TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 209 



of justice, the condition upon wliich the liealthy and vigorous action of tlio law 

 depends. This condition -would he yet further fulfilled if ofl'euces against property 

 were punished, so far as practicable, by penalties levied upon property. 



The mitigatiou of penalties has contributed to the lessening of crime in another 

 way. 



It was one main argument with the advocates for the abolition of capital punish- 

 ]nent for oilences against property that the disproportionate severity of the penalty 

 deterred injured persons from prosecuting and juries from convicting. Eut the 

 eiiectiveness of penal law depends much more upon the certainty of punishment 

 than upon the severity. 



At the present time many persons are deterred from prosecuting, the punishment 

 of imprisonment being often felt to be disproportioned to many oflences against 

 property. 



This paper, and that read by the writer at Belfast, should be considered together. 



On IndustrluJ Schools. By Miss CAErENXER. 



So)iic Account of tlic liise and Progress of the Sugar Trade in Bristol, 1875. 



By Henry CnAMBERLAiH-. 



The total consumption of sugar in the United Kingdom in 1874 was 719,'J4-3 tons. 

 We trace sugar first from China, through Arabia, to Europe and the Canaries, from 

 the latter imported into Bristol in 152G and earlier. In 150G the cane was talieu to 

 America, in 1G14 first to Barbadoes, and from thence to other West-India Islands. 

 Spain had, however, before this a large trade at St. Domingo. Barbadoes first 

 exported sugar to England in 1G40, and the AVest- India trade continued the prin- 

 cipal one until 1844 ; then free labour of other places was admitted. One of our 

 Bristol merchant's ancestors obtained estates in Barbadoes about the time of 

 Cromwell's Protectorate in England, and some remain the family property to this 

 day, and are still connected with this city. Other large mercantile houses were 

 established here in the last century, and the import from the West Indies went on 

 and flourished. From 1844 all kinds of sugar were imported, free and slave labour, 

 and the duty was gradually removed, imtil in 1874 it was entirely abolished. The 

 beet-root trade is protected in France, or it coiild not successfully compete with cane- 

 sugar. In 1832, the year before slave emancipation, the total import trade into 

 Bristol was 21,229 tons ; in 1843, the year before the admission of free labour, 

 16,G11 tons ; from that time it rapidly increased to the large total of 04,528 tons 

 in 1872, though 1874 is not so large, being 81,914 tons. These figm-es are from 

 the Bristol Chamber of Conjuierce accounts. The entire import into England in 

 1700 was only 10,000 tons. In 1874 we have already seen it exceeded 700,000 

 tons, a wonderful increase. The future of this great trade is beyond all present 

 calculation. 



On Domestic Service for Gentletvomen. By Mrs. 11. M. Ceawsiiay. 



On the Tunning of Sole-Leather in Bristol. By Spaeee Evans. 



On Indian liailivays and Indian Finance. By Francis "Wiiliaji Fox. 



The object of this paper is to direct attention to the important bearing that the 

 fiu'ther extension of railways in India has upon the welfare of her people and the 

 development of her resources. 



The author showed : — 



1st. That the land is capable of aftbrding sufficient revenue for the general 

 purposes of the government of the country and for the judicious develop- 



