Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-10-23

imal wants, without feeling painfully I'M
pressed with a conviction, that it is an un.
natural and monsrous pcrycrsion ofpun-
ishment, Without employment or exer-
else, the convctis left TO the corrodng in
nuence OF the reflection that he is an
outcasl from the charity and sympathy
of,he world; and that the law and lis en-
ecutoners are alike his enemies Eye
~ moments continuance OF such conhna'
,nent tends TO weaken his purposes OF a.
mendment, and-prepare him Tor abandon
ment to the commission OF higher offences.
There are cases in which this is not true;
but they constitute the execution and moi
the rule. If the history Of all the State
prison convicts were fully disclosed, it
would probably be found, that large por-
ton of them have been tenants of county
jails, in punishment for inferior offences
The remedy Tor this evil is obvious. 1t
sthc application of the principle of peni-
tsn,iary discipline to minor offences, by
means Of Houses of Correction in each
coun,y-to be made comfortable in their
structure and accommodations, and to be
connected with such arrangements for the
profitable employment Of the inmates, and
the exercise of such firm and steady disci-
pline, as sound wisdom, and the spirit Of
Christian kindness may suggest, By such
means may Offenders be made useful to the
public, during the necessary continuance
of their confinement, while the higher pur-
pose shall be answered, Of imprcssing up
on their minds, by every thing they shall
see around them, that they are men
bound to society, not by the law of force
merely, but by the higher law Of moral OBJ
legation, as well as by the symPalhies Of
our common nature.
Such course of treatment would
doubtless, have a very happy influence up
on "vagrants and idle and disorderIy per-
sons" for whose restraint and discipline
our laws make no provision, save that of
the town poorhouses, which, by the 2lst
section of chapter II Of the Revised Stat
u'e,, are constituted houses of correction,
but which, while they involve the evil of
an unnatural minglng of the aged and in
firm poor with the FESTIVE and troublesome,
San seldom be made to accomplish, 10 any
considerable extent, the purpose Of correc-
ton and reform.
The bearing upon our whole system of
criminal justice. Of such process OF dis
cipine as may be carried into effect in
county houses Of correction-espccIally in
the cases of juvenile ofIenders-is obvious.
Its santary effects would, in dnc time, be
visible in diminished drafts upon the
State Treasury for the expenses of Grimm
a proceedings; in diminished number Of
convcts in the State prison, and in in
crcasing peace, order aud obedience TO
law, throughout the community,
| have received the ninth annual report
ofthc Trustees and Superintendent Of the
Vermont Asylum for the Insane, which
presents a very gratifying exhibition of the
condition and prospects of that institution,
under its present excellent and efficient
government.
During the past year.29l have .beenf od-
mitted into the ASYLUM. SO have been dis
charged and 263 remain, Three hundred
and sivty-'hrcr have enjoyed the benefits
Of the asy YUM, within the entlre year. OF
the 80 discharged, so have recovered. of
the 4S "recent cases" discharged, there
have been 43 recoveries In the 81 chron-
ic cases discharged, the rccoveries have
been out lG. The great Importance of
obtaining the benefit o. the YUM in the
early stages of insanity, is thus rendered
apparent.
The annual State appropriation for the
benefit OF the insane poor was increased,
at the last session Of the General Assembly
10 $1,000 in consequence Of which the
number of patients at tie asylum has in
creased during the past year, so as to rem
der the erection Of buildings necessary
Additional buildings, to contain about 50
rooms, are partly finished and occupied,
and will, it is expected, be completed by
the first Of November next, when all the
buildings will be sufficient for the accom-
mediation Of 800 pallcnts--a number
deemed by the Trustees, to be as large as
is desirable in one asylum.
The report states that such an amount of
funds will be received from other sources,
ps to supcrsede the necessity of an appl-
cation to the Legislature for assistance to
derray the expenses Of he additional ac-