DOI Heft:
January 28, 1860
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16865#0050
42
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
[January 28, 1860.
Field Officer of the Bay. “Hullo! Why don’t the Guard turn out?”
Solitary Private. “ Please, Sir, They’re gone to Target Practice!”
Field Officer of the Bay. “And who the deuce are You?”
Solitary Private. “Please, Sir, I’m the Prisoner, Sir!”
[.Related to us as a fact, but which, as a distinguished Field Officer ourselves, ice don't indorse.
WHAT REFORMATORIES HAVE DONE.
There lias been a Meeting, not of theoretical, but practical,
Reformers, at Birmingham, in favour of the Reformatory movement.
As usual at such meetings, Mr. M. D. Hill, the energetic Recorder,
took a prominent lead, lie proved, by the strong force of figures, how
much better it was to send young criminals to school, where they were
instructed, instead of locking them up in gaols, where they only got
corrupted. To them the gaol was as good as a College of Crime, and
the juvenile Jack Shepherds confined there were perfect Under-
graduates of Vice,—with this simple exception, that the young rascals
paid more attention to their studies than Undergraduates generally
do. The difference of the two plans of treatment is so largely in
favour of the former, that the only wonder is, that it was never put in
force years ago. By the Reformatory, young sinners, whose sins are
more the fault of their parents than themselves, are reclaimed, and the
ranks of good citizens strengthened; and by the prison, a sacrifice is
consummated of a poor miserable young creature to ignorance, “ to be
returned again into society as a double vengeance and as a redoubled
punishment upon society which had so ill-treated him.”
The wrong thus committed by society falls with a two-fold severity
upon itself. Mr. Hill fixed the number of our felon population at
160,000, and he stated that the amount of property annually stolen by
them was no less than £13,000,000 sterling.
Mr. Kynnersley, another philanthropic labourer in the same good
cause, remarked that the general diminution of crime in the whole
kingdom, since 1856, was, according to the report of Mr. Sydney
Turner, 26 per cent.—a clear gain of rather more than one-fourth.
“How was a fact so incredible to be accounted for?” inquired the
honourable gentleman. “In a great measure (is his reply) to the
Reformatory movement, that puts it in the power of Magistrates to
send young criminals to these institutions for reformation for a
lengthened period.”
Since these Reformatories have had the effect of diminishing crime
to the extent of one-fourth, it is but fair to conclude, that that sum of
£13,000,000, stated to be annually stolen, would have been one-fourth
larger supposing that these schools of redemption had not been in
existence ; and since this diminution has been in operation ever since
the year 1856, the gain resulting to the country by their establishment
during those three years has been a sum of not less than £12,000,000,
representing a saving of a clear four millions every year. To this sum
must also be added the cost of maintaining the children constantly in
prison, supposing the old method of allowing them to ripen in gaol
into adult criminals had been persevered in. This, however, is only
the ledger view of the question, and that is a very small consideration
when compared with the large practical utility, and the great, human-
ising charity, which are the principal moral features of this movement,
whose beneficial effects will be felt by succeeding generations even to
a greater extent than by ourselves. As schools are better than prisons,
—as it must be more agreeable to teach than to punish,—as prevention
has usually been considered a more rational course of treatment than
cure,—we are astonished that the Government does not interest itself
a little more warmly in the establishment and increase of these valuable
institutions, that have aided most materially the cause of civilisation by
preventing so many young pupils of crime growing up under able
tuition into so many trained professors.
ONE THING THEY MANAGE BETTER IN ERANCE.
They' wash better; for it must be confessed that a French washer-
woman with her linen beats an English washerwoman all to rags.
The most Difficult Question of All.—“ Who’s your Friend ? ”
A Bar to Public Progress.—Temnle Bar.—Peter Cunningham.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
[January 28, 1860.
Field Officer of the Bay. “Hullo! Why don’t the Guard turn out?”
Solitary Private. “ Please, Sir, They’re gone to Target Practice!”
Field Officer of the Bay. “And who the deuce are You?”
Solitary Private. “Please, Sir, I’m the Prisoner, Sir!”
[.Related to us as a fact, but which, as a distinguished Field Officer ourselves, ice don't indorse.
WHAT REFORMATORIES HAVE DONE.
There lias been a Meeting, not of theoretical, but practical,
Reformers, at Birmingham, in favour of the Reformatory movement.
As usual at such meetings, Mr. M. D. Hill, the energetic Recorder,
took a prominent lead, lie proved, by the strong force of figures, how
much better it was to send young criminals to school, where they were
instructed, instead of locking them up in gaols, where they only got
corrupted. To them the gaol was as good as a College of Crime, and
the juvenile Jack Shepherds confined there were perfect Under-
graduates of Vice,—with this simple exception, that the young rascals
paid more attention to their studies than Undergraduates generally
do. The difference of the two plans of treatment is so largely in
favour of the former, that the only wonder is, that it was never put in
force years ago. By the Reformatory, young sinners, whose sins are
more the fault of their parents than themselves, are reclaimed, and the
ranks of good citizens strengthened; and by the prison, a sacrifice is
consummated of a poor miserable young creature to ignorance, “ to be
returned again into society as a double vengeance and as a redoubled
punishment upon society which had so ill-treated him.”
The wrong thus committed by society falls with a two-fold severity
upon itself. Mr. Hill fixed the number of our felon population at
160,000, and he stated that the amount of property annually stolen by
them was no less than £13,000,000 sterling.
Mr. Kynnersley, another philanthropic labourer in the same good
cause, remarked that the general diminution of crime in the whole
kingdom, since 1856, was, according to the report of Mr. Sydney
Turner, 26 per cent.—a clear gain of rather more than one-fourth.
“How was a fact so incredible to be accounted for?” inquired the
honourable gentleman. “In a great measure (is his reply) to the
Reformatory movement, that puts it in the power of Magistrates to
send young criminals to these institutions for reformation for a
lengthened period.”
Since these Reformatories have had the effect of diminishing crime
to the extent of one-fourth, it is but fair to conclude, that that sum of
£13,000,000, stated to be annually stolen, would have been one-fourth
larger supposing that these schools of redemption had not been in
existence ; and since this diminution has been in operation ever since
the year 1856, the gain resulting to the country by their establishment
during those three years has been a sum of not less than £12,000,000,
representing a saving of a clear four millions every year. To this sum
must also be added the cost of maintaining the children constantly in
prison, supposing the old method of allowing them to ripen in gaol
into adult criminals had been persevered in. This, however, is only
the ledger view of the question, and that is a very small consideration
when compared with the large practical utility, and the great, human-
ising charity, which are the principal moral features of this movement,
whose beneficial effects will be felt by succeeding generations even to
a greater extent than by ourselves. As schools are better than prisons,
—as it must be more agreeable to teach than to punish,—as prevention
has usually been considered a more rational course of treatment than
cure,—we are astonished that the Government does not interest itself
a little more warmly in the establishment and increase of these valuable
institutions, that have aided most materially the cause of civilisation by
preventing so many young pupils of crime growing up under able
tuition into so many trained professors.
ONE THING THEY MANAGE BETTER IN ERANCE.
They' wash better; for it must be confessed that a French washer-
woman with her linen beats an English washerwoman all to rags.
The most Difficult Question of All.—“ Who’s your Friend ? ”
A Bar to Public Progress.—Temnle Bar.—Peter Cunningham.