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, Mill 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
