ough, of course, even with this plan, the
young men who are hopelessly afflicted with disease or deformity must
be excluded. For them the State must make provision at home, but not in
prison.

A scheme of this character, if once put into active and thorough
operation, would naturally work itself out, for year by year the number
of young fellows to whom it would apply would grow less and less; but
while working itself out, it would also work out the salvation of many
young men, and bring lasting benefits upon our country.

Vagrancy, with its attendant evils, would be greatly diminished, many
prisons would be closed, workhouses and casual wards would be less
necessary. The cost of the scheme would be more than repaid to the
community by the savings effected in other ways. The moral effect also
would be equally large, and the physical effects would be almost past
computing, for it would do much to arrest the decay of the race that
appears inseparable from our present conditions and procedure.

But the State must do something more than this; for many young habitual
offenders are too young for emigration. For them the State reformatories
must be established, regardless of their physical condition. To these
reformatories magistrates must have the power of committal as certainly
as they have the power of committal to prison. There must be no "by your
leave," no calling in a doctor to examine the offender. But promptly
and certainly when circumstances justify the committal to a State
reformatory, the youthful offender should go. With the certainty that,
be his physique and intellect what they may, he would be detained,
corrected and trained for some useful life. Or, if found "quite unfit"
or feeble-minded, sent to an institution suitable to his condition.

Older criminals, when proved to be mentally unsound, are detained in
places other than prisons till their health warrants discharge. But
the potential criminals among the young, no matter how often they are
brought before the courts, are either sent back to hopeless liberty or
thrust into prison for a brief period.

I repeat that philanthropy cannot attempt to deal with the habitual
offenders, either in the days of their boyhood or in their early
manhood. For philanthropy can at the most deal with but a few, and those
few must be of the very best.

I cannot believe that our colonies would refuse to ratify the
arrangement that I have outlined, if they were invited to do