exerted themselves to procure a commutation of punishment for the unhappy young Clarke, could they have been sure that his imprisonment would be for life; but as experience had taught them that a release from perpetual confinement is obtained without very great difficulty, they preferred that the letter of the law should take its course. Should it not be seriously considered whether the most rigid and unyielding administration is not vitally essential to any success in the penitentiary system? Can we hope to effect the prevention of crimes by confinement and labour, except it be absolutely certain that the punishment will be as severe and as long as is threatened?]

Pauperism in Boston.-The elaborate report of a Committee upon the subject of pauperism, has lately been acted upon and accepted by the Town of Boston. A plan for employing the poor in agriculture was recommended and adopted.

"It appears, by a report, made by a Committee of the Massachusetts Legislature, at their last session, that the experience, both of England and of Massachusetts, concur in establishing the fact that of all modes of maintaining the poor, the most economical, is that of work houses, or houses of industry; in which work is provided for every degree and species of ability in the pauper; and also, that of all modes of employing the labour of the poor, the best, the most healthy and the most certainly profitable is that of agriculture; whereby the poor are enabled always to raise, at least, their own provisions."""

In proof of this opinion the committee make a statement res pecting the establishments of this kind in Salem and Marblehead. "The Overseers of the Marblehead Alms House stated, that the expense of the poor of Marblehead, 100 in number, from March 1820, to March 1821, within the Alms House, was only thirteen hundred, and seventy-five dollars, forty seven cents; that, every thing considered, the annual expense, within the Alms House did not exceed nine, or ten dollars per head, per year; without allowing credit for one thousand days labour done upon the highways, by that portion of the able bodied tenants of the Alms House, who were capable of this species of labour. All the highway work of Marblehead being done by the poor of their Alms House.

By the printed report of the Overseers of Salem, dated 1st March, 1821, it appears, that since the erection of their Alms House, in 1815, the expenses of the town of Salem, for the support of their poor, have been reduced from $12,779 21 cents, which it was in 1814, to $4,296 40 cents, which it was in the year, ending the 1st of March last. The poor, supported out of the Alms House, being included in both estimates.

If from this amount be deducted $1.090 87 cents, the esti mated value of supplies, furnished poor persons, not inhabitants of the Alms House, the whole net expense of the Salem Alms House, for the last year was only three thousand, two hundred and five dollars, fifly three cents. The average number of poor being about three hundred and twenty, supported within the Alms House during the year, makes the arithmetical result, of the whole expense, averaged upon the tenants about $10 per head per annum! The same as that of Marblehead."

We anticipate great benefit to the town, and very great improvement in the moral condition of the poor, especially do we hope something for the reformation of that large class, so finely noticed in the report," the poor by reason of vice," the victims of "indolence, intemperance and sensuality,"-from the adoption of this admirable plan. We once prepared for our journal an article strongly recommending such an experiment; and we have no doubt that if managed with vigour and prudence, it may do more than any thing else to diminish the evils and arrest the progress of pauperism.

SLAVE TRADE.-Extract from the Yearly Report of the Society of Friends, in Great Britain, made last November.-From France vessels "fit out regularly at Havre, Bordeaux, and other ports. Their chains and handcuffs are put on board in boxes, and entered as if they were other articles. The case of the Rodeur is very striking she sailed from in the early part of last year [1819] for the river Calabar. Having taken in a cargo of slaves, she proceeded with them to Guadaloupe: on the passage, the poor negroes were seized with a violent ophthalmia, (a disease of the eyes) which soon afterwards communicated itself to the crew. The disorder had been increased from the captain's finding himself under the necessity of keeping his captives constantly below, for they were so afflicted by their captivity, that when brought on deck, they took every opportunity of throwing themselves overboard. To deter them, some were hanged, and others shot; but this having no effect, they were obliged to be constantly confined between decks. In process of time, under these cruel circumstances, the ophthalmia spread, and affected every individual on board both of the officers, and crew, except one man, who alone was left capable of steering the ship.

it is remarkable, that while the ship Rodeur was on her passage, she passed a Spanish slave ship, called the St. Leon, which had left the coast of Africa some little time before her. It appeared, that the crew of this latter vessel had also caught the ophthalmia from their own negroes, and that the complaint

to steer.

had spread until not even one man of the whole crew could see In this dreadful state, the crew of the Spanish vessel implored assistance of the crew of the Rodeur, whose voices they heard as the ships approached each other; but the latter had none to lend, so that the St. Leon passed on just where the wind carried her. This vessel has never been heard of since. It is presumed, that both the oppressors and the oppressed perished on the ocean, either by famine, or by finding a watery grave. When the Rodeur arrived at Guadaloupe, thirty-nine negroes who were totally blind were thrown into the sea as being quite useless; those who had lost only one eye, were sold at a very low price. The crew of the Rodeur consisted of twenty-two men, of whom twelve were completely blind; five of the remaining ten were recovered, and the other five each of them lost an eye."

Boston Fuel Savings Institution.-The plan of savings banks, which has gone into so wide and happy operation both in England and in this country, has suggested a society on somewhat similar plan for providing fuel for the poor by laying by their summer earnings. We think it promises to be of great utility; and that we may at once express our sense of its merit, and extend as far as possible the knowledge of it, we copy the following from the publication of the society.

"The design of this institution is to furnish a deserving portion of our community with the means of purchasing their own fuel, and afford an opportunity to those who are desirous of saving their money in summer, (when the days are long and the expenses of living are light) to be laid out in the necessary article of wood, against a hard winter.

