Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-12-16

the State. Que other reason at lsas, Tor
his should not be omitted. There will If
necessary always be certain number OF in-js
curables, " ho must be cared for somew here. 81
These, by the present law, whenever there
rs lock Of room, if safe or hurlnlr S.. must
be discharged. 10 make room for recent ca
>es. But 'h,s is only committing the les.
ser inhumanity Of throwing out upon thss
world one believed to be incurable, TO pre- 2
vent the rel clion of one who may becured.sa 4
| AID who can say when he whose mind
| is dolhroned is s,fe and harm ese. Who
knows ut what NONE mt some phreDzy may
take pos >ession Of the man. and he, by q
! fatal blow, destroy the Leare,t friend. or
whatsoever shall! be in his wayi Safety.
economy and humanity, therefore, all re-s
quire that this whole class of tae afflicted
should be sustained and kept by the State
in Asyluus provided for that purpose. 4
The operations aflhe Peniteniiary have
been unusually succe sful, considering the >
fatality by Cholera last year, snd the sick
| ness prevailing u part Of the present. For
! more than q year after the cholera ceased
in l849, not q death occurred in the insli. :
luiion from mnny cause. In June, however. /,
about the time cholera commenced in tho 3
city and vicinity. 9diarrhea began to pre-.
vail in the prison, this way followed by q !,
prevalence Of dysenlery Of IN uggrayaicd
nature. closely resembling on cholera, and
l6 deaths occurred from lhe latter disease, Il
und s from other causes within a veIy,
short periodaof time. e The slcSness was
doubtless much aggravated oy the unusual
panic among the prisoners, occasioned by
The memory OF The tright!al scenes Of The,
lust year. a oBJ g. sz Fl. r,rssFs. q, s,,a
inconsequencs Of the fainlity ofcholera
and other causes last yeae. the present,
year commenced with but 336 prisoners,;
being ll3 less ihan the average number
for ID years preceding, which, ndied u.
the generally debiilaled staie Of the con-
vics from tho Ell; 8 Of the cholera ep;-
demic. led 10 The reasonable expectation.
that the avails Of labor in The institution,
this tear would be much diminished. s7t gi
hesnumher ON the 26,h oil Novem. ~.
in ber.s icing close Of the fiscal ysar .,s,
% Cor the prison, was esS -..ee .,. 336
Received during the presen, year l9a
, is.-'--'" - 9F 2t3 5ai % 1-a5 s4g --r-r-l
"a eazni 81 b.00as sez9 .59 -sapia s7.s 629,
Reduced by death Ia ssiia,ia.sl a2lss,4,
Pardoned Sy the Governor 81 ss1
Patdoned by the Presidenr a.,i, a
discharged by expiration Of sen.ence42 aa
Writs OF error Iss 81 ajliaB sti "a 5ssas
Escapcfi lad ed .-5gH sfa a1- ;e5
"a .seG2 iii u Jss.igsac- s,asl- los
ioae 0t7is ri. C f7ssH1sri h.sa 7sflft@t--
Remaining in the institution Novem- ,s,as
asbsr i5. 1850. sdl al sags 6sg9 q. 424
: Upon the subject Of the PRISON, and
the administrator Of the criminal law,
I feel impelled from sense Of duty, to re-
mark that there is almost constant ihrong
Of applicants for pardons The applica.
tions are not made and signed by friends
merely, but frequently by the Judges of
the Court, Jurors, Sheriffs, Prosecuting At
,orneys, and other county officers. These
/ petitions almost universally set up as u
reason for Executive Interference, that it
is The first offence, that the offender is
young and has been the dupe Of older and
more experienced adopts in crime-that
reform. the object of punishment has been
effec,ed-,hat the ends of public justice
have been subserved, the supremacy Of the
Ia W vindicated, and therefore the prisoner
ought to be discharged. All this leads TO
the reflection whether the law ought not to
be SO amended as to reduce the medium
length Of time for punishment, giving the =,
courts greater latitude according to the
circumstances of mitigation or aggraya-
ston which shall surround each one.--
a gain, as the object ofpunishment is two.
fold, the protection Of society and the re-
formation Of the criminal, the question ar
ses whether it would not be better accom-.
plished by graduation of the length of
punishment by the number Of convictions.
Would not the offender, knowing that the
second offence would be more severely and
certainly punished, be more likely 10 be
deferred from the commission of i'll
The whole matter is submited 10 the wis
dom of,he General Assembly. .5 .a
aaT The great object of punishment, which
is the protection of community from .the
depredations of the vile, may be better nc.
complished by preventing the commission
Of evil, than by enaciing laws for punish
ing the offender after the crime is commit
ted. IL he state Reform OCuooi Vi utuoeu"
chuset,s is established for that purpose,has
thus far exceeded the most saRgune expec.
tations of its benevolent projectors. The
buildings can accommodate three hundred,
and are now full Of bright youth, who per-
haps from penury and want, had violated
the law; who perhaps were driven from
home TO stray through the lanes and streets
of the towns and cities without protection
or instruction, compelled 10 beg, or steal.
Or starve; and who, perhaps had never
heard the voice Of pity or friendship
Here they are cared for, and instructed by
those whose hearts are warmed with the
hope nnd prospect Of good before them;
they become contented, happy and ambi-
tious. and in most instances, make ltair
promise of becoming respectable citizens.
rom the condition OF this State, the
time i. not distant when necessity and pol.
lev, and an adherence to that enlightened
course of benevolence which, has hereto.
fore characterized our legislation, will 70,
ouire for US like Institution. 4 .a