Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 4).

Date:
1830-33
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 4). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    For Crimea For Crimes Proportion to against Persr. against Prop. Total. Population. C1815—1819 (annual average), .... .... 303 1: 90,909 France, ■? 1825, .... m 1 : 279,279 C1826, .... no 1: 281,818 C Old provinces, 1818—1827, .... .... 77 1:1,240,960 Prussia, ^Rhenish prov., « .... .... 10 1:2,371,000 (Whole country, « .... .... 87 1:1,354,140 Prisoners. Proportion to Number. Population. «?rotlinrl 5 ^^5' including dehtors, 8,378 1 : 2(j2 ocouana, ^ „ without debtors, 5,935 1 : 369 (England, April 29, 1826, . . 2,864 1 : 4,187 Debtors i ^^'^^' • • ^^ 1 =10'411 ijeotors, < ggoti^n^j^ « „ « ^ y^ 2jg j .jQ^jg5 [Ireland, « « ....'.... 663 1:11,011 France, 1821, 41,307 1: 778 Southern Netherlands ^ iSo * ' ' *•' ' '' ' ' JJ qS } ' ?S (civil and milit. prisoner.), ^ ^f^ [ ,: ^ i]] [ ] ; \ [ [ 11^7 1 \ si Pru-'sia ^ 1''^^' 2'^^!^ 1 = 3,671 1 russia, ^ jg2(j^ 5 3^^ j . ^ gyg Prussian ^ 1826, standing army, 1,124 1 : 111 army, } militia, 724 1 : 122 Pmssia, civil and military, 8,100 1: 1,550 Sleswic Holstein, 1819, 622 1 : 112 ( 1821, . ^i-. V . . 693 1 : 1,399 Norway, ^ 1826, 8^3 1 : 1,200 ( 1814—1826, 7,740 1 : 1,371 Sweden, 1824, 1,500 1 : 1,600 Though the number of persons committed I remember, in former days, persons were for trial has progressively increased, in taken and pumped upon, or something of England, for a series of years, it by no that sort; but now they are handed over means follows that the quantity of crime to the police and tried.' Sir Thomas Bar- has increased; and it is perfectly certain, ing, and other witnesses, gave a similar that crimes of the most atrocious charac- testimony. The malicious trespass act, ter have diminished. Thus, though the the act for paying prosecutors their ex-, parliamentary returns of the number of penses in cases of misdemeanor, and other criminal offenders committetl for trial in acts not necessaiy to mention, have tended 1827 be greater, by 1774, tlian those of to fill the prisons, without any positive 1826, we should minutely investigate the increase of crime. The magistrates, hke- nature of the offences with which these wise, are more ready to commit than they persons are charged, before we affinn used to be. There is a fact, wliich is that the morals of the people generally most important to keep in view, namely, ■were more unsound iii 1827 than in 1826. that, in England, and hi every other coun- Offences, say a committee of the house try rapidly advancing in civilization, offen- of commons, in a report on.the criminal ces against the person are diminished pre- commitments and convictions, which cisely in the proportion that the means of were formerly either passed over entirely, education are enlarged. The most numer- or were visited with a summary chastise- ous class of offences has been found, not ment on the spot, are now made occasions only in that countiy, but in France, in the of commitment to jail and regular trial, U. States, and in Switzerland, to l3e that Mr. Dealtr}^—a magistrate for the West of the smaller offences against property; Riding of the county of York—says, ' I for example, in London and Middlesex, as think one reason we may give for the stated by Mr. Peel in the house of corn- increase of crime, or the greater exhibition mons, the number of commitments, in of it to public view, is the seizure and de- 1820, was 2773; in 1826, 3457; increase livery to the police of all those who com- of commitments, 684. In 1820, of these mit offences, that are styled offences at all. commitments, the number for larceny was 3*