autobiography-第10部分

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ce　a　question　in　our　courts。　　I　thought　it　would　be　useful　also；　in　all　new　draughts；　to　reform　the　style　of　the　later　British　statutes；　and　of　our　own　acts　of　assembly；　which　from　their　verbosity；　their　endless　tautologies；　their　involutions　of　case　within　case；　and　parenthesis　within　parenthesis；　and　their　multiplied　efforts　at　certainty　by　_saids_　and　_aforesaids_；　by　_ors_　and　by　_ands_；　to　make　them　more　plain；　do　really　render　them　more　perplexed　and　incomprehensible；　not　only　to　common　readers；　but　to　the　lawyers　themselves。　　We　were　employed　in　this　work　from　that　time　to　Feb。　1779；　when　we　met　at　Williamsburg；　that　is　to　say；　Mr。　Pendleton；　Mr。　Wythe　&　myself；　and　meeting　day　by　day；　we　examined　critically　our　several　parts；　sentence　by　sentence；　scrutinizing　and　amending　until　we　had　agreed　on　the　whole。　　We　then　returned　home；　had　fair　copies　made　of　our　several　parts；　which　were　reported　to　the　General　Assembly　June　18。　1779。　by　Mr。　　Wythe　and　myself；　Mr。　Pendleton's　residence　being　distant；　and　he　having　authorized　us　by　letter　to　declare　his　approbation。　　We　had　in　this　work　brought　so　much　of　the　Common　law　as　it　was　thought　necessary　to　alter；　all　the　British　statutes　from　Magna　Charta　to　the　present　day；　and　all　the　laws　of　Virginia；　from　the　establishment　of　our　legislature；　in　the　4th。　Jac。　1。　to　the　present　time；　which　we　thought　should　be　retained；　within　the　compass　of　126　bills；　making　a　printed　folio　of　90　pages　only。　　Some　bills　were　taken　out　occasionally；　from　time　to　time；　and　passed；　but　the　main　body　of　the　work　was　not　entered　on　by　the　legislature　until　after　the　general　peace；　in　1785。　when　by　the　unwearied　exertions　of　Mr。　Madison；　in　opposition　to　the　endless　quibbles；　chicaneries；　perversions；　vexations　and　delays　of　lawyers　and　demi…lawyers；　most　of　the　bills　were　passed　by　the　legislature；　with　little　alteration。

　　　　　　　　The　bill　for　establishing　religious　freedom；　the　principles　of　which　had；　to　a　certain　degree；　been　enacted　before；　I　had　drawn　in　all　the　latitude　of　reason　&　right。　　It　still　met　with　opposition；　but；　with　some　mutilations　in　the　preamble；　it　was　finally　passed；　and　a　singular　proposition　proved　that　it's　protection　of　opinion　was　meant　to　be　universal。　　Where　the　preamble　declares　that　coercion　is　a　departure　from　the　plan　of　the　holy　author　of　our　religion；　an　amendment　was　proposed；　by　inserting　the　word　〃Jesus　Christ；〃　so　that　it　should　read　〃a　departure　from　the　plan　of　Jesus　Christ；　the　holy　author　of　our　religion。〃　The　insertion　was　rejected　by　a　great　majority；　in　proof　that　they　meant　to　comprehend；　within　the　mantle　of　it's　protection；　the　Jew　and　the　Gentile；　the　Christian　and　Mahometan；　the　Hindoo；　and　infidel　of　every　denomination。

