CHAPTER XIII.

Meeting for Discipline Established.-Meetings for Worship.-Temperance Lecture. Flagellation.-Causes of Crime.-Judicial Oaths. - Peculiarities of Friends.-Chain Gang.-Unsteady Emigrant.--Ascent of Mount Wellington. -Notice of a Pious Prisoner.

On returning to Hobart Town, we found the little congregation with which we had become associated, in a state requiring care a conference was therefore held with the two persons, who, with ourselves, were members of the Society of Friends in England, and it was concluded to organize a meeting for discipline, for the purpose of preserving good order, keeping records, discharging regularly the expenses attendant upon the occupation of the room in which the meetings for worship were held, and maintaining a general care respecting such other matters, as might be connected with the welfare of those professing with the Society of Friends, in this Colony.

At the first of these meetings, which was held on the 20th of 9th month, 1833, the certificates of George Washington Walker and myself, sanctioning our visit to the Southern Hemisphere, were read.-APPENDIX A.-A certificate of the membership of another individual, who had brought this document with him from England, was also read, and a record was made of the membership of two other Friends, with a notice of the respective Monthly Meetings in England, to which they belonged. A list of the names of other persons attending the meetings of Friends in Hobart Town, and of those professing an attachment to the principles of the Society in other parts of the Island, was likewise entered on minute.

We continued in Hobart Town at this time for twelve weeks, in the course of which, a few more meetings for discipline were held, two persons were admitted into membership, and it was concluded to hold one of these meetings monthly, under the appellation of "Hobart Town Monthly Meeting of Friends."

Meetings for worship continued to be regularly held on First day mornings, and reading meetings in the afternoons. A meeting for worship was also settled on Fifth-day evenings, not because the evening was preferred, for the meetings held at that time were often heavy, from the exhausted state of those who composed them, but because we could only have the use of the room in which we met, in an evening, as it was used for a school, in the day-time, on week-days.

We also invited the inhabitants of Hobart Town to a meeting for Public Worship, and to another for the promotion of Temperance; both of these were held in the Court House, the use of which was kindly granted for these purposes, on various occasions. On going to the former of these meetings I felt a perfect blank, as regarded anything to communicate, but was preserved quiet, trusting in the Lord, in whose counsel, I apprehended, I had requested the meeting to be convened. The passage of Scripture, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," impressed my mind soon after sitting down, along with the belief that it was my duty to rise, and quote it, and to make some comments upon the cause of this fearfulness, as well as upon the plan of salvation by Jesus Christ; inviting all to come unto God by him, and to abide in him, and to prove this abiding, by walking as he also walked. The congregation was attentive, and a preciously solemn feeling pervaded the meeting toward the close, in which prayer was put up for an increase in the knowledge of the things belonging to salvation, and of a disposition to practice them.

The Lieutenant Governor and several other persons of note attended the Temperance Lecture; in which, after explaining the origin and progress of Temperance Societies, and conveying much general information, I invited a more

extensive co-operation with them. I was induced to give this lecture from a sense of duty; and I had great occasion to render God hearty thanks, for enabling me to unfold to the company something of the working of the mystery of iniquity, as connected with the use of strong drink, and to do it in such a way as to keep hold of their kindly feelings, whilst attacking unsparingly the habits and indulgences of many present.

10th mo. 4th. I read, "Three Months in Jamaica," by Henry Whitely. What a picture does it present of colonial slavery, and human depravity! Severe as is the discipline of the prisoners in this colony, it is not to be compared with the tyrannical barbarity exercised upon the poor Negroes; yet I think the vengeful part of the former, both degrading and demoralizing. A Magistrate who formerly thought the flagellation of prisoners necessary, said, a short time ago, when conversing with us on the subject, that he was now convinced that it was an ineffectual punishment, universally degrading in its consequences. This is an increasing conviction among men who have gained some degree of victory over themselves: those who are in bondage to their own evil passions are attached to the system, by which a man may receive far beyond "forty stripes save one,"-upon complaint before a magistrate. It may, however, generally be observed, that those who plead for flogging, practice swearing, whether magistrates or others: and their own overbearing manner is often the exciting cause of the insolence in the prisoner, which occasions him to be brought before a magistrate and to receive flagellation.

