The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-17 00:00:00

PRISONS AND PRISONERS.

The annual reports of the Directors of Convict
Prisons in England have been issued—documents
necessarily of much interest now that the Penal
Servitude Act retains in this country large bodies
of convicts who were formerly sent abroad. Of
course these reports do not touch the county and
borough prisons, in which there were at the latest
return (Michaelmas last) 15,574 prisoners. During
the twelvemonth 126,861 persons had been com-
mitted to those gaols, but many of them for short
periods and slight offences, there being not a few
who were afterwards acquitted, and 15,120 who
were but debtors; and it is satisfactory to have to
add that the average number of prisoners showed
a decrease, the recommittals of the same prisoners
were fewer, the proportion of juvenile offenders
decreased, and the punishments for prison offences
diminished in a greater degree than the prison
population. It is of the worst, most depraved,
and most dangerous of this class that
the Convict Prisons Reports treat—those who are
sentenced to penal servitude, and removed from
these local gaols to Government prisons to undergo
their sentence, first in separated confinement and
then in associated labour. There were 11,007 pri-
soners in the convict prisons of England at one time
or other in the year 1859 ; the number at the be-
ginning of the year was 8,115, and at its close 8,122,
and of this last number 1,188 were women. In the
course of the year 224 of the men were transported.
to Western Australia, 421 were sent to labour at
the public works of Gibraltar and Bermuda, and
215 men and 20 women were released under orders
of licence, or, as they used to be called, tickets of
leave. No less than 1,837 were set at liberty in
consequence of the expiration of their sentence.
While in separate confinement the convicts are em-
ployed in work, and instruction is given to them—
many learn there for the first time to read ; they
meet at school, at chapel, and in exercise, but are
punished if they communicate with one another,
the `punishment being generally a dark cell and
punishment diet. At Millbank the women made
last year 43,728 shirts, for a city firm, without a
single rejection. In the next stage the men are
employed on public works at Portland, Portsmouth,
or Chatham, where they work ten hours a-day,
when there is light enough ; but are allowed half
a day's schooling in the week. Endeavours are
made to educate them sufficiently to qualify them
for useful situations, and the effort is appreciated;
they are divided into classes according to character
and conduct, and in the last few months of their
time men of exemplary prison character are placed.
in posts of some confidence, without any immediate
supervision over them. Some small gratuities may
be earned by diligence, to accumulate against the
day of discharge, being then paid with precautions.
Those who are only fit for light labour are sent to
Dartmoor Prison, which is in a highly oxygenised
and bracing spot, and convicts unfit for labour have
been hitherto sent to Lewes Invalid Prison, now
merging in the new prison at Woking. A con-
siderable number of these last improve in health
sufficiently to be draughted to Dartmoor. In
speaking of the diet allowed them, the surgeon
notes that the men most difficult to please are from
the vagrant class .or from the lowest grades of
society. From all these convict prisons the reports
are satisfactory. The convicts behave in an orderly
manner, and work well. The maintenance of such
good order is, in a great measure, attributed to the
system of remitting a considerable part of the sen-
tence to well-conducted industrious men, who appear
likely to endeavour to earn an honest livelihood on
their discharge. As for the question whether there
is any real reformation wrought, it seems to be con-
sidered that of the regular habitual thieves there is
little hope—their reformation, as Mr. S. Redgrave
says, is as difficult a task to themselves as to their
teachers. The experienced chaplain of Millbank
prison classifies the convicts received there in 1859
thus :-61 per cent. (869) were professional thieves,
fAlowing crime as a business; 25 per cent. (304)
were careless profligates, but not hardened men ; 6
per cent. (89) were occasional offenders, on the
whole working honestly for their living, but com-
mitting a dishonest act when a favourable oppor-
tunity occurs ; the remaining 8 per cent. (108) were
j comparatively respectable, but had resorted to a
crime to extricate themselves from difficulties,
generally caused by their not having had sufficient
self-denial to live within their means. Of all but