Deposits of money will be received in as small sums as twentyfive cents, (the aggregate of which, at the credit of any one person shall never exceed the sum of twenty five dollars in any one year,) and certificates, for the amount paid in, will be delivered to the depositors. A record of the names of every purchaser will be kept to guard against the loss or transfer of the certificates. If the person dies who has money in the institution, the wood will be delivered to the widow or children, or the money will be paid over to the legal representative of such holder.

The wood will be purchased in summer, piled on the wharf, and delivered during the winter as it may be called for. Those whose convenience suits them, may receive all their wood at once, while those who rent but one room will take their two or four feet.

Those who take the wood from the wharf themselves will of course save the expense of carting.

Due notice will be given of the cost of the wood, and at what rate, in advance of the amount deposited, it may be drawn for. Twenty-five cents a week laid by and paid into this institution, will in 34 weeks, say from May to December inclusive, amount to the sum of $8,50. Supposing the wood to cost $31 per cord, and that it afterwards rises to the price which it has been selling at the past winter, taking into consideration also the difference between wharf and cart measure, it gives a saving of over one half, and will entitle the depositor to draw out 5 loads of wood of 4 feet each, or 24 cords.

A deposit of fifty cents per week is $17, and together with the advance above stated, will provide ten loads of wood, and will be equal to the necessities of a family, with several in number, through the year.

Thus will a good stock of wood be provided for, almost imperceptibly, at the original cost."

We find that in our last number the statement respecting the ordination of Mr. Brooks in Hingham was in one particular incorrect. The church did not vote that they had no right in the choice of a minister independent of the parish. They silently acted with the parish, without calling a separate meeting for a regular concurrence.

NOTICE" At a meeting of ministers from various parts of the Commonwealth, May 31, 1820, it was

Voted, That there be an annual meeting in Election week for mutual improvement in pastoral duty, and the promotion of Christian truth and holiness."

In conformity with this agreement, a meeting will be held the present year at HALF PAST EIGHT o'clock, on the MORNING of Election day, at the Vestry of the Rev. Dr. Channing's Church. It is intended to open the meeting precisely at the time appointed. Prayers will be offered, and an Address delivered on the prevalent defects of liberal ministers.

It is hoped and requested that our brethren will be general and punctual in their attendance, that the meeting may be made as interesting and profitable as possible.

The Vestry is in Berry street, two doors from the meeting-house in Federal street.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Prayers, and Religious Meditations, by David Hartley, M.D. First American Edition. Cambridge, pp. 39.

"There is so much of the true spirit of rational and fervent piety in the following prayers, and so little in them which is exclusively applicable to the peculiar circumstances of their author, that it was thought they would be useful and acceptable to those who seek to cultivate a similar temper. The character of Dr. Hartley needs no encomium; but were it necessary, the following prayers and religious meditations bear distinct and strong testimony to its moral and religious excellence.”

No Fiction; a Narrative founded on recent and interesting facts First American from the third London Edition. Boston, 2 vols.

12mo.

A Discourse on the Evidences of Revealed Religion, Delivered before the University in Cambridge at the Dudleian Lecture. By W. E. Channing.

In this discourse are considered and answered the objections brought against miracles, and several points of the direct evidence for the truth of christianity are stated with great strength, especially that which relates to the character of its Founder.

A Discourse delivered in the West Church, in Boston, Dec. 31, 1820. By C. Lowell.

This discourse contains a concise account of the first settlers of NewEngland, and a history of the West Church with the character of its ministers. Appended to it are copious notes containing much curious historical illustration.

Sermon at the ordination of Rev. J. Sparks. By W. E. Channing. Seventh Edition. Cambridge.

A Letter to the Editor of the Unitarian Miscellany, in reply to an attack by an anonymous writer in that work, on a late ordination Sermon delivered at Baltimore. By Samuel Miller, author of the Sermon. Baltimore.

This is in reply to an able, animated and severe letter, addressed to Dr. M. upon occasion of a strange libel upon Unitarianism, introduced into his ordination sermon at Baltimore. It is written with skill and moderation; but maintains that nothing but the Calvinistic doctrines of grace is christianity, and consequently that Unitarians are no christians. Besides this the most remarkable thing in the letter is an attempt to prove, that Watts never was a Unitarian, because his hymns and other early publications are Trinitarian. The Dr. does not seem to understand, that it is only asserted his last opinions were Unitarian, and that this of course could not change the complexion of his earlier publications. We took occasion to state this matter clearly in one of our late numbers, and shall probably say a few words more.

A Hebrew Grammar, with a copious Syntax and Praxis. By Moses Stuart: Andover.

Unitarian Miscellany, and Christian Monitor, No. 4. for April. This number contains a very fine article on Dr. Chalmers' character of Sir Isaac Newton. We recommend it to our readers as a masterly exposition, which, taken in connexion with the extracts respecting Newton's theological opinions in this number of the Disciple, must afford the highest satisfaction to reflecting christians.

The Grand Theme of the Christian Preacher. A Sermon at the Ordination of B B. Wisner, pastor of the Old South Church, Boston. By L. Woods, D.D. Prof. of Ch. Theol. Andover.

The grand theme of the christian preacher, according to this sermon, is the cross of Christ. When this is preached, the sum of the gospel is preached, and when this is neglected the gospel is not preached at all; there is no christianity in any or all the doctrines of religion without this, and of course no efficacy in their preaching. It is something of a defect in the sermon, we think, that it does not any where tell us what this allimportant doctrine is; no one would be able to discover from it what the author means by preaching the cross of Christ, and therefore it is impossible to judge whether his statements are right or wrong. Only one thing is clear, that all who do not preach this doctrine according to a right understanding of it, publish another gospel, and “hinder, or strive to hinder, the salvation of men." And yet we are left wholly in the dark as to what this infinitely important doctrine is.