Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-08-06
THE INTERNATIONAL PRISON CONGRESS,

.
The closing proceedings of this con
gress were held on Saturday the 18th in
slant, in the middle Of the Temple Hall,
Sir John Pakington. NJ. p, presiding.
There was full assemblage of the dele
gates and commissioners, and although
The business to be transacted was only to
receive the repor OF the various sections,
profound matter, the members showed
an unabated interest to the last IN the
work 1tsr hr
The chairman on taking his seat, said
he congress was now assembled for the
concluding meeting of what had heen a
most interesting gathering, and he hoped
The proceedings OF the morning would be
IN every way worthy the satisfactory pro-
ceedings of the other days. His duty was
not then TO detain them, but he would
simply congratulate them upon having got
through their work so well. He then
called upon NJ. Victor Bournat, of
France, to present the report Of the
French-speaking section.
NJ. Bournat brought up this report,
which entered into the subject of the de-
liberations OF the French-speaking section
with great spirit, and discussed at very
great length the merits OF the various
systems OF imprisonment brought before
It: Great praise was then given to Sir
W. Croiton, Captain Du Cane, NJ. Stevens,
and other gentlemen, for the information
which had been laid before the section.
The report proved to be too long for the
audience to bear it all. and the reporter of
the section was interrupted when he had
get apparently half way through his read
ing. \ resolution was passed that the re-
~ nj hn frI ,sxL
ings of congress.
Mr.. G. W. Hastings then read the report
Of the International Committee, and this
gave resume Of the proceedings of the
general features of which had been re-
ported. and it expressed the thsnks Of the
Committee to the Government and to nu-
merous persons for favors extended to the
| congress. The report concluded by SEATING
that in the general question Of reclams.ion
| the influence Of women devoted to such
work was of the highest Importance, and
the Committee rejoiced that the congress
had had the advantage of the presence
and counsel of many ladies whose practi-
cal acquaintance with prisons and reform
atories had given weight to their words.
and whose example furnished hope tor
the future After reading the report, Mr..
Hastings said he wished to draw the at
tention of the Congress to the manner in
which criminal statistics were prepared.
He hoped that whatever scheme might be
devised especial care would be taken to
insure trustworhiness in obtaining such
information. He did not hesitate to say
that at present such statistics were ex-
ceedingly delusve. Sir Walter Crofton
the other day had pointed out that it was
TO 1l- hat
number of convictions under a system
They should consider the circumstances OF
those recOnvictions, and he there
| fore begged 10 call attention Of
the International committee to that
point. The next point he wished to
refer to related to, prison discipline,
which, he contended, could not be
carried out efficiently unless the prison
| The management of jails containing
small number of prisoners could NOT be
carried on properly, and he mentioned
one instance where a Jail contained but
five prisoners. Mr.. Hastings said he
hoped the Home Office would see the ne
cessity of submitting 10 Parliament the
great good which would be effected by the
Secretary Of State having power to abol-
ish prisons which contained small num-
ber of prisoners. The speaker then for
mally moved the adoption of the report.
and resumed his seat. Mr. Haynes Sec
onde,l the motion. Miss Carpenter, in ad-
dressing the meeting, observed that it was
impossible to comprehend the importance
OF the congress, for by it a new era had
opened up in the progress of civilization,
and this new era had been coming on for
years. She recollected we'll the chairman
being at meeting of juvenile delinquents
some twenty years ago. and she was then
asked if children did not owe retributon
to society, but her answer was that society
owed retribution to them. (Applause.
There had been one feeling OF unanimity
pervading the congress in reference
to the treatment of prisoners SO as to
prepare them for re-entry into the world.
There was. too. another new feature
connected with the congress, and that was
the part assigned to women in the work
of criminal reformation. 1t was right that
women should seek out and help the less
fortunate OF their own sex. 1t was A
great feature in the history of the country
tor women to enter upon such important
duties, for they ofall others were best able
to treat the moral and mental as well as
the physical diseases oftheir sex. 1Cheers1
The chairman said it was very pleasing t.
hear such very satisfactory report from
what was essentially representative com
mitiee, consisting of one delegate from
each OF the many nations there represen
ted. The discussions which had bee,
held would be read with the deepest in
tcrest by the people of every nation repre-
sented at that meeting, touching as the,
did upon subjects both complicated an,
difficult. When they found, then, tha
such committee concurred in recommend
ing the report for adoption. which. thougl
brief, was comprehensive in its character
it could not fail, he apprehended, to give
the greatest satisfaction. II proved tina,
the discussions had not been la vain.
After alluding to the prominent part which
had been taken in the proceedings by la
dies, the chairman concluded by observ-
ing that it was source Of much thank
tulness to know that the debates would
moi be unproductive OF good results. The
chairman then put the adoption of the re-
mort TO the meeting, when it was carried
unanimously.
During these proceedings MIR. Powell ol