CONSTITUTIONOF THEPhiladelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons.

When we consider that the obligations of benevolence which are founded on the precepts and examples of the Author of Christianity, are not cancelled by the follies or crimes of our fellow-creatures; and when we reflect upon the miseries which penury, hunger, cold, unnecessary severity, unwholesome apartments, and guilt, (the usual attendants of prisons,) involve with them, it becomes us to extend our compassion to that part of mankind, who are the subjects of those miseries. By the aid of humanity, their undue and illegal sufferings may be prevented; the links which should bind the whole family of mankind together, under all circumstances, be preserved unbroken; and such degrees and modes of punishment may be discovered and suggested, as may, instead of continuing habits of vice, become the means of restoring our fellow-creatures to virtue and happiness. From a conviction of the truth and obligation of these principles, the subscribers have associated themselves under the title of â€œThe Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons.â€

For effecting these purposes, they have adopted the followingConstitution.

The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, two Vice-Presidents, two Secretaries, a Treasurer, two Counsellors, and an acting Committee; all of whom shall be chosen at the stated meeting to be held in the first month (January) of each year, and shall continue in office until their successors are elected; but in case an election from any cause shall not be then held, it shall be the duty of the President to call a special meeting of the Society within thirty days, for the purpose of holding such election, of which at least three daysâ€™ notice shall be given.

The President shall preside in all meetings, and subscribe all public acts of the Society. He may call special meetings whenever he may deem it expedient; and shall do so when requested in writing by five members. In his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents may act in his place.

The Secretaries shall keep fair records of the proceedings of the Society, and shall conduct its correspondence.

The Treasurer shall keep the moneys and securities, and pay all orders of the Society or of the Acting Committee, signed by the presiding officer and Secretary; and shall present a statement of the condition of the finances of the Society at each stated meeting thereof.

The Acting Committee shall consist of the officers of the Society,ex-officio, and thirty-eight other members. They shall visit the prison at least twice a month, inquire into the circumstances of the prisoners, and report such abuses as they shall discover, to the proper officers appointed to remedy them. They shall examine the influence of confinement on the morals of the prisoners. They shall keep regular minutes of their proceedings, which shall he submitted at every stated meeting of the Society; and shall be authorized to fill vacancies occurring in their own body. They shall also have the sole power of electing new members.

Candidates for membership may be proposed at any meeting of the Society or of the Acting Committee; but no election shall take place within ten days after such nomination. Each member shall pay an annual contribution of two dollars; but the payment of twenty dollars at any one time shall constitute a life membership.

Honorary members may be elected at such times as the Society may deem expedient.

The Society shall hold stated meetings on the second third-day in the months called January, April, July and October, of whom seven shall constitute a quorum.

No alterations of the Constitution shall be made, unless the same shall have been proposed at a stated meeting of the Society held no less than a month previous to the adoption of such alterations. All questions shall be decided where there is a division, by a majority of votes; in those where the Society is equally divided, the presiding officer shall have the casting vote.

This is a sterling Quarterly, edited with much good sense, kindliness and tact. It vindicates the policy of solitary confinement, and is generally on the right side. It brings forth â€œthings new and old,â€ belabors empiricism, looks upon man in his true condition of sin and misery, and seeks righteous measures for his reformation. We have always admired the self-relying sedateness and ingenious ability with which the Editor opens his battery, offensive and defensive; and he commands a long range and uses unerring projectiles. A wide field is opened for usefulness in the department of Prison Discipline for men of sense and religion; and we are glad that there is a valuable Quarterly set for the defence of the truth.â€”Pres. Mag.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY.President,â€”JAMES J. BARCLAY.Vice-Presidents, {TOWNSEND SHARPLESS,{DR. WILLIAM SHIPPEN.Treasurer,â€”EDWARD H. BONSALL.Secretaries, {WM. PARKER FOULKE,{JOHN J. LYTLE.Counsellors, {HENRY J. WILLIAMS,{HENRY J. PHILLIPS.Members of the Acting Committee.Charles Ellis,Wm. S. Perot,Thomas Latimer,John M. Wetherill,Samuel Caley,Abram C. Brown,Benjamin H. Pitfield,John Horton,Isaac Barton,Richard Williams,William L. Edwards,James E. Kaighn,Alfred H. Love,Jeremiah Willetts,William H. Burr,D. Sheppard Holman,Jacob T. Bunting,Thomas J. Miles,Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,John C. Farr,George Taber,William Kederlen,Mahlon H. Dickinson,John L. Capen,William Ingram,James Peters,Joseph Keen,Robert E. Evans,Albert H. Franciscus,William R. McAdam,William Chapman,Rev. George Bringhurst,Charles Palmer,Charles P. Perot,Charles C. Cresson,Wm. H. Dennis,Chas. C. Lathrop,Frederick A. Packard.Visiting Committee on the Eastern State Penitentiary.Townsend Sharpless,Edward H. Bonsall,Edward Townsend,John J. Lytle,Samuel Caley,Abram C. Brown,Isaac Barton,Richard Williams,Wm. L. Edwards,James E. Kaighn,Alfred H. Love,Jeremiah Willetts,William H. Burr,D. Shepherd Holman,George Taber,William Kederlen,Mahlon H. Dickinson,James Peters,Joseph Keen,Robert E. Evans,Albert H. Franciscus,William R. McAdam,William Chapman,Rev. George Bringhurst,Charles Palmer.Visiting Committee on the Philadelphia County Prison.Wm. S. Perot,Dr. Wm. Shippen,Charles Ellis,Thomas Latimer,John M. Wetherill,Benjamin H. Pitfield,John Horton,Jacob T. Bunting,Thomas J. Miles,Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,John C. Farr,John L. Capen,William Ingram,Charles P. Perot.â˜ž Mr.W. J. Mullenis agent of the County Prison, appointed by the Inspectors, and acting under their direction.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY.

