The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-25 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Strt,--It may be satisfactory to the British public I
know how the prisoners are managed _in the Penitentiar
of Maryland, in the United States of America, that Rom
comparison may be made of the expence which is incurre
there and in England for the same purpose. In the Pen
tentiary at Milbank, the only one in England, 19,700,
was voted in 1831 for the maintenance of 550 cor
victs, being 361. for each convict.* In Maryl in
Penitentiary there appears from the report, date
Baltimore, December 20, 1830, a profit of 4,316 dollar
in the year 1830, after paying 3,000 dollars for interests
the money for building the Penitentiary for maintenance
convicts, salaries of officers, and every other expence !
What a contrast! The Penitentiary at Milbank cost fc
building upwards of half a million sterling, and costs abou
20,0001. sterling yearly for its maintenance; but to ac
count for that difference, look at 5,8001. for salaries, am
notice the salary of the Chaplain, the Surgeon, &c., twit
as much as many populous and virtuous pari.hes in Eng
land can afford. But England is the country in whir
every device has been resorted to as an excuse for extrava
fiance, and for providing places for the dependants of sour
man in power. We believe that the system of work an
of education carried on in the Penitentiaries in Americ
is as superior to that in England, for the purpose of u
forming the convicts, as their expence is less.
On the Ist December, 1829, there were in the Maryland
Penitentiary
Admitted in the year ending 30th November, 1830 ll

41
Diccharged in the year IC

Remaining on the Ist December, 1830 gq
Of the 117 prisoners there were 58 m ties and 1 female
whites, and 43 males and 15 females, blacks; of the /1'
there were 102 Americans and 15 foreigners; of the 101
Americans, 33 were from Maryland (of whom 72 wer
final Baltimore), and 19 from the other States; of the If
foreigners, 11 were Irishmen, 1 Englishman, 1 Scotsman
and 2 South American. As death is abolished in th
United States, except for murder, it may be worth know.
ing the punishments that take the place of hanging, whicl
disgraces this country. Of the 117 committed to th
Penitentiary—

Go were committed for 2 years.
7
7 ...... ... ditto
28
6
4
1
o
1
1 . ..... ... ditto

The Committee, in their report to Thomas Kini
Carroll, Governor of Maryland, make the following
observations as the result of their experience, which ma]
be worthy the attention of the County Magistrates it
this country, who have converted the prisons into palace:
at an enormous expense to the country, and yet withou
adopting any efficient system of classification and educatiot
for reforming the convicts, like what the Americans adopt
" The f tet (states the report) confirmed by the whop
history of crime, that neglect of education in its relation]
to mental cultivation, and the means of procuring honest
subsistence, is among the most fruitful sources of vice;
early impressed upon the Board the propriety of a genera,
system of instruction, which might comprehend the whole
mass of the convicts; they accordingly caused them to lit
arranged in classes suitably organized in regard to capacity
to be provided with teachers selected from among the most
intelligent of the convicts, and furnished with the neces-
sary books and means of general education in various de-
partments approi riate to their respective talents. The)
assigned to them the upper story of the western wing sot
school-room, where they shou.d assemble every Sabhatt
day, and devote all parts of it, not employed in the usua
religious exercises, to the pursuit of various useful attain.
ments. The whole bring under the superintendence o
the keeper, and other of the officers, the utmost order and
decorum prevail, and the steadiness and care with which
the object has been pursued have resulted in corresponding
improvement.

"The advantages of this regulation are not confined tc
the intellectual benefits derived from it by the convicts, but
are evinced in an entire destruction of the improper indul-
gencies and corrupt associations in which exemption from
labour formerly afforded them more opportunity on Sun•
day than any other.

" The practice of allowing a portion of the profits of
the labour of the convicts to them in prison, to purchso
delicate articles of food, is discontinued, and the whole
reserved until the prisoner is discharged, when it assists to
provide decent clothes."

