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and of the excellence of the machinery by which these are brought into action 

 The wonderful combination of all these by the founder of the system, Sir Waltee 

 Cbofton, demands from us very close investigation of ita principles, and exami- 

 nation of its details." 



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" The foregoing simple narrative of the actual progress of the work will, we 

 trust, give a feeling of absolute reality to those who, after reading the various 

 accounts of the Intermediate Prisons, which have, from time to time, come before 

 the public, may have been disposed to believe them an illusion, a pleasing fiction, 

 something too wonderful to be entitled to belief. It could not be imngined that 

 the solution of one of our chief social difiiculties had been effected in that Island 

 which, in other respects has been so great a source of anxiety to our rulers. Yet 

 it is actually the case. Eminent continental jurists who had arrived at philoso- 

 phical conclusions based on deep principles of government, and on the laws of 

 human nature, found to their surprise and pleasure that these principles had actu- 

 ally been developed in Ireland, and acted on for a sufficient number of years to 

 prove their soundness. It is not probable that the Directors of the Irish Prisons 

 had any philosophical system before them when they began their work. They 

 came to it with a full appreciation of what had been already done in England. 

 They had the same Act, that of 1863, as the basis of their operations, and they 

 determined to work out the principles of that Act to the utmost of their power. 

 They found peculiar and unexpected difficulties in their way, which they had to 

 surmount. The disposal of the Convicts by transportation was suddenly cut off 

 from them, and henceforth they must discharge their prisoners at home. An es- 

 pecial aversion existed in the Irish mind to come in contact with those who had endur- 

 ed a penal sentence. The unfortunate men themselves were in a very low state of de- 

 gradation, physical, intellectual and moral ; hence they were not in a condition to 

 enter the labour market, even if it had been ready to receive them. The Govern- 

 ment Prisons were in a most unsatisfactory state, both as regarded arrangementi 

 accomodation, and even sanitary condition. The officers also were very ill adap- 

 ted to their work, and it was necessary to train almost a new staff of subordinates. 

 This was not so easy a matter ; for though it has been asserted that it was more 

 easy to adapt the new system to Irish than to English prisoners, experience proves 

 that peculiar qualifications are required in controlling the Irish. Many officers 

 many schoolraagters may be very efficient with the English, who would be totally 

 incapable of acting satisfactorily with the Irish of the lower classes. The Irish 

 are excessively sensitive to wrong and injustice, whether real or imaginary ; yet 

 they are equally susceptible of kindness and sympathy, and extremely grateful 

 for them, especially when received from persons in a higher rank, and where there 

 can be no possible suspicion of a sinister motive. It is not, however, always easy 

 to meet with officials who possess such moral qualities as will thus obtain their 

 confidence, and secure their willing obedience. The Directors indeed state in the 

 First Report that they apprehend greater difficulties than have existed in England, 

 with regard to the character of the prisoners, especially as a large number of those 

 who were at that time in the prisons were brought into their criminal position by 

 want of work and extreme distress. We have yet to learn that the Saxon is leas 

 amenable to reason and to moral influence than the Celt, and if the means adopted 



