Dr. B. Howard, who has devoted himself to the study
of
and its punishment, throws some white light upon the question of transportation to Siberia. He has made four visits to the convict settlements, and resided for twc- months in Saghalien, where, being a personal friend of the Governor, he was allowed to see everything. He says the principle adopted is excellent, the convicts, after two years of good conduct, being allowed to settle on small farms, which they work like other peasants. They are bringing the- whole island under cultivation, and are externally indis- tinguishable from a free peasantry. In Saghalien, how- ever, and in the convict section of Siberia generally, toa much depends on the individual character of the officer in command. So absolute are his powers that, says Dr. Howard, " everything is possible " locally, and we gather an impression that locally terrible abuses may exist. This statement seems to us much more likely to be true than either the black accounts published by friends of the political exiles or the roseate accounts which visitors, whose visits were obviously supervised, have occasionally published in Western Europe. The best "check," consistent with the Russian system, would probably be a good chaplain in each district, to be exempted from all authority but that of the Governor-General.
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