onvicted are reformed, and all love to make a big showing for the
money subscribed at the all-important annual meeting, the result being
that all the men hustled out of the country by the society count as
reformed men.

These societies are supported by subscriptions, which all go in salaries
and office rents. The assistance given to the discharged prisoner is
limited to the L3 extra gratuity given the society by the Government on
the prisoner's behalf. The London societies have an agreement with the
Netherlands Line and the Wilson Line of steamers to "take to sea" for L2
10s. all "workingmen" they send to them. I have talked to thousands of
men who "joined the society," most of whom intended to go to America,
and I have talked to scores who had "joined," but who, unluckily for
themselves, not leaving England, were reconvicted and sent back to
Chatham. Throughout twenty years I conversed with several thousand men
who joined the society avowing they were going to America, and were
never heard of again in England, and have also known some scores of men
who passed through the hands of the society agents, yet were afterward
reconvicted. Therefore I am in a position to speak with authority on the
important question of England dumping her criminal population on our
shores.

CHAPTER XLI.

"WELL MY MAN, WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO?" "I WANT TO GO TO AMERICA, SIR."
"TUT! TUT! YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO GO TO SEA!" "YES, SIR; I WANT TO GO TO
SEA."

The Royal Society and The Christian Aid Societies, presided over by a
Rev. Mr. Whitely, enjoy a bad pre-eminence in this respect. The year
before my release the latter stated at the annual meeting that six
thousand discharged prisoners had passed through his society, and I
venture to assert that five thousand of these found their way to this
country through the assistance of this society. These two societies have
been boomed to an incredible extent, and it would be a curious study if
any report could be had as to how the large subscriptions were actually
expended.

For the sake of making my narrative clear, I will here only speak of the
first-named society.

[Illustration: LEAVING LIVERPOOL.--GEORGE BIDWELL'S FAREWELL TO JOHN
BULL.]

Two months before release the prisoner must inform the warder that he
intends to join the Royal Society. He notifies the Home Office, which in
turn notifies the society and forwards a warrant for L3. The prisoner
upon discharge takes a certain trai