be so well secured as by removing,
as far as possible, till inclination to violate them ; if
abhorrence or vice, and love of virtue, can be ex-
cited; if religious and moral principles can be esta-
blished ; •if sober and industrious habits can he
formed, society will have the utmost security which
the condition of our existence allows us to expect.
Every wise and benevolent government, every sins.
rat and humane individual, should strive to pro-
mote these great ends; and how far the present
system of our laws permits of beneficial exertions,
well deserves inquiry. Fortunately it is no longer
matter of speculation, whether such an undertaking
be practicable or not. Wherever the iittetnpt has
beeu made. whether in America, the Low Coon.
tries, or in England. with energy and perseverauce,
success has invariably followed. Mr. Buxton's
on Prison Discipline has given to the world
the most striking illustrations of this now admitted
truth ; and a perusal of that very interesting tract
will satisfy all, that the harvest is ready, and the
labourer only is wanting.

To frame such alterations in our criminal jun..
prudence as increased knowledge upon the subject,
and changes in the state of society. may require,
belongs to the Legislature ; it is for us to consider.
how far individual exertion cao co-operate with
parliaineidary enactments, and state regulations.
Where death or transportation is not the penalty of
crime, confinement, varying in duration, is the go.
neral punishment. The first inquiry will be, bow
far that confinement can be rendered salutary to
the individual, and beneficial to society ; nor is this
all, the condition of every individual shut up within
the confines of a prison, must necessarily be ins
chided its the investigation.