The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-20 00:00:00

TALLOW.

The tallow trade is firmer to-day, and prices have
slightly improved. P.Y.C. ie qu,ted at 40s 6d to 40s 9d
per cwt. on the spot. Rough fat, 2i id per 81bs. Town
tallow, 3s 9d net cash.

Particulars. 1810. 1811 1812. 1863. 1 1864.
5263 a ',:, 525 32 to 4, s3d to 42592 t 0,4 s 6d to
Stock this day.... 24.058 56,188 35.349 37.430 4 1931
Price
53s 3d 47s Od —0 08 40s Od
Delivery 816 2,110 753 906
Ditto from J /une 1 6,224
-015 5,147 2,'?:35 2104
otYl. aCsi We et 531.58322
Arrivals last week 1,231 738 1,075 661
Ditto from June 1 4,018 2,012 2,184 j 1,921 1,321
Price of Town.... 53s 6d 528 Od 4, s3d 1 43s 9d 418 61

THE MANAGEMENT OF PRISONERS,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SIIN.
5, Child's-place, Temple Bar, June 16, 1864.
SIR,—Will you permit me to address you a few
_ _

lines on your leader of yesterday's date upon the
system of the management of prisoners and their
supervision ticket-of-leave men.
In your article it is assumed, and, iideed, it is
generally understood, that Sir Walter Crofton is the
originator of a system of supervision with which his
name is associated.

Now, sir, give this gentleman all the honour he
deserves, but you will admit that it is quite fair
that every person should have his due, and that it is
natural, after so many years
of labour, I should try,
at any rate, for what I conceive belongs to me, viz.,
originator of a system and
athpercinrecdipitleonf
obweirnegcotghne oiserid
as most important to the
community, and, therefore, I submit that when you
era in possession.of the facts,
You will concede the
credit to me of many y ears' priority of clearly lay.
ing before the public and ministers a practical
system upon the question.
In proof of having done so, I beg to state that I
drew up, for the Secretary of State, a system of con-
vict discipline, which was published in 1833 in Tas-
mania, where I was High Sheriff—that this work
was reviewed in England in June, 1849, in the
Eclectic .Reeietc, 'article the third, by some writer
who thought my principles might work well here—
that, failing to move the Government or any party,
I gave up the question as useless labour, though I
saw my opinions from time to time acted upon. But
in December, 1862, I had brought under my notice
the name of Sir Walter Crofton, on the occasion of
the Dean of Bristol introducing him to a meeting in
that city with the view of his addressing it upon the
punishment of criminals, and I addressed to the
Dean of Bristol, Dr. Elliot, the letter I take leave
herewith to enclose you a copy.

Leaving the affair for your consideration, and
fearing that I have trespassed too much upon your
space, I am, sir, your obedient servant,
TELOMAS BANISTER.

