Sawtell. In 1835, the Rev. O. M. Johnson was engaged as a chaplain to seamen at Rio Janeiro in South America, and has commenced his labors in that place.

This Society is preparing to enlarge the sphere of its operations in foreign ports, and is also about to erect a noble institution in the city of New York for a Seamen's Home. A lot of ground is purchased, and arrangements are making to erect the building.

The American Seamen's Friend Society has published a Hymn Book for sailors, which is now used in most of the Mariners' churches in the United States. They have published also for eight years past the " Sailor's Magazine,” a periodical of 32 pages, issued monthly.

The receipts of the Society for 1838 were $14,173. There were then 6 chaplains at foreign stations, and seamen's congregations and preachers in 11 cities and towns. The officers of the Society are Adrian Van Sinderen, Esq. of Brooklyn, N. Y., President; Rev. Jonathan Greenleaf, Corresponding Secretary, and Mr. Charles N. Talbot, Treasurer. Of foreign societies, one only, the "London Seamen's Friend Society," will be particularly noticed, the origin of it being rather interesting.

In 1816, it was found that the master of a collier, lying in the Thames, was accustomed to have morning and evening prayers on board his vessel, to which he invited the crews of other vessels lying in the neighborhood. At the same time many seamen were out of employ, having been discharged on the close of the then late war between the United States and Great Britain, and not a few of them were in circumstances of distress which excited greatly the sympathy of the benevolent and humane. The inquiry arose what could be done, and the meeting continuing on board the collier, in 1817, a man who had been to sea in early life, but was then a minister of the Gospel, understanding the case, resolved on attending himself. He accordingly did attend; upon which, becoming much interested, as the worship was about to close, he introduced himself to the meeting, stating his former acquaintance with a seafaring life, and proposing to sustain, if it should be agreeable, a regular service among them.* The proffer being gratefully accepted, the meeting was continued and enlarged. This led to notoriety and thus to the formation, March 13, 1818, of the "London Seamen's Friend Society," a principal object of which, on account of the growth of the meeting, and the reluctance of the sailors to go to a common

*This man is supposed to have been the Rev. G. C. Smith of Penzance, author of the Tract, "Bethel, or the Flag Unfurled." See Report of the Port of Dublin Society for the religious instruction of Seamen.

church was, to provide for them a Bethel ship, where they might feel at home and come with freedom. Having accomplished its primary object, as it soon did, the society found enough still to be done to benefit the seamen, and they have accordingly continued their operations to the spiritual and eternal joy of many souls. The example of the metropolis being known, it was soon followed in Greenock, Leith, Liverpool, Hull, Bristol, and other ports, in which similar societies were formed and have since continued their benevolent operations.

(K. p. 239.)

Prison Discipline Societies.

The leader in this department of benevolence must ever be acknowledged to be the excellent John Howard of Cardington, England, who for a number of the last years of his life devoted himself and his fortune to the melioration of the condition of prisoners.

The variety and amount of good effected by his exertions cannot here be stated. He lived and died in the last century, was born in 1726, and died in 1790.

From the time of Howard's death the cause seems to have declined, and comparatively little was attempted in Europe or America till about 1824-5. Of foreign societies not much information has been obtained. The London Society has been in operation about seventeen years. In 1827, the receipts were about $8,000, and the expenditures about $12,000.

In Ireland an association is formed at Dublin for the improvement of prisons; and prison discipline societies of this nature also exist in France, at Petersburg in Russia, the Netherlands, and the Prussian Dominions. In Germany the subject is exciting the attention of the public. Dr. Julius of Hamburg is much engaged in this cause.

However the spirit of Howard has not been carried out in foreign countries as it should have been. Indeed, notwithstanding his benevolence, there was wanting in part in his operations and plans, the proper idea of discipline, or the moral improvement and recovery of offenders; and the penitentiary system, strictly speaking, is American, and is probably better carried out in the United States than in any other country. Acts were passed in the Colonies as early as 1699, authorizing magistrates to confine rogues and vagabonds, and

provision was made in 1735, for the erection of houses of correction.

But neither in this country was the subject at first understood as it now is, nor has it even now, perhaps, come to be understood as it is hoped it may be in the further progress of attention to it.

Considerable has been done, however, in relation to the construction of prisons with single apartments, to prevent intercourse among prisoners, the profitable employment of their time, and especially the manner of managing and giving instruction to them in morals and religion. Particularly has it been shown to be of the highest importance to have for jailers and wardens, men of correct moral principles, stern integrity, and firm decision, with faithful, devoted chaplains.

The Prison Discipline Society of this country, owes its origin principally to the Christian enterprise, and persevering efforts of the Rev. Louis Dwight, who in 1824 commenced an investigation of the condition of prisons and penitentiaries in the United States, and pursued it till June 30, 1825, when the Prison Discipline Society was instituted at Boston. The object of the Society is "the improvement of public prisons." Besides the object already mentioned in relation to which the Society has produced a desirable change, there is also the subject of imprisonment for debt, and the criminal code generally, towards which it has directed successfully, the attention of legislators and judges. The annual reports of the Society, embody also a vast amount of facts in relation to the causes, circumstances, and prevention of crimes and offences in the community, which cannot be found elsewhere.

