limited scale, though I much question whether the improvement anticipated will be realized. That moral reformation alone is insufficient to secure society from a repetition of offences, will be evident from a consideration of the frailty of human nature. Suppose a prisoner under the discipline of a taskmaster, and from the effect of religious exhortation, to have become so entirely changed in his views, as to be as desirous of acting properly as he was before careless about it, does it follow that he will never relapse into his disregard of moral rectitude? Human nature, alas! is too prone to evil for us to suppose it. He finds, when set at liberty, that he is no longer what he was. His acquaintances of unblemished reputation shun him; but as he is naturally desirous of some society, he gradually slides into familiarity with the bad, rather than have none. Temptation soon assails him, and then, if the horrors of the jail are not before his eyes, he is very likely to yield to it. If he has been in a prison conducted on what is called the comfortable system, this is almost sure to be the case, as he remembers the days of his confinement with a degree of indifference as to their renewal. The great number of recommitments in the Philadelphian jail, is a proof of this. At Baltimore and Richmond, I found on enquiry, that

the recommitments were in a smaller ratio than at Philadelphia; butin the jails in those cities, the punishment is severer than in the latter. These particulars may be of some use, as the example of America respecting prisons has been often urged in England, more especially when it is considered, that the system adopted at Philadelphia, which has been represented as conspicuously efficacious in reforming criminals, is shortly to be superseded by one of a totally different nature, owing to the complete failure of the one hitherto used. It is needful to guard against the errors into which benevolent and humane persons fall, as well as into those of foolish and hard-hearted The former class have done mischief on the subject of prison discipline, and are now desirous of repairing it. I wish that their new system may be so judiciously regulated, as to avoid errors of an opposite kind, but which may be no less fatal. I have however my fears concerning it, fears which I expressed to some of its promoters, and can therefore have no objection to repeat.

ones.

Before closing this chapter, it is proper to add that the administration of law is in general impartial, at least as impartial as in most other countries. I heard I confess some very strong

complaints of the contrary, but I paid little regard to them, as they were from persons evidently prejudiced. From this general character, I regret to state that exceptions must be made as it respects the coloured people, who are not always sure of receiving even that limited measure of justice to which they are entitled. Prejudice often leads the person under its influence into partiality, while at the same he is unconscious of its bias.

Though the bench has never been disgraced in America by such men as Tresillian and Jefferies, numbers have been raised to it little qualified for the station. One reason and probably the chief reason is, that the salaries attached to the office of judge are in most cases inadequate to tempt men of the first talents to accept it; a fatal mistake which the Americans have made, owing to that niggardly feeling in regard to needful expenses so remarkable in the different States. In New York, a judge on attaining the age of sixty years, must vacate his seat. This appears a foolish and unwise regulation, the mental faculties being seldom impaired at that age. Lord Mansfield, when on the bench at upwards of eighty years of age, was sufficiently clear-headed; and in fact it is impossible to fix on the average

But what ren

time when decay commences. ders this regulation particularly objectionable is, that these discarded judges have no pension allowed them. Hence, if they have not secured a competency for their future subsistence, which can seldom be the case, they must return to the practice of the profession, perhaps even as attorneys, owing to the small division of labour, the same man in many cases being attorney, notary, conveyancer, proctor and barrister. Can it then be matter of surprise, that persons the most capable of fulfilling the judicial functions, are often amongst those who are the least willing to undertake them? I consider that the low salaries in the United States, are discreditable to the American people. Montesquieu speaks of the virtue of republics: a more conspicuous trait is their parsimony.

CHAPTER XXIX.

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.

AMERICA is, and necessarily must be, chiefly an agricultural country, the population not being sufficiently dense to enable her to compete with the manufacturing countries of Europe, except in goods of coarse fabric. Of these, cotton is the staple, the greatest manufactory of which is I believe established at Waltham near Boston. I regret much that I did not visit it, but some untoward circumstance operated to prevent me. It is said by persons who have visited the cotton mills in Manchester, to be equal to any of them in every respect; a fact, to which I can give full credit from the state of those on the Brandywine in Delaware, several of which I inspected, and found in a fine state as to the machinery employed. On the same river, there are gunpowder and flour mills. The latter are vastly superior to any I ever saw in England, not even excepting the much praised steam mills in the outskirts of London. The saving of manual labour in these mills was quite surprising to me, the whole process from the hopper being effected