Mr. Giles: It does not.

Gov. Chas. Anderson, of Kentucky, made a most eloquent speech, which we regret was not furnished us by the reporter. The editor makes the following imperfect report from memory:

Gov. Anderson said he was surprised and delighted at what he heard from Wisconsin in relation to the treatment of the chronic insane. He knew that Wisconsin had the best State Historical Society in the country, with a wonderful library; he knew that Wisconsin had the best system of Normal Schools and Teachers' Institutes in this country, and now he was surprised and delighted to find that Wisconsin was taking the lead in a movement of so great importance as a reform in the treatment of the insane. He believed that this was a movement in a hopeful direction. Instead of housing the insane together, this was the beginning of a movement to scatter them in small communities, w4th more occupation and less restraint, and where abuses by attendants were more easily discovered and corrected than in large institutions.

He was sorry to say, as a native Kentuckian, that his own state and the entire south were behind the northern states in most of the matters which engage the attention of this Conference. The effects of slavery and the disasters of the civil war had thrown the south behind in many things. But now we were prepared to learn from the eminent philanthropists gathered from all parts of the Union, how to ameliorate our treatment of the insane, and how to reform our prison system, both of which were needed in Kentucky, if not in other states.

He thanked the philanthropists for coming here to Louisville, and he expected that he and others who attended this National Conference of Charities and Corrections for the first time would carry away much that would profit them and the states which they represented.

Mr. Smith: I have no written report to give to this Conference, nor any suggestions to make which would be of benefit to you. I, for one, came here to learn. I attended one of these conferences two years ago, in Boston, and became very much interested in your work.

Rhode Island has been somewhat criticised because the State Board has administrative as well as advisory powers. I will merely say here that, so far as that is concerned, we have heard no complaints in our own state, but have been kindly met by the legislature in everything that we have asked for. We believe that our institutions were never, in their history, in such good condition, or so successful and prosperous, as at the present time. As to our Reform School, it was placed in charge of the State Board about three years ago. It now occupies new buildings upon a farm of five hundred acres, with the other state institutions. We feel that in managing this school upon the open system, we have taken a step in advance which will be of great benefit to the boys and girls under our care.

REPORT FROM RHODE ISLAND.

To the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, convened at Louisville, Ky., Sept. 24, 1883:

The undersigned, representing the Board of State Charities and Corrections of the State of Rhode Island, respectfully report that the Institutions under the care of the Board are six in number, varying in character, from purely charitable, to strictly penal.

Of the first class may be named the State Asylum for the Insane, and the State Almshouse. Of those which partake of the nature of reformatory, as well as penal institutions, are the Workhouse, or House of Correction, to which persons of adult age, of both sexes, are committed, usually on sentences of six months — mostly for drunkenness, and other sins against decency. The Sockanosset School for Boys, and the Woodlawn School for Girls, are intended to be wholly of a reformatory character, although the inmates have been committed, generally by the Courts, for some offence—and not unf requently by complaint of their parents, who find themselves unable to control their children, and take this method to get them out of harm's way.

The State Prison, and the Jail of the county of Providence, occupy opposite wings of the same building — are under the management of the same officers — the inmates of both work in the same shops together, eat at noon in the same room, partake of the same fare, and are governed by substantially the same regulations.

In this institution no systematic effort is made to exert a reformatory influence over the inmates, except to treat them humanely, insist upon their laboring diligently, obeying the rules of the prison carefully, and treating their officers and their fellow-convicts civilly; in addition to which, the Gospel is preached to them faithfully, every Sabbath, by a resident Chaplain, who holds a prayer-meeting weekly, with such as choose to attend it. On the first Sabbath of the month the prisoners who wish to express their sentiments and f eelirxgs,. and exhort their fellows to seek the favor of the Lord, are permitted to do so, a service of this character taking the place of the ordinary preaching service. There is abundant evidence that these religious influences are productive of beneficial results, the character of some of the convicts, and the conduct of many more, being greatly modified thereby.

A religious service is also held at the House of Correction every Sabbath by the Chaplain, and at each of the schools by others.

The Catholic clergy are permitted to have free access to the inmates of all the institutions, but no public service is performed by them. No complaint is made by the inmates of a neglect of their spiritual wants or interests.