　　　　　　　　Beccaria　and　other　writers　on　crimes　and　punishments　had　satisfied　the　reasonable　world　of　the　unrightfulness　and　inefficacy　of　the　punishment　of　crimes　by　death；　and　hard　labor　on　roads；　canals　and　other　public　works；　had　been　suggested　as　a　proper　substitute。　The　Revisors　had　adopted　these　opinions；　but　the　general　idea　of　our　country　had　not　yet　advanced　to　that　point。　　The　bill　therefore　for　proportioning　crimes　and　punishments　was　lost　in　the　House　of　Delegates　by　a　majority　of　a　single　vote。　　I　learnt　afterwards　that　the　substitute　of　hard　labor　in　public　was　tried　（I　believe　it　was　in　Pennsylvania）　without　success。　　Exhibited　as　a　public　spectacle；　with　shaved　heads　and　mean　clothing；　working　on　the　high　roads　produced　in　the　criminals　such　a　prostration　of　character；　such　an　abandonment　of　self…respect；　as；　instead　of　reforming；　plunged　them　into　the　most　desperate　&　hardened　depravity　of　morals　and　character。　　Pursue　the　subject　of　this　law。　　　I　was　written　to　in　1785　（being　then　in　Paris）　by　Directors　appointed　to　superintend　the　building　of　a　Capitol　in　Richmond；　to　advise　them　as　to　a　plan；　and　to　add　to　it　one　of　a　prison。　　Thinking　it　a　favorable　opportunity　of　introducing　into　the　state　an　example　of　architecture　in　the　classic　style　of　antiquity；　and　the　Maison　quarree　of　Nismes；　an　antient　Roman　temple；　being　considered　as　the　most　perfect　model　existing　of　what　may　be　called　Cubic　architecture；　I　applied　to　M。　Clerissault；　who　had　published　drawings　of　the　Antiquities　of　Nismes；　to　have　me　a　model　of　the　building　made　in　stucco；　only　changing　the　order　from　Corinthian　to　Ionic；　on　account　of　the　difficulty　of　the　Corinthian　capitals。　　I　yielded　with　reluctance　to　the　taste　of　Clerissault；　in　his　preference　of　the　modern　capital　of　Scamozzi　to　the　more　noble　capital　of　antiquity。　　This　was　executed　by　the　artist　whom　Choiseul　Gouffier　had　carried　with　him　to　Constantinople；　and　employed　while　Ambassador　there；　in　making　those　beautiful　models　of　the　remains　of　Grecian　architecture　which　are　to　be　seen　at　Paris。　　To　adapt　the　exterior　to　our　use；　I　drew　a　plan　for　the　interior；　with　the　apartments　necessary　for　legislative；　executive　&　judiciary　purposes；　and　accommodated　in　their　size　and　distribution　to　the　form　and　dimensions　of　the　building。　　These　were　forwarded　to　the　Directors　in　1786。　and　were　carried　into　execution；　with　some　variations　not　for　the　better；　the　most　important　to　which　however　admit　of　future　correction。　　With　respect　of　the　plan　of　a　Prison；　requested　at　the　same　time；　I　had　heard　of　a　benevolent　society　in　England　which　had　been　indulged　by　the　government　in　an　experiment　of　the　effect　of　labor　in　_solitary　confinement_　on　some　of　their　criminals；　which　experiment　had　succeeded　beyond　expectation。　　The　same　idea　had　been　suggested　in　France；　and　an　Architect　of　Lyons　had　proposed　a　plan　of　a　well　contrived　edifice　on　the　principle　of　solitary　confinement。　　I　procured　a　copy；　and　as　it　was　too　large　for　our　purposes；　I　drew　one　on　a　scale；　less　extensive；　but　susceptible　of　additions　as　they　should　be　wanting。　　This　I　sent　to　the　Directors　instead　of　a　plan　of　a　common　prison；　in　the　hope　that　it　would　suggest　the　idea　of　labor　in　solitary　confinement　instead　of　that　on　the　public　works；　which　we　had　adopted　in　our　Revised　Code。　　It's　principle　accordingly；　but　not　it's　exact　form；　was　adopted　by　Latrobe　in　carrying　the　plan　into　execution；　by　the　erection　of　what　is　now　called　the　Penitentiary；　built　under　his　direction。　　In　the　meanwhile　the　public　opinion　was　ripening　by　time；　by　reflection；　and　by　the　example　of　Pensylva；　where　labor　on　the　highways　had　been　tried　without　approbation　from　1786　to　89。　&　had　been　followed　by　their　Penitentiary　system　on　the　principle　of　confinement　and　labor；　which　was　proceeding　auspiciously。　　In　1796。　our　legislature　resumed　the　subject　and　passed　the　law　for　amending　the　Penal　laws　of　the　commonwealth。　　They　adopted　solitary；　instead　of　public　labor；　established　a　gradation　in　the　duration　of　the　confinement；　approximated　the　style　of　the　law　more　to　the　modern　usage；　and　instead　of　the　settled　distinctions　of　murder　&　manslaughter；　preserved　in　my　bill；　they　introduced　the　new　terms　of　murder　in　the　1st　&　2d　degree。　　Whether　these　have　produced　more　or　fewer　questions　of　definition　I　am　not　sufficiently　informed　of　our　judiciary　transactions　to　say。　　I　will　here　however　insert　the　text　of　my　bill；　with　the　notes　I　made　in　the　course　of　my　researches　into　the　subject。

