The Sun.
London, England, 1822-06-04 00:00:00

PRISON; DISCIPLINE.

MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE IMPROVE-
MENT OF PRISON DISCIPLINE.
Yesterday the Anniversary Meeting of this Society was held
at the Freemasons' Tavern. . The great hall was a: an early
hour filled by a respectable assemblage : the majority of which,
amounting to nearly 1000, was composed of elegantly dressed
females : a large proportion were of the Society of Friends.
His Royal Highness the Duke of GLOUCESTER took the
Chair.
The Secretary read the report of the last year's proceedings
of the Committee, which commenced by congratulating the So-
ciety on the public interest which the subject of prison disci-
pline now excited, and that whatever difference existed as to the
expediency of particular plans, the subject of prison govern-
ment daily became more fully recognised, and justly appre-
ciated. It had, however, been contended, as the end of punish-
ment was to deter, that if the reformatory measures which the
Society recommended were even morally efficacious on the cri-
minal, they would be injurious to the community at large by
weakening the terrors of imprisonment, and rendering gaols de-
sirable habitations. The Committee would not in a report enter
into any lengthened refutation of those opinions at that op-'
portunity ' • but they declared they had been greatly misun-
derstood when it was supposed that they desired to- intro-
duce " comfort" into gaols. They had ever contended that cor-
rective discipline ought to be the leading feature in prison ma-
nagement; that the punishment of the offender must be the
first step, as well for his own interests as for an example to
others, and that he must,be made to feel that personal suf-
fering, as far as was consistent with humanity and the charac-
ter of his offence, would inevitably attend the violation of the
laws. But they were fully convinced that the. prevention of
crime could never be effected by the influence of fear'alone ;
and, in proof of this fact, they appealed to: the History of
every Christian and civilized country, and in no instance would
it be seen that unmixed severity of punishment had effect-
ed the suppression of crime. The system recommended by
the Society did not, as had been asserted,. operate to divest
punishment of its terrors, but it went to provide classifica-
tion to such an extent as to prevent that corrupt association
which was one of the strongest propensities of the 'vicious.—
The system steadily enforced hard labour, useful employmente
religious instruction, spare diet, occasional solitary confine-
ment, and habitual restraint. The Report contended, that this
system did not possess such powerful attractions as to render
the residence in a gaol the object of desire to the guilty ; and
the evidence of facts proved that these plans were held in per-
fect abhorrence by criminals of every description. The Report
proceeded to detail the alterations that had been effected in
many gaols, and the very extensive introduction of the ." disci=
pline mills" which had invariably confirmed the advantages of
that species of prison-labour, which, they felt persuaded, would
in future be regarded as indispensable in every house of cor-
rection. The Report then adverted to the Bill before Parlia-
ment for amending the prison laws, and spoke of the general
tenor and spirit of the measure as being in the highest degree
excellent, but said that the want of space and the imperfect
construction of a great number of goals would prevent it
being in every instance fully carried into execution. For a
measure so beneficial, however, the Committee felt that the
grateful thanks of the country were due to His Majesty's Go.
vernment, and they considered that its enactment would reflect
honour on the Legislature, the Magistracy, and the people of Eng-
land. A kindred spirit of benevolence has been excited on the
Continent ; and at Paris, Geneva, Berne, Turin, and St. Peters-
burg, and several towns In Russia, Ladies' Associations had been
formed in imitation of those in England, and with great success.
In Ireland the progress of prison improvement, the introduction
of education and labour in the gaols, had been extensive, and
productive of the best. effects. Gaol fees had been abolished
there. -In Spain general and important alterations had been
made, and the Cortes had enacted that no prisoners should
be confined in any subterranean apartments not visited by
the light of day, and that no chains should on any occasion
be used ;. and the. dark dreary and unventilated dungeons
of the Inquisition, with their chains and tortures, had
been destroyed and abolished. The Report concluded
some voluminous details by an appeal to the public for
support in their undertakings, and though their own country
Would have their first exertions, yet that they would but ill dis-
charge their duty as men and as christians, were they to confine
them to their own shores, and not endeavour to extend the
principles of justice and humanity to every nation which the
hand of Providence might enable them to reach.
Mr. BOOTLE WinunAHaat moved that the Report should
be received and printed.
Mr. F. BUXTON' seconded the motion, and entered into a
review of the state of prison discipline ten years ago, which
he described as a system which was calculated, by a speedy
and most effectual process, to make good men bad, and
bad men worse, and which turned out every inmate of
a gaol a more confirmed and skilful enemy of society
than when he went into it. If the object had been not
