ething is doing in England to shorten the apprenticeship
system. I pray God it may soon follow its predecessor--slavery, for
it is indeed slavery under a less disgusting name. Business lately
(December 23) called me to Rodney Hall; and while I was there, a
poor old negro was brought in for punishment. I heard the fearful
vociferation, 'twenty stripes.' 'Very well; here ----, put this man
down.' I felt as I cannot describe; yet I thought, as the supervisor
was disposed to be civil, my presence might tend to make the
punishment less severe than it usually is--but I was disappointed. I
inquired into the crime for which such an old man could be so
severely punished, and heard various accounts. I wrote to the
magistrate who sentenced him to receive it; and after many days I
got the following reply."

"_Logan Castle, Jan. 9, 1836._

Sir--In answer to your note of the 4th instant, I beg leave to
state, that ---- ----, an apprentice belonging to ---- ----, was
brought before me by Mr. ----, his late overseer, charged upon oath
with continual neglect of duty and disobedience of orders as
cattle-man, and also for stealing milk--was convicted, and sentenced
to receive twenty stripes. So far from the punishment of the
offender being severe, he was not ordered one half the number of
stripes provided for such cases by the abolition act--if he received
more than that number, or if those were inflicted with undue
severity, I shall feel happy in making every inquiry amongst the
authorities at Rodney Hall institution.

I remain, sir, yours, truly,

T.W. JONES, S.M."

'Rev. J. Clarke, &c., &c.'

From Mr. Clarke's reply, we make the following extract:

"_Jericho, January 19, 1836._

Sir--I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th
instant.

Respecting the punishment of ---- ----, I still adhere to the
opinion I before expressed, that, for an old man of about sixty
years of age, the punishment was severe. To see a venerable old man
tied as if to be broken on the wheel, and cut to the bone by the
lash of an athletic driver--writhing and yelling under the most
exquisite torture, were certainly circumstances sufficiently strong
to touch the heart of any one possessed of the smallest degree of
common humanity. The usual preparations being made, the old man
quietly stri