to open an important road in
the new world? We have seen that Sir George Simpson crossed the Rocky
Mountains at a height of 8000 feet, but lower passes may yet be found.
At all events our soldiers are exposed to every diversity of climate and
every hardship; and we see no reason why healthy and powerful criminals
should be more cared for. It was also suggested in 1836--"The gangs
might be moved to other and more distant spots, and employed in similar
works of utility, and in this way would relieve emigrants from many of
the hardships and difficulties which they are now doomed to encounter at
the commencement of their settlement."--_A. R. Porter, Esq._

(23) "It would indeed be a heart-sickening prospect if, in looking
forward to the continued progress of our country, in its economical
relations, we must also contemplate the still greater multiplication of
her 'criminals'. Still we fear that, for a long time at least, we shall
have of them a large proportion, and that arrangements must be made for
their employment. What we have already stated prove that there is no
decrease as yet."

One of our periodicals observes--"We have no hope that a class of
criminals will ever cease to exist in this country, and it will always
therefore be a question, what is to be done with them?.... There are
certain conditions directly _essential_ to every successful effort for
the repression of crime; the legislature should see that the penal code,
while as merciful as a reasonable philanthropy can demand, should yet be
severe enough to be truly merciful--merciful, that is, to the entire
community."

(24) "The flight of a quarter of a million of inhabitants of these
islands to distant quarters of the globe, in 1847, was one of the most
marvellous events in the annals of human migration. It is nevertheless a
fact, that the migration of this year is nearly equal to that of the
last."--(_The Times, 1848._)

"Nor is there any reason to believe that 1849 will witness a diminution
in the rate at which this extraordinary process of depletion is going
forward; on the contrary, there is every symptom of its probable
acceleration."--(_Morning Chronicle, 1849, on Irish Emigration._)

(25) A few extracts concerning them will be interesting. "The chain of
the Rocky Mountains, after being considerably depressed in latitude 46 deg.
and 48 deg., attains a much higher elevation from latitude 48 deg. to 49 deg., and,
continuing in a westerly directi