This Mr. Wixon had but one leg, was a Baptist clergyman, and whose only crime was, having acted as assistant editor of the "Correspondent and Advocate," during the absence of Mr. McKenzie, the proprietor, in England, as an agent for the people, some years prior to the insurrection.

It would indeed appear, that Arthur was rather in a strait for subjects of cruelty, when he was ordered for transportation; but that is not the greatest curiosity of his case. His time of durance would not commence until arrival in the penal Island; and he might be detained on the way an equal length of time, while age and infirmity were fast hastening him to the grave.

L. W. Miller, the gallant young American of whom you have heard so much, concludes his letter with some just strictures upon the British government, by saying,

*

*

"We have been in a continued excitement, owing to the 'glorious uncertainty of the law.' What the result of this affair will be, no one can tell; I guess, however, It will have a tendency to open the eyes of Britons, and put a stop to their boasting of the superiority of English laws and institutions over those of other nations, inasmuch as that 'excellent safeguard of the liberty of the subject, the habeas corpus act,' so long lauded to the skies, has been completely shown up at last, and proved a mere phantom-a 'will o' the wisp.' Yet I flatter myself, notwithstanding the decision of the Queen's Bench Judges against ns, that our cases are not quite as bad as they appear," &c. &c. Poor fellow! He felt quite sanguine in the hope of a happy result, to the enquiry, but was disappointed; for his case, with John Grant's, being similar to ours, produced the same end-we being sent away previous to the termination of the instituted investigation, the

Ministry would not hazard the imputation of partiality, by liberating him at the same time with Wixon, Parker, and their party. They, therefore, (Miller and Grant,) with Beemer, (the traitor,) and Gemmel, (whom we had left sick in the York hospital,) arrived at Hobarttown in January, of 1840, and were sent on the roads at work, in horrid destitution and want.

In addition to these letters, we received occasional numbers of the "Weekly True Sun," which contained all the arguments made in the cases of our friends, a perusal of which not only led us, but every unprejudiced mind, to anticipate a release.

An officer of the hulk handing me a paper in which the arguments were published, said, "well, Wait, that paper contains joyful intelligence for you. Your countrymen in New-Gate, although not yet acquitted, will be very soon; for the arguments against the legality of transporting from Upper Canada, are so conclusive, that, if the Queen is not too d-bly afraid of you, she will be glad to send you all home again, and think herself thus well rid of Arthur's blunders." But these hopes and opinions were formed on the presumptive evidence of England's doing justice; and, consequently were illusory-for we did not remain to learn the conclusion-but were sent hastily away.

I must here conclude this long letter, and my narrative of events while in England, with the exception of a few hulk anecdotes, which I will briefly relate in my next.

I remain, dear sir,

Yours, &c. &c.

LETTER XIV.

Το

ASHGROVE, near Oatlands, V. D. L.
May, 1841.

My Dear Sir: I will now merely relate a few incidents that came under my notice before embarking for this place. I have before hinted that Beemer was the traitor to whom we owed our want of success in a certain attempt at sea. The discovery was effected in the following manner: we had received the form of a petition from Mr. Ashurst, desiring the government to place in his hands all letters or communications directed to any of us, that might arrive in England, and we were requested to sign and return it. Beemer refu-. sed; which, with his conduct in writing in another ward distinct from ours, under the eye of the Surgeon, as well as some other appearances, made us suspect his faithlessness rather more strongly than before. The consequence was, a close and systematic investigation among ourselves in his presence, when one complete chain of treachery and false conduct was discovered, unbroken since our embarkation at Niagara. The first evidence was given by G. Van Camp, a poor, innocent, simple, quiet Dutchman, who was Beemer's chain companion on our passage from Quebec; and this was followed up by a forcible seizure of his port-folio, which contained a petition to Lord John Russell, tracing his own steps throughout the whole course, and claiming freedom as the boon of his fratricidal conduct. In the petition, he also presumed upon the commendations of

Dr. Williams and Capt. Morton; but this did not end his communication, for he likewise attempted to brand our characters with infamy, by charges of a dishonorable nature, which could, in reality, attach to none but himself. This discovery put us on the qui vive; and by a little inducement, we obtained a perusal of all his correspondence, from the fellow he employed to write for him, as he was very. illiterate, only able to write, yet not to compose or spell-thus being enabled to counteract all his malice through the aid of our countrymen in London.

Elucidative of the utter failure, through the inefficiency of the British penal code, in the attempts to humanize hardened villains by promiscuously congregating them in those hulks, I have a large collection of anecdotes, but I cannot copy them now-for I want tổ devote this letter to other descriptions-suffice it therefore to say, that I will guarantee, if a man is sent there for two years, though naturally circumspect in his conduct, that he goes out a polished villain, a graduate from the college of crime. The majority of the`residents are between the ages of eighteen and thirty, though some as young as twelve; and a few thin, toothless, grey headed, wretched looking fellows, numbering at least sixty extended winters, are seen hobbling about the decks the whole day, submitting calmly to the insults and gibes of the officers and younger felons, as if it was their "meat and their drink."

The most surprising sight and condemnatory of British institutions, that I witnessed, was the arrival, at the hulk, on their way to the Penetentiary on the Isle of

Wight, of fifty BOYS under ten-an age in which it can scarcely be imagined they were capable of committing offences worthy the sentence of transportation, but it was so for they were all condemned for seven, ten, or fourteen years to V. D L. One little sprightly fellow, who said his age was seven years and five months, I took a fancy to enquire of concerning his history-he suprised me by saying he had been tried for picking a gentleman's pocket of a purse containing nine guineas and thirteen shillings with a few “haporths." But how in the name of common sense could you pick a man's pocket? Why you could scarce reach his waist. But, "oh I didn't frisk his pocket-I was in a stall where a sells rings-he come'd in, and pick'd out one that suited him-just as he was going to pay for it, the shopman called him over to t'other end of the room, and I whip't up his purse and run'd away with it; I meets my sister close by the door, and slips it into her apron, and she goes right home and guv it to mother but I run on till a 'trap' nabbed me because I was running the gentleman come up and said I stole his purse, they frisked me and couldn't find it; but he swore I took it; so I got lagg'd for seven years. Mother keeps the money, tho', and I'm sorry I couldn't have the bit o' plum puddin she promised me, if I would get her a good swag that day." Have you done any thing before? "Oh yes, I picked up a handkerchief and two testers the day before and mother give me a penny bunn and haporth of yale." Have you got any brothers? "Yes, George was transported with father, to V. D. L., for taking plate from the Duke's house; and I've got