Jones) who carried with him to this country a prejudice in favour of the natives, which he naturally imbibed in the course of his studies, and which in him, though not perfectly rational, was neither una

miable nor ungraceful, I observe that even he, after long judicial experience, reluctantly confesses their general depravity. The prevalence of perjury, which he strongly states, and which I have myself already observed, is perhaps a more certain sign of the general dissolution of moral principle than other more daring and ferocious crimes much more horrible to the imagination, and of which the immediate consequences are more destructive to society.

For perjury indicates the absence of all the common restraints which withhold men from crimes. Perjury supposes the absence of all fear of human justice, and bids defiance to all human laws; it supposes also either a contempt for public opinion, or (what is worse) a state of society in which public opinion has ceased to brand, with disgrace, actions that ought to be infamous.It is an attack upon religion and law, in the very point of their union for the protection of human society. It is that crime which tends to secure the impunity of all other crimes, and it is the only crime which weakens the foundation of every right, by rendering the administration of justice, on which they all depend, difficult, and, in many cases, impossible.

But, gentlemen, though it be reasonable to examine the character of those over whom we have authority, and to calculate the mischie vous consequences of crimes; and though it be useful to spread an abhorrence of these crimes, by just representations of their nature and tendency, it is very useless, and very unreasonable, to indulge ourselves in childish anger and childish invecctive;

when we are speaking of the moral diseases of great nations the reason, able questions always are-How have they been produced? and how are to be cured?

With these feelings I have not suffered the short time which has elapsed since I came to this country, to pass without some meditation on the causes and cure of the moral maladies of which I have spoken. My speculations are at present so crude, and my information so imperfect, that it would be absurd to communicate my thoughts to any one; when they are more matured, I may have the honour of laying some of them before the government, and for such as will be best carried into effect by the voluntary exertions of private individuals, I shall have the honour of imparting them to you.

I have this morning, gentlemen, examined the prison, and I am happy to say, that, considering it either as a place of detention, for the accused, or for the debtor, or as a place of punishment for those who are convicted of crimes, it is so constructed as to prevent the loss of liberty from being aggravated by any unnecessary severities. The sheriff has, however, some reason to complain of its insecurity; and I cannot but lament that it is not better adapted for a house of correction, especially as I have the strongest repugnance to capital punishments, and as I have no high opinion of the efficacy of transportation, either for reformation or example.

The deficiencies of a prison, as an instrument of public policy, are matters to be discussed with coolness. If I had found any deficiences on the score of humanity towards the prisoners, I should have spoken to you in a very different tone. I am persuaded that your feelings would have entirely accorded with mine; convinced that both as jurors and as private gen

tlemer,

tlemen, you will always consider yourselves as entrusted, in this remote region of the earth, with the honour of that beloved country, which I trust becomes more dear to you, as I am sure it does to me, during every new moment of absence; that in your intercourse with each other, as well as with the natives of India you will keep unspotted the ancient character of the British nation, renowned in every age, and in no age more than in the present, for valour, for justice, for humanity and generosity; for every virtue which supports, as well as for every talent and accomplishment which adorns, human society."

seed and labour, and often much longer. It is then left to gather grass as it can. The consequence is sterility or weeds for several years; and, when the land at last begins to gather a sward, it is again massacred as before.

On Mr Fairley's plan, the land is. indeed laid down with sown grasses; but, in all places where grass would grow with most advantage it is suf focated, and overmatched, by pernicious weeds. Even in lands mostly or wholly devoted to pasturage, the weight of weeds often far sur passes that of the edible grasses. You can seldom handle their hay without being stung by a nettle, or pricked by a thistle.

The general wetness of the climate points out the fitness of this district for pasturage and green crops.

In

SHIRE.

(From the Farmer's Magazine.)

HAVING lately made an excure sion through a considerable part of Ayrshire, I beg leave to offer a few remarks on the general stile of agriculture in that country at present, compared, occasionally, with the system which prevailed several years ago, when I sometimes enjoyed the happiness of residing therein.

It is needless to enter into any description of the system laid down by the late Mr Fairley of Fairley, as it has been so often described, and is so well known. The principal defects of his system were, no drainage, no fallows or cleaning crops; and to these may be added bad roads; for some of the worst lines of road ever contrived, were planned and executed under his direction.

The old system still continues, in several places, of infield and outfield. The infield gets most of the manure, and is always in crop. The outfield is cropped as long as it can repay the

mers have lately been much injured by the introduction of the annual rye grass seed, which yields a heavy crop of hay, but leaves the land bare, except where it has been occupied with weeds during several years. To obviate this, they should raise their rye-grass seed within themselves, and never sow any but what is taken from the second or third crop. Some tracts in Ayrshire naturally throw up the most luxuriant and nutritive grasses. Such lands should generally, if not always, be kept in pasture; and, I conceive, when other lands are laid down for a long course of pasturage, the seeds of these grasses would answer better than any others that might be procured.