to increase but to diminish crime, there never could have
been a more preposterous system established to accom-
plish that object than that under which the prisons were
governed at that period. The merciful object of above twenty
Acts of Parliament was to reform the prisoner, and to prevent
the repetition of crime. What was the cause of the crime?
Evil company, it might be answered, and to effect a reform in
the morals of the criminal, the way adopted was to place him
in the midst of worse company than possibly could have
been collected together on the outside of the prison. Another
cause of crime was idleness; and to cure such a delinquent,
he was sentenced to nine or twelve months idleness amongst
men still more idle and corrupt than himself. Was it not
next to impossible that a prisone so placed should not
get more matured in iniquity, and"'increased in guilt, every
hour that he was surrounded by such idle and corrupting asso-
ciates, for in no situation was the spirit of proselytism more
fierce than in a gaol ? The Hon. Gentleman concluded by taking
a review of the progress that had been made by the Society,
which he congratulated, that their measures would be spread
abroad, and that with their principles they were likely to be
put in practice throughout the civilized world.
The Report, which' had been received with much applause,
was agreed to unanimously.
Lord SUFFIELD rose to move a resolution to the effect, that
the meeting denied that the system advocated by this Society
was one which tended to strip the gaol of its terrors ; and they as-
serted, that example proved that a well-regulated gaol. had no
attractions for the thief. His Lordship commenced by com-
plaining ofthe calumnies and misrepresentations which had been
heaped upon the measures of the Society, and he proceeded to
contend that their system of discipline was the best for obtaining
that great end—the prevention of crime. They admitted that
punishment was requisite for that purpose ; but their great rule,
which should never be forgotten,was, that the punishment should
be just enough w prevent a repetition of the offence, and no
further : all beyond that was unjustifiable. It was one great
object of the Society to take away all unwholesome circumstances
or regulations from gaols ; for what good could be obtained
by the infliction of the typhus fever or any other disease, on
criminals, by placing them under such circumstances as would
have such a tendency? Those who had objected that the Society
would give the inmates of gaols every comfort, excepting Tur-
key carpets, had objected in ignorance, and continued their op-
position in obstinacy. The Society wished, by a plan of unre-
lenting discipline, to deprive the prisoners of the comforts of
idleness by giving them hard work, and would deprive the de-
bauched and depraved of the comforts of depraved habits and
associations, by classification, and giving them active employ-
ment. His Lordship entered into a long and able defence of
the Society, from an attack made upon its principles in The
Edinburgh Review, which denied their criterion of the system,
the return of the number of prisoners, to be a true criterion,
and asserted, that though their system tended to reform the
individual, it failed in the great object of deterring others..
He denied that the system did fail in this object; but said
that from the small number of prisons in which the systeM had'
been introduced for any length of time, it was not possible
yet to offer any return in evidence ; and at present the Society
had to rely principally upon, the return of the number of re-
commitments, which we understood his Lordship to say were
the year before last at Brixton (as one instance) 190, and that.
during the presents ear they were only 80. The system set up
by the Reviewer, in opposition to the reformatory system Of the
Society, was one quite horrible. It was to deprive jails of all
happiness, and to make jails places which could only be re-
garded with affright. His Lordship denied that cruelty could in
any way operate beneficially upon prisoners.
The Hon. GREY BENNET seconded the motion in a long
speech, in which he instanced the Bristolgaol as one formed upon
the system that went to make prisons objects of horror. In this
gaol, which had long existed ID the disgrace of that town, the
prisoners were placed in tiers over each other, with three or
four beds one over the other, and the keeper had informed him,
that when lie opened the trap door to letsup the prisoners from
beneath, the stench which arose from the confined wretches was
such as could not for some minutes be borne. The prison itself
was under water, the cold in the subterranean apartments'
was extreme, and the general state of the prison such as to place
the prisoners in hourly and momentary torture. Was not the
infliction of the flirt and pain of such a system enough to deter
the prisoners from returning ? • Yet what was the fact ? The
returns of prisoners. was 40 per cent. Let the advocates of such
a system turn to the examples of the prisons conducted under
the improved refermatory discipline, and they would see that
the returns were only upon an. average three, four, and six
per cent.—The Resolution was carried unanimously.
After some further speeches from Mr. Coke of Norfolk, Lord
Nugent, Mr. Wilberforce, the Earl of Blesinton, Lord Cal-
thorpe, Mr. Randolph of the American Congress, Mr. Hoare,
and Dr.' Lushington, a series of Resolutions were adopted; and,
after thanks had been voted to the Royal Cnairman, the meet.
ing separated.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