the regular thieves he has hope that with few
exceptions they leave the prison better men than
when they came, and with sufficient right principle
to prevent their relapsing into crime. Of the lads
at Parkhurst the governor reports that in no one of
the 16 years during which he has had charge of
that prison was the conduct of the;inmates so satis-
factory ; it has been marked by order, obedience,
and cheerful industry. The Directors of Convict
Prisons consider that this section of the juvenile
population is gradually yielding under the influence
of Ragged School teaching, district visiting, andthe
juvenile reformatory movement of the last few years.
Of the female convicts (at Brixton and Fulham) the
report is that" they are genera ly in extremes." The
most troublesome are young women who know that
their ill health will shield them from punishment.
But no extent of punishment could ever keep
some of them in order. Their perverse depravity
makes their cases appear, humanly speaking, hope-
less. These cases, however, are few. Among
many at Brixton, and more generally at Fulham
(to which the best conducted are sent for final
training), there is a strong desire to lead an honest
life. Efforts are made to inspire them with self-
respect, enable them to break off strongly-rooted
evil habits, and take a lively interest in their work,
with a desire to turn it to a good account hereafter.
Two-thirds of the women discharged from Fulham
refuge in 1859 got into situations, where they were
likely to do well, and were at the end of the year
going on satisfactorily. Both to men and women
the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society is rendering
most important services at a most critical season.
But any attempt to trace prisoners for a length of
time in after life interferes with their object of
hiding their disgrace and merging in society. A
suggestion made by the chaplain of Parkhurst raises
a grave question ; he considers that, as there is a
system of liberating before the time, there should
also be a discretionary power to detain after the
time. It can do no good to release such men as
one of whom we are here told, who said plainly,
" It's not likely I'll work for 15s. a-week. when I
can get pounds." But, at all events, with very
many much improvement is now effected by prison
discipline and teaching. The prisoners are treated
fairly, with consideration and humanity, often with
great judgment; they have no just ground of com-
plaint, they are accustomed to regular habits and
self-restraint, and have held out to them every
encouragement to good conduct and industry. Such
seed will surely bring some harvest.

Galignatzi states that the Rev. Dr. Gumming, of
London, is to preach in the church of the Oratoire, Paris, on
Sunday next, in connexion with the Church of Scotland.
A HINT TO TOURISTS.—A sad accident happened
at Bareges on the 9th inst., when an English lady and
gentleman attempted to make the ascent of the Pic du.
Midi. Darkness coming on they were unable to see the
danger of a pass before them ; they urged on. their horses,
which hesitated to advance, and all fell together down a
precipice. The gentleman had his head severely cut, and
his wife had an arm broken, having escaped wi th their lives
by a miracle.
FANCY TITLES FOR BOOKS.—In the year 1831
Hood became acquainted with the late Duke cd Devonshire,
who appears to have been a kind and useful .friend to the
poet all through his life, and to his family afror death. At
the Duke's request he sent a list of book titles for what is
called a "blind door" in the library at Chaitsworth, and
nothing can surpass the wit. and humour of g4ome
Descrip-
tion these
productions. For instance, " Dante's Infer" orir.
wo Styx of Van Demon's Land ;" "Ye nevilen
Si(black letter) ;" Lamb's Recollections ,of,tot , Lamb
on the Death of Wolfe ;" " Plurality or Liv rugs, with re-
.lury, with re-
gard to the Common Cat ;" `:,Qn
"Boyle on Ste. ram Trial by
re-
markable Packing Cases ;";" " Blain
or the Breaking-n of
on Equestrian Burglary,
.„ „ „Horses
" John Knox on Death's Door On the Site of Tully'P
Offices ;" " The Rape of the Lock, with Br
.„ arrt ah's Notes ;"
Peel on Bell ,'s System Johnson's Contra xlictionarY ;"
" Life of Jack Ketch, with cuts of his own Execution ;"
" Cursory Remarks upon Swearing." " Rec .ollections of
Bannister, by .Lord Stair ," " tide's Tables c d' Interest ;"
" Cook's Specimen's of the Sandwich Tongu ;" " In-i-go
on Secret Entrances," &c.
[ADVERTISEMENT.I-llolloway's Pills an ea Ointment.—
Acidity, Heartburn, Flatulency, Erysipelas ;.---This formi-
dable array of ailments will not alarm those who have once
witnessed the happy
manner in which each and all of them.
yield to the purifying influence of these Pil Is. Their effect
is vastly increased by rubbing-the part, or the skin over the
part affected, with Holloway's Ointment , which passes
through the skin, and acts upcm every orga]a placed internal
to the portion rubbed. It is wonderful la ow indigestion
succumbs to such treatment, which always. gives relief in a
short time. Erysipelas, gout, and rheum: tism are always
accompanied by disordered stomach, whit the same reme-
dies readily rectif
li y b purifying the blood. and regulating
and bowel s.
the action of the very , kidnery