Had justice toward offenders been more duly considered the legislature would probably, long ere this, have been induced to inquire more seriously than it has done, into the causes of crime, with a view to remedying them. This consideration is especially due to prisoners, when it appears, that the use of ardent spirits is the chief cause of crime, and that, by legalizing the sale of this article, and by the countenance given to its use by the community, they and the Government are the chief patrons of crime.

Want of education being another fertile source of vice,

consideration ought to be had for those who are ignorant, and through this cause go astray. It is not generally with themselves that the fault of the want of better education lies. Again, the immoral example of persons of the upper and middle classes, and often of the professed teachers of religion, has, beyond a doubt, a great place in the encouragement of crime. By far the greater proportion of prisoners is from the lower class; and it will be found, that most of the crimes which they have committed, were committed under the excitement of ardent spirits; and that, apart from this excitement, they are not commonly more depraved than the generality of their countrymen. Also, that most of their robberies were committed to enable them to obtain money to pay for indulgence in vice; and that the example of similar indulgence by persons above them in circumstances, was a great means of destroying in their minds the barrier of that moral principle, which would have made them fear such indulgence. Those who expect the punishment of crime to prevent its commission, whilst such fertile sources of its propagation remain, will certainly be disappointed. The removal of persons who have become contaminated, will no doubt, prevent crime increasing as it would do, were their influence continued on the British population; but unless the incentives to crime be removed, punishing it will only be like trying to pump out a river that threatens inundation to a country, whilst the remedy of stopping the springs that supply it, is neglected.

About this time I wrote a small tract, entitled, "A Concise Apology for the Peculiarities of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, in their Language, Costume, and Manners." These peculiarities having often been the subjects of so much inquiry and objection, as to limit our opportunities of explaining our views of the Gospel in regard to more fundamental points, and especially, to that immediate teaching of the Divine Spirit, which, when fully followed, we believe, leads into the practice we have adopted.-APPENDIX B.

In the 10th month, a young woman, professing with the Independents, refused to take an oath, as witness, in the

Supreme Court. She was called upon to state her reasons for this refusal, which she did in a clear and concise manner, urging the command of Christ as the ground of her objection. According to existing regulations, the Judge must have committed her to prison for contempt of court, had the matter been pressed! but to avoid this, the Counsel withdrew her evidence.

This circumstance increased an exercise that my mind had been under, respecting the practice of judicial swearing, and this feeling was further increased, by learning that a discourse had been delivered in the Independent chapel, attempting to defend the practice; and believing that it would conduce to my peace to throw something before the public on the subject, I wrote an essay, entitled, "The Question, are Judicial Oaths Lawful? answered; with some Observations on the Moral Influence of Oaths." In this tract the fallacy of the arguments brought forward in support of the practice of Judicial Swearing was proved on Scriptural grounds.-APPENDIX C.

10th mo. 16th. We had a religious interview with the Hulk Chain-gang, in a long shed, in which they regularly assemble for worship, on First and Fourth days. The discipline of this gang is very strict; and from its local situation, the men are effectually kept from strong drink. The hulks, on board of which they sleep, are kept clean, and are well ventilated: they are moored close alongside of the yard in which the men muster. These prisoners are employed in public works of improvement on the side of Sulivans Cove, and are kept constantly under an overseer and a military guard. This gang, which forms an important link in the chain of the prison-discipline of the colony, is depicted, in the annexed etching, copied from a work called "Ross's Hobart Town Annual."

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10th mo. 24th. A young Irishman called upon me, who came to V. D. Land, a few months ago, with a small sum of money, and soon after his arrival got into a situation but giving way to dissipated habits, and making a mock, as he said, of temperance, he found many of his own stamp, who were willing to seek his friendship while his