26 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. II- 



number of statutes in subsequent years were referred to for the purpose 

 of more fully protecting infants. Before Constantine's time no provision 

 was made for the poor, or for the sick, the helpless, the incurable. No 

 hospitals, no poorhouses. The enactments in their favour are to be 

 considered in connection with grants to churches. These grants were 

 made usually with an expressed intention that they were to be employed 

 for charitable purposes. Generally the property of the Church was 

 declared to be inalienable : but even the most sacred property could be 

 sold for these purposes. As soon as Christianity was freed from perse- 

 cution, establishments sprung up with wonderful rapidity for the 

 reception of travellers and sojourners, for the poor, for orphans, for 

 foundlings, for the aged, and for the sick. 



In 314 Constantine abolished the punishment of crucifixion, and in 

 315 that of branding criminals in the face. He also abolished the 

 punishment of throwing the criminals to wild beasts and the bloody 

 spectacles of gladiatorial combats in 325. Slaves abounded. Their lot 

 was a hard one. Their masters could kill them without danger of 

 punishment. Their condition was somewhat ameliorated before the time 

 of Constantine. Hadrian forbade to kill them, but chastisements con- 

 tinued still to be immoderate. The law restricted this, and the 

 punishments he prevented show what were actually in use — killing with 

 a heavy stick, a stone, a javelin, or subjecting to torture, to claws, nails, 

 red hot metal plates, the rack. Masters using these and causing death 

 were to be guilty of murder, and provision was made for encouraging 

 emancipation. 



FOURTEENTH MEETING. 



Fourteenth Meeting, 14th February, 1891, Prof. Ellis in the chair. 



Donations and Exchanges 35. 



Robert Jenkins and T. H. Ince were elected members. 



A paper by H. R. Wood, M.A., was read, entitled " Crystal Studies, 

 Nos, 2 and 3." 



Mr. Alan Macdougall, C.E., read a paper on " The Boeothick Indians " 

 of Newfoundland. The chief facts were supplied to him by Rev. M. 

 Harvey, of St. John's, Newfoundland. This tribe, at one time aboriginal 

 inhabitants of the island, can now only be counted by one or two skele- 

 tons and a few skulls, so completely have they been swept away. The 

 French employed the Mic Mac Indians from Nova Scotia to fight against 



