upon public interest. It demands the best thought of the best minds among us. The means of saving men from prison, claim indeed our first, and most deliberate consideration. And, thanks be to God, great light has been thrown upon the question, by the grand experiment of the School of Reformation at South Boston. I hope that I shall have an opportunity to give the results of my observations of this school. But I do earnestly beseech those among us, who are qualified for the work, not merely to look at the subject of prisons, but to examine, and to discuss it, till it shall be well comprehended; and, till principles shall be established for their structure, and government, which shall make them, as far as they may be made, Schools of Reformation. I would not depreciate the value of any of the recent discoveries, in the application of the mechanic powers. But to me it seems, that rail roads, and steam engines in all their varieties, have contributed, and will contribute, nothing to the advancement of our race, compared with the good which would be obtained by the concentrated light of wise and philanthropic minds upon the great questions, how may we most effectually save men from crime? Or, when they have fallen into crime, how may we most effectually reclaim them? Is it said, that the evils of which I complain are irremediable, and that we must therefore bear them as well as we can? Had I thought so, I would have said nothing respecting them. But it is not true, that they are irremediable. It will require, indeed, a large expenditure, to make these prisons what they should be; and we are not prepared, at present, to incur heavy expenses. But, are we therefore to turn our eyes from the evil? The time has been, when our city felt itself to be able to make large appropriations for internal improvements; and the time may, and I doubt not will come, when this ability will again be felt among us. And who will say that přepáration should not be made as early, and as rapidly as may be, to exonerate ourselves from the guilt under which we lie, in having permitted such abuses to grow up among us? As these prisons now are, I repeat, that à classifi cation of the prisoners is a matter which is out of the question; and, without the classification of prisoners, a jail is the foulest sink on earth of human corruption. We have indeed no dungeons in our prisons, and fetters are never used in them, but in cases of extreme necessity. We are told, however, that in some of the prisons which Have dungeons, and in which the use of fetters is no strange thing, the prisoners, generally, are every day permitted to breathe the outward air; and all, at appointed hours, take their meals at a common table. But there is no common eating room, either in our House of Correction, or in our Common Jail; and the inmates of the jail, from the time when they are first locked in their rooms, till their term of confinement has expired, are not permitted to pass out of them, except on the special occasions when they may be called out into the arch, for private conversation with any one who shall be authorised thus to converse with them. Here, also, no attempt is made for their religious and moral instruction, or in any way to counteract the dreadful tendencies of this prison, except that of giving a Bible to the prisoners.—I would make no appeal to the passions on so grave a subject. But I do appeal to the great eternal principles of justice in every mind. I do beseech those, who are interested in the well being of our city, to inquire, and to examine, that they may understand the evils of these institutions; and then with due deliberation to consider, what is our duty respecting them? Allow me Sir, to add, that I have felt a strong sense of obligation to bring this subject before the public. I have omitted some topics, of great interest to my own mind, and, as I think, of great importance in their bearings upon the moral influences of prisons, because there might be a diversity of opinion respecting them; and because my immediate object is, to settle opinion upon a single point, the actual character of our prisons as they now are. Here, then, I leave the subject, at least for the present. The facts, which I have stated will not, I believe, be disputed. But, even if they should be, I am satisfied that they cannot be disproved. I am, dear Sir, very respectfully, JOSEPH TUCKERMAN. To the HON. HARRISON GRAY OTIS,} Mayor of Boston, December 28th, 1829. AN ESSAY ON THE WAGES PAID TO FEMALES FOR THEIR LABOUR; IN THE FORM OF A LETTER, FROM A GENTLEMAN IN BOSTON TO HIS FRIEND IN PHILADELPHIA. BY JOSEPH TUCKERMAN. 4444 Philadelphia: FOR SALE BY CAREY & HART, JOHN GRIGG, AND TOWAR & HOGAN; March 25, 1830. EXTRACT FROM THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, JULY 15, 1829. PREMIUM. "The editor of this paper, is authorized to offer (and pledges himself for the performance) a gold medal with a suitable inscription, value one hundred dollars, or a piece of plate of equal value, for the best essay (its merits to be decided on by competent and impartial judges,) on the inadequacy of the wages generally paid to seamstresses, spoolers, spinners, shoebinders, &c. to procure food, raiment, and lodging; on the effects of that inadequacy upon the happiness and morals of those females, and their families, when they have any; and on the probability that those low wages frequently force poor women to the choice be tween dishonour and absolute want of common necessaries. The whole, as far as the nature of the case will admit, to be corroborated by facts, and to embrace an inquiry whether those evils are susceptible of remedy or alleviation; and if so, by what means." The various essays offered in consequence of the above advertisement, having been carefully examined by the Committee appointed to decide on their relative merits, the prize has been awarded to the Rev. JOSEPH TUCKERMAN, of Boston. Philadelphia, February 1, 1830. GRIGGS & DICKINSON, PRINTERS. |