USA > Pennsylvania > A geography of Pennsylvania : containing an account of the history, geographical features, soil, climate, geology, botany, zoology, population, education, government, finances, productions, trade, railroads, canals &c. of the state : with a separate description of each county, and questions for the convenience of teachers : to which is appended, a travellers' guide, or table of distances on the principal rail road, canal and stage routes in the state > Part 12
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The total amount paid from the State treasury in 1842, to col- leges, academies and female seminaries, was $36,421.
In addition to the public schools established by law, and those maintained on the old system in the non-accepting districts, there are in the cities of Philadelphia, Lancaster and Pittsburg, as well as in many of the country towns, a number of excellent private schools supported by those who patronise this mode of education in preference to sending their children to the public schools. But as the character of the public schools becomes more elevated, and the course of instruction in them is becoming every year more thorough and comprehensive, we find the number of private schools to be gradually decreasing. The time is apparently not far distant, when the standard of education in our public schools
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
generally will be such as to cause them to be sought by all classes of society, on account of their superior excellence and the enlarged facilities which they afford to youth for the acquisition of a solid and practically useful education.
What is said of the early attention paid to education in Pennsylvania ? Why is learning not so generally diffused in this State as in New England ? In what year was the first school established in Philadelphia ? When was the Friends' public school established ? In what year was the academy founded and by whose exertions ? When was it erected into a college, and when created a university ? When and where were two classical schools early established ? What provisions concerning education were contained in the first State constitution of 1776 ? What in that of 1790 ? What was provided by the law of 1809, and why was this plan not successful ? What law concerning education was passed in 1831? When was the present school law passed, and what is its object ? What constitutes a school dis- trict ? How are the directors elected, and what are their duties ? What amount of school tax may be levied ? How much is annually appropriated by the State ? What is said of the non-accepting districts? What is said of the organization of public schools in the city and county of Philadelphia ? Into what schools are pupils first received there ? Into which are they next removed, and what are they taught there ? Who are admitted into the High school, and in what are they there instructed ? How are the directors of the sectional schools chosen ? How is the board of controllers constitut- ed ? What are the duties of the directors ? Of the controllers ? In what other city is there a similar organization ? What was the number of school districts in the State in 1836, and how many had accepted the law ? And in 1842 ? What number of schools and of scholars in 1836, exclusive of those in Philadelphia ? What number in 1842 ? What was the amount of school tax raised in cach of those years ? How much was expended for public schools in the accepting districts ? And in the whole State ? What amount has been expended for school houses from 1836 to 1842, and what is said of improved care in regard to them ? What proportion of the dis- tricts reported in 1836, and what in 1842 ? How many schools are reported besides those in Philadelphia, and how long are they kept open for instruc- tion ? What is the number of teachers, and their average compensation ? The number of scholars, and the average cost of tuition for each ? Men- tion the amount of the State appropriation, and of the school tax. How much is paid for the various purposes of education in the reporting districts ? What is said of the economy of the present school system ? What causes have had a tendency to retard the progress of the common school system
system at present ? What reasons are assigned for the difficulty of obtain- ing a sufficient number of good teachers ? What is the amount appropri- ated by law to each college, academy and female seminary ? How many colleges are there in the State, and where situated ? What is the number of academies ? Of female seminaries ? What amount was paid from the State treasury in 1842 to these institutions ? What is said of private schools ?
in this State ?
What is the principal drawback upon the operation of the
12. CRIME, AND ITS PUNISHMENT.
THE illustrious founder of Pennsylvania, with that mildness, wisdom and justice for which his character was so conspicuous, in his early laws for the government of the colony, greatly amelio- rated and modified the severer features which distinguished the
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criminal code of the mother country. He seems to have been aware that the certainty rather than the severity of punishment is most effectual in preventing crime, and that the great object of laws should be prevention rather than sanguinary punishment. The murderer only was condemned to suffer death; such crimes as robbery, burglary, forgery and many others, for which thousands have been executed in England without diminishing the frequency of the offence, were made punishable at hard labour for a time proportionate to the enormity of the crime, and by fines, forfeitures, &c. After the death of William Penn, an act was passed under the administration of Governor Keith, by which the criminal laws of England were in substance extended to the province, and remained in force until the period of the revolution, at which time no less than fourteen species of offences were punishable by death.
After the revolution the reform of the criminal law became an early subject of attention, and was enjoined by the constitution of 1776. Since that time there seems to have been a constant effort on the part of the legislature not only to graduate the punishment to the offence, but to devise a system by which the moral reform of convicts might be effected. The reproach applied to the old system, of which it has been said that the lawgivers found it less trouble to hang the criminal than to reform him, is not applicable to the criminal jurisprudence of Pennsylvania.
