_Publications Respecting the Separate System._—About this time much interest was manifested in relation to the character of the discipline to be established in the new Penitentiary, and it was found that conflicting views were entertained by persons prominent for their philanthropy, and their promotion of the valuable reforms of the day. Several of these advocated separation _without labor_ as being most prompt and effectual in promoting the reformation of the criminal, and as admitting of a shorter term of sentence. It may be mentioned, however, as an interesting and important fact, that our Society never sanctioned these views. Its whole history, almost from its origin, contains abundant evidence that a union of _separation with labor_, if not held to be a _sine qua non_, was at least deemed to be of the highest importance. With a view to preventing this division of sentiment on a collateral point, from in any way prejudicing the main principle of the entire separation of the prisoners, which was contemplated in the erection of the Penitentiary, a large edition of a pamphlet, (by our fellow member, George Washington Smith,) clearly vindicating what was known as the “Pennsylvania System,” showing its humane and reformatory tendencies, was published and circulated. _Opening of the Eastern Penitentiary._—At length the time had arrived, by the opening of the Philadelphia Penitentiary, for the reception of convicts, on the 25th of October, 1829, when the principles of discipline steadily advocated by the Society for the preceding forty years, were to be practically tested under their immediate notice. Heretofore, the only instance of these principles being approximately carried out in a building planned and erected for the purpose, was at Pittsburg, a very inconvenient distance for observation, and beside that, the attempt was there made to introduce the system of separation _without labor_, which, as might have been anticipated, did not result satisfactorily, and had been the occasion of exciting considerable prejudice against the separate system both at home and abroad.