At the hour named a brilliant and large gathering met at the Quirinal, and the delegates grouped by nationality were successively presented by Senator Canonico to the King and Queen, who enter tained all in a very amiable manner. After this the royal banquet was served, and then the guests spent some hours in familiar conversation in the sumptuous salons of the royal palace, pleased with their entertainment.

A description of these courtesies covers many pages in the proceedings of the congress, and while they do not of themselves furnish information relative to prison reform, they do exhibit the interest of the Government in the subject and show the highest respect for the eminent gentlemen then present in Rome to discuss its problems.

There were only two American reports presented at this Congress. One was a brief history of prison reform in this country by "M. B." The full name of the author is not given, and is not known to the writer. It is a report of about 18 pages, and is a valuable and interesting summary.

The other report was by C. D. Randall, of Coldwater, Michigan, and the subject was the following section of the programme:

What authority should the judge have to commit young delinquents to houses of correction or of reform, either where they have been discharged as having acted without discernment, or where they are sentenced to imprisonment?

The programme and conclusions of the Congress of Rome fail to indicate the vast fund of information relating to prison construction and management found in the reports and discussions. Only by reading the extensive proceedings can the value of the work at Rome be understood. They can only be suggested here with the hope that prison officials in this country will in time be benefited by reading them.

While the conclusions adopted in this and other congresses show the drift of the thought of the majority, they need not be considered as unquestioned authority, as other congresses may modify them. The repeated discussions will tend to perfect conclusions, so that in time penology may become almost one of the exact sciences.

ADVANCE OPINIONS ON THE ST. PETERSBURG CONGRESS.

There are no gentlemen in this country more qualified to speak on the importance of the congress than the writers of the following letters, which were addressed to the writer of this report:

THE NEW YORK STATE REFORMATORY,

Elmira, N. Y., February 1, 1890.

My DEAR SIR: Yours 25th. It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the importance of prison reform in the true and rationalistic sense of the term. The increase of crimes and criminals is fast becoming a public menace, and the principles and methods necessary to stay its progress are of the greatest value for creating a correct public sense of the wisdom and mercy of that universal moral government under which we all are. It has been said that the civilization of an age may be ascertained by finding how society treats the criminals offending against her laws.

The cost and contamination of crimes also appeal to philanthropists to devise some relief by way of reformation of criminals.

There is no way to avoid the consideration of crime and criminals, for they force, painfully force, their care upon us.

Great good must arise from the world's congresses and especially that one to be held at St. Petersburg this year.

Europeans have a prison or penological literature. We have none.

The best

minds of Europe are carefully studying criminal anthropology or psychology; their writings serving to elevate and educate our ideas.

I greatly hope there may be a large and influential delegation from America; one to return freighted with valuable facts and encouragement for us all.

Truly,

Z. R. BROCKWAY.

The following is from the Rev. Fred. H. Wines, secretary of the State Board of Charities of Illinois, and former secretary of the National Prison Association of the United States, of which ex-President Hayes is the president. The Rev. Mr. Wines has not only a national but an international reputation as a specialist in penology and writer and speaker in that science, which does not need the name of his distinguished father to make him known. He has lately been in charge of the United States census department relating to the statistics of pauperism and crime.

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 3, 1890. DEAR SIR: On my arrival in Washington, after a tour among the prisons of this country which has lasted for nearly two months past, I find your letters.

*

I have done all in my power to awaken interest in the St. Petersburg Congress on the part of the American public. The National Prison Congress at Nashville passed, at my suggestion, a resolution favoring it, and I send you by this mail a copy of the proceedings of the board of directors, in which you will find this resolution on page 10. I have presented it to the President and to the Secretary of State, and am assured of their interest in the congress and their desire to see it successful and influential for good in Russia and throughout the world.

I do not know what I could say commending this congress that would be of special value. The entire movement was the work of my father, and the crowning glory of his laborious and useful life.

I have been in correspondence with the international commission during all these years, and have felt the deepest concern for the coöperation of America and of the United States Government in the work which they are attempting to accomplish. I am, as always, very sincerely yours,

FRED. H. WINES.

From the proceedings of the board of directors of the National Prison Association held in Nashville, Tenn., in November, 1889, the following is taken.

Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes introduced the following resolu tions, which were adopted:

Resolved, That it is the unanimous wish of the National Prison Association that the President and Congress of the United States shall respond favorably to the invitation of the Russian Government to this country to be represented in the International Penitentiary Congress in St. Petersburg in June, 1890, by filling the vacancy existing in the international penitentiary commission and providing for representation in the congress.

Resolved, That the secretary of the association be instructed to communicate this action to the President and to the Secretary of State.

STATE HALL,

Albany, N. Y., February 17, 1890. My DEAR SIR: It is hardly necessary to urge upon a person of your ripe experience in prison reform and preventive work the importance of personal association and of discussion by those specially interested in the reformation of criminals, or having practical knowledge relating thereto.

The great advance that has been made in prison reform within the last quarter of a century, even in the last decade, leads one to indulge in the most hopeful expectations of the future, should the unselfish and earnest efforts that have been put forth in the past be continued. I think that it must be conceded, that while the organization devoted to the work in the several States and the National Prison Association of America have accomplished a great deal, much of the good they have done has been through the stimulus imparted by the several international prison congresses that have from time to time been held, in which the discussions were extended to broader fields. I therefore trust that you will use your influence to promote, in every way, the success of the international prison congress, which it is proposed to hold in St. Petersburg. The attendance of delegates should include representatives from every civilized country. There are special reasons, which must be obvious to all familiar with the subject, why the forthcoming world's congress should be so constituted as to present the most advanced views upon the important subject of penology.

