New-York daily tribune., 1845-05-30
Anniversary Week in Boston.
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cellent management. The Captain OF the w orcesler
is DANIEL BAcoy, Esq. who. though young man.
has been qualified for the responsible duties OF ms
station by years Of experience in the capacity OF
clerk OF various boats that navigate the sound ne
is in every sense gentleman, and, what ~ OF Al
most Indispensable Importance to the ialthiai dls-
charge of the responsible duties OF his station Is an
ardent Temperance man both in principle and prac
tice OF the Railroads that connect Norwich WIN
Boston little need be said know not on what
other route can be found better cars or more careiu
or centlemanly conductors The country which
these routes traverse is among the most houiisnliiS
of the agricultural portions Of New England, abound
ino With thriving and cheerful villages and present
ING other evidences OF the industry and prosperity
Of the population % .o,
But enough on this subject. took my pen 10 say
\ word of the Anniversaries winch afe III PfoSieS9
here the presel week. ,,,
The Unitarian Clergy held meeting on Mohual
erno,n and evening to consider their duties IN re-
la,on TO the question of Slavery. The meeting was
attended by about forty ministers, as many avmen
and few women. The opinions expressed were
varioue-some being in favor of the anii-oiavery
agitation and others opposed to IT. There was some
very fine speaking by Pierpont Parker. Briggs oi
Plymouth Peabody of Portsmouth, and others Inc
strongest opponent of abolition Rev. Mr.. Hedge
of Bangor The great majority were in favor OF
more vigorous action against Slavery by the Clergy
The American Peace Society held its Anniversary
on Monday evening. After the Annual heport had
been presented an elaborate Address, prepared ior
the occasion v as delivered by Hon WIN. Jay oi
New York. 1t is not in my power TO give you
svnopsis of this Address which was listened TO with
deep interest by large and highly lnteiiiSehl a.
scmby II took the high ground OF the utter neon
sstency of War with Christianity, and presented a
multitude ofimportant facts and considerations tend
inp TO prove the truth of this position 1t Is to be
onblisbed. when YOU will doubtless have an oppor
tunity 10 examine it,
THE PRISON DISCIPLINE SOCIETY held its Ami
versarv Mt Park Street Church on Tuesday forenoon.
Rev. DR.. Wayand, President OF Brown onversity'
in the Chair. Rev. Louis Dwight, the Secretary.
read an abstract Of the Annual Report which was
quito interesting. Speeches were then made by
George T. Bi::ciow, Esq. Charles Sumner, Esq DIR.
s. 6. Howe oi ,he Asylum for the Blind and Hon
John w. Edmonds of NcwYork, late Chairman OF
the Board OF Inspectors OF the sing sing Prison Mr;
Bigelow unfortunately as il seemed to me- assaed
with considerable severity, the system OF Discipline
adopted by the Eastern Pcnitentiary, which led Mr.
Sumner and DIR. Howe into n defence OF that sys-
tenn The former offered resolutions providing for the
appointment ofa Comnnitec 10 visit the Philadelphia
and other Prisons, and 10 examine and report tncr
Judgment upon the various modes OF discipline which
are pursued in them The resolutions were adopted,
and the following gentlemen were appointed the
Committee: Dr. s. u. Howe, Charles Sumner, Rev.
Louis Dwight Hon Samuel A. Eliot, Walter Chan
| ming Hon j. w Edmonds j. I. Bgelow Horace
Mann
Judge Edmonds made an excellent speech though
it was much bricfcr than ! could have wished,
owing to the length of time consumed by the uiior-
| tunatc controversy above alluded TO. He rightly
| Judged that the best service he could render thc
cause would be 10 give I'm account OF the reforms
which have taken place under his own admlnsira-
lion in the Sing Sing Prison. He stated that the
nninhcr Of lashes inflicted upon the prisoners had
| hs;n reduced from 5000 10 300 month, and that
undcr this miIdcr system Of treatment the number
of offences had steadily decreased So much for the
use of the cato nine tails as an instrument o1 re-
| form. Respecting the Female Prison at Sing Sing
/ the statements of Judge Edmonds were most graft
l flying. He read letter from Mrs Farnlani. ilc
| Principal Matron, copy Of which, at my sollclln-
ton was placed at my disposal, and send 1t to you
for publication confident that ii will be read with
4 deep interest by all who have nj heart the welfare
of the inmates ofour prisons II is as follows:
SING SING, May IA, 1915.