From the very brief description above given of the various institutions under the care of the Board of State Charities and Corrections, it may easily be understood that the labors of that body are multifarious and arduous. Thorough systemization, however, a careful division of the Board into standing committees, frequent meetings, and a lively interest in everything that pertains to «the work, enables the management to keep the business well in hand, and all the demands of the various institutions are promptly met.

Six members of the Board constitute what in some states would be regarded as an Advisory Board, making, in turn, semi-monthly visits to all the institutions, and a suitable record of their observations in a book kept for the purpose, which is always accessible to the proper officers, as well as to the members of the Board.

A "Women's Board/' consisting of five ladies from different parts of the state, appointed by the Governor, exercise the functions of an Advisory Board. They have authority to visit every institution under the control of the state, where females are confined. They perform the duties imposed upon them by the statute with much zeal and intelligence, and their service is of great value.

Within the last three years the state has assumed the charge of the Reform School, which was established by~ the city of Providence some twenty-five years since.

The name of "Reform School" has been dropped,— the " Sockanosset School for Boys " has been removed to new buildings, erected expressly for its use, upon a part of the Farm entirely removed from all the other institutions, on elevated ground, and commanding an extensive view of a very -pleasant country. The "Woodlawn School for Girls," also, has taken possession of a hew building, a mile distant from those of the boys, situated on still higher ground, and in the midst of a fine grove of native growth.

These Schools are conducted by thoroughly competent officers, upon the "open system," and are producing most satisfactory results.

The same may be said, with equal truth, of all the institutions under the supervision and control of the Board of State Charities and Corrections of Rhode Island. Respectfully submitted,

Lewis B. Smith,
Stephen R. Weeden.

REPORT FROM MASSACHUSETTS.

The delegates commissioned by his excellency to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at this National Conference, submit the following report:

The State Prisons are two in number, viz.: the State Prison at Concord, and the Woman's Reformatory Prison at Sherburn. The management of each of these prisons has been changed during the past year. Gov. Butler, sustained by his Republican Council, dismissed for cause the warden at Concord, and his excellency appointed Col. Usher, whose firm, kind discipline, and practical as well as theoretical application of the common humanity of his convicts (which even crime cannot efface), has in

spired hope and courage and industry into the hearts and lives of his prisoners. The resignation from ill health of the admirable Superintendent of the Reformtory Prison (Miss Mosher), led Gov. Butler to appoint that world-widely known and loved noble woman, Miss Clara Barton, as Superintendent.

The unexpected and late appointments by the Governor of the Massachusetts delegates, gave us neither time nor opportunity to confer or correspond with his excellency relative to any matters connected with our State Charities, likely to come up at this Conference, nor to obtain fullest statistics from those officially connected Vith the administration of our State Charities.

Massachusetts has five State Lunatic Hospitals, one of which is exclusively for the Chronic Insane, while about 300 State Chronic insane are cared for at the State Almshouse at Tewksbury.

Our last State Charity Report khows that there were 3,512 insane persons in Massachusetts January, 1883 — 3>056 of whom were in the public hospitals. Out of the whole number admitted to the five State Hospitals in 1882, there were 217 recoveries, or 5 1-5 per cent.

Whether this appallingly small percentage is because insanity is incurable to such an extent, or whether the young science Psychiatry, when developed, together with a more individual, scientific and humane care of the insane cannot produce better results, it remains for the future to prove.

The legislature last winter passed a resolve for another insane hospital, which is to be under the exclusive medical management of the Homeopathists. Some State institution already standing is to be utilized for this experiment, instead of the state erecting another palatial monument to state pride and folly — palaces which do not hold a single additional advantage for the cure and contentment of the patients.

The State Juvenile Reformatories are the M6nson Primary School, having 320 inmates October, 1882; the Reform School for Boys, 142 inmates, and the Industrial School for Girls, 55 inmates. This small number of children is accounted for by our system of boarding out a large number (I believe 908 out '82) in private families, subject to visitation and supervision through a supplementary corps of State visitors.

We have over 21,000 paupers, who cost the state nearly $1,700,000 last year, some reimbursements leaving a net cost of a little less than $1,500,000. These figures give the expense and number of the poor in Massachusetts