The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-05

Total reduc ton in yoar, lis
Whether this reduction be attributed to prov I'd
morality the State, to other Of
increased axne.s in tho adm nstration of justse
IL lie 4 cause T n grstuls ion.
The teachers and chapa ms reports, collected IN
this annual report, present little which calls for
special notice or admiration. report by the
teachers of the Auburn prison has tine follow
ing
1t is quite as true cf oonvots as Of children that
satan md. some n,scnsL STILL
But this 10 the gr-ai. evil resulting srom the
ars likely to dwell upon Of former dtssostion sod
ssnsusl indulgence The passions excited. and.
~ the our.s Of the pr,sa ruins the health, r.nd-r.
them oaiious to moral indusucss, and AIDES
below " the brutss that perish :"
There is something fightful aud horrible in the
above. What picture OF man And let US not
forget that these unhappy creatures-we might say,
viewing the crimes they emoody, these monsters
and beasts-are our brethren, our own flesh aud
blood-men OF like passions and feelings with our
selves. The teacher, however, in the above re-
port, seems to jump upon false conclusion, in
saying" resulting from want of menti eaploy-
ment." We believe that active bodily employ
ment is at all times better tor men than mental
employment" of any kind, especially hodge podge
reading, which Is only another term for EVIL EN-
ployment."
Upon the whole, numerous are the documents
bound up In this gigantic report, ii presents nothing
indicative of the mind or genius of John Howard,
in the reporters.
In many OF its features this report Is uusatstac-
tory, and, In the WHOLE, It Is somewhat obscure.
II ID hardly possible to arrive at much, if any,
knowledge OF the rationale of our prison institu.
lions by aid of this annual report because It is, IN
fact an immense bundle OF miscellaneous acc cunts
and of minute money disbursements, at the severa
prisons, for refreshments, coat, pants paint, oil,
beet, pork, bread, butter, cheese, potatoes, NUT
ton, hams, pepper, &e. &c.
We should have thought our Legislature would
have appointed proper officers to audit these six
penny accounts, big and tile, SO as to render it
unnecessary 10 print, at the public expense, lcng
lists OF family and domestic enditures, swelling
out into thick octave volume, as large as two or
three ordinary Bibles bound up together. Very
little useful information to be Cleaned from these
cash accounts, and few, we apprehend, who read
them, will be able 10 ascertain their correcta. &c.
This report, which, by the bye, 10 the first report
Of the Inspectors aPpon ted under the act OF 1917,
consists Of various accounts, documents, reports
and papers collected together from the several
prisons OF the State THIS APPEARS very much
Ike leaving Il officers Of each prison to send
IN their own accounts and reports, to be published
by the Inspectors, aud would appear TO render the
term "lDspt olors," under such cumstances,
something OF u niIsnomer Perhaps, AS this is
hrst essay under the new law, our remarks
may be rather too severe We confess. the in.
siecters may have seen more than they have
reported, aud may have ref -cted more than thew
nave written. But We do thnk thai, ia taur.. a
PLAIN, sober, common account OF the uri sons
rot much longer than once or twice the pfsp.
dents message, might combine all the moral and
statistic information necessary, and contain ali
tn. suggestions and anlmadversons winch the
circumstances might require Some large and
ut,restng tables of statistical reports are Contained
in this vo.urne, VII, oh are gu te Interesting