motives are good and praiseworthy. It is not by an elaborate expounding of the Scriptures, or a rigid system of religious discipline, that persons of this unhappy class are to be weaned from their evil courses, and led into the path of virtue: on the contrary, too sudden or too abrupt an introduction to such course would create any thing but a predilection or a respect for so important a duty. Inasmuch as the female servants are more difficult to manage, than the males, so do they require infinitely more care and trouble in their guidance; and unless the mistress of a family will exert herself-first, by showing a good example, and, then, by embracing every opportunity of reasoning and remonstrating with her domestics, all the preaching in the world will avail nothing, or, rather, it will be made a subject of scoffing and of scorn.

We may, perhaps, be thought by many persons, to be travelling too far out of our beaten track, in offering these remarks to the reader; but we have given this subject very great attention, and we are anxious to throw out every hint-no matter how vague or remote-which may be turned to some account. The result of our reflection, borne out as it seems to us, by facts of every-day occurrence, comes to this-namely, that female servants are not sufficiently coerced; and that they have, by far, too many and too great indulgences. The whole system of their discipline is too lenient, and much too imperfect-both for their own good, and for the welfare of the community. We may be accused of advocating undue severity, and of approving of the "Worse than Death system," of which more anon-but, we care not: "facts,' we all know, "are stubborn things, and will not be disputed," and building all our reasoning on facts, we are confident of the result.

To remedy the present defective, injudicious and injurious plan, would, we willingly confess, be a difficult and most arduous task: but we do not see that it is impossible. At all events, we would restrict the indulgences to the undeserving, and recommend a more rigid enforcement of the Government regulations. More especially would we advise the immediate formation of some rule, by which all assigned female servants in actual service, should-without any reference to the convenience of their employers-be permitted to enjoy the inestimable benefits of Divine worship. Surely, the most busy and bustling of mistresses could afford her servant two hours on the Sabbath for this essential purpose; but, at the same time, it would be, of course, incumbent upon the servant to devote this time to this purpose-and to this purpose alone; and we are perfectly convinced, that if this plan were once adopted, its benefits would be very speedily apparent and appreciated.

There is one point, which we have omitted, with regard to the indulgences granted to female prisoners, which requires some comment; we allude to the privilege of marrying. That this, to a well-disposed and well-behaved woman is an inducement of no ordinary importance and magnitude, is sufficiently apparent: but how liable it is to imposition and abuse! There is a regulation,

we believe, which makes it imperative for a female to remain in one situation for a whole year, before the necessary memorial can be effectively signed. This is a very proper regulation; but, we venture to say, it is frequently nullified by a false and improper signature of the memorial; and the women know, full well, that these fictitious memorials are easily obtained. What is the consequence? Why, that the bad and irreclaimable need not take the trouble of behaving well; for, by keeping out of the police books for a certain period, they can obtain a memorial, duly signed and certified, and perfectly effectual for their particular purpose! This, we repeat, is frequently done, and we need not add, with what result to the community.

In reviewing the system of discipline, to which the female prisoners are subjected, and in considering it as it regards their reformation, we must say, that it is exceedingly imperfect, unsound and injudicious. The fault, however, let us distinctly state, does not lie with the appointed officers, who are, generally speaking, men of high merit, indefatigable industry, and staunch impartiality. The error rests with the Executive, who do not, probably, consider this part of their duty worthy of any especial or extraordinary attention. But if they take the same view of the subject as we do, they will see, very plainly, that it merits their most serious and earnest consideration.

