292 ALBANY PENITENTIARY. 



Mr Chatfield is now Attorney-general ; and I was 

 informed that the known opinions of certain of the old 

 judges, on this exciting question, was one of the under 

 stood reasons why they were not re-elected by popular 

 suffrage when, according to the New Constitution, their 

 term of office had expired. Where nearly all persons 

 are party-men, and the tenure of all office is short, the 

 will of the majority must soon make itself felt, even by 

 the interpreters and administrators of the law. 



As my leisure did not admit of my paying a visit to 

 the large and celebrated penitentiary at Sing-Sing, which 

 is far down the Hudson, and within thirty-three miles of 

 New York, I willingly accepted an invitation to visit the 

 penitentiary of this city. It was on the occasion of a 

 public visit of the authorities, and therefore every part 

 of the building was thrown open, though fewer oppor 

 tunities were thereby presented for the special inquiries 

 of a foreigner. The Auburn system, as it is called, is 

 adopted here as in all the penitentiaries of New England, 

 New York, Canada, and most of the north-western 

 States. Solitary confinement at night arid on Sundays, 

 solitary meals every day, and constant but absolutely 

 silent labour in company in large well-ventilated work 

 shops, and under strict superintendence, form the essence 

 of this system. It is distinguished from that of Penn 

 sylvania by the additional rigour of solitary labour, which 

 is adopted in the latter. 



Everything was in excellent order, and comfortably 

 warm, and both males and females, in their several wards, 

 were equally diligent, silent, apparently in good health, 

 and under perfect control. There were about one hun 

 dred prisoners in this house, confined chiefly for petty 

 larcenies, and they were for the most part employed upon 

 matting and wicker-work. The size and construction of 

 the cells, and of their meagre furniture, their arrange 

 ment in successive stories in a square tower, shut in by 