　　　　　　　　Feb。　7。　The　acts　of　assembly　concerning　the　College　of　Wm。　&　Mary；　were　properly　within　Mr。　Pendleton's　portion　of　our　work。　　But　these　related　chiefly　to　it's　revenue；　while　it's　constitution；　organization　and　scope　of　science　were　derived　from　it's　charter。　　We　thought；　that　on　this　subject　a　systematical　plan　of　general　education　should　be　proposed；　and　I　was　requested　to　undertake　it。　　I　accordingly　prepared　three　bills　for　the　Revisal；　proposing　three　distinct　grades　of　education；　reaching　all　classes。　　1。　Elementary　schools　for　all　children　generally；　rich　and　poor。　　2。　Colleges　for　a　middle　degree　of　instruction；　calculated　for　the　common　purposes　of　life；　and　such　as　would　be　desirable　for　all　who　were　in　easy　circumstances。　　And　3d。　an　ultimate　grade　for　teaching　the　sciences　generally；　&　in　their　highest　degree。　　The　first　bill　proposed　to　lay　off　every　county　into　Hundreds　or　Wards；　of　a　proper　size　and　population　for　a　school；　in　which　reading；　writing；　and　common　arithmetic　should　be　taught；　and　that　the　whole　state　should　be　divided　into　24　districts；　in　each　of　which　should　be　a　school　for　classical　learning；　grammar；　geography；　and　the　higher　branches　of　numerical　arithmetic。　　The　second　bill　proposed　to　amend　the　constitution　of　Wm。　&　Mary　College；　to　enlarge　it's　sphere　of　science；　and　to　make　it　in　fact　an　University。　　The　third　was　for　the　establishment　of　a　library。　　These　bills　were　not　acted　on　until　the　same　year　'96。　and　then　only　so　much　of　the　first　as　provided　for　elementary　schools。　　The　College　of　Wm。　&　Mary　was　an　establishment　purely　of　the　Church　of　England；　the　Visitors　were　required　to　be　all　of　that　Church；　the　Professors　to　subscribe　it's　39　Articles；　it's　Students　to　learn　it's　Catechism；　and　one　of　its　fundamental　objects　was　declared　to　be　to　raise　up　Ministers　for　that　church。　　The　religious　jealousies　therefore　of　all　the　dissenters　took　alarm　lest　this　might　give　an　ascendancy　to　the　Anglican　sect　and　refused　acting　on　that　bill。　　Its　local　eccentricity　too　and　unhealthy　autumnal　climate　lessened　the　general　inclination　towards　it。　　And　in　the　Elementary　bill　they　inserted　a　provision　which　completely　defeated　it；　for　they　left　it　to　the　court　of　each　county　to　determine　for　itself　when　this　act　should　be　carried　into　execution；　within　their　county。　　One　provision　of　the　bill　was　that　the　expenses　of　these　schools　should　be　borne　by　the　inhabitants　of　the　county；　every　one　in　proportion　to　his　general　tax…rate。　　This　would　throw　on　wealth　the　education　of　the　poor；　and　the　justices；　being　generally　of　the　more　wealthy　class；　were　unwilling　to　incur　that　burthen；　and　I　believe　it　was　not　suffered　to　commence　in　a　single　county。　　I　shall　recur　again　to　this　subject　towards　the　close　of　my　story；　if　I　should　have　life　and　resolution　enough　to　reach　that　term；　for　I　am　already　tired　of　talking　about　myself。

　　　　　　　　The　bill　on　the　subject　of　slaves　was　a　mere　digest　of　the　existing　laws　respecting　them；　without　any　intimation　of　a　plan　fo