From the State Prison at Wethersfield, Connecticut, there has generally been an actual income. During eleven years from its commencement, the clear gain was $56,348 65.

The expenses of the Society are about $3,000 a year. Its officers are the Hon. Samuel T. Armstrong, President; the Rev. Louis Dwight, Secretary; and Rev. Charles Cleveland, Treasurer.

(L. p. 252.)

Peace Societies.

This class of benevolent associations have for their object the suppression of war, and the promotion of amicable views and friendly conduct among all nations.

The first movement on the subject of peace in modern times, aside from the well known views and efforts of the

Friends, and a few other religious sects, seems to have been made by David L. Dodge, in the city of New York. So early as 1804, his attention was turned to the subject, and, having come in 1808 to the full conviction that war in every form is incompatible with Christianity, he published his views in 1809, and involved himself in a controversy which excited not a little interest both in New York and Philadelphia. A considerable number had in 1810 begun to sympathize with Mr. Dodge, and to cooperate with him in diffusing their views on the subject; but they were kept from forming a peace society, as they desired, in the winter of 1812, by the prospect of a war with England; nor was it till August of 1815 that the New York Peace Society was organized in form, although it had, in all but the name, been in existence and operation for three or four years. This was the first peace society in modern times. It took high ground, and opposed all war, whether offensive or defensive, as inconsistent with the gospel, and unlawful for Christians. New members were admitted only by unanimous vote; yet the Society increased to nearly a hundred, and used to expend two or three hundred dollars a year in the circulation of peace publications.

In 1813, Rev. Dr. Bogue preached in London a sermon on universal peace; and Rev. Noah Worcester, D. D. published in Boston near the close of 1814 his celebrated pamphlet, entitled "A Solemn Review of the Custom of War." This appeal, issued at the most favorable crisis in the history of Christendom, was the means of rousing the friends of peace in England and America to associated efforts in this cause. A society was formed in Ohio, December 2, 1815; the Massachusetts Peace Society was organized on the 28th of the same month; and the London Peace Society, for which a proposition had been made in the Philanthropist for July, 1815, was established in London, July 14, 1816. These movements were substantially simultaneous, and seem to have been not so much the effect of any one cause or effort, as the result of views and feelings which then pervaded more or less the best portions of Christendom.

The efforts of the London Peace Society awakened a desire for a similar organization in Paris; but, not permitted by the government to form a peace society in name, the friends of this and kindred enterprises organized there the Society of Christian Morals, in August, 1821, which has always made peace one of its objects, and corresponded with the London and other Peace societies. In 1830, the Geneva Peace Society was established at Geneva, Switzerland, by Count de Sellon, under whose energetic supervision it has accomplished much for the cause, by procuring the publication

and extensive circulation of able essays, and by calling the attention of leading cabinets in Europe to the subject.

6

The American Peace Society was organized in the city of New York, May, 1828, as a general bond of union among the friends of peace in the United States. A large number of local societies had been previously formed; but as the parent society has not sought to multiply auxiliaries, neither their number, nor the list of its own members, can be considered as a true index to the progress and prospects of the cause. It has labored chiefly to enlighten the public mind through existing periodicals, and by the coöperation of Christian ministers and teachers. It has always had a periodical devoted to its interests, called for three years, The Harbinger of Peace,' 12mo.; next, 'The Calumet,' 8vo., for nearly three years more; then, The American Advocate of Peace,' 8vo., quarterly, for two years; and finally, 'The Advocate of Peace,' 8vo., quarterly for 1837-8, but now a monthly, with a circulation of nearly 3,000 among the most intelligent and influential members of society. The first two were issued in the city of New York, the third at Hartford, Ct., and the last in Boston. For the first six years, New York was the seat of the Society's operations; for the next two years, it was temporarily transferred to Hartford for convenience of publication; but Boston has become, since May, 1837, its permanent location. Since its removal to this city, William Ladd, Esq. has been its President, and Rev. George C. Beckwith, its Corresponding Secretary.

We cannot by the usual tests determine the amount of gain in this cause; but it has unquestionably made much greater progress than is commonly supposed. For the first five years the American Peace Society, being without any regular agent in its service, received an average of less than $400 a year; but within the last four years its income has regularly increased nearly $1,000 a year, and amounted in 1837-8 to $3,605, and its expenditures to $4,007. It has (1838) secured from more than 1,000 ministers of the gospel a pledge to preach at least one sermon every year on the subject, and incidentally led probably a still greater number to perform a similar service for the cause. It has induced ecclesiastical bodies, representing no less than eight denominations of Christians, to endorse the cause by passing resolves in its favor. It would be impossible even to conjecture the whole number or amount of publications issued on this subject in the United States; but this Society published, in 1837-8, more than 20,000 volumes and tracts, and put in circulation an amount probably equal to 1,500,000 duodecimo pages, or about 200,000 tracts of the ordinary size, and a still larger