here, and in prison he was never taught how to do so.

Now suppose these two men had been sent to a penal workshop, each with
a fine of 50_l._ upon his head, instead of to a human cage with a
seven years' sentence; suppose that they were each debited, in addition
to the fine, with the cost of their food, lodging, &c., and credited
with their labour on the profits on their work, and liberated when the
account was balanced, what would be the result? In all probability it
would be this: that the artist, anxious for liberty, would economise,
do with as little food and drink as possible, exert his faculties to
the uttermost, and in a year or two perhaps he would have paid off the
amount of his fine, and the cost of his maintenance. He would then be
liberated in a condition to benefit society; impressed with the folly
of his conduct in having thrown away so much time and money, and
determined to keep the law for the future.

The tax-payers, instead of being as now burdened to support him, would
not only be relieved of that particular grievance, but would have the
satisfaction of seeing the criminal contributing large sums to the
right side of the public ledger. Instead of paying a quarter of a
million of hard and honest-earned money to maintain convict prisons,
and ever so much more to the county jails, we might in time make them
self-sustaining, and the offenders of the law a source of revenue to
the country.

If the casual offender regained his freedom in two years under such a
system as I have indicated, when would one of the worst members of the
most dangerous class regain his? And what would be his condition and
prospects? He would certainly get deeper into debt to begin with, and
if thoroughly determined to remain a dangerous and useless member of
society he would never regain his liberty. Perhaps he would commit an
offence against the person, and bring restraint and punishment upon
himself in every way unworthy of unrestrained freedom. But if he were
resolved to become an honest and industrious man, the opportunity and
the means for so doing would be before him; he would set to and learn a
trade, practice economy, confine his hands to his own pockets, prove
himself worthy of trust, and at the end of four or five years regain
his freedom. He could never keep pace with the other in the race for
liberty, nor would he be fitted for the proper use of his liberty until
he had practised industry under a natural and healthy