The New York herald., 1849-04-29

showing their contempt of the Pope's infalibility.
That act of the Romans is decidedly protestant as
that OF the Elector of Saxony, when he upheld Luz
ther
And we now ask, is it not monstrous pretension
for the rulers of countries like France and Spain,
which have confiscated church property and thrown
OIL prlesty donnatlon-nay, for the ruler OF coun
try like Austria, which also shook off sacerdotal
interference with polltcs-to combine at the present
day IN what they call catholic league for the pur,
pose OF imposing the worst and most rapacious and
most degrading form of sacerdotal rule on the un-
fortunate region of Central Italy! If 1t be dis
graceful In even France, Spain, and Austria,
catholic governments and countries, to perpetrate
such an act OF tyranny and retrogresslon, how IN
famous and absurd, and how opposed to every
principle OF civil and religious liberty and enlghten-
ment, must II be In Englishmen to abet and applaud
such restoratlons those of the inqusition and of
papal rule
The Increase OF Crime In England:
From the London Mercantile Gazette, April
1t Is an alarming consideration for these islands,
that the extent of crime has become so consl-
siderable that the government now hnd II difficult
TO dispose of the numerous convics who are con-
Vlcted and sentenced TO transportation. Instead OF
one or two convict establishments in Australia, we
have them now also at Bermuda, Gibraltar, and
Malta, and, finally, convicts are already their
way to the Cape. of Good Hope. Still the govern
ment are not relieved from this extraordinary pres
sure: convicted telons continue to crowd our prl-
sons, and experience having shown the moral and
soCidi eNlis WulCH arise from SenQlng large masses
OF these people to particular colony the ques-
ton still ls--What Is to be done with them The
various methods also which have been attempted
tor the reformation of convicted criminals in the
shape OF penitentiarles, the solitary system, &c., do
not appear to have produced those results which
where at one time anticipated from them-some-
thing is still wanting, but what that something is,
no one has yet discovered. The inhabitants of the
Cape colony, who stand very much in need of
labor, and where it might be most usefully employ
ed in opening roads through the interior of the
country, quito alarmed a the prospect of being
polluted with convlcts they have heard of the
moral degradation which prevailed in New South
Wales and Van Dieman's Land, and they protest
against being subjected 10 similar social pestl-
!ence, but IN our opinion, somewhat unreasonaby,
If the number sent out to the colony is kept within
proper limits. In short, we consider that colonial
uon and the transportation OF criminals are more
nearly allied than many people imagine, and that,
under Judicious system, the latter might be made
not only subsevient to the former, but also to the
great des'derdtuni-reformaton Mr. Hume, we
suppose, would not agree with us in this opinion.
In the debate on Lord Mahon's motion, on the Sth
of last month, he said he believed no such thing
had been ever seen as reformed convict he con-
sidered reformation to be unattanable. Surely the
honorable gentleman must entertain very morbid
reeling IN regard to the human race. But expert
ence is decidedly against him; many of the earlier
cenvicts sent TO Botany Bay, it was then called
did become reformed characters; many of them by
the steady pursuit of honest industry amassed con-
siderable wealth, and eventually become respecta-
BILE and respected members of society. And how
was this brought about Solely from their own
feelings, their own CONVICTIONS, their own expert
ence, that honesty was more beneficial to them
than crime. We say, then, that one mode of re-
formation is to hold out reward for it, to ofler
it were, premium for moral improvements; and
we believe that, with proper care and management,
this would be found more eficacous than the silent
system, or any other means, particularly when put
in practice in the colonies.
MIR. HUME's opinion partakes very much of mate
rialism: it would imply that vicious habits are in
corrigibly implanted in certain members of the
human race, and that 1t is, therefore, useless to
expe9 to eradicate such passions where they pre-
vail. That there are too many who. from long
practice in crime, and from being early educated
in it, are irrerievably plunged in vice, is true at
the same time we should hope that these are BY no
means the majority. Mr.. Hume has lived long
enough in the world to know that hundreds in
these islands frequently driven to crime through
poverty, and that recklessness and despair which
want engenders. Of this description are most of
the agrarian outrages which occur in Ireland the
lives of man and his family depend upon the pos
session of bit of land he is, therefore, too ready
10 plunge into crime to obtain it. Great Britain,
however, has abundance OF land in her colonies,
and as matter OF pure economy, 1t might be well
to inquire whether it would not be cheaper to send
out these men to them, before they were polluted
with crime, than after they had been ltrled and
condemned for the perpetraton of It, Poverty and
crime we almost. take to be cause and effect in
greater the spread OF poverty, the greater will be
the extent of criminal convictions everything
which reduces the labor of the country destroys
the principle OF moral recttude among the working
classes of society, and through undescrved poverty
man soon loses that sef-esteem which would
preserve him from guilt, while want tempts him to
the commission OF crime. But modern legislation
either does not see this, or 1t dlsregards 1t 1t in
duces poverty, and then our statesmen are per-
picked to know what to do with the number of
criminals who are thrown upon their hands. They
do not the inevitable connection between their
own acts and the evils which result from them: to
buy IN the cheapest market IS their snmn'mm
bonun,--the nc plus ultra of all their aspirations
We firmly believe that, under such system, 1t
would be impossible TO calculate the money price
which the country IS paying for cheap goods: the
moral cost OF them Is, unfortunately, msre apparent
If our statesmen now lind CRIME inconvenent,
let them reduce the. extent of it by encouraging
native industry if they are Indifferent about the
national morality, they have only to persevere III
the course of legislation which has been pursued
for the last three or four years
Affairs In the Chinese Empire.
From the Pekin Gazette.
nobIcman having been found guilty for gamb-
ling and opium smoking, was degraded, although
he pleaded in excuse for the latter offence that he
was suffering from a bowel complaint. A few years
ago he would have been punished with transporta-
ton for life.
The legalizaton of the drug, has been subject
CT most earnest consideration for the supreme
government. The grand obstacle which prevents
The measure being carried into execution is, that
Taoukwang, in 1888, after consulting all the great
officers of the empire, and receiving their united
opinions that the evil ought to be extermlnated,
then declared in the face of the whole nation, that
he would never rest until his children had ceased
from making use of the noxious narcotic; and
therefore decreed death the habitual smoker, :
well as on the smuggler. This solemn resolution IS
still fresh in the memory of his subjects; and to ad-
init opium now on payment Of duty, and publish
declaration TO that effect, would be derogaory to
the dignity of a Chinese Emperor The staunchest
opponents to its legazation, however, are those
officers who profit by the smuggling. These latter
are numerous and posses the means of paying large
bribes TWILL however, afford us pleasure to record
that the obstacles are removed. Many influential
men have strenously advocated this as the only
proper course under existing circumstances, and it
is possible they may ultimately prevail.
The Lieutenant Governor of Che-keang repre-
&c. , of Er5t-