TROISIÈME SECTION

— .445 —THE PENNSYLVANIA PRISON SOCIETYbyALBERT H. VOTAW, Secretary.Early in the year 1776, a Society was organized by somebenevolent citizens of Philadelphia under the name "The PiriladelphiaSociety for Assisting Distressed Prisoners". After acareer of nineteen months the Society was by motion dissolvedon account of difficulties arising during the troublous period ofthe war for Independence.In 1787 some of the members of the first organization withother philanthropie citizens met in the German School Houseon Cherry Street, and constituted themselves "The PhiladelphiaSociety for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons". Fromthat time to this year of grâce, 1910, this Society has beenactively engaged in securing measures to improve the conditionof prisons, and also in earnest endeavors to reform the criminals,and so far as known is the oldest Prison Society in continuedexistence in the world.Prominent among the Founders were Bishop William White,the Président of the Society for the first fifty years, Dr. BenjaminRush, Thomas Wistar, William Shippen, Richard Vaux,and Benjamin Franklin, LL. D.The Présidents of the Society have been Bishop White,1787—1836, Thomas Wistar, 1837, John Bacon, 1838—1839,Zachariah Poulson, 1840—1844, George Williams, 1845—1847,James J. Barclay, 1849—1885, Edward Townsend, 1886, CalebJ. Milne, 1887—1902, Charles M. Morton, 1903-1904, GeorgeW. Hall, 1905—1906, Joshua L. Baily, 1907, the présent incum-bent, whose membership, dating from 1851, is longer in pointof service than any other living member.In the first year of the existence of the Society about 150gentlemen of Philadelphia were connected with the Society.They adopted a Constitution which from time to time has beensomewhat changed in order to harmonize with différent conditions,but their object, as stated in their Preamble, was todiscover "such degree and modes of punishment" as mightrestore our "fellow créatures to virtue and happiness". In thespirit of the Founder of Christianity they proposed to extendcompassion toward the fallen by "alleviating" the unwholesomeconditions in prisons and by mitigating the "unnecessary severity"of punishments. With undeviating fidelity the Societyhas endeavored to carry out the original purpose of theFounders.An Annuity of the value of about $ 70.00, the donation ofJohn Dickinson, was the only permanent revenue of the newSociety, but from that dày to this a large part of the notinconsiderable expenses of this Society has been defrayed bydonations of friends of the cause. A quotation from the firstappeal, 1787, which was signed by William White, illustrâtesthe earnestness of the founders. "To a people professingChristianity it will be sufficient to mention that acts of charityto the misérable tenants of prisons are upon record amongstthe first Christian duties. From thèse ladies, therefore, whomheaven has blessed with affiuence, and the still greater gift ofsympathy,—from gentlemen who acknowledge the obligationsof humanity; from the relation of our species to each other ina common and universal Father,—and from the followers ofthe compassionate Saviour of mankind of every rank anddescription, the Society thus humbly solicits an addition toits funds."The following year, 1788, the Society addressed the foliowingletter to John Howard, the great apostle in the work ofameliorating the condition of prisons. "The Society heartilyconcur with the friends of humanity in Europe in expressingtheir obligation to you for having rendered the misérabletenants of prisons the objects of more gênerai attention and