The location of this congress in Russia is especially significant of the progress of prison reform. It evinces a spirit on the part of that nation to invite the fullest discussion of all prison questions in that country and elsewhere. It is to be hoped that one of the most brilliant results of the coming congress will be to hasten the day when the Russian system of transportation to Siberia, the rigors and severities of which are now attracting the attention of the civilized world, will happily be a thing of the past.

I am, my dear sir, yours with great respect,

WM. P. LETCHWORTH, Commissioner State Board of Charities.

EDUCATION AND CRIME.

Learned essays have been written for many years on the subject and yet the exact position of education as a preventive of crime has not been fully determined.

Education will always be an important factor in the reduction of crime and pauperism. It is impossible to show by statistics the full effects of education in this respect. The statistics bearing on this question are very meager and unsatisfactory. The movement in the International Prison Congresses for international penitentiary statistics may in time secure a more thorough and extended system of statistics in each State. Enough, however, has been shown to demonstrate that ignorance is one of the important causes of crime. But the statistics taken have generally been with no settled rule as to what the education should be to prevent the tendency to crime. And then our idea of a true and rounded education has been much changed within a few years. At one time a knowledge of literature, languages, mathematics, etc., as in the college course, was considered as furnishing a perfect edu

cation.

Other elements have of late been introduced, and the student may now give preference to the natural sciences and techinal education without loss of educational caste.

George William Curtis lately said at the reunion at Brown University:

The American college is now required to train American citizens.

With

one hand it shall lead the young American to the secrets of material skill; it shall equip him to enter into the fullest trade with all the world, but with the other it shall lead him to lofty thought and to commerce with the skies. The college shall teach him the secret and methods of material success, but it shall admonish him that man shall not live by bread alone and that the things which are eternal are

unseen.

The education which will best prevent crime must be that which will afford the recipient a means of living. Governments have begun to recognize this. General Eaton, formerly Commissioner of Education, in an address said:

Education in industry is a safeguard against crime. France has forty centers of industrial education connected with the public system of Paris. The London school board has forty centers of cookery; there are eighteen schools for training nurses. Boston has put sewing in the grammar schools for girls with success. Boston proposes a center of joinery on the plan of the industrial schools of Paris. Intelligence and good character should be universal. Everyone should have the spirit to acquire excellence and to do the best in whatever he undertakes. No child can be turned over to neglect and waste. A single child of neglect may become the parent of descendants filling by the hundred institutions of pauperism and crime. Any child may save his country.

Hon. William T. Harris, in an able paper on compulsory education,

says:

Now, any one of the educational agencies may fail absolutely to prevent crime. But social science does not find other recourse than to strive to make more efficient these agencies—improve the family nurture, improve the school, the trades, the vocations, the partisan politics, the Sunday school. All these instrumentalities are very crude, as one may easily see, in their present condition. The question which immediately concerns us is the improvement of the common-school education as preventive of crime, by making it more effective in reaching all the children of the community. The following statement from a pamphlet from the Industrial Education Association of New York at this time shows the position of Russia in industrial education:

Unquestionably, the Russian technologic system, as taught in the school of mechanic arts in Boston and elsewhere, if introduced into the reform and industrial schools of this country, would result in far greater progress than has been attained. The increase of intelligence civilizes and restrains vicious tendencies, cultivates the taste and desire for pure associations, makes vice hideous and virtue attractive. The child reared under elevating influences will quickly shrink from everything which lowers and degrades. Hence, in the very nature of things, the higher, more practical, and more moral is the training and education, the better and stronger in all that is good, virtuous, and great will be the man.

PART II.

THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL PRISON CONGRESS.

THE PREPARATION.

As president of the International Prison Cominission and as the chief of the official delegates in the Congress of Rome, Mr. Wraskoy had extended the invitation of Russia to hold the fourth congress in St. Pe tersburg, which had been unanimously accepted.

Continuing as president of the commission, and having been appointed president of the local commission of organization, and being the chief of the Russian prison administration, he brought to the discharge of his duties in organizing the congress his powers and influence in these various associations, and, in all, was strongly and warmly supported by his Government. It might be said that the local commission of organization was really the Russian Government acting through him.

As president, he had charge of the invitations, and during the interval of five years he sent many letters and circulars explaining the preparations in progress, solicited reports on the questions of the programme and the sending of exhibits to the exposition.

A selection from these circulars is presented here, as well as extracts from his address relative to the object of the congress.

The following circular letter was sent principally to those who as sisted in, or sent papers to, the Congress of Rome:

COMMITTEE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL PENITENTIARY CONGRESS, St. Petersburg, December 31, 1888-(January 12, 1889). HONORED SIR: Though the programme of questions which will be discussed in the coming International Prison Congress has been published in the bulletin of the commission, we take the liberty to address you personally, making a direct appeal for your valuable coöperation in treating one of the questions in the capacity of reporter. If, as we hope, you will accept these duties, please advise us, indicating the question you have chosen and the time when you think you will be able to deliver the manuscript, which will be printed in the bulletin of the International Penitentiary Commission. A separate impression of these reports will be made in sufficient numbers for distribution among members of the congress, and there will be given to the authors twenty to thirty copies free, and others should they desire.

Should you wish to collect statistical and other information, which you may judge necessary to elucidate the question you have chosen, we undertake to send such interrogatories as you may make to different countries, to the members of the permanent penitentiary commission, or to its correspondents.