Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-06-19

I
wih ;he expense for the tso years antecedent &c
.e penitentiary system. The average nuuihcr is
90 and the population ,0O0,OcO. IT, in 1888, the
eS use OF % prise aers from population oi7ei 09.
was S2O,Izy s9, and crimes continue 10 Increase
with tue population, (Which WAS the case last yea ~
the = rense Of Grim mails exclusive cttranspoga,ion,
Wa .stte sane ratio as for l7SG. But, were 10
take al average number rom 1909 to 1919 II would
lac mere Ia, o-ahlc 10 tho new system. The expense
for 1872 WAS S23 6j5, but had crimes Increased in
proportion 10 the population Gazing 1888 for ;hc ,la
Iaa,) Il would have been upwards of - 600 :
the nrarer tne period OF The pcnitcniay oig into
operation approached and with il the cortaino
y Of punishment, the fewer crimes wereconir1ttcd-
and of course the less expense.
As SAID before, the expense for 1890 was the
same what il would have been under the old
system had crimes kept pace with the populations
Why then slon.d the Statesman, be discouraged, he
cause of the increase for lao The two years
preceding was much less. and Tie prospect for 1921
Is favorable far decrease.
Blu; these results ought not to be taken as Il
correct principle TO ascertain, whether the expense
OF CRIMINALS is or less account of the pcni-
tcntiary system because 1 fnd that in some years
where the number of conyicts the pententiu-
~ were fewer, the expense was ) 600 more !;
for instance, in 1908, there were received 81 con-
victs and the expense WAS 1856 ,620; and in 1901,
the number received was IL. aad the expense
= 1854. Therefore. those that complain OF tin,
expense, must attribute il To- other causc tlrn
that OF the penitcntiarv, which many OF its enemies
do upon the grounds that crimes increase from
the existence oi the system, does the expense,
which Is not fact.
To demonstrate that crimes do not increase |
shall take 1888 FOR the standard las BEFORE anteri
or to the new system, and the average number OF
consicts received into the Virginia pcnitentiaiy up
10 tue 30tl OF September, 1920 but shall onlv
bring Into view capital crimes such were formerly
punishable with death. IL has already been stated
tina; in the year 1888 there were tried before the
General Court GO prisoners, of whom - exc
cuted--l2 oil these were for horse stealing. The
number In. hO-s fea Enro
ry, robbery, stealing negroes, rape, murder and
burglary, were about p, OF which 10 for horse
stealing; making two less sent to the pcnitcntiarv
yearly than executed anterior 10 its nstitt-
ton This consider more owing TO the certainty
OF the punishment, than the severity. That some
other crimes have Increased since that period, is
manifest, such as forging and passing bank notes,
Knowing them to be forged, stealing and dccoying OFF
negroes, Sealing fowls and hogs, and some other
petty offences but that crimes in general, with the
exception OF the year 1920, do not increase III
Virginia. is clear and undcniaDlc.
was surprised 20 IL stated on the Sd OF Fcbv
last, that memberof the Virginia legislature OBJ
served in the house, that for thc twelve last years,
AS taken from the "treasurers books, the loss the
" commonwealth incident to the pehitcntiary syS-
" TEN Tor that period, after making deduction for
: the large stock of raw materials on hand, about
" S 69, OO0 and for n debt due by James A. Camp
bell, amounted TO not less than y 10000 that
" TINS estimate oil course covered al! the expenses
" incident 10 the institution, such conveying cri-
=" mnals 10 the penitentiary that there had been
only two years during which II had been more sue
" cessfu and in which there was only loss of l.tic
g more than ,0O0." This, SO far as respects the
amount from the tTcasurcrs books. may be corrccs;
but, II will be seen hereafter, that the result of the
IL years operation Is very different and so far as
respects the stock of raw materials on hand, his
statement was entirely erroneous. IL should have
been $ $500 J. the manufactured articles. ma
chlncry and fixtures added make rather more than
100000, as stated TO have been the amount Of raw
materials, which it is probable the member meant
10 have stated. Ii is something very strange that
such statement should have been made bv a scnsi-
Die man when he was informed OF fact ilat would
have very materially changed his statement respect
ing the =" - years operation"
Although such representations may answer the
views OF individuals they viii produce no bcneli 10
the public but, the contrary, create uniayurablc
inipr cssors calculated miseai others uninform-
ed on the subject, and destroy the very objects in
tended to be bettered.
Two years, out of the twelve mentioned seem 10
" be more successful after paving transportation of
convicts, money advanced them on their discharge
maintaining and clothing furnished them, and the
slaves repreved for sale and transportation sent To
the pententlary for safe keeping until they are sold
agents commissions, &c.-Ihe experiment is more
favorable Than was 10 have been expected clearly
showing that III relation to its fiscal affairs that il is
the most economical mode of punishment, and that
IN this particular an uncXampled prosperity existed
IN Its operations
Why then experimental cIlauge, which has
nIpped In the bud the life and vigor OF business,
progressing smoothly on, and which has deranged,
diSorganlzcd and encumberedits iifiirs in such :,
way as TO drive from your shops good TO
certain amount the continuance of lis nechan-
zeal operations prosecuted, Should the present
course be persisted in, ii will he seen after while
that greater error to expense could not have
been devised, and more ingenious system could
scarcely have been adopted in relation to a well or
ganlzed manufacturing institution, than has been
created by the last act of the Virginia legislature on
the subject OF the penitentiary. BECCARIA.