The lecturer goes on to complain of the depravity of youth.  He then attacks the dispensation of the law, pointing out many instances of their mal-administration.  He then proceeds to attack the fire companies; he admits their courage and daring, but points out at the same time their lawlessness.  He says—­speaking of Philadelphia—­“Almost every company has its war-song, breathing the most barbarous and bloodthirsty sentiments towards some rival association, and describing the glory of the fireman to the destruction of his enemy’s apparatus, or worse yet, his life.”—­He gives the following list of the terrific names of the companies:  “Hornets, Snappers, Blood-reds, Bed-bugs, Rock-boys, Buffaloes, Skimmers, Scrougers, Revengers, Knockers, Black-hawks, Pirate-boys, Kill-devils.”  After which he gives the following specimen, of their songs, written by a “Bluffer and Red-devil:”—­

  “INDEPENDENT HOSE SONG.

“We’re the saucy Hyena-boys of George’s-street, as all knows; We can whip the Penn and Globe, likewise the Carroll Hose; We’ll whip the three together, the Bed-bugs and South Penn throw in for ease; We do run our carriage among our foes, and run her where we please.

“You’d better hush your blowing, Globe, if you know when you are well; For if we take your engine again, we’ll smash her all to hell.  Here is luck to the Bluffers, and all honest boys of that name; Here is to the Hyenas and Red-devils, that no one can tame.”

He subsequently points out the evils of allowing political passions to guide citizens in the selection of officers, and declares, “that persons are elected to, and now fill, important offices in Baltimore, to whom no responsible trust in private life would be confided by the very men who voted for them."[CN] With regard to the actual commission of crime, and the due punishment of the offenders, he draws the following comparison between London and Baltimore:  “The population of the former is 13 times greater than that of the latter; but the number of arrests is as 1 to 7,—­in other words, the commission of crime, in proportion to numbers, was 46 per cent. greater than in London.  Then, to show the inefficiency of the law, he proceeds to state, that the commitments for trial were only 29 per cent. greater, and that, even of those committed, many escaped just punishment.  Of course, the large cities in America are the only places in which any comparison can be made with this country; but, while doing so, the tide of emigration, which helps to fill up their numbers, must not be lost sight of, or we should judge them unfairly.