_Tobacco._—The Inspectors of our County Prison have adopted a rule by which the use of tobacco has been entirely excluded from the prisoners confined there, unless it be in cases strictly medicinal. This rule has been in force for upwards of two and a half years, and the resident Physician, in each of his Annual Reports, has spoken in strong terms of its salutary results. Its use has not yet been prohibited by the Inspectors in the Eastern Penitentiary, though the quantity allowed to be furnished has been much reduced. Our Society has had under the care of a committee, the consideration of the propriety of memorializing the Inspectors in favor of adopting a similar rule to that in force in the County Prison, but no final conclusion has yet been arrived at, so far as to justify any official action. In the meantime, however, the visitors are encouraged to use moral suasion amongst those using it, to abandon the practice. It is very satisfactory to know that this course has been successful in several instances, and that the individuals have since expressed their conviction of the advantage of this change in their habits. _Discontinuance of the Quarterly Journal._—The publication of the Prison Journal, which was commenced in 1845, as heretofore stated in regular course, was maintained at a heavy charge upon our funds, so that after payment of the other current expenses incident to conducting the Society, such as compensation to the Prison Agent, room-rent, slates, copy books and other stationery for the use of the prisoners, &c., the balance, to be appropriated to the relief of discharged prisoners, and other practical objects properly having claims on a “Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons,” was very small, and as appeared to many, insufficient. They doubted its being a legitimate appropriation of so large a portion of the income, and individual members frequently conversed together on the expediency of discontinuing the publication, the annual cost of which was about $550. In 1858 a resolution to discontinue it was introduced, and earnestly and largely discussed, but on a pledge given by those desirous of continuing the publication, that they would take such steps as would secure an ample addition to our annual income, it was agreed that it should not be suspended at that time. Efforts were made soon after, which resulted in an increase in the annual subscriptions for one or two years, but each year since, a number of our subscribers declined paying, and the calamitous war which has overtaken our country, has occasioned such a reduction of our means, both actual and prospective, as to make it evident that we must either suspend the publication, or suspend the appropriation, which was already much too small, for the relief of discharged prisoners. In this state of our affairs, many of the members could not hesitate a moment which alternative to choose, and therefore a resolution for its