so satisfactory in theory. The Commissioners trust, that the legislature of Massachusetts will not be prevented, by any inferior considerations, from persevering in the improvement of the public prisons, till the system shall have been fairly tried, till experience shall have proved its inefficiency or demonstrated its superiority.

R. SULLIVAN,

JAMES T. AUSTIN,
WILLIAM TUDOR, Jr.

No. VII.

Ordonnance du Roi qui porte que les jeunes gens âgés de moins de vingt ans, condamnés pour crimes, seront extraits des Prisons de Paris ou des départemens environnans, et réunis dans une Prison d'essai, et annulle l'Ordonnance du 18 août dernier.

Au château des Tuileries, le 9 Septembre, 1814, LOUIS, par la grâce de Dieu, Roi de France et de Navarre, à tous ceux qui ces présentes verront, SALUT.

Voulant établir dans les prisons de notre royaume un régime qui, propre à corriger les habitudes vicieuses des criminels condamnés aux fers par sentence des tribunaux, les prépare, par l'ordre, le travail et les instructions religieuses. et morales, à devenir des citoyens paisibles et utiles à la société quand ils devront recouvrer leur liberté; et voulant assurer le succès de cet établissement général que nous nous proposons, par un essai qui ne laisse à l'avenir aucune incer titude sur l'ensemble et les détails de l'administration de ces maisons, AVONS ORDONNE ce qui suit:

Art. 1." Tous les prisonniers condamnés pour crimes par sentence des tribunaux, et d'âge au-dessous de vingt ans, pris sans choix dans les prisons de la capitale ou dans celles

des départemens environnans, seront réunis dans une prison que désignera notre ministre de l'intérieur.

2. Le directeur général de cette prison d'essai sera nommé par nous: il sera chargé de la surveillance et de la direction générale de la police, travaux, instruction et administration de la prison. Il présentera à la nomination de notre ministre de l'intérieur un adjoint, s'il croit devoir en choisir un, et six inspecteurs chargés avec lui, et sous sa direction, de la surveillance et administration de cette prison.

3. Ces différentes places, dont l'humanité et la libéralité des sentimens peuvent seules faire consentir à accepter les fonctions, seront gratuites.

4. Le directeur général nommera le gardien de la prison et les employés subalternes chargés de la garde des prisonniers : il pourra les révoquer à volonté.

5. Il soumettra à l'approbation de notre ministre de l'intérieur les réglemens à établir dans la prison.

6. Indépendamment du compte qui nous sera rendu tous les mois de l'état de cette prison, sous tous les rapports, par notre ministre de l'intérieur, une commission composée d'un conseiller d'état et de deux maîtres des requêtes, et une composée de trois membres de notre cour de cassation, visiteront, chacune deux fois l'année, cette prison dans tous ses détails, et nous feront connaître le résultat de leurs observations, qu'elles mettront par écrit sur le régistre de la prison. Le directeur général et les inspecteurs seront prévenus des visites de ces commissaires, pour pouvoir leur donner tous les renseignemens généraux et particuliers qu'ils pourront dé

sirer.

7. Le directeur général rendra, à la fin de chaque année, à notre ministre de l'intérieur, un compte moral et détaillé de l'état de la prison, et un compte des recettes et dépenses; ce compte, vérifié et approuvé par notre ministre de l'intérieur, sera mis sous nos yeux et rendu public.

8. Nous nous réservons, de l'avis de notre chancelier, 'd'accorder des grâces avant l'expiration du temps de détention ordonné par les jugemens, à ceux des prisonniers dont l'exactitude de la conduite pourrait faire croire à leur

amendement, et qui seraient jugés pouvoir être rendus à la société sans inconvénient pour elle et à son avantage.

9. M. le duc de la Rochefoucauld, pair de France, est nommé directeur général de la prison d'essai. ·

10. M. le baron de Lessert, l'un des administrateurs généraux de notre bonne ville de Paris, est nommé adjoint de M. le directeur général.