We have now to treat of the system of Prison Discipline, pursued towards that important and numerous class of our population-the male prisoners. Here the system is much more perfect, and infinitely more effectual: the mode of coercion is more prompt and decisive, and, therefore, more readily brought into beneficial operation. As the male prisoners constitute by far the largest majority of individuals, under the control of the Government, so have the rules and regulations for their management been more elaborate and numerous. They are subjected to the most vigorous survéillance, and are continually exposed to the mortifying convictionthat they are bondsmen. But this conviction does not extend to all classes of convicts: it is only impressed, in its fullest and most galling force, upon those unhappy men, who have sunk into the lowest scale of crime and wretchedness. We exempt, almost invariably, the assigned servant from this state of degrading subjection; because, in by far the majority of instances, his situation is one of carelessness and comfort. With an indulgent master, he has no wants unsatisfied-hardly any reasonable wishes ungratified; his labour is easy-his rest abundant: and if he be well inclined, and exert himself to merit the indulgences which he receives, where-let us ask-is a person, in his situation, so happily circumstanced, or, in every possible respect, to speak familiarly-"so well off!" Look at the hired servant in England :— is he better situated? Certainly not! Look, again, at the poor pauper labourer-is he better off? Not he indeed! his scanty earnings-gained, though they be, by the "sweat of his brow,"- -are

barely sufficient to find the humblest and poorest food for his hungry and famishing family. After a long day's hard toil, he cannot press his wretched pallet with the comfortable reflection, that the labour of the day has brought with it a sufficient compensation: he is fain to be content with the miserable pittance, which is just enough, and only enough-to keep his family from actual starvation. Look, then, at the condition of the assigned servant here! What is his toil? And what his remuneration? Men there are-we well know-who will resolutely exert themselves, and work as well as many men" at home; but they are not often to be met with: and many are there, whose labors do not amount to one-half of the expense of their keep and clothing! For confirmation of this, we appeal at once, and unhesitatingly, to our readers generally. Every master must acquiesce in our opinion, and agree with us in every respect. How, then, can this state be conducive to reformation? It clearly cannot. Indeed, we do not think, that the Government regulations, taken, of course, in all their bearings, are calculated to work the reformation of the criminal; and it strikes us, that reformation is alone to be effected by the pains and exertions of the master himself.

If this be the case, and we are now coming to the point-we shall see, without any difficulty, that Transportation, as a means of reformation, is very imperfect, uncertain, and almost useless. Our esteemed contemporary, Dr. Ross, in his Essay on Prison Discipline, observes, that if a master does not occupy a considerable portion of his time (we are not quite sure, but, we think, onehalf) in reasoning, remonstrating and reforming his servants, they will very soon become his master, and he their slave. Dr. Ross has had as much experience in this respect as most persons in the Colony, and has, besides, had the advantage of extensive observation, which he has improved by habits of reasoning and reflection; and if this opinion be correct, we have a pretty complete and very plain elucidation of the question now under discussion. Where, let us ask, is the master who can devote, or rather, who does devote any considerable portion of his time to the moral amendment of his assigned servants? Such a course is entirely out of the question; and were it not, we should like to know, how the operations of the extensive agricultural settler could be carried on with any degree of advantage to the master? As we have observed, on a former occasion, the settler does not want servants, nor does he procure them, for the purpose of reforming them;-he wants them to work for him-to clear and cultivate his land, and to make themselves generally useful;" and we do not think, if we take the whole Colony through, that there is a single settler in the Island, who bestows more than a cursory or casual attempt at the reformation of his prisoner servants.

But if reformation be not constituted the chief and paramount object of his assignment, we do not see why some pains should not be bestowed upon the moral culture of the convict. This would, of

course, be attended with considerable trouble; but, by the exercise of a trifling degree of judgment, much good might be effected, without any detrimental interference with the usual duties of the individual: indeed, we consider it to be the duty of every master -even in his mere capacity of a man and a christian-to endeavour to induce his servants to become honest and worthy members of society. In this meritorious work he will be assisted by the inducements which are held out to the deserving by the Government, and which, when properly explained and represented, will be found extremely beneficial, as an incentive to good conduct. But much caution must be used, and considerable attention paid to the dispositions and characters of different individuals. That course, which may be advantageous and effectual with one person, may be quite the reverse with another; and it is the absence of this discrimination, which renders all enlarged and wholesale schemes or systems of Prison Discipline, not only of no effect, but positively mischievous and injurious. In private service, however, where the servant is, or ought to be, continually under the eye or observation of the master, this discrimination can be easily and usefully practised; and the beneficial effects, which would arise from its zealous exercise, would be an ample reward for the labour of the task, and a strong stimulus to exertion and perseverance: not only would the heart of the benevolent preceptor be gratified by the consciousness of the good he had wrought, but he would derive many personal and profitable advantages from the comparative rectitude of his menials. It is by such measures as these, if judiciously and resolutely performed, that transportation can alone be made a sound source of reformation.