DEAR SIR: So incessant and muluiarous nave Dcel
nv enlpoymcnts for the last ten days thnt had unu
Yesterday forgotten my promise to furnish you with some
memoranda regard to the conduct &c OF our frIso
find on reference my Conduct Book that the number
of Rpors i'm April ls41 the first month OF our admins
tration, 35, more than one day III April 1870
there were none!
There is stcay decrease from the first month, each
showing olr one 10 five less than the month which
preceded it, except in two or thrc instances where hc
absence Of myself orsoc OF the Assistants has favored the
natural tendency break over the restraints otaw In
September the sixth month OF government, tho num-
Der of reports hu by this gradual decrease fallen 10 y
l In October il was 5; in November 6 III DccemOer
in January 40 A. February, e; i'll March, 5 and in Ap1
I none.
There are 1877 cases reported on my Conduct BOOK
l The treatment of these hns been follows:
Sixty were followed by any punishment but the
offender kindly adnonshcd that was better 10 re-
strain herself III iuture-bccr, IN short TO govern Her
! self than 10 be governed
Fifty have been followed by the loss OF mca the dc
prvaon ofbooks for short period confinement IN tclI
own rooms for from TO or days wearing II UNIFORM
dress for n day. &c. Two or three have had the shower
4 BATH and on.
Twcny.six have been confined for different terms in
Il the solitary cells OF these Smith times Wasson :,
and Palmer ?; Richmond also twlce-eaving the remain
/ ing II terms 10 the same number OF individuals
So that we have relied upon the amount of severity
Of punishment much us upon gentler means Tor I'M
proving our discipline and conduct.
These results, gratifying MS they appear III lsurcs
are still more when analyzc and compare the cha
of the offences committed nj the different perods
OF the ~ reported in April you will remember that
| three f the violent outbreak, accompanied
by profanity hlasphcmy, obscenity and whatever other
disgusting M !epusvc forms the most fearful passions
1 of depravc.. women could assume. single offence OF
this kind would give character and complexion to our
prison. and exert the convicts an influence from
which they would not recover for months vi the re-
mainder lind for profanity, some for noise and dis
orderly conduct i'll their rooms some Tor open usooeui
cncc &C In the later months those of the present ycal
instance this character OF offence cohncd 10 twt
women both You know. persons who are incorr1gl
bic; who. from the uuy OF ua'c o,'
causes fccaselcss anxiety and difficulty 10 all concerned
with them Even these the present time, hold out
promise Of Improvement but our past experience leads
! us TO regard them with great caution.
Exclusive of these all our reports now are and
for several months have bcen for violations merely OF
the arbitrary rules of the Prisonuo for ranssrcssons
OF the natural moral laws. Indeed many OF them are
of obedience to some of the most powerful In
! stincts of Na,ure-thc use OF speech for example.
make wide distinction between such offences rs
these and those which indicate the indulgence OF de-
PRAYED propcnsnes unbridlcd passions and have de-
crnned that this distinction shall appear in future upon
/ the records.
The natural laws of being paramount to any
code of rules which may dignity by the title OF discip
line and although obedience 10 the LATER makes the good
character of the Pris0a-obcdicnce 10 the former CON
stitues what OF infinitely higher value and more de-
sirblc all enlightened minds, viz: the good charac
OF the individual Thus, TWO years ago IL wasG penal
offence here for be found with vcssc! oi
water her roothe only place where any par, Of her
person. except the hands and face could by possibility be
ba;hed Yet who would rcspcct person more high.
~ for violating than observing such rc And yet II
might be the violation Of obedience 10 just such rules
that could give good bad character TO the Prison
From such cruel and absurd laws rs this, there are
many grades Of restraint imposed upon persons suffer
tcrinc the consequences OF their crimes the violation OF
which does much indicate depravcd moral or per
vcrcd mental energy obedience 10 instincts and tacu
ties which being implanted by Nature. tci forever make