The Action Of The Last Legislative, In Reference To Penal And Pauper Institutions

Mr. Editor:- In your Issue of the Ut)! ínst., yoit have ivetl a very satisfactory liotlce of the projoscd "Statfi Public School." The Legislatura most wlsely has niadc bis tlic beginning la adoptlng the recoinnendations of the special conimissioners. These comnlissioncrs in tlieir report (page 0-S0) stnte, "We have now in the county oor houses in thisState212 chlldren ander M.xteen year.i ofafre. It is theearnest conlctioii oí all the members ot this comtnlsion, that these ehildivn shoutil be taken rom tin; Cüimty Poor Housen, and made be wards of the State, and thatthey sluuld ie indentnred out in femtlles, or placed in orpban asyluma, or in a school proykled by he State." They dweil on the influunces arroandinx cluidren In Poot Hutises and he nalnr.il resolta of sotth thklnlug. At his time, tliere are in our jailj two brothrs taken trom the Poor House, or rather laving run aw.iy, who are to be sent to the ieform richool as aooo as the legal Steps mi be taken. The act provldea, also, for thoM chihlreii who have been abandoucd y th'ir pareóte, or are orphans, or whose tárente bave been convicta! of crime." We rust that this will be folio wed by a State chool for Idiota, and indeed, that this is Je lirst stop towurils feundlng institutions or the different clasWa of dependanta upon he State, whlon will la time in a good leatnredo away wlth the Pooi House ygtein. Our pauper system, as at present xlstlng, is i Btrange contratlictioii, proIdlng, compara ttvely npeaklng, elegautly or certain das es, as the iiisanc, the cleaf nd dumb, and tbe blind, and leavlng othra, as the aged, the Inflrm, the idiotie, avlng cqual claims ; to the discom'ort, to ay the least, of the Poor HooM- well atned. On thl8 point, the commiRsion speak, Let tlie St .te take this wliole subject of ongregating piiupcrlstn, umler it own ontrol, and establish State or district 111titutions for the care and trealincnt of the ifferent classes of paupers, and wc are nlly satlsfied that, wltl a system Judiciousy arranged, paaperlam would be redorad, lic different classes would be more humauey and properly treated, and the whole latter woitld be more wisely and economially administered." (Page H3-Ü9.) Your artlcle meutioii3 the nppointmeut y the Govcrnor, of three commlaslonera of he charitable, penal, pauper, and reforma ory institutions of the State. This mensure is in pursuauce of the recmmendation of the report. An examinaon ofl the act (Laws of Michigan 1871, ío. 194) will show, that the Board is one of inspectlon not of control. The commisioners and their Secretary have the right of visitaiion of all institutions ander their harge, adinlnlsterin the oath for cxamiuation oi parties if they sec ñt. Such visitalon must bc made ammally. They are also requlred, when directed by the Governor, to make special investigatlou iuto alleged abuses in any State institutiou for crime or paupcrism. "Thasald board sha 11 nake a thorough exaniination of all penal, criminal, or otherlaws of the State relating o the peaal or reformatory institutions, or i) auy wise relatad tu tlits custocly and pungboient of crimináis, ttud tlic care or conInement of tlic county poor and pauper insane, for the purpose of the revisión of such aws by the Legisla ture." ïhey are to reort to tlie Legisl&tnre the rcaults of their observations with recommeodatlOD". The sum of $,000 is placed at their dU)onal) for the parpóse of uinploying a. Sen etary and paying the expenses of their vlsltatlons, Ao Such Boards exist In MossachtlBetts, Olilo, Khode Islaud, and Illinois. At the head ol tlic Board is placed Judge C. I. Walkeb, to wlioin thi.s whole movenent is greatly indi-lited, and who is uixlcr stood to bc the principal writcr of tho vcry able report submitted to the Legislatura. As citi.ens of Michigan, we may well be jroud of tho action of her late Legislatura n reference to crime and poverty. A noble Hginnlag 'as been made. And now is the time to place these State institutions on a true basis. No great expenditure has been nade beyond the State Prison, Insane, and ilind and Deaf and Dumb AsylumsScarcely a county, except Wayne, has made any very largo inTeStmeot in county institutions. The poor farms must have so DCreased-lu valuc tint no change of system would Involve any great loss. And crime uid poverty are rnanagcable in thelrj pro)ortions. Michijan may proflt by the ex erienco ol the older States and shake off some of the old traditions. Social sciencj, as applied to crime and poverty, is eqgagtng some of the best minds. Such a volume as "The Transactlons of the National Prison Reform Congress," helil at Clncinnati in Octobsr, 1870 (whlch should be in the hands oí every man connected in uny way with ttic admiuistration ol jnstiïe), is evidence of the (leep study of the wliole subject. Such a volume could not have been produced twenty fivc ycars ago. We coinincnd the report of the commissioners, Messrs. Walkek, Cdttrr and Kankin, lo the attention of all who are interested In the progress of civilizatiou, and especially of those who are in anthorlty, by office or social position, to control the public mimi and measures. We would be glad to sce somo extracts In the Auous.