The enactment of just and lenient penal laws, and the establish- ment of a humane and effective system of prison discipline, have been subjects of anxious and unremitting attention with many of our wise, benevolent and public spirited citizens. The " Society for alleviating the miseries of public prisons" should long be held in grateful remembrance for their labours in this cause. The per- nicious consequences of crowding the convicts together, which al- lowed unrestrained intercourse between the hardened offender and the juvenile delinquent, and by which the prison was made rather a school of vice than a place for moral instruction and reform, were early seen and earnestly represented. The legislature was repeatedly memorialized on the subject, and the erection of peni- tentiaries in suitable parts of the State for the more effectual em- ployment and separation of the convicts was strongly urged.
In 1790, solitary cells were erected in the Walnut-street prison at Philadelphia, in which the law directed that the more hardened and atrocious offenders should be confined, and also that ordinary convicts should be kept apart, unless their employment did not admit of separation, in which case the keeper or his deputy must be present. By a law of 1794, prisoners for most offences were directed to serve some part of their sentence in solitary confine- ment, which in some instances mentioned in the law, might be ex- tended to months or years. But with the scanty and confined accommodations of the then existing prison, it was soon found impracticable to carry these regulations into full effect; and it was finally determined to erect State penitentiaries on a plan adapted to solitary confinement, and of an extent sufficient to accommo-
9
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
date the increased number of prisoners consequent upon the grow- ing population of the State.
The Penitentiary at Pittsburg was completed for the reception of convicts in 1827, and that at Philadelphia in 1829. They are somewhat similar in plan and design, both having separate cells for the confinement of each prisoner, carefully constructed with a view to prevent all intercourse or communication between the per- sons confined. The whole interior arrangement in these establish- ments is admirably devised for carrying into effect the two great leading principles in the system of Pennsylvania prison discipline : first, the recognition of moral reform as a principal aim of peni- tentiary punishment; and second, the complete separation of the prisoners, as the only mode by which this end can be obtained.
Convicts from the western district, which is composed of the counties of Fayette, Greene, Washington, Allegheny, Westmore- land, Somerset, Bedford, Huntingdon, Clearfield, M'Kean, Potter, Jefferson, Cambria, Indiana, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Mercer, Crawford, Venango, Clarion, Erie and Warren, are sent for con- finement to the Western Penitentiary at Pittsburg. The remain- der of the State constitutes the eastern district, from which crimi- nals are sent to the. Eastern Penitentiary at Philadelphia.
Each of these penitentiaries is managed by a board of inspectors appointed by the judges of the Supreme Court of the State. The inspectors have the general control and direction of the prisons, the appointment of the officers and agents employed about them, and they must visit the prison at least twice a week to see that all duties are faithfully performed. They must attend to the religious instruction of the convicts, and procure suitable persons to act as moral and religious instructers : they are also enjoined to visit the prisoners and ascertain whether any abuses exist in their treatment. A report must annually be made by them to the legislature, of the condition of the prisons, the number of convicts, their age, term of imprisonment, &c., with such observations on the efficiency of the system of solitary confinement as may be the result of their' experience, together with such information as they may deem ex- pedient for making these institutions effectual in the punishment and reformation of offenders.
Every criminal sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary must be immediately conveyed thither by the sheriff of the county in which he was convicted. On his arrival he is examined by the physician, bathed, cleaned, and dressed in the uniform of the pri- son. He is then examined by the clerk and warden, and note taken of his person, name, age, complexion and such other pecu- liarities as may serve to identify him; his clothing and such effects as he may have about him are preserved to be returned to him on his discharge. He is then conveyed to the cell assigned to him, which is marked with a particular number by which he is known, instead of by name, during his confinement.
The convicts are not permitted to receive any thing but the pri- son allowance; tobacco, wine, spirituous or fermented liquors are strictly forbidden, unless ordered by the physician. No person is
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CRIME, AND ITS PUNISHMENT.
allowed to visit the prison without a written permission according to the rules of the inspectors, except certain official visiters, and none but official visiters can have any communication with the convicts.
On the discharge of a prisoner, his clothing and such effects as he may have had about him at the time of his reception are re- stored to him; and if the inspectors and warden have been satisfied with the morality, industry, and order of his conduct, they give him a certificate to that effect, and furnish him with four dollars in money, in order that he may have some means of support until he can obtain employment, and not be immediately tempted to com- mit crime from the necessity of his situation.
By the reformed penal laws of Pennsylvania, (act of 23d April, 1829,) punishment by solitary confinement at hard labour is to be inflicted for the following offences, with some others therein named :-
Murder in the second degree; for the first offence not less than four nor more than twelve years; for the second offence during life.
Manslaughter; for the first offence not less than two nor more than six years; for the second, not less than six nor more than twelve years.
High treason ; first offence not less than three nor more than six years; for the second, not exceeding ten years.
Arson ; maliciously burning buildings, stacks of hay, grain, &c., first offence not less than one nor more than ten years; for the se- cond, not exceeding fifteen years.