AUGSBURGII, MAY Allgemainc Zei-
sung contains to-day the following article, dated
Odessa,. May .7 :--

" Letters from Constantinople of the 20th of April state that,
after a Declaration of the Reis Effendi, which seemed irreto::-
able, and according to which nothing could change the determi-
nation of the Ottoman. Cabinet, Lord Strangford made neWrei
tnonstrances, and obtained at length from the Reis Effendi.
verbal promise that the Sublime Porte would issue orderoo,
the evacuation of the Principalities.
" Reports from the frontiers, dated the sthr state that,
point of fact, the Asiatic troops had commenced their retrtt.;
but as it is the third time that a similar promise has been made►
several persons still doubt the reality of the evacuation.
uWe know now, with certainty, that the Ottoman Declari-
tion of the 20th Feb. had been sent back to Constantinople with
propositions more and more conciliatory ; thus, in the first oc^
!counts that arrive from St. Petersburgh, there will be nothil;
las to war with the Turks."

ST.TETEasnuaGn, 111.ty 10..—The Conventino
relative to the-Conveyance of the mails now COo-
icluded here between Russia and Prussia concerns
;the. future -corninuniCation: by post between
_Ole
two States and all other ,Cntmtries.. It is termi-
nated to the entire satisfaction of the Govern-
Ithents And subjects of both 'Powers, 'and by the
great .saying of time promises considerable ;ad-
vantages to merchants and others. According to;
the convention, 'the ' Prussian Government has
:established, 'besides the old mails from Berlin to
Memel and back, two others in a direct line for
the Russian correspondence, by which means
letteri' from. Russia, 'by Way of Prussia and Ber-
lin, to Hambuigh, Denmark, Holland, Switzer-.
land, England,---France, and Spain, will be dig-
.patched from • Berlin three days . earlier than
.hitherto.. Letters. from Russia for the Germs°
States beyond. Berlin will even be received from
Berlin four dayS earlier. This new regulation of
the posts takes place on- the-Ist of June. The
negociation of this convention, which was snail-
ficult, and has yet been so happily terminated,
was intrusted by Russia to the Privy Counsellor
Von Bulgakow, Director of the Post-office at St'
Petersburgh, and by Prussia to the Postmaster-
General Von Goldbeck, who has been here,'"
Commissioners. The two Governments have re-
ciprocally given the most flattering marks of fa'
your to the persons who have so satisfacwil
concluded this convention.
BERLIN, MAY 25.—T0-day the marriage
her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandrine
with his _Royal -Ifighness.the hereditary, Grand.
Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin, will be vile"
brated with the--"greatest magnificence in the.
Royal. Chapel. A very long programme .has bee°.
published of the fetes that will take place on this'.
happy occasion,. Which will be equally tliStio'
guished by refined 'taste and splendour.
Exchange on London, May 28, not noted, on account of tll6,
holiday. Business was doneUn London at 36. 11. money'
Paris, 23. 2-16. ditto: Amsterdam, two months, 195. g• ditAti.%
PETERSSURGH MAY 10.—EXCIIANGE•--1,0!",-.:
9. 9-16.; Amsterdam, liamburgh, 8. 11-16. ;
100.
•

HANOVER, MAY 23.—1 t seems that the cca',.:
mittee which was to go to London to carry t"-,
result of the discussions-relative to the interea`
organization of various branches of the adrnials'
tration, will not at present set out for Engitind.
FRANKFORT, MAY (R.--A convention het-well
the city of Frankfort and the Prince of Tour
and Taxis is now published, by which no poSt#
offices, except those of the Prince of Tour sad
Taxis, are to be allowed in the city of Frankfort
and its territory. The Prince is to pay to the
city an annual sum of 10,000 florins for this-ex-
clusive privilege.

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