THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM. 1;1 KS?' i\ x N 11.4 I, hI I X T I NC; ,

Tlic first ,2nn1inl Meeting ( i f iiiciiihcrs of tlic coiiiliiiicd ,Society, tlic Hownrcl League for I'cnnl Hefortti, tras hcld at Cnxton Hell, II-cstniiiistcr, on Pridny, J U I ~ C ,trcl, i w r , at 7.45 pm., Miss Entott, Vicc-C1i:iirnian of the Ix'aguc, in tlir Clink.

'Chc Hoii. Sccretnry rcntl the :\niitt:il Kcport, ns follows :

ANNUAI, KWORT.

F'or 11s tlic cvetit of thc p:ist ye:ir fin's bccii tlic Anidgaination of tlic tivo societics, tlic 1iow:irtl i\ssoci:ttion end tlic Pennl Rcforrn T,cnguc, into the Hownrcl 1,e:igiic for I1~t in l Rcfonn, an entity which mnkes its first puldic &enr:iiirC- to-niEht . Wc confidcntly bclievc that, like n frcsli star fornicd by the fusioti of two old oms, the new body will prow tiiorc poircrfiil t h i i citlicr o f its coiistitiicnts.

Lord Hcnry Iktitinck has cnnsciitccl to rcninin as Chninnan of tlie new Coiiimittcc, and Mr. Alfrctl 1:owcll nnstoii, J.P., to act ns Trcnstircr. Each Coiiiniittce 1i:is to record n scriotis loss dtiring the past yc:ir. In hIrs. tlciiry IIolhoiisc tlic cniiw o f tlic grisoncr found nil ever c:igcr fricnrl, wliilst Alr. Mnrkriixic n m distiiigiiislicd for his efforts on he1i:ilf of hIorcicc:iii prisoiicrs.

During tlic past ciglitccri nioiitlis (since tlic last piiblic meeting of Tlic I'erinl Reform 1,c:igiic) soiiic Iiiiiitlrcd nicctinKs h a w bceii licld nntlcr the niispiccs of otic or otlicr of tlic societics, a ncw branch hns h e n stnrtctl at llnnclitster, and :ilmnt 160 iicw iucmbcrs have joincd.

Wc took nn activc part iii tlic ngitntion i n favour of tlic Jiivctiilc Courts (3tetropolis) lM11, aiicl our sorictics tvctc quotcrl hy tinme l ~ y the 1,ord CIiaiiccllor in his spccch for tlic Itill on AuKnst 6th. I3y thc passing of this Rill, Chiltlrcii's Courts in 1,ondoii itre ctcfinitcly excluded from the prcciiicts of tlic Police Court, and thc perticipntioii of women mngistratcs is provided for.

Our Sccrctary gave evidciicc in J ~ l y last beforc thc Indian Jails Cotnniittce; we stipportcd tlic National Association for Social and Moral Hygiene in their protcst ng:iinst ccrtairi clatiscs of the proposcd Crimiiial Law Amciidment Bill (:iftcrwards withrawn), ntid the State Children's Association in their campaign against corporal punishment in the Institutions of the Metropolitan Asylums Board.

A niimbcr of questions on pciial mnttcrs have bccn asked in Pnrli- metit, cithcr at our request, or upon ninterial supplied by us.

Forty-five visits to Prisons, Rorstal , Institutions and Certified Schools have been paid on behalf of the League.

W c wish to express our wann thanks to our members for the stendp, and often increased support whish they have given us during

this lcnn yc:ir. W e can hardy :isk tliciri to iiicrcosc tlicir coutrihii- tioirs, hut tvc (lo 1)cg tlicrn to 1)riiig 11s frcsli subscrihcrs. The new 1,cngiie has a11 iiicoitic of about 1(?‘8rm : half ns tnucli again is nceded to cnrry on our work.

Uritlcr tlicsc nrisiotis circumstances, tlic Commitkc, fnccd hy the largc ovcrdrnft of tlic Howard Associntion’s Bank accowit, fcel par- ticiilnr ~rrititritlc to tlic surviving triistcc of tlic now-cstinct “Pricoii Discipline ,%cicty” for thc gift of iicnrly L24.3, part of thc halancc remaining to thc nccouiit of that society.

Althotigh rvc 11:ivc bccn iiiifortiinntc in not o1)t:iining a place in the Par1intticiit:it-y 1)nllot for oitr Prohntiati and Rcfoniiatory and Induqtrinl Schaols Dill, it has provcd n iiiost itscfiil piccc of propn- Ranch. In particulnr, tlic National Couiicil of Wotncii hnvc shown n vcry synipnthctic intcrcst in it, aiid hnvc rliscusscd it at scveral of thcir Coniniittcc iiicctings. Wc hopc that it niny i w hroiight before tlicir Aniiiinl Coiifcrcncc t h i q siinmcr. Tii t n o instnnccs Jlciiclics of Iiafiistrntcs linvc irivitcd oiir Sccrctarics to cxplain its provisions, atid wc hnvc l m i i ~ l n t l to siibniit it to thc Dcpnrtnicntnl Coiiimittcc of the llaiiie Officc i i r w sitting to consitlcr tlic csistiiig inctliods of training, nppniiitiiig, niitl p:iyiiiE Pro1)ntirm Officcrs, ns ciiilmdying tlir coil- sidcrcd policy of tlic I,c:igiic.

