“I see something is doing in England to shorten the apprenticeship system.  I pray God it may soon follow its predecessor—­slavery, for it is indeed slavery under a less disgusting name.  Business lately (December 23) called me to Rodney Hall; and while I was there, a poor old negro was brought in for punishment.  I heard the fearful vociferation, ‘twenty stripes.’  ’Very well; here ——­, put this man down.’  I felt as I cannot describe; yet I thought, as the supervisor was disposed to be civil, my presence might tend to make the punishment less severe than it usually is—­but I was disappointed.  I inquired into the crime for which such an old man could be so severely punished, and heard various accounts.  I wrote to the magistrate who sentenced him to receive it; and after many days I got the following reply.”

    “Logan Castle, Jan. 9, 1836.

Sir—­In answer to your note of the 4th instant, I beg leave to state, that ——­ ——­, an apprentice belonging to ——­ ——­, was brought before me by Mr. ——­, his late overseer, charged upon oath with continual neglect of duty and disobedience of orders as cattle-man, and also for stealing milk—­was convicted, and sentenced to receive twenty stripes.  So far from the punishment of the offender being severe, he was not ordered one half the number of stripes provided for such cases by the abolition act—­if he received more than that number, or if those were inflicted with undue severity, I shall feel happy in making every inquiry amongst the authorities at Rodney Hall institution.

    I remain, sir, yours, truly,

    T.W.  JONES, S.M.”

‘Rev. J. Clarke, &c., &c.’

From Mr. Clarke’s reply, we make the following extract: 

    “Jericho, January 19, 1836.

    Sir—­I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th
    instant.

Respecting the punishment of ——­ ——­, I still adhere to the opinion I before expressed, that, for an old man of about sixty years of age, the punishment was severe.  To see a venerable old man tied as if to be broken on the wheel, and cut to the bone by the lash of an athletic driver—­writhing and yelling under the most exquisite torture, were certainly circumstances sufficiently strong to touch the heart of any one possessed of the smallest degree of common humanity.  The usual preparations being made, the old man quietly stripped off his upper garments, and lay down upon the board—­he was then tied by his legs, middle, above the elbows, and at each wrist.  Mr. ——­ then called out to the driver, ’I hope you will do your duty—­he is not sent here for nothing.’  At the first lash the skin started up; and at the third, the blood began to flow; ere the driver had given ten, the cat was covered with gore; and he stopped to change it for a dry one, which appeared to me somewhat longer than the first.  When the poor tortured creature had received sixteen,