The Old Era and the New.

Manawatu Herald, 15 February 1900, Page 2

The Old Era and the New.

<*, . Sir Algernon West's recollections begin as far back as the year 1882, and the length of his memory enables us to realise vividly w|Kj; almost incredible changes have tak&t place both in social life and the life of the country during the present reign. Here are a few of the most salient : — " Shortly before the Queen's accession a little boy was sentenced to death for breaking a confectioner's window and stealing sweetmeats. ... In 1886 there were 52,000 convicts living in foreign T : land in a state of bestial immorality. Now, notwithstanding the increase of population, there are only 4,000 undergoing penal servitude, all in this country. In 1887, 4,000 debtors were lying in common cells with damp brick walls, with no bedding, and herded with murderers and common malefactors. I well recollect when I was a boy seeing poor debtors looking through the bars of Dover Castle and ringing a bell to attract the attention-******!! passers-by, from whom they sofieHt&l alma. Lunatics, who are DOW treated with carefnl kindness, were chained together on beds of straw, naked, handcuffed, ana shown all twopence a head for each visitor."