President,â€”JAMES J. BARCLAY.Vice-Presidents, {TOWNSEND SHARPLESS,{DR. WILLIAM SHIPPEN.Treasurer,â€”EDWARD H. BONSALL.Secretaries, {WM. PARKER FOULKE,{JOHN J. LYTLE.Counsellors, {HENRY J. WILLIAMS,{HENRY J. PHILLIPS.

President,â€”JAMES J. BARCLAY.

Vice-Presidents, {TOWNSEND SHARPLESS,{DR. WILLIAM SHIPPEN.

Vice-Presidents, {TOWNSEND SHARPLESS,

{DR. WILLIAM SHIPPEN.

Treasurer,â€”EDWARD H. BONSALL.

Secretaries, {WM. PARKER FOULKE,{JOHN J. LYTLE.

Secretaries, {WM. PARKER FOULKE,

{JOHN J. LYTLE.

Counsellors, {HENRY J. WILLIAMS,{HENRY J. PHILLIPS.

Counsellors, {HENRY J. WILLIAMS,

{HENRY J. PHILLIPS.

Members of the Acting Committee.

Charles Ellis,Wm. S. Perot,Thomas Latimer,John M. Wetherill,Samuel Caley,Abram C. Brown,Benjamin H. Pitfield,John Horton,Isaac Barton,Richard Williams,William L. Edwards,James E. Kaighn,Alfred H. Love,Jeremiah Willetts,William H. Burr,D. Sheppard Holman,Jacob T. Bunting,Thomas J. Miles,Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,John C. Farr,George Taber,William Kederlen,Mahlon H. Dickinson,John L. Capen,William Ingram,James Peters,Joseph Keen,Robert E. Evans,Albert H. Franciscus,William R. McAdam,William Chapman,Rev. George Bringhurst,Charles Palmer,Charles P. Perot,Charles C. Cresson,Wm. H. Dennis,Chas. C. Lathrop,Frederick A. Packard.

Charles Ellis,

Wm. S. Perot,

Thomas Latimer,

John M. Wetherill,

Samuel Caley,

Abram C. Brown,

Benjamin H. Pitfield,

John Horton,

Isaac Barton,

Richard Williams,

William L. Edwards,

James E. Kaighn,

Alfred H. Love,

Jeremiah Willetts,

William H. Burr,

D. Sheppard Holman,

Jacob T. Bunting,

Thomas J. Miles,

Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,

John C. Farr,

George Taber,

William Kederlen,

Mahlon H. Dickinson,

John L. Capen,

William Ingram,

James Peters,

Joseph Keen,

Robert E. Evans,

Albert H. Franciscus,

William R. McAdam,

William Chapman,

Rev. George Bringhurst,

Charles Palmer,

Charles P. Perot,

Charles C. Cresson,

Wm. H. Dennis,

Chas. C. Lathrop,

Frederick A. Packard.

Visiting Committee on the Eastern State Penitentiary.

Townsend Sharpless,Edward H. Bonsall,Edward Townsend,John J. Lytle,Samuel Caley,Abram C. Brown,Isaac Barton,Richard Williams,Wm. L. Edwards,James E. Kaighn,Alfred H. Love,Jeremiah Willetts,William H. Burr,D. Shepherd Holman,George Taber,William Kederlen,Mahlon H. Dickinson,James Peters,Joseph Keen,Robert E. Evans,Albert H. Franciscus,William R. McAdam,William Chapman,Rev. George Bringhurst,Charles Palmer.

Townsend Sharpless,

Edward H. Bonsall,

Edward Townsend,

John J. Lytle,

Samuel Caley,

Abram C. Brown,

Isaac Barton,

Richard Williams,

Wm. L. Edwards,

James E. Kaighn,

Alfred H. Love,

Jeremiah Willetts,

William H. Burr,

D. Shepherd Holman,

George Taber,

William Kederlen,

Mahlon H. Dickinson,

James Peters,

Joseph Keen,

Robert E. Evans,

Albert H. Franciscus,

William R. McAdam,

William Chapman,

Rev. George Bringhurst,

Charles Palmer.

Visiting Committee on the Philadelphia County Prison.

Wm. S. Perot,Dr. Wm. Shippen,Charles Ellis,Thomas Latimer,John M. Wetherill,Benjamin H. Pitfield,John Horton,Jacob T. Bunting,Thomas J. Miles,Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,John C. Farr,John L. Capen,William Ingram,Charles P. Perot.

Wm. S. Perot,

Dr. Wm. Shippen,

Charles Ellis,

Thomas Latimer,

John M. Wetherill,

Benjamin H. Pitfield,

John Horton,

Jacob T. Bunting,

Thomas J. Miles,

Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,

John C. Farr,

John L. Capen,

William Ingram,

Charles P. Perot.

â˜ž Mr.W. J. Mullenis agent of the County Prison, appointed by the Inspectors, and acting under their direction.

TRANSCRIBERâ€™S NOTESMoved the beginning of theConstitutionto just before its continuation.Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling.Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.

TRANSCRIBERâ€™S NOTES

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