TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 173 



1858 57,868 



1859 52,018 



1860 50,405 



1861 50,809 



1862 53,225 



1863 52,211 



shoNving that in the last year, as compared with the year 1858 (only five years 

 since), there had been a decline in indictable crimes committed to the extent of 

 5657, or 11 per cent. He said that from these retm'us it would appear that the 

 year 1860 was the lowest as regards actual crimes committed, and that the year 

 1861 came next, the increase being, however, less than one 2)er cent, and that this in- 

 crease was apparent rather than real, as the population itself increases at the rate of 

 one and a quarter per cent, per annum. That with reference to the increase in the year 

 1862, such increase was to be accoimted for by certain exceptional causes. 1st, The 

 deplorable effects of the ci^•il war in America were first felt in Lancashire in that 

 year, causing an excess of crime in that county over the preceding year of 1149. 

 2nd, In that year the new Criminal Law Consolidation Acts came into operation; 

 and as these statutes enacted from twenty to thirty new indictable oflences, these 

 assisted to swell the excess of the year. 3. There was an excess in attempts to 

 commit suicide of 407, the number in 18G0 being 174, and in 1862, 581 ; but as an 

 attempt to commit suicide, though an indictable ofl^nce, is not considered by the 

 public as a crime, crimes in the sense in which they are properly understood 

 being those offences which are committed by one man against another, and not 

 against himself, and as there was no actual increase in suicides themselves, leading 

 to the well-founded ground that the apparent increase arose more from police in- 

 tervention than any actual increase itself, it would be right to exclude this increase 

 from the computation. Taking, therefore, the increase of crime in 1862 over 1801 

 to be 2820, and deducting the increase in Lancashire, and the excess of attempts 

 to commit suicide (saying notliing of the new indictable offences), the excess of the 

 year will appear to be 1264, which is a number exactly corresponding ■v\'ith the 

 rate of increase of the population. 



He proceeded to show that in the last year (186.3) there was a decrease with 

 reference to 1862 of 1014 crimes, though still an increase upon 1860 (the lowest 

 year upon record) ; but that in this year, as in 1862, the same exceptionable and 

 temporary causes were in operation. Thus there was still an excess of crime in 

 Lancashire, though much reduced ; but that the excess in attempts to commit sui- 

 cide had increased from 174 in 1860 to 686 in 1863 ; that deducting, therefore, the 

 excess in Lancashire and the excess in attempts to commit suicide, there would be 

 an excess of crimes in 1863 over 1860 of only 1080 ; but that if the increase in 

 crime had only kept pace with the increase of population, the increase should have 

 been 1890. So that comparing 1863 with 1860 (the lowest year on record for 

 crime), there is a relative decrease, and this, notwithstanding that diuring the last 

 five years more than 12,000 convicts of the worst class had been set at liberty. 



He observed that the fact that there is no real increase in crime in this country 

 reflects very great credit upon our systems of police and penal pimishment ; for that 

 had there been even a considerable increase no surprise would have been justified, 

 since it could hardly have been supposed that those classes of criminals who for- 

 merly, when their term of transportation expired, became the pest and terror of our 

 colonies would, merely by being kept in this country, become orderly and well- 

 conducted members of society. It was certainly true, he observed, that during the 

 last few years there had been some increase in crimes of violence against persons 

 and property, though even in this respect the country is better off" than it was six 

 years ago. 



He called attention to a common but fallacious way of viewing the question of 

 the increase of crime, by taking, as a proof of such increase, the increased number 

 of persons apprehended and committed for trial ; and he explained that, as only a 

 percentage of criminals are apprehended for the crimes they commit, the increased 

 committals may be due alone to the superior vigilance of the police ; and he stated 

 that whilst in i860 the apprehensions for crimes committed was 49 per cent., it gra- 

 dually increased to 58 per cent, in 1863, thus showing an increase of 9 per cent, in the 



