Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-27
DECREASE In CRINE,
England Has Few Criminals Compare
tively-Ths Certainty Punishment the

England Has Few Criminals Compare
tiveIy-Tho Certainty Punishment the
Cause.
Chicago Times.
II not the most Interesting, certainly
the most fattering contribution to the
jubilee literature CT England is an article
on crime and criminals during the period
Victoria has occupied the throne. 1t ap-
pears in London magazine, and IS the
production Of Sir E. F. Du Cane, Sur
veyor- General Of Prisons. It presents
facts and figures, and not theories and
recommendations. 1t shows that il the
increase Of crime in England had KEEP
pace with the increase OF population
there would have been twice as many
criminals in 1887 as IN IS37-as the popu-
latiOn has very nearly doubled. The
mum Der OF criminals, however, is only
Shout Une-ffth as large as Il was fifty
We rs ago. On the accession CT Victoria
in 1887, there we're 40 900 in the Austria
lisn colonies, 1000 waiting transportation,
1000 at Gibraltar, the sane numoer at
Bermuda, and nearly il not quite 1000 in
Mil5ank prison. The aggregate number
OF convicts WAS $4,000.
And now about convicts in The jubilee
y
coronation Of Victoria there were 74l4
persons in British prisons, about 1000 re-
leased conditionally and under police SUI
pervisiop, including several hundred re-
convicted Australian prisoners and not
quite 500 children in reformatories. The
total number of cOnvicts of all classes did
not exceed 10000, or one-ffth as many as
there were fifty years ago. Ia 1887 CSC
~ iToip al tn frnn
ton for life, but in 1887 the life sentences
were reduced TO nine. During the former
year there were seventeen executions,
during the latter fourteen.
1t is not wonderful that our kindred
across the sea "points with pride" to this
most remarkable showing in respect to
the decrease OF crime. Why has crime
decreased in EnglSnd and increased here
What causes are operating there TO
diminish the number of criminals that are
unknown or imperative here? We have
been told that protection is favorable to
public morals, but there is no protection
in England. The common law prevails
in both countries, but court practice is
not the same in both. It is a matter OF
general complaint that many persons who
commit crimes in this country are never
punlSuCu. 4ueIS ID III SUSU SOupiaiu IL
England. 1t is pretty generally under
stood that somebody is punished for
every crime committed in England,
though it is often affirmed that it is not
always the right person.
The certainty of punishment, more
than it's severity, appears to diminish
crime. Few persons will deliberately
commit crimes il they believe there Is rot
one chance in hundred of their escaping
arrest and avoiding punishment. Detec-
ton, arrest and conviction are all very
uncertain in this country, and, SIS con-
sequence, crimes are very numerous. AL
lowing every state and territory to have q
different code, and to change it at every
session of the legislature, does not favor
the suppression Of crime. Most OF those
who have given attention to the matter
are now convinced that the national, and
not the state and territoria governments,
should enact and enforce the laws in rela-
ton to crime. The people OF Canada
were wise in giving to the centrsl govern
ment the power to ensct and carry out
Laws for the punishment of sH ordinsry
crimes.