Burglary; for the first offence not less than two nor more than ten years; for the second, not exceeding fifteen years.
Forgery, counterfeiting coin, bank-notes, checks, &c. or coun- terfeiting the hand or seal of another person with intent to defraud; first offence not less than one nor more than seven years; for the second, not exceeding ten years.
Robbery ; for the first offence not less than one nor more than seven years; for the second not exceeding twelve years.
Kidnapping; for the first offence not less than five nor more than twelve years; for the second twenty-one years.
Horse stealing; for the first offence not less than one nor more than four years ; for the second, not exceeding seven years.
Perjury, or subornation of perjury; for the first offence not less than one nor more than five years; for the second, not exceeding eight years.
Persons sentenced by the county courts to confinement for lar- ceny and other offences, for a period of one year or more, are sent to the state penitentiaries, except in the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, Dauphin, and Allegheny, where those sentenced for less than two years are to be confined in the county prisons.
In the county prison of Philadelphia, the principle of separate confinement, the treatment of prisoners, and the general regula- tions are similar to those of the penitentiaries. In Chester, Dau- phin, and Allegheny, prisons have lately been erected on the plan of
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
separate apartments for each prisoner, the advantages of solitary confinement being now generally recognized in Pennsylvania.
It is clearly proved, by prison statistics generally, that intem- perance is the fruitful source of crime as well as of other great evils which afflict society; and it is also evident that the want of education and of proper moral culture in youth tends to produce that debased state of mental degradation which leads men to com- mit offences, by diminishing their sense of moral responsibility. But the time has now arrived when we may reasonably hope for improvement in this respect. The progress of temperance, by re- forming the habits of society, will diminish the frequency of crime : our system of public education will also have its effect in pro- ducing a reform, and in bringing about a better and happier condi- tion of public morals by promoting the growth of republican virtues.
What is said of the criminal laws enacted in the time of William Penn ? What change in them took place after his death ? Since the revolution what has been done on this subject ? When, and where was solitary con- finement partially introduced ? What was directed by the law of 1794, and why could it not be carried into full effect ? When, and where were peniten- tiaries erected ? What is said of them, and of their interior arrangement ? What part of the State belongs to the western, and what to the eastern dis- trict ? How are the penitentiaries managed ? What are the duties of the inspectors ? What is done with the prisoners on their arrival ? What is said of the treatment of convicts, and of the admittance of visiters ?- Of the discharge of prisoners ? How long is the period of imprisonment by law for the several offences named ? What is said of some county prisons ? Men- tion the principal causes which lead to the increase of crime. What grounds have we to hope for improvement in this respect ?
13. PAUPERISM, AND THE POOR LAWS.
Among a population so generally characterized by habits of in- dustry and economy as that of Pennsylvania, cases of absolute pauperism are of comparatively rare occurrence. But few are de- pendent upon public charity for their support, except those who are disabled by age or bodily infirmity from acquiring a livelihood by the efforts of their own industry; or those whose idle and vicious habits of indulgence in dissipation and intemperance have brought them to a state of destitution and misery. The swarms of vagrants and beggars who infest the streets and roads in many parts of Europe are happily unknown among us, and the few soli- tary mendicants whom we sometimes see strolling about are gene- rally foreigners who prefer this method of gaining subsistence to that of honest employment.
The happy influence of our free institutions in causing a fair remuneration to be paid as the wages of labour; the abundance and cheapness of our agricultural productions for food ; the thou- sands of acres of uncultivated land within the commonwealth ; and the profitable labour exercised in improving the soil now culti- vated, by which its product is greatly increased-all combine to ren-
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der employment easy to be obtained and fairly rewarded. To this may be added the extending variety and enormous increase of our manufactures ; the developement of our mineral resources; the multiplication of buildings and works of improvement; and the numerous other growing demands for labour within our own bor- ders ; by all which we shall perceive that there need be no idle hands among us, and consequently no poor but the few whom misfortune, indolence or vice prevents from reaping the sure re- ward of industry. Our situation in this respect is widely different from that of those countries in Europe which are overburdened with a redundant population, where the productions of the soil and the reward of labour are insufficient for the support of the people, and where indigence, misery, and crime must be the necessary consequence of want of employment.
The spirit of our laws on the subject of pauperism is humane and charitable. Overseers or guardians of the poor are chosen in the several townships and districts throughout the State, whose duty it is to provide for the employment of such poor persons be- longing to the district as are able to work, but cannot find employ- ment, and to provide the necessary means of subsistence for those who, by reason of age, disease or infirmity, are unable to labour for their own support. These officers, with the approbation and con- sent of two magistrates of the county, may put out as apprentices, until of lawful age, those poor children whose parents are unable to maintain them. It is also their duty to furnish temporary relief, if applied for by such poor persons within the district as may not have a settlement therein, until they can be removed to the place where they legally belong.
