ferred to one of those establishments which have been called by a very high authority the portal to the colonies.' Transportation, as conducted in the present day, cannot be viewed as a punishment; for to give a man disposed to work (supposing he is a common labourer) a free passage to any of the Australian colonies is equal to placing the interest of £1150. at his disposal; any attempt, therefore, to deter men from the commission of crime by speaking of the horrors of transportation under the present 'exile' system, is like frightening little babies to sleep by telling them the boo-man will take them away."—(Mrs. Chisholm, pp. 14, 15, 16.) There is, therefore, great fear lest people should commit crime, on purpose to be transported to a place where, by good conduct, they may be ultimately freed and become rich settlers, instead of felons. This must do harm to society, though, apparently, not to the felons themselves; for, on Mr. Rowcroft's authority, there is as much and more crime committed in the mother country than in these penal colonies; and Mrs. Chisholm, though regretting the excess of indulgence on one side, and of punishment on the other, cannot help bearing the testimony of ample experience "to the sterling worth and exemplary conduct, as a body, of the emancipists of New South Wales." We wish to propound no new theories, nor to hazard an opinion on a subject which as yet remains unsettled, though discussed many times under two administrations; but our conclusion appears to be this: Seeing that crime is committed from over-population, and that transported felons may become rich proprietors by good conduct, why should not Government prevent that crime by a state system of emigration, when they must eventually spend equally large sums in transportation? While the pauper is still honest, put temptation out of his way by taking a step which must be taken when the offender is convicted. By this means he would work in happiness, without the galling conviction of his degraded situation; he would be free in body and mind: and it is calculated by Mrs. Chisholm that each emigrant might, in due time, contribute to the revenue of Great Britain from £7. to £10. annually. We make no apology to our older readers for bringing forward this subject, and we would fain hope that it will not be unacceptable to our schoolfellows, from whom it is probable that our future statesmen, our Gladstones and our Mannerses, may one day comemen who do as much honour to our beloved Alma Mater, as to our age and country. HYMN FOR THE LATE HARVEST. νιφοστιβεῖς χειμῶνες ἐγχωροῦσιν εὐκάρπῳ θέρει. SOPH. AJAX. Dark winter's threats and ravening famine's cry FROM Scotland's farthest highlands, IMITATION OF HORACE.-SAT. I. ix. "Garrulus hunc quando consumet cunque, loquaces ONE summer eve, towards the river side, Next takes my arm, inquires, on whom I bet; Hopes C will give me five to one : I answer, that I betting disapprove, Says he, "My wind is good. I'm not afraid Can free me, so I tamely follow, where and I Settled the matter; he, (I now know why) Declined, but all excuses we refuse, Engage a punt, and wait for him to choose. Little such luck expecting, I at last Got rid of him-For why?-He had not passed. L. P. |