354 Police of the Metropolis. [APRIL, 



.we declare., without hesitation, that for the declaration of gaolers or 

 turnkeys where that party is accustomed to visit we would not give 

 one farthing) all these affirm, who have had the best means of informa- 

 tion, that the real reform effected is very rare, and even the show of it 

 very transitory. Mr. Cunningham's book upon New South Wales, 

 among other authorities, may be consulted with great advantage upon 

 this subject : and, in the meantime, we are quite sure that the principle 

 of giving "more joy to the one sinner that repenteth, than to the 

 ninety-nine just men who have no need of repentance" however it 

 may be worthy of consideration in the matter of sublunary views, as 

 .applied to all worldly affairs, is as direct an offer of a bounty to sin as 

 can well be imagined. It is an ill temptation to hold out before the 

 .industrious and indigent labourer, against whose necessities, perhaps his 

 best exertions are scarcely able to make head, the fact that those persons 

 whom the law calls " criminals" who have seized the advantage which 

 he has often perceived, but refused to avail himself of that these per- 

 sons are relieved from labour, better lodged, and as well fed, as himself; 

 and, moreover, made the objects of peculiar care and attention to a large 

 body of his superiors in rank and wealth, by whom his own necessitous 

 condition and the exertions which he makes fairly to bear up against 

 it are overlooked, or deplored with a sort of general lamentation, 

 and dismissed. Men may not be tempted, by these exhibitions, to com- 

 mit crime : but their apprehension of the ultimate consequence of com- 

 mitting it, will unavoidably be materially lessened. They will not 

 court the prison, for the sake of Mrs. Fry's patronage : but, if the worst 

 should happen, Mrs. Fry's patronage is a capital pis-aller. It is a sort 

 of " purse to the losing man." The fight that is, the robbery takes its 

 course. If the offender wins i. e. escapes, he has mended his condition 

 considerably : if he is detected, he has a resource (perhaps rather better 

 than his original condition) to fall back upon ! 



Now a principle like this is wrong : and we believe that the excess of 

 it is practically mischievous. If society draws no distinction between 

 the honest man and the thief, or makes its distinction rather in favour 

 of the latter, the result is that crime ought to increase. The trade of 

 theft is more easy, as well as more lucrative, than that of honesty ; we 

 have only to make it more creditable as already we treat it " in pity 

 more than anger" and the sooner all persons, who have not every thing 

 they can desire, turn thieves the better ! 



As the law stands, its sentences are very lenient : its successful opera- 

 tion very uncertain. The number of executions, as set against the 

 capital convictions, does not amount to one in fifteen. Transportation, 

 as a punishment, we have already observed, has little terror: and 

 it is too expensive, if it had terror, to be generally employed. 

 The " hulks," again, are maintained at an enormous charge to the 

 country ; and, from the indisposition of mankind always to go on 

 inflicting punishment after the subject of provocation has ceased, it is 

 generally known that a great proportion of the culprits manage, upon 

 some pretence, to get liberated after a few years of confinement when 

 they return to society, to commit new crimes and be returned to their 

 former situation. And the minor species of punishments, as the short 

 terms of imprisonment and this is almost all that can be apprehended 

 abundance of persons are always ready to hazard, against the actual 

 profit (added to the chance of entire impunity) gained by engaging in 