In one point, however, we must concede to the Government the intention, at least, of effecting reformation in the individuals committed to their charge: we allude to the promise of indulgences. We consider this an admirable mode of improving our Penal Discipline, and we are well convinced, that it has proved more beneficial as an inducement to reformation, than any other plan which could have been devised. From the moment the convict enters the Penitentiary, and hears the Governor's address,—if the seeds of morality and virtue are not utterly withered, the hope of an indulgence is ever, like a beacon, before him, guiding him to reformation and repentance. That these indulgences are, however, liable to abuse, we do not deny-for what is not? And when we consider the various bad characters, with whom we have to deal, and the temptations, to which they are continually exposed, we must feel surprized, that more abuse does not take place, and that the inducement itself is not more frequently disregarded and despised.

We have now, in conclusion, to offer a few observations on the plan of discipline, pursued towards those unfortunate criminals, who are more immediately under the direction of the Government in this Colony-at road-parties, and the penal settlement of Port

Arthur. It is to the treatment of this portion of the prisoner population, we presume, that a talented contemporary has, somewhat gratuitously, applied the astounding epithet of, "THE WORSE THAN DEATH SYSTEM!" That the mode of discipline adopted towards these men is severe, no one can doubt; but is it not necessarily so? In other words, do they not deserve it? If we consider, for a moment, what are the characters of these unhappy men, and if we could have exposed to our gaze, the dark catalogue of their crimes, we should not, we suspect, exclaim against the ultra severity of their punishment; but it has become the fashion with certain over-zealous philanthropists, to cry out most vehemently against the exercise of almost any kind of penal discipline, and to denounce it as cruelty. As regards the prisoners, to whose particulaa case these observations are intended to apply, we think we can confute our contemporary by his own arguments. He is, with every other humane man, resolutely opposed to corporal punishment, as well as that of death: what substitute, may we ask, would he suggest for either of these? Now, in our humble opinion-which we give with all due deference to the superior sagacity and experience of our contemporary-we certainly think, that hard labour, with the strictest possible discipline, is the best punishment in every respect, for offenders of this description. And does not our contemporary know, full well, that death has often been remitted for a sojourn at Port Arthur, while corporal punishment is only resorted to, in cases; where no other chastisement is likely to be effective? Allowing, as we have allowed, the discipline at Port Arthur, and at the different road parties, to be peremptory and severe, how could it be otherwise? The offenders to be dealt with are of the worst and most daring description; many of them, having run through almost every career of crime, have become reckless, abandoned, irreclaimable; and are only prevented from the evil exercise of their propensities by the system of discipline, to which they are subjected. Besides, it should be held well and frequently in remembrance, that something is due to these men for the wrong and outrage, which they have committed against society. Were the "system" at our penal settlements exercised towards innocent individuals, then the loud outcry about "White Slavery," and the "Worse than Death System," might have something like reason to rest upon; but, as it is, we candidly think, its reiterated utterance betokens anything but wisdom on the part of its enthusiastic castigator.

But, even, with all this gloomy and depressing severity, the gate to reclamation is not quite closed: if a man has nerve enough, and is not absolutely lost to all feeling, he may have a chance, even at Port Arthur, of being restored to the more reputable ranks of the convict-population; but the chance is, we confess, slender and uncertain. The horrible contamination, which must cling to the novice by the association, which he is compelled to endure, with many who do not merit the name of man, is of itself almost certain