I remember when turnips were little cultivated in Ayrshire, but their cultivation is now making a considerable progress, though they are sel dom properly cleaned. They are either not thinned at all, or thinned in a very imperfect manner after they are half grown. The advantage of performing this operation, as

soon as the plants can be distinguish ed, seems not to be understood. Carrots and parsnips have begun to be tried, and succeed well on friable sandy loams. Cabbages and colcworts attain an uncommon size in the garden, but have hardly become an object of cultivation in the field. Vetches, which form so important an article of green food in other districts, are scarcely known here.

The plant most skilfully cultivated is the potatoe, and that chiefly near manufacturing towns and villages. The farmers let plots of ground to the operative manufacturers, at from 8d. to Is. or more per fall. The farmer gives one ploughing, and the land is frequently afterwards trenched by the spade. The manufacturer furnishes what manure he can afford, and plants the potatoes in rows, generally across the ridge, and cleans them with the hand. Though these plots are generally kept very clean, the plants are often too thick in the row, and the rows too close to each other, so that the roots are smother

ed by the exclusion of sun and air; and nearly the same effects ensue as if they had been suffocated by weeds. The farmers plant and clean their potatoes by the plough, as is done in other places; but they are generally too backward in applying the hand to remove the weeds which

grow up in the rows. The large sweet potatoe is not so much cultivated here as it deserves, since it would prove an excellent resource for their milch cows and other stock during winter.

This county excels in its breed of working horses and of milch COWS. The people also excel in the art of making cheese, a minute account of which was transmitted to the Board of Agriculture, which, with many other useful communitions, they have chosen to suppress. I conceive it would be an improve ment upon their dairy system, to

give the animals much more of their food in the house, during summer, than is done at present. This would prevent them from being tortured by flies, and would accumulate much dung for the use of the farm. Scrubbing them frequently with the cur ry-comb might also prove beneficial. Straw-yards, to prevent them from poaching the cultivated pastures in winter, would also prove highly useful. These seem indispensably necessary where mosses are cultivated.

Wheat has now begun to make some figure in the agriculture of Ayrshire. It must have been more extensively cultivated in ancient times, as it makes a conspicuous figure on the rent-roll of the monastery of Kilwinning, and other ecclesiastic establishments. It is commonly sown after potatoes, which seldom being thoroughly cleaned, the wheat is commonly infested with weeds.

the 21.

:

threw more frequently greater stones, whose strokes were sorer where they hit and thus it continued to Then I went to the house and stayed a great part of the night, but was greatly troubled; stones, and several other things were thrown at me. I was struck several times on the sides and shoulders, very sharply, with a great staff, so that those who were present heard the noise of the strokes; that night it threw off the bed-side, and rapped upon the chests and boards as one calling for access. This is attested by Charles Macklelane of Colline, William Mackminn, and John Tait in Torr. That night, as I was once at prayer, leaning on a bed-side, I felt something pressing up my arm, and casting my eyes thither, perceived a little white hand and arm from the elbow down, but presently it evanished. It is to be observed, that not withstanding all that was felt and heard, from the first to the last of this matter, there was never any thing seen, except that hand I saw, and a friend of the said Andrew Mackie's said he saw as it were a young man, redfaced, with yellow hair, looking in at the window; and other two or three persons, with the said Andrew his children, saw, at several times, as it were a young boy, about the age of 14 years, with cloths, and a

gray

bonnet on his head, but presently disappeared; as also what the three children saw sitting by the fireside.

"Aprile 3. It whistled several times, and cried wisht, wisht, this is at tested by Andrew Tait. Upon the 4th of Aprile, Charles Macklelane of Colline land-lord, with the said Andrew Mackie, went to a certain number of ministers met at Buttle, and gave them an account of the matter; whereupon these ministers made public prayers for the family, and two of their number, viz. Mr Andrew Ewart, minister of Kells,

and Mr John Murdo, minister of Corsmichael, came to the house and spent that night in fasting and praying: but it was very cruel against them, especially by throwing great stones, some of them about half an stone weight. It wounded Mr Andiew Ewart twice in the head, to the effusion of his blood, it pulled off his wig in time of prayer, and when he was holding out his napkin betwixt his hands, it cast a stone in the napkin, and therewith threw it from him: It gave Mr John Murdo several sore strokes; yet the wounds and bruises received did soon cure. There were none in the house that night escaped from some of its fury. and cruelty: That night it threw a fierie peet among the people; but did no hurt, it only disturbed them in time of prayer: and also in the dawning, as they rose from prayer, the stones poured down on all who were in the house to their hurt this is attested by Mr Andrew Ewart, MrJohn Murdo, Charles Macklelane, and John Tait.

Upon the 5th of Aprile: It set some thatch straw in fire which was in the barne-yard: At night the house being very throng with neighbours, the stones were still thrown down among them: as the said Andrew Mackie his wife went to bring in some peets for the fire, when she came to the door she found a broad stone to shake under her foot, which she never knew to be loose before : she resolved with her self to see what was beneath it in the morning thereafter.

Upon the 6th of Aprile, wher the house was quiet, she went to the stone, and there found seven small. bones, with blood, and some flesh, all closed in a piece of old suddled paper; the blood was fresh and bright, the sight whereof troubled her, and being affraid, laid all down again; and ran to Colline his house, being an quarter of an mile distant:

but