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the middle and lower classes of society. As a discipli-narian, it would be difficult to find his equal; owingto his superior management of the convicts, underhis charge. They love and fear him—they regardhim as their friend and protector—he furnishes themwith plenty of good wholesome provisions—keepsthem constantly employed, but never imposes immo-derate tasks on them—he holds no conversation withthem except in directing their work, and this courseis strictly pursued by all his subordinate keepers—he disdains the idle notion, that extreme severity isthe only appropriate mode for the government of apenitentiary. I never conversed with a person,whose sentiments as respects the management ofconvicts, so cordially met my views, and in my opi-nion are so well calculated to promote their generalwelfare, and produce reformation. It is my opinion,that there is no prison in the world equal to Auburnprison, as regards cleanliness, industry, and good conduct. The rules and regulations of the prisonare made known to each convict, and the momentany of them are violated, the offender is punished—it is owing to the certainty of this, that it is veryrare any punishment is inflicted. I perfectly agreewith him in every particular he advances, except asto the mode of punishment adopted by him. I have in vain urged to him, that whipping is totally incon-sistent with the principles of that mild system wewish to establish. I cannot persuade him, that promptpunishment, by confinement, in a solitary cell onbread and water, will produce the same effects aswhipping. I allow he will not exercise this powerunless accompanied with a degree of justice, as tothe nature of the offence committed, but certainlyothers may abuse it, and therefore it never ought tobe allowed in any prison. I have told him thatduring several years, that the New York state prisonwas subject to my direction as one of its inspectors,there never was a single instance of inflicting corpo-