- Although crime cannot be altogether prevented in that
country, it is much less than in England, and the fellow-
, ing observations on that head by the Committee deserve
attention :—" The moral improvement of the culprit, and
not the vengeance of the law, is the grand object of prison
discipline, to accomplish which, and at the least possible
expense to the State, is the great desideratum. The ex-
perience of this institution amply proves that the prisoners
can be so employed as to defray the expellees of the esta-
blishment, and it has recently been ascertained, that after
performing an amount of labour commensurate with the
cost of their support, there are large portions of time which
must remain unemployed, or be very ill employed, unless
properly directed to pursuits which will increase the in-
tellectual powers, and thus prevent the mind from sinking
into apathy, and cheri•hing the perverted conceptions
already existing. The experiment, although itupet fectly
tried, warrants the assertion, that convicts are not only
capable of intellectual culture, but that they gladly resort
to the means of instruction, as a relief from corroding re-
flections ; and that this diversity of employment, so far
from infringing upon the amount of labour, gives them
more alacrity, and consequently incites to greater industry;
that since the institution of our school there has been less
vice and immorality, and that the aspect of the prisoners
is greatly improved ; the dark scowl of despondency or
desperatio❑ having changed into the more confiding look
of hope, and the more cheerful expression of contented em•
ployment. There are now few blank vacant, visages, all
exhibit the marks of active thought. We are confident
that the only plan for effectuating the designs of penal
law, is to blend productive labour with useful education."

The trades that are carried on in the Penitentiary are
comb-making, shoe-making, sawing, smith's-work,
weaving, hat-making, dyeing, carding and spinning, brush-
making, and carpenter's-work, &c. I may return to this
subject, so important to every Englishman who takes an
interest in the welfare of his countrymen, and is desirous
of seeing the annual calendar educed.—l am, &c.

' Estimate of the expence of the Penitentiary at Milbank
for the year 1831, as voted by the House of Commons :
Furniture and clothing £2,9eo
Provisions, medicines, fire, and lights
Stationery and books
`250
Miscellaneous
1,050
Gratuities to prisoners, and wages of labour
400
Salaries to Governor and officers
5,940

Total
£19,700
N.B. The number of convicts now within the walls is 550.
Amount of the actual expence of the Maryland Peniten.
:iary, 1t330

Dollars. X
Balance of the household expences 4,983 or 1,107
Salaries to the Committee of Management, to
physician, keeper, deputy.keeper, &c.
Interest on money borrowed to build the Peni-
tentiary

Total 16,461 or 3,65E3

„
LEATHER AND CANDLES.—A petition (says
a correspondent) is about to be prepared in Faringdorir
praying the Legislature to restore the duties on leather and
candles, as not the slightest benefit is likely to arise to the
consumers in consequence of their repeal ; the prices, in-
deed, are rather advanced. The Dips and the Crisping
alone (our correspondent adds) can unravel the paradox.
—Devizes Gazette.

LAW INSTITUTION.—A general meeting
of members was held yesterday, at their building in Chan.
cery-lane, Mr the acceptance of the charter of Inc ,rpora•
tion recently granted in their favour to Messrs. Amnia-
TON, BRUNDRETT, FREERS, and TocKE. The latter
gentleman was called to the chair, and prefaced the read-
ing of the charter by observing, that they were assembled
on the occasion of the most interesting and at the same
time gratifying event which could occur to them in their
professional capacity—to receive and accept his MAJEsTy's
charter of incorporation, who had thus graciously granted
his royal sanction to their undertaking, and to the useful pur•
p ses to which the building was devoted. Their predeces-
sors frequently adverted to the importance of that object,
which they considered as unattainable, but which it had
been their good conduct to achieve. It would be a waste
of that precious of all commodities—eime--,to insist upon
what they were all equally, if not better, able to appreciate
than himself—the value of the boon conferred. He should,
therefore, only, observe that it for the first time gave
them a permanent local habitation and a corporate name ;
.e it their care, as it was their duty, so to occupy and
employ the one as to redound to the credit of the others
The charter was then read and accepted by an unanimous
' vote of the meeting, upon which resolutions of thanks
were passed to the Chairman and the Committee of Ma-
nagesnent ; and the members adjourned apparently highly
gratified by the acquisition of the charter, and by the
handsome and convenient building which is intended to
give efficiency to its object. The ball and library are
expected to be opened shortly for business.