The Evening Telegraph

English Criminal Statistics.

In the year 1866-67 the total strength of the constabulary in England and Wales was 24,073; in 1867-68 it was 25,832. Of this number, 9675 are represented by the metropolitan and city police. The criminal classes at large against whom this not very large army is arrayed amounted, for 1868, to more than 118,000, of whom 16,000 were under sixteen years of age, being an increase of 6000 over the total numbers of the preceding year. Of these, "known thieves and depredators" increased nearly 5 per cent., while "vagrants and tramps" show an increase of 11 per cent. In London the increase is nearly 10 per cent.; in commercial ports it is nearly 3 per cent.; in Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn, and other seats of the cotton and linen trade, it is only 0.3 per cent.; it is 13 per cent. in Birmingham, Sheffield, and Wolverhampton; in the Eastern counties it is 6 per cent.; in the Southwestern counties it is 2 per cent.

On the other hand, there is a decrease of 0.1 per cent. in agricultural towns like Exeter, Lincoln, etc.; of 0.3 per cent. in Bradford, Halifax, and other towns of the woollen manufactures; of 1.7 per cent. in what are termed "pleasure towns," such as Bath, Brighton, Dover, and Leamington. The explanation of this change is probably to be found in the double fact that of late years there has been a steady influx of population into London and Manchester and other seats of industry, while there has been a corresponding decrease in such cities as Bath, Lincoln, and Exeter. In addition to those professional criminals who are at large, there are some 30,000 others whom the country is supporting at its own expense in buildings devoted to the punishment or reformation of crime. Of these it is not gratifying to learn that there is an increase of 8000 for the year 1868 over the year 1867. There is likewise an increase of more than 5000 in the number of persons apprehended during the same period. While it is satisfactory to learn that the number of murders known to have been committed in the year 1867-8 fell short by six of those which were committed in 1866-7, it is not pleasant to find out that the whole amount of crimes involving violence committed in 1867-8 exceeded those of the preceding year by nearly 3000. Offenses against property both with and without violence increased in a considerable ratio. The verdicts of "murder" returned by the coroners' juries were, in 1868, 261: in 1867, 255; in 1866, 274. The commitments for murder were, in 1868, 71; in 1867, 94. This last number was exceptionally high, including 26 persons brought to trial for the murder of Sergeant Brett at Manchester. The annual sentences of death vary from 21 to 26 or 27, having always been under 80 since 1864. While these are diminishing, there is a correlative increase in sentences of penal servitude and imprisonment; and, few as are nowadays the sentences of death, the executions are still fewer. Of the minor offenders against whom summary proceedings are taken, 490,000 were arraigned and 143,000 discharged. The proportion of female convictions are on the increase. Offenses under the vagrant and police acts are steadily increasing. The apprehensions for these offenses would be much more numerous than they are if the police were more vigilant and observant. But, according to the dicta of some modern philosophers, tramps, beggars, and petty thieves are the legitimate products of wealth and civilization.

Out of the 142,000 and odd people committed during the year 1868, fifty thousand could neither read nor write, and nearly ninety thousand read, or read and wrote, imperfectly. There is a daily average of 18,000 prisoners in confinement. There are 2500 officers, male and female, to look after these. There is one male warder to every 10.2 of the daily male prisoners, and one to every 7.9 of the females: a fact which implies the greater amount of "devil" in the criminals of the fair than of the ruder sex. The total cost is about £692,000 a year; about £56,000 of this is reimbursed by the produce of the prisoners' labor. The average charge for each prisoner is £37 a year. The cost of the constabulary increased from £1,920,000 in 1867 to over £2,000,000 in 1868, the average cost of each member of the force having risen from £79 in 1859 to more than £80 in 1868. It will be noticed that each prisoner costs nearly half as much per year as a member of the constabulary.