THE 
MONTHLY 
ET 

No. xxii. | 

MAGAZINE. 
APRIL 1, 1799. 

[No. 3. of Vor. vir. 


ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AS the fubje&t of Penitentiary Houfes, 
to which the attention of the public 
has lately been much excited, has occa- 
fioned a tre uent reference to the plans of 
the late Mr. Howard, and that in terms 
not always the moft refpeétful, I think 
it in fome meafure incumbent on me, as 
the friend and biographer of that excellent 
man, to make fome ftatement of his real 
opinions and propofals with regard to 
that part of police, that they may not 
be confounded with thofe of other perfons. 
As long ago, indeed, as the time of my 
_ writing his life, I was aware that falfe 
notions prevailed concerning his ideas of 
folitary confinement, which, in fome places, 
had been adopted, in fuppofed confor- 
mity with his recommendation, to a de- 
gree much beyond his intentions ; and 1 
ventured to bring forward fome confidera- 
tions on this fubjeét, founded on a note 
of his own. (See ** Vier of the Charaéter, 
Ge. of F. Howard,” p. 170.) His own 
“© Remarks on Penitentiary Houfes,” in the 
fecond volume of his work, are, how- 
ever, fufficient, if properly attended to, 
to prevent any mifconception of his views. 
From thefe it clearly appears, that the 
reformation of thofe committed to fuch 
places of confinement was his main ob- 
ject ; he therefore fuppo‘es them to be of 
that clafs of offenders who, by ignorance, 
idlenefs, and vicious habits of all kinds, 
have been led to violate the peace and 
good order of fociety. To make a Peni- 
tentiary Houfe a place for fafe cuftody 
previously to trial could never have en- 
tered into his mind; nor do I fuppofé 
he had an idea of rendering it the abode 
of political criminals, who, however {e- 
rious might be their delinquency in a 
public view, might have none of thote 
immoral habits which it was his purpole 
to correst. As to the regulations of thefe 
houfes, he has explicitly faid, that con- 
finement to folitary cells during the day 
was only intended to break the fpirits of 
the audacious and profligate, who could be 
tamed by no otlier means 5 and therefore 
that it was to be confidered ag a tempo- 
MontTuty Mac, No. XL 
“-rary expedient, and not a part of ufual 
ee : but he certainly approved: of 
eparate lodgment dy wight tor al/ the con- 
victs, and during their whole term. He 
was likewife rigorous in his intentions of 
preventing all prifons from being in any 
refpect places of idle refort or amufe- 
ment; and therefore not only forbid vifits 
from friends, except at ftated times; but, 
abiolutely excluded fpirituous and fer- 
mented liquors of every kind. (See his 
¢ Draught of a Bill for the better Regula- 
ticn of Gaols, &c.”’) Asno one could be 
more attentive, not only to the health, 
but to the comfort of his fellow-creatures, 
even though unhappily the objects of pu- 
nifhment, he was an advocate for every in- 
dulgence with refpect to clothing, bedding, 
fire, light, &c. that could reafonably be de- 
fired ; yet his {trong conviction of the be- 
nefits of frefh air caufed him to propofe 
that plan of building with unglazed win- 
dows or apertures, which, in this climate, 
during certain feafons, may,. perhaps, be 
found incompatible with a proper degree 
of warmth and drynefs. Iam, however, 
convinced, that the experience of any 
material fuderings confequent upon this 
plan would have induced him to alter it, 
With refpe& to food, though it was part 
of his defign to fubjugate the ferocity of 
the mind by bodily regimen, and there- 
fore he was an advocate for what may be 
comparatively called /ow diet, as chiefly 
confifting of vegetable articles; yet the 
allowance he propofed was very far from 
being fcanty in quantity, or meagre in 
quality. As a proof of this, I ‘thall 
exaftly copy the dietary contained in the 
fchedule annexed to his “* Draught of a 
Bill.”’ | 
Good wheaten bread, a pound and a 
half daily, 7. e. half a pound af breakfaft, 
and a pound at dinner. 
BREAKFAST. Every day, a quarter 
of a pint of wheaten or barley meal, oat- 
meal, or rice, rhade into foup. 
DINNER.  Suauday and Thurfday, a 
pound of beef, mutton, or pork, without 
bone. 
Monday and Friday, a pint of peafe 
boiled in the broth ot the preceding day. 
Zz. ; Tuefday, 