11. A raison de la présente ordonnance, celle du 18 août dernier, relative à l'établissement d'une maison de correction pour les jeunes condamnés du département de la Seine, se trouve annullée.

12. Notre ministre de l'intérieur est chargé de l'exécution de la présente ordonnance.

Donné en notre château des Tuileries, le 9 Septembre, l'an

Report of the Committee of the General Penitentiary at Milbank for the Reception of Convicts; made in pursuance of the 56 Geo. III. cap. 63, sec. 39; specifying the State of the Buildings, the Behaviour and Conduct of the respective Officers, the Treatment and Condition of the Convicts, the Amount of their Earnings, and the Expenses of such Penitentiary.

THERE are at present in the Penitentiary, 108 male, and 118 female convicts.

The portion of the prison now completed, was originally

intended to contain 200 prisoners, and was represented in the former Report of the Committee, to be calculated to accommodate that number. In consequence, however, of an alteration which was made last spring in the manner of lodging the prisoners, the present buildings will be found capable of receiving nearly 300, instead of 200. In the first distribution of the prisoners, they were all placed in different cells by night, from those which they occupied by day; so that two cells were allotted to each of the prisoners of the first class (who are by the 56 Geo. III. to be kept separate from each other during the hours of labour, as well as by night) but owing to the facility afforded to ventilation by the construction of this prison, it has been found practicable, without inconvenience, to make one cell serve both as a night cell, and a day cell for every prisoner of this description.

The Committee reported at the commencement of the last session of Parliament, that it would be necessary to adopt measures for giving additional stability to some parts of the present buildings; accordingly means have been used for that purpose, and two towers have been taken down to be rebuilt on a better foundation. The Committee are informed that it may be necessary to take down two more towers, but they understand from their architect (Mr. Smirke), that there is not any cause for apprehension in regard to the other parts of the buildings.

The officers behave with mildness to the prisoners, in conformity to the directions given by the Committee; and no instance has occurred of any complaint made by a prisoner of harshness or ill usage. The conduct and demeanour of the female prisoners is highly decorous; the male prisoners, many of whom are boys recently received from Newgate, and for the present without employment, are less orderly, but even in these much improvement has taken place since their arrival. The opinion of the chaplain, on the general state of the Penitentiary, will best appear from the following extract, taken from the conclusion of his journal for 1817; at which time the prison had not been open to male offenders for one complete year; viz.—

"In the course of the year, one of the female convicts has

been baptized, and 17 males and 46 females have been confirmed by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London, at a confirmation held by his lordship in the chapel. Sixty-three females and ten males have received the holy sacrament; but of this number of communicants, the chaplain thought it necessary that three should not give their attendance at the administration of that solemn ordinance on Christmas-day, and on Sunday last; and he has always considered it as a duty to explain very fully to them, that their attendance at the Lord's Table will not be marked by any favour, but that it will rather cause their conduct to be more strictly scrutinized and watched.

"The convicts who were first sent to the Penitentiary, have most of them conducted themselves in an exemplary manner; and indeed the general behaviour of all has far exceeded the expectations of the chaplain, when he reflects that many of them came here without education, and from the haunts of vice. From what he has already observed, he trusts that the system of moral and religious instruction adopted in the Penitentiary, will be the means of reclaiming many from the paths of vice, by breaking their connexions with profligate and abandoned companions, and of restoring them to the society of their friends, and making them honest and industrious members of the community."

Sufficient time has not yet elapsed since the Penitentiary has been in operation, for the Committee to report any of the convicts to the principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, under the 25th section of the 56th Geo. III. as proper objects for their merit in the prison, to be recommended to the royal mercy; several have received His Majesty's pardon, founded on circumstances unconnected with their behaviour, since they came under the care of the Committee; but in every such instance it has been ascertained, by previous inquiry from the Committee, that the conduct of the convict in the Penitentiary, though not the ground of his pardon, has nevertheless been such, as in no degree to diminish his claim to the mercy of the Crown.