Wc Iwlicvc thnt thc proposals of thc Rill nrc firiding incrcnscd sitpport nniongst prolintioii officcrs thcmselvcs.

Very su1wt:iiiti:il progrcss !ins I m n tnnclc with thc schcmc, first inniiRiirntcc1 by tlic 1Iownrd Association, for the forination of a 1intioii:il TtIngistmtcs’ Association. A coiifcrciicc hcltl n t the Criiiltl-

hnll was InrRcly attcndctl 1)y niagistrntcs froni nll parts of thc country, the proposal to found nii Association nict \\ ith widespread approval, nnri n cotistittition tins hcen drnftcd hy n Committcc clcctcd for the purposc. As the hiilk of thr labour and initintivc h:is throitghaut been siipplicd by oiir Sccrctnry, Mr. Imson, we fcel we have a right to clnim this importnut piece of ntork as onc of the achievements of thc 1,cnRac.

A coaaidcrahlc nanihcr of womcti niagjstrntca hnvc now been ap- pointed. lnclitdctl nmongst tlic tititithcr arc oiir ).Ion. Secretary, and thc Ran. ,Sccrctnry nf o w Ncwcdstle Ih-nnch, XIiss Ifctz. Foitr womcii justices, ntiiongst \vIioni is Miss Fry, havc lwcn nppointcd as visiting mngistrntm to Hollowny Prison. A vcry intcresting confcrence of Momen mngiattatcs, hcld nt the Mansion H o w and summoned by the Nnt{anal Union of ,Socicticq for Eqttnl CitixcrrsltIp, tvns nddressed by both our Sccretnrics. A large nmotint of literature has hen cir- culated by thc 1,engtie amongst the new jitstices.

The Cornmittee mndc II Rrnnt of 45 as a mark of its sympathetic interest In the cfforts which nre being made to relieve the terrible dis-

tress atnongst Austrian civil prsoncrs. We hope that it niay be pos- siblu for our Vicc-Chniriiian, Aliss Eaton, to cnrry out her ~ntciition of giving n pcriotl of personal scrvicc to this work.

Tlic Corniiiittcc hos rcccivcd with grave conccrii w-ious serious allegations with rcgnrd to tlic trcatnicnt of prisoncrs, nntricil and con- victed, in thc prisons, detention I)arrncks and coticetitr:\tioti conips in Irclniid. Wlsliing to follow our nsu:rl pr:ictirc of investigatin~ n t first-liaiitl any allc~ntioris ni:idc+, wc :rpltliccl to tlie Iris11 Aatlioritics t o grant to o w Honorary Sccretnry, Miss Fry, facilities in Ircland for visiting places of cletcntioii, similar to those which have always been most courteously granted to her in Ihgland iind Scotlalid. This rc- quest, w c regret to say, hns bccn refused. In view of tlic very serious nature of the allcgetioiis itiatlc, we urge thc great ncccssity for nn im- mediate and impartial inquiry into the question of the treatment of Xrsh prisonc;rs.

Tlic adoption of the Kcport WIS niovetl by RIr. Simpson, seconded by A h . Tlireadgold arid carried. Tlic Chairman called upon the Secretary, Mr. Lccsoii, to rcacl the balance shccts of the Howard Association, and upon the Hon. Secretary, Miss Fry; to read the balaiicc slicets of the Penal Reform I,caguc, Tlic adoption of the balaticc sliccts t w s moved by Miss C:irson, yccondccl Ijp A f t . f . Dtincaii, and c:irrietl.

The Chairinan read n list o f n;ttiics prnposctl for thc Coiumittcc, :is fI,llf)\\5 : -

?

Lt.-Col. Lord Henry Uentinck, X I ' , Ih. J n i n w Glover.

'Ihe Ker . Cation Uarnes. Christoplier Gurney. Harrison Barrow. Henry Carney. T. K. Bridgwater. \V. Clnrkc IIoll (Advisory). Jlrs. Uiyland. 14nurriice ILousniaii. A. Fetlner Brockt\a). George Ivcs, M.A. Alfred YON ell Buxton, J.P. (Treasurer). Alex. >fcConncll. Travers Buxton, M.A., J.P. I<. H. Katnsay. . Sir Fielding Clarke, J.P. RIrs. Victor Rickord. Miss Doniell. , Champion B. Hiissell, J.P. G . Iawes IXckinsoii. Cnpt. arid A h . St. john. Miss Gertrude Cetuii. Mirm A. D. Scott. ;tIiss 1L 31. I{llir. Benjaniiu Spoor, B1.P. P. J. IEdminson. JIiss Toynbee. Miss g. JIargery Pry (Hnn. Scc.) Col. J. C, Wedgwwd, M,P, Sir Jatnes T. Agg-Cardacr, 31.1'. Frnnria Wellcalcy, ].Ib, '

Mr. Matthew, seconded by Mrs. Round, and carried, thanks was accorded to the Sccrctnrics.

(Chairiilan). Ihlunrd Grubb, M . A .

The election of thc ladies and gcntlcmeii nnmcd was proposed by A vote of