To the statesman and political economist, not less than to the Christian
philanthropist, an inquiry into the sources and extent of crime, and the
number, condition and previous history of criminals cannot be without
interest. Scarcely a day passes in our chief cities, without the
occurrence of some startling outrage upon the public peace, or on the
person or property of the citizen. Scarcely a newspaper can be taken up,
which does not contain a record more or less in detail of acts of
violence and fraud. Why are they not prevented? What provokes their
perpetration? How are the guilty parties punished, and what is the
effect of their punishment on themselves or others?
In the absence (to our shame be it said) of reliable statistics on such
subjects in our own country, we are compelled to resort to the elaborate
and authentic reports made to the British government. And as the vicious
dispositions and passions of men are the same there as here, and the
temptations to crime, as well as crimes themselves and the methods of
perpetrating them, do not materially differ in the two countries, we
find great satisfaction and instruction in the information they furnish.
In our last number we gave an abstract of the criminal statistics of
England and Wales for 1857. Since that time we have received the more
full and complete returns for 1858. We do not propose to notice the same
class of items to which our former article adverted, but to cull a few
facts and results of general and universal interest, which were not then
ascertained. The following table exhibits a significant class of facts.
┌───────────────┬───────────┬────────────┬───────────┬───────────┬───────────┐
│ CITIES AND │ │ Criminal │ │ │ │
│ TOWNS. │ │ Classes, │ Per Cent. │ │ Per Cent. │
│ │ │ including │ of │Prostitutes│ of │
│ │Population.│Prostitutes.│Population.│separately.│Population.│
├───────────────┼───────────┼────────────┼───────────┼───────────┼───────────┤
│1. Metropolis │ │ │ │ │ │
│ of London and│ │ │ │ │ │
│ fifteen miles│ │ │ │ │ │
│ round, │ 2,545,000│ 14,294│ 1 in 178│ 7,104│ 1 in 354│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│2. Pleasure │ │ │ │ │ │
│ towns, as │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Bath, │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Brighton, │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Ramsgate, &c.│ 198,000│ 2,085│ 1 in 95│ 839│ 1 in 236│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│3. Eight towns │ │ │ │ │ │
│ depending on │ │ │ │ │ │
│ agricultural │ │ │ │ │ │
│ districts, │ 160,557│ 2,056│ 1 in 78│ 690│ 1 in 232│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│4. Ten │ │ │ │ │ │
│ commercial │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ports, │ │ │ │ │ │
│ including │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Liverpool, │ 905,820│ 9,674│ 1 in 93│ 5,346│ 1 in 169│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│5. Ten cotton │ │ │ │ │ │
│ and linen │ │ │ │ │ │
│ manufacturing│ │ │ │ │ │
│ towns, │ │ │ │ │ │
│ including │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Manchester │ │ │ │ │ │
│ and │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Stockport, │ 758,163│ 4,910│ 1 in 164│ 1,429│ 1 in 530│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│6. Six woolen │ │ │ │ │ │
│ and worsted │ │ │ │ │ │
│ manufacturing│ │ │ │ │ │
│ towns, │ 380,860│ 2,168│ 1 in 175│ 490│ 1 in 777│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│7. Small and │ │ │ │ │ │
│ mixed textile│ │ │ │ │ │
│ manufacturing│ │ │ │ │ │
│ towns, │ 263,984│ 2,329│ 1 in 113│ 611│ 1 in 432│
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│8. Three │ │ │ │ │ │
│ hardware │ │ │ │ │ │
│ manufacturing│ │ │ │ │ │
│ towns, │ │ │ │ │ │
│ including │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Birmingham │ │ │ │ │ │
│ and │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Sheffield, │ 418,130│ 8,720│ 1 in 47│ 860│ 1 in 486│
└───────────────┴───────────┴────────────┴───────────┴───────────┴───────────┘
The reader cannot fail to be impressed by the singular disproportion in
the number belonging to the criminal ranks, observed on comparing these
different groups of towns, classed according to the predominant
occupation or business of the inhabitants. There is no doubt that the
incentives to a lawless life are much more numerous and powerful at
certain times and places than at others. It would be easy to indicate
probable causes for such discrepancies, and to trace their connection
with particular phases of crime, but that is not relevant to our present
purpose.
From the tabular view, it would seem that the criminal class is highest
in the great seats of hardware manufacture; next in towns in rural
districts; then in commercial ports; next in pleasure towns; then in
towns employed in small textile manufactures; then in cotton
manufacturing towns; next in woolen manufacturing towns; and last in the
metropolis. But in the number of prostitutes the order is materially
changed, the largest proportion being in the commercial ports, and the
smallest in the woolen and worsted manufacturing towns,—the metropolis
being considerably below the average.
There is a remarkable variation both in the general criminal classes,
and in the specific crime of prostitution in different agricultural
districts.
In the eastern agriculturing
district the criminal per centage is 1 in 113— Prostitutes 1 in 1122
In the south and south-western 1 in 104 „ 1 in 1829
In the midland district 1 in 103 „ 1 in 1307
The present returns show that only the very small proportion of about
one-fifth of the known criminal classes are in prison at any one time.
Of the parties proceeded against by indictment, nearly one-fourth were
of “previous good character;” and of those proceeded against summarily,
full one-half were of “previous good character,” and of both classes
fourteen per cent. of both sexes were under sixteen!
Considering that until very recently, at least 4000 of the worst
criminals were annually removed from the country by transportation, and
that though a much more efficient police system has been in force, yet
the number of commitments has not been sensibly increased, the inference
is drawn that a better system of prevention prevails, and that better
prison management has led to the absorption of a large number of
discharged prisoners in honest employments.