"I take it for granted that one of every two individuals in this _most
moral community in the world_ has been, will be, or deserves or fears to
be, in the house of correction. Give every man his deserts, and who
shall escape whipping? This book must, therefore, be interesting, and
will have a good circulation--not, perhaps, in this state alone. The
state spends its money for the above institution, and, therefore, has a
right to know what it is; a knowledge which can never be obtained from
the reports of the authorities, the cursory observations of visitors, or
the statements of ignorant and exasperated convicts.
"`What thief e'er felt the halter draw,
With good opinion of the law.'
"It has been my aim to furnish such knowledge, and it cannot be denied
that I have had the best opportunities to obtain it."
To show the prevalence of intemperance in this country among the better
classes, read the following:--
"On entering the wool-shop, a man nodded to me, whom I immediately
recognised as a lawyer of no mean talent, who had, at no very distant
period, been an ornament of society, and a man well esteemed for many
excellent qualities, all of which are now forgotten, while his only
fault, intemperance, remains engraven on steel. This was not his first
term, or his second, or his third. At this time of writing he is
discharged, a sober man, anxious for employment, which he cannot get.
His having been in the house of correction shuts every door against him,
and he must have more than ordinary firmness if he does not relapse
again. From my inmost soul I pity him. Another aged man I recognised
as a doctor of medicine: his grey hairs would have been venerable in any
other place."
The labour in this house of correction which he describes is chiefly
confined to wool-picking, stone-cutting, and blacksmiths' work. The
fare he states to be plentiful, but not of the very best quality.
Speaking of ill-treatment, he says:--
"The convicts all have the privilege of complaint against officers; but
while I was there no one used it but myself. I believe they dared not.
The officer would probably deny or gloss over the cause of complaint,
and his word would be believed rather than that of the convict; and his
power of retaliation is so tremendous, that few would care to brave it.
The chance is ten to one that a complaint to the directors would be
falsified and proved fruitless; and the visit of the governor, council,
and magistrates, for the purpose of inquiry, is mere matter of form.
When they asked me if I had reason to complain of my treatment, I
answered in the negative, because I really had none; but had they asked
me if there was any defect in the institution, I would have pointed out
a good many."