Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-18
state Prisons iu france

NJ de Tocquevilie, in chapter dated lst Of
April. 1882, gives all account OF a conversation
he had with former councillor of state, who Is
called M x" on the condition of the state
prisoners under the first empire 1912:
IL formed part" said NJ <" Of very
numerous promotion of auditors of the council
of state We drew lots for the different minis
terial departments TO which were to be attach
ell, and tell to that of police. then under the
direction OF Ssvtry. duke of Rivsgo. [
ticularly recommended TO him by one of bis
friends. lie sent for me one morning and said
Il am assured you have objection TO solitude
or To work, and, moreover, that you are very
fond of chess. have an important mission To
intrust YOU with. You must go ami live for a
a certain time in the hospital OF Mount Gents
You will fnd there prior who 10 a skillful
ehessplayer, and YOU can render me great ser
vice l objected to this appointment. and asked
what | should have TO do. | soon understood
that my principal duty would be TO give nc
count of the travellers who crossed that point
OF the boundry between Italy and France to
take NV meals at the same table with them-in
one word. TO act as spy.
refused, but mildly. though | did not forfeit
the good will of the minister, who sometime at
ter said 10 me, Il have another employment To
offer You. The emperor has just created by de
cree eight state prisons: but his views have not
been all carried out IL is necessary TO orginize
this service. and first OF all to establish an in
spection. Will you take charge of il in company
with certain Dr. M" This time accept
ed his proposal. We were to begin by eIamin-
ing Nincennes, where il was supposed things
were better managed than elsewhere; and Vim
cennes We were to take. in some sort as a mod
ell. We had not TO visit the prisoners or even TO
inquire about their names OF history, but merely
TO ascertain how things were going on in the
of
little allowed me that after three weeks my
pani0n. DR.. NJ. who was 4 friend Of the
Duke de Rovigo. confessed to me that he Sc
cret!y charged with watching me, and finding out
whether | was not too iuqulsitve he asked me
in turn. whether had not been charged with a
similar mission regarding himself Such was
not the case We were informed by the Duke de
Rovigo that the views of the emperor were that
the state prisons SHOULD contain habitations for
prisoners of all conditions
For IN fact, observed the Emperor, | sup.
pose may have 10 shut Up one of nv brothers
or my uncle mean that they should De treated
according 10 their rank that they should have
drawing room. a library, billiard room &c ,
Time dd not ALLOW of all these Improvements
being carried out When ! made nv tour Of in
spection At the close Of 1911 or the beginning OF
1912, there were prisoners in i've prisons Only
where. generally speaking they we're all badly
off The Others existed suly on paper The
building which had been marked out for prisons
did no, exist. The same nav be said Of - Il
forget the name department OF Mont Tonnerre
The' found that the building had been pulled
dnsn before the decree Vas issued En- reraa
che. there were state prisoners in great number
OF ordinary prisons. but these last we we're not
charged With Inspecting. | had onlv the proof
that they we're m great numbers We began
then. with Niucebnes. In the very highest part
OF the donJon found Spauiard ~ho VAS treat
ed with some attention lie bad few books.
box Of colors, and family Of pigeons which ne
brought up ~ his redoubt. They ~oud not tell
me his name: but found out sitersarl. that he
~as ,he celebrated P.lsfo1. Who "a. taken At
Sarsgosss. AMI whom the emperor. don't know
why, thought he should remove forever from the
public sight. A log of wood had been inferred
with much pomp In his place All the world be