To the Rev. the Dean of Bristol (Dr. Elliot), on the occa
eion of his introducing Sir Walter Crofton to a meeting
at Bristol, in December, 1862, and a memorandum on
this, dated 6th January, 1863.
5, Child's-place, Temple
Dec. 26, 1862.
REV. STE,—In the Times of yesterday are reported the
proceedings of a meeting on the punishment of criminals.
At this meeting you are reported as taking the chair, and
introducing Sir Walter Crofton to the meeting.
* Whether Sir Walter Crofton was the founder of the
system of convict discipline with which his name is con-
nected, I cannot say, as 1 do not know the date when he
suggested it ; but I can say that I drew up a system which
was published in Tasmania in 1833, of which colony I was
High Sheriff several years.
My work was reviewed in June, 1849, in the 25th num-
ber of the Eclectic Review, article 111. The article was
entitled, " Ticket s of Leave in England : A Letter on Colo-
nial Labour, addressed to the Secretary of State for the
Colonies. By Thomas Banister, High Sheriff of Tasmania,
1833,"
canlnditabaisnrdev and I am sure you will be I
with me so many years ago as 1832 and 1833 in principle
justiew eynoouugvfhilltoseadmit, that a system originated
and details so like Sir Walter Crofton's that his looks very
like a copy of it.
My system aimed at, not the lunishment of prisoners, for
that the law decided, but their reformation under its sen-
tence carrying out the sentence strictly, though
humanely.
I submit, sir, that you will admit that not anything is
more difficult than to originate a system, and that not any-
thing is more easy than to throw off a theory, as the latter
a lively imagination and confidence will produce, whereas
the former requires varied experience of men with power
and originality of mind. It is not for me to say that I
possess the latter. 'Whether Sir Walter Crofton possesses
power or originality, or whether he has had varied experi-
ence, I know not ; or whether he ever saw my work, or the
review of it in the Eclectic, I cannot say; but certainly the
system he has credit for and claims is very similar to that
suggested by me,
I may add that I have from time to time pressed upon
the Government tho errors of their schemes in vain for
many years ; but as it was inaccessible to reason, I have
given the matter as labour in vain—satisfied that their
failure was only a question of time.—I have the honour to
be, Rev. Sir, your very obedient servant,
ThoalAs BANISTER.
Memorandum, 6th January, 1863,
If Sir Walter Crofton had seen my work, and did not
say so, and that he had adopted what he comprehended of
it, it is probable he would be too complete a diplomatist not
to keep it to himself.
It has been said that men who pirate a patent or an idea
or system generally break down in working them. The
reason is in complicated matters they are ignorant of the
principle or the patent or system, nor do they fully take in
the idea—hence their failures and blunders. Will this
apply in the matter under consideration?
In my letter to Dr Elliot it would appear that I gave him
credit too hastily. He had not the courtesy to even acknow-
ledge it. I have a right to presume that he received my
letter, as it was not returned to me through the Post-office,
and I suppose he considered it was not fitting for him to
say anything about the subject of my letter after his advo-
cacy of Sir Walter Crofton's system.
The cause of failure in England may, I think, be traced
to the system acted upon, and also upon the whereabouts of
the convicts not being known after they obtain their tickets
of leave, and the difficulty consequently of knowing with
certainty their proceedings, so that an opinion might be
formed whether they continued deserving of the indulgence
of a ticket of leave. Thus there can bo no check upon
them, or very little. NOw, they should be under the eye
of the police until their sentences were expired, and always
liable upon proof of a breach of the conditions on which
they had the privilege of a ticket of leave to be brought
back by the magistrates' order.
or weakness, to make a fuss about
they have forfeited their
by their sentence, and they pay the penalty of
free agency luyndloerlly;urveillance—
or free action,
Sir Walter Crofton's system may have worked better in
the fact of the great emigration from thence
Ireland from
theirthitr sibreesiien:gl
to America—where t2ie emigrant is received as an Irish-
man, without any questions being asked;
and, doubtless,
numbers of men from prisoDA left the country. Thus the
system of Sir Walter Crofton cannot fairly be considered
'ree from doubt.
Jan. 6, 1863.

TIDDIAS BANISTER.

Walter crofton's late publication that
see
fleay Sir Walter
issued in Ireland in 1856.
tic*kelts b

Recruiting for the Army.

TO TILE EDITOR OP THE SUN.

the
oitiTs recruitingohBuel suggested
g e
tg ihea oat teilhgdgerheelaryetrn:Cil your columns columns the real cause of the
clamour
Every iil just
devicenow
forab oguetttt
ihneg di tfi
rightmen-
one. Some time ago
mischief. Lot the Government do away at once and for
with 'the cat-o'-nine tails and the branding iron, and
ctie to
pointed iSeetrniY gl
there will be no dearth of recruits. The lash and the brand
may be necessary for the worst class of convicts, men who
are murderers at heart but too great cowards to strike the
tor the soldier, whom we style a hero, and who it the
guardinnation's highest honour and
bralocwst,ai
an
innd and
p otrotoa
important
ee
fbeiannstdeeedrretsootf thesh, etehdY an other punishment. But
the
cat
suitable. Abolish both and you will get plenty of recruits;
•:n them, and no inducements will tempt men to enlist.
the plain dictates of and the brand are not

rex._
Such am .

COMMON SENSB,

! s.t e
th
The Prince Imperial bavints- been per
workmisqed by h
the Emperor to make a choice among til
urchns
Exhibition of Living Artiste, has made his first p 9.
It is the "Wounded Drummer," by M. Armand D uniarewq,
young Prince.
ended April
thatcl has been bgeseint, tend on
In
the
ny
the four months
30 last the quantity of quicksilver imported intod
the
ast Unite
year
d
Kingdom was 1,195,4131 b. In the same perio of l
the supply did not exceed 358,0951 b., while in 1862 it was
not more than 82,7311b0