The Iola register., 1886-06-04

.-Sore feet prove very fatal. The NOR
tality we met with in our last ship. il
repeated in this. will SO surfeit US that
we shall never take another" The
American War of Independence put an
end to transportation to America The
"hulk" system was invented rs u ''tem-
porary expedient' till the penitentiary
could be adopted. This temporary
expedient lasted till 1857. This
was even worse than the prison system.
The mortality of prisoners was at differ
ent times 80 and 26 per cent. per an
mum. ''Hulk fever took the place of
'.goat fever" The mortality in the
modern penitentiary systems Of prisons
is Is per 1000.
With the discovery of Australia the
transportation system was renewed.
The Botany Bay settlement was founded
in 1887. and from first to last 134. 308
persons were transported to Australia
| The state of things which existed then
is fairly shown by two quotations. In
1884 the number of convicts in Van
Dieman's Land was about 1900, the
summary convictions amounted to about
Is, 900, and the number of lashss in
| f1icted was about $4,000. From the
formation of the establishment at
Macquarie Harbor, January 8, 1922. to
May l6. 1927. there were 116 attempts
at escape. Of these 75 were supposed
to have perished in the woods, 8 are
known to have been murdered and s
eaten by their companions; "a escaped
to the settled districts. 13 of whom were
hanged for bush ranging and 2 for
murder: in all. 1Ol of the lie came to
an untimely end. After 1S47, trans
portation ceased to any other colony
| than Western Australia. and was then
| conducted more on the penitentiary
system, and in 1868 it ceased altogether.
| and the present penal servitude con-
Wet system was established in its place.
This system is absolutely uniform. so
| far as rules can make it so. During
the first nine months the prisoner passes
| his whole time-excepting the period
allotted to prayers and exercises-in his
| cell. apart from all other prisoners.
working at some employment of an
| industrial or remunerative character.
During the second stage he sleeps and
has his meals in a separate cell, but
works in association, under a cl Dse and
strict supervision at emn'Oyment suited
| to him. The third period i, that of the
| ticket of leave. The second stage is
| divided into three classes. and on pro-
| motion from one class to another the
prisoner gains certain privileges. such
! as more frequent communication with
| friends. more freedom for exercise on
M
| be paid on discharge. Corresponding
punishments are inflicted, but corporal
punishment only bv the director of
prisons. and after full trial with evil
dence taken on oath. 1t is significant
of the improvement which is taking
place in the convict prisons that. while
| in 1871. of 1880 prisoners. nearly half
received punishments. in lsS4-5. out of
| prisoners numbering nearly 100 more.
under 5000 were punished. 1t is satis-
| factory. also. to know that the average
| number of prisoners under sentence of
penal servitude is gradually decreasing.
Notwithstanding an increase of popula-
ton of five millions. there were on
March 81. 1885. only $500 persons in
| penal servitude, instead of IL. 600 in
1869. At the same time the average
number of prisoners in the ordinary
prisons has also fallen from 10000 in
1869 to IL. 900 i'm 1884, and the lowest
| figure known. in February, 1885. of
1878. while the percentage of extra
punishments in prison has fallen ) per
| cent: and the most striking proof of inn
provement is that the death rate has
fallen , per LOCO. and the average num-
ber of suicides from II year to Il a
year. 1t is certain. therefore. that the
adoption of the reformatOry. and humane
system of prison discipline has not con-
tributed to the increase of the number
, or the criminalty of criminals.
But perhaps the most encouraging
| fact of all is the diminution in the num-
Der of juvenile prisoners. In 1916 there
We're IN London alone. with population
of million and half. 5000 prisoners
under ~. or one in every 800 persons.
On March 81. 1854, out of the whole
twenty-seven millions of England and
Wales. there were only $500 prisoners
under 20. or one in every 5000 persons.
Further. while in 1916. l.5O0 of the ). 900
prisoners in London were under Il. in
1884 there were in all England only 215.
Even adding the number of children in
reformator,. schools (6.60D the number
! of Juvenile criminals is 500 per cent. less
than it was in 1916. 1t is also satisfac.
tory to reflect that while the cost of
prisons in 1870 was f45o,OOO. it was in
1884 only f3SL 400. If progress contin-
ues at its present rate We may hope to
see the number of prisons, the number of
prisoners and the cost of keeping them
reduced almost to vanishing point.
With the progress of education in the
young. the improvement of the dwell
ings of the poor and the progress of hu-
man;ty in the efforts to reform and re-
claim prisoners. the prison population
may gradually be reduced to these ir-
reconcilable enemies of the human race
whom inherited depravity or exceptional
circumstances have contorted into spe-
cies Of wild beast.-London Spectator.