An important discussion took placein the Social -Cadence Con- gress
at Manchester on the treatment of prisoners who are -to -be really prisoners for life,—the dangerous class, and the irreclaimable class who have been repeatedly-found guilty of the same offence. Sir Walter.-Ceofton showed that for such a class of prisoners,—if there is to be such a clasa—the ordinary prisons are quite unfit, since the removal of the hope of 'liberty takes away so strong an inducement to good conduct as to necessitate the adoption of much strenger precautions against , mutiny or escape. The Congress, after a very interesting discussion, agreed to resolutions advocating 'special prisons,—usually on islands off the coast,—for the class of prisoners whom it is dangerous ever again to return to society. We cordially concur in * necessity of such prisons with a special system of discipline, if absolute life-sentence.s with no hope of remission are really preferable to death sentences. We are, disposed to think the latter fax more humane than sen- tences of imprisounaent without hope, and oertainly they are simpler.
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