The Hillsborough recorder., 1846-02-19

AAsA - eNAA - - ssaEA@s ~ A-As@'
M are Ihs sxiEaris xhsrh I Nish hsTe n,
serted.
Pisa GoE..nnslsg's Mss~ss. NsE. II, issO.
sUndsF a rssolaiion e yonr honNrahls
body. .. ils last session. | addressed .
eammnniralion n tie Governors nf Ehe
seErra' Safes. requesting inlOslnsl.oa sn
tie subj. RI nf Psniishssari.s. I.uns,ir and
Orphan Asy'nms, ani iiouses # Rrlagr;
lrala whoa several inieEesiing replies
have heen TeeriEFd. bni nal snihrigni q
enable me Ia give yon maeh light on these
Subjects. hana son herewith. marked
D. the information nhisined. and suhlnil
lae following gsnsFal remarss:-Ihal oil
sssm 10 raRemF In Gasir ussfalasss: that
by lhe establishment Of q PeniieHiiaTy.
the panishmsni of crime msy he mnre
CORRECTLY graduated 10 is aiTueily. I'm
der oDr present mode of criminal law.
many punlshmeHts are lixesl. and others
leii in lheeapFiriOus estimate nf Ihe Judge:
and 10 many ssses neither the Rae nor the
other appears 50 g':ei a. 10 give salislac-
lion iO pnblir feeling. The result j.. that
in almost every ease. petition iaT par
don j. preferred To the Executive. vita
whom il j. lille 10 say TIA, the petition of
many respectable persons should have no
weight. Although he may be satisfied that
petitions are generally drawn by partial
or preindiced hands. in the absence of al
information which M law provides Tor
his guide. he is not enabled 10 a.I salts
faciorily 10 himself or Justly tn the Stale
or petitioner; bat where doubt is raised.
he feels impelied TO aes on the side Of
mercy.
"In the establishment Of Peniieniiaries
anil laws fnr their government, punisl-
menis could BE- better graduated to the
crime, and leave less room fur complaint
and petition. is :hsg are generally nssi
an all christian countries 10 arom she'd
ding human blood aud the trpOsme If
punishmsRis, in obedience to the more
advanced state Of civilization and refine
ment. profit and loss should mol he m,i.
ter Of consideration in providing the means
Of saving life and obtaining a mode 0f
punishment adapted To the crime. Re-
gar,ling them, however. in an economical
point of view, il would probably he less
burihensome to the country Than the pre-
sent mode Of coninemea. in the jails of
the cOunlies."
In order to call the readers attention
more particularly to them. | have italicis-
ed some Of the sentences in the foregoing
extracts. In confirmation nf Gov. Dad
ley's opinion. that the pani, hmeni Of cri-
mInals in Pennenliary would be less
bnrthensome 10 the community, | would
here state, that in one county. BY refer
enee TO the records, ascertained that the
charge on the county for maintaining lis
in the county Jail averages some.
thing like 5000 per annum. For one in
dividual Who was convicted Of what should
be Peniieniiary offence, the county had
the sum Of $500 TO pas fnr maintaining
him IN prison as punishment fnr his
crime. Mr.. Z liott. in his Report on q
Peniteniiary, estimates the annual charge
on the State for the maintenance of its
convIcts atSl5,000. Should this be con-
sidered TOO large an estimate, yet We
know there is round sum paid Tor the
satisfaction Of having number ol able
bodied fellows wrapped up in blankets
and coiled down in the corners OF dark,
loathsome dungeons, where they are de-
priyed Of all the means by which they
could benefit themselves, their families, /
or the community at Urge. Take any
view you may Of the policy which con.
fines convicts in the common Jail as a
punishment Of ilieir crime, and yen will
ind abundant reasons for lis Modification. /
1t is no very light hurthen for tie people .
Of each county TO be taxed $500 annual I
y hgt its criminals may be housed up in |
useless idleness. And If peison before
being thus confined. was pretlisposed 10 /
get his living by other means than that of .
honest Industry, such confinement would |
only strengthen and confirm hls lazy pro-
pensify.
For fear Of extending tbs communics. |
'lnn to too great length. must ronlrnl nv /
self with making extracts from the M,s-
tages oi Gov. Morehesd, as fellows:
From Gov. Morehead's Message, Nov. 81, 1912. !
The tslsbli.bmeat of PeullenIisry, /
IN this State. has loag been matter OF |
discussion, and II IS propsble. by ihis TINE, |
that putiIc'OplnOh has de termined upon |
liz expendlency. | Ilherefpre dnecl ynur
a''entlont" The subject. l. ing experience |
IN the practice ai Criminal Courts, has
satisfied me that offender. are often per-
Ini'ied TO escape from isuds bic hum anily |
IN Jar"rs, who look upon the severity and |
lgnominy Of The punishment that az all.
Tie culprIi. upon Veudiet Of gully, until |
their kladlier feelings corjute up doubts
fn1ngh Ia jus Ify Conscientious scqult,al. !
Il is bel eyed thar few years applrnlIre-
ship in peniteniIaIy, would canse many !
a ve'd,rt to more neatly approximate tie !
lru,h."
These views, it VIII lie remembered,
are from gentleman of the first order uf
talent. with the advantage Of long and