the approval and aid of the good and great departed. And the prudence of advanced years, and the matured judgment of middle age, and the zeal and energy of the young will all unite to make this Society, by its doctrines and by its works, a means of enlarged good to the great community in which it exists, and a faithful and grateful almoner of the Legislature of the State that has recently, by its bounty, enlarged the means of the Society's beneficence.

It was an act of lofty duty in the State to provide for the orphans of the soldiers that fell in defence of the Union. It is a beautiful exercise of republican authority in the State to assist the numerous charities in the Commonwealth to extend and augment the means of doing good. But, oh! it is a beautiful effort of effective power in the Legislature of the State, a proof at once of its foreseeing and of its forereaching providence, that at the last session it opened the hand of charity, and strengthened the means of doing good by an appropriation for the best mode of assisting the convict.

This Society, while it pledges itself to a righteous use of all such appropriations, hopes that its declaration that so far the means have been most justly applied, will strengthen confidence in its solemn assurances for the future, and ensure additional appropriation.

We repeat here what we have more than once declared, that while we have fixed views and have made earnest exertions with regard to certain systems of prison discipline, we do not think that the labors of the members of the Society are to be diminished by the adoption of our own, or of other people's systems. The

end with us is the same. Systems are only means. If we cannot procure the adoption of what we know by experience to be the best system for improving the convict, we at least can, and we must, improve every opportunity presented to promote that great end by what system soever may prevail.

Our business is with the man-our theatre of action is the cell of the convict, our hope of success must rest upon the blessing which God shall vouchsafe to our individual labors. And while the "Acting Committee" assures the parent Society of the fidelity with which its members discharge their duties among the prisoners, the Society may assure the community that its power and its means will never be diverted from the channel in which they have hitherto been directed-directed, it is believed, in a manner to secure the approval of good men-and bring upon its labors the blessings of God.

All of which is respectfully submitted,

JAMES J. BARCLAY,

ATTEST,

JOHN J. LYTLE,

Secretary.

President.

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.

All bequests, donations and life subscriptions, shall be safely invested; only the income thereof to be applied to the current expenses of the Society.

ARTICLE V.

The Acting Committee shall consist of the officers of the Society, ex-officio, and fifty 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 be submitted at every Stated Meeting of the Society; and shall be authorized to fill vacancies occurring in their own body, whether arising from death, or removal from the city, or from inability or neglect to visit the prisons in accordance with their regulations. They shall also have the sole power of electing new members.

ARTICLE VI.

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.

ARTICLE VII.

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

ARTICLE VIII.

The Society shall hold Stated Meetings on the fourth fifth day (Thursday) in the months called January, April, July and October, of whom seven shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE IX.

No alterations of the Constitution shall be made, unless the same shall have been proposed at a Stated Meeting of the Society, held not 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.