William Penn, on his arrival in America, formed a code of laws chiefly
on Quaker principles, in which, however, death was inscribed as a
punishment, but it was confined to murder. Queen Anne set this code
aside, and substituted the statute and common law of the mother country.
It was, however, resumed in time, and acted upon for some years, when it
was set aside by the mother country again. From this time it continued
dormant till the separation of America from England. But no sooner had
this event taken place, which rendered the American states their own
legislators, than the Pennsylvanian Quakers began to aim at obtaining an
alteration of the penal laws. In this they were joined by worthy
individuals of other denominations; and these, acting in union, procured
from the legislature of Pennsylvania, in the year 1786, a reform of the
criminal code. This reform, however, was not carried, in the opinion of
the Quakers, to a sufficient length. Accordingly, they took the lead
again, and exerted themselves afresh upon this subject. Many of them
formed themselves into a society "for alleviating the miseries of public
prisons." Other persons co-operated with them in this undertaking also.
At length, after great perseverance, they prevailed upon the same
legislature, in the year 1790, to try an ameliorated system.
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