In many of the counties, houses for the relief and employment of the poor have been erected at the public expense, most of which are large and well constructed edifices, so arranged as to combine comfort, convenience, and economy, where the sick, the aged, and the infirm find a quiet and comfortable retreat. A farm is usually attached to each county poor house, the lighter labour of which is performed by such of the paupers as are not disabled by age or infirmity ; and workshops are provided for those whose previous occupations or personal inability for out-door labour, render it ex- pedient to employ in mechanical or manufacturing pursuits. The women are occupied in spinning, sewing, and various household duties. The paupers thus assist in the management of the farm which yields them support; they make and repair farming uten- sils and articles of domestic use; they spin, weave and make up most of their own clothing; and thus, if the establishment be well managed, materially diminish the burden of their support which falls upon the tax payers of the county.
Our poor taxes appear very trifling when compared with those paid in England, and the general condition of our paupers is much more comfortable, The poor rates in that country are said to amount to about £8,000,000, or nearly $40,000,000. It is esti- mated that of their population of 11,000,000, about 1,200,000 re- ceive assistance as paupers, though this aid is by no means shared
9*
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
by all who are miserably poor. Some accounts make the poor of England amount to one third of the whole population.
Beside the assistance afforded to our poor by means of the pau- per system established by law, we have numerous charitable asso- ciations and benevolent societies, who do much towards alleviat- ing the condition of the poor within their respective spheres of action. These, in our cities and large towns, are eminently useful, and afford relief to many who are reluctant to apply to the official guardians of the poor, or who, having once been placed in better circumstances, would sooner suffer the miseries of destitution than ask support from the public charity. The benevolent spirit of our community is so generally exercised that few cases of absolute suffering from want occur, except perhaps some in the severe cold of winter, and these are generally relieved as soon as they be- come known.
What class of people are dependent upon public charity for support ? Give some reasons why we have but few paupers in Pennsylvania. Why are some countries in Europe so different from ours in this respect ? Men- tion some of the provisions of our laws in reference to providing for the poor. What is said of county poor houses ? How are the paupers employed ? What is said of our poor taxes in comparison with those of England ? By what other means are our poor relieved ?
14. GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATION.
The Constitution of Pennsylvania, adopted in 1790 and amended in 1838, provides for a form of government consisting of three branches, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary, to which is en- trusted the power of enacting, executing, and administering the laws of the State.
The Legislative power is vested in the General Assembly, which consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
The present number of Senators is thirty-three, who are chosen by districts, and elected for three years, one third of the whole number being elected every year. A senator must be not less than twenty-five years of age, a citizen and inhabitant of the State four years next before his election, the last year of which he must have resided in the district for which he is elected.
The House of Representatives consists of one hundred members, who are elected annually. A representative must have attained twenty-one years of age, and must have been a citizen and inha- bitant of the State three years next preceding his election, the last year of which he must have resided in the district for which he is chosen.
The General Assembly meets on the first Tuesday of January in every year, unless sooner convened by the Governor. Each House chooses its Speaker and other officers; judges of the quali- fications of its own members, and determines contested elections. A majority of each House constitutes a quorum to do business;
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GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATION.
but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day. Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behaviour, and with the concurrence of two thirds may expel a member. Neither House can, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting. All bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Represen- tatives; but the Senate may propose amendments. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses must be presented to the Governor for his signature : if he approve, he must sign it; if not, he must return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated. If both Houses then agree to pass it by a vote of two thirds of each House, the bill becomes a law without the assent of the Governor. Any bill which is not returned by the Governor, within ten days after it is presented to him, becomes a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly pre- vent its return by adjourning; in which case it becomes a law un- less sent back within three days after their next meeting.
No corporate body with banking or discounting privileges can be created, renewed, or extended, without having given six months' previous public notice of their intended application for the same : no charter for such purposes can be granted for a longer period than twenty years; and the Legislature reserve the right to revoke, alter, or annul the same if found injurious to the citizens of the commonwealth. No divorce can be granted by the Legislature in cases where the courts have such power by law.
The Executive power is vested in a Governor, who holds his office for three years from the third Tuesday of January next en- suing his election ; but who cannot hold it for longer than six, in any term of nine years. The Governor must be at least thirty years of age, and a citizen and inhabitant of the State seven years next before his election. He is commander-in-chief of the military force of the commonwealth, except when they are called into the actual service of the United States. He has power to remit fines and forfeitures, and to grant reprieves and pardons, except in cases of impeachment. He appoints a Secretary of the commonwealth, and nominates to the Senate, for confirmation, the Judges of the Courts. He has power to convene the General Assembly upon extraordinary occasions; and it is his duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. In case of the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor, the Speaker of the Senate exercises the duties of the office until another Governor shall be elected.
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