ADDRESS--HON. SAMUEL J. BARROWS, MEMBER INTERNATIONAL PENITENTIARY COMMISSION, “THE INTERNATIONAL PENITENTIARY CONGRESS” BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, LAST YEAR. The remarks were of great value to people interested in prison work and the care of prisoners. He made comparison between the management of prisons in this country, and some of the European countries, mentioning incidentally that in some of the prisons of Europe, methods were in vogue which were no longer thought of in this country. He outlined briefly the mode of work of the Congress and gave interesting details of the reforms and improvement brought about through the influence of this commission. The Congress at Brussels, 1899, had about 90 official delegates, representing 29 different countries; and 247 visitors from other countries who came for information. He mentioned that the unification and expansion tendency of nationality might tend very largely to a healthy interchange of ideas, as the records of this Congress are made the property of the whole world by translation. States most progressive are those who confer in the general interests of life. He spoke of John Howard and his influence in all the world, and especially in England. Dr. F. H. Wines was sent by the United States Government to meet and exchange ideas and experiences with other countries; he was not the first to suggest the organization of an International Congress, this was suggested by private men, several years previous. “How to preserve the continuance of this Congress, each country promised a permanent commissioner. The United States failed to make such an appointment. Dr. Wines has the appointment from time to time only, but our government is now about to take it up again and resume its former responsibility. In this the United States will be fully able to take its part. “At these international meetings no papers are read, all the papers are printed before the meetings, they are translated in different languages; then each country, answers the matter clearly in discussion, questions on reports, &c. Last year the United States was not officially represented on the commission, and the Delegates did not feel comfortable. All members are supposed to make themselves familiar with the papers on the programme before they come up. Sometimes there are too many questions to discuss properly. And even in our own country it is impossible to get some details, to give a proper answer; for instance, the United States Commissioners’ duties touching the Criminal Insane. It was very hard to get the facts from States, for there were so few that had any central bureau of information, it took the Government a long time to get any from a positive source.