pravity, it surely becomes a matter of serious importance to investigate the causes which have led, and are still leading, to this melancholy exhibition of human suffering and demoralization.

"The trustees, deeply impressed with the responsibility which, from their situation, necessarily devolves upon them, have thought it their duty to take measures to enquire into these causes; and they now lay before the Mayor and City Council the result of their investigation, which will be seen on reference to the accompanying document.

"By this it appears, that of the 623 adult persons admitted into the alms-house during the year ending April 1826, five hundred and fifty-four were positively ascertained to have been reduced to the necessity of being placed there by drunkenness."

Independently of the important information we derived from viewing these institutions, some of which were very well conducted, the agreeable companionship we were fortunate enough to enlist in our service, would have marked out the few days we spent at Baltimore as amongst the most instructive, as well as the most pleasing, which we passed in the United States.

But it was not always in America that we had the satisfaction of falling in with persons who, like our considerate Baltimore friends, were willing to

let us see things as they really were, or who showed no uneasiness when the naked truth happened to come before us. In order to give an idea of this unhappy spirit, I may mention that a gentleman once asked me which of two routes I meant to follow? When I told him, he said, thoughtfully, "I am sorry for that—very sorry."

"Why so?"

"Because," said he, "all that part of the country is so bad."

"Do you mean the roads?"

"O no, they are good enough; but by going in that direction, you will see an ugly part of the country, and consequently be disposed to draw unfavourable conclusions as to the beauty of our State."

"Yes, that may be,—but if the impression is a fair one, why should I not do so? What does it matter?"

"Ay, that's true," he observed; " but then I want you to see only the best parts of our country, and I really wish you would oblige me by going round by the route I shall give you."

"I am afraid,” I replied, "the country for once must take its chance. Many parts which we have come to are good, some are bad; these must all be jumbled together, and a fair mean taken. Besides, it is the people I want to see, and for this reason

I intend going in the direction I first spoke of, in order to see another of the State legislatures in session."

"Oh, for any sake," exclaimed my friend, who by this time was in the high fever of nationality, -"oh, I beg and entreat of you not to do that!"

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Why not?-why should not I see what certainly must be characteristic of the country?"

"Because,”—and here he lowered his voice,— "because these said legislators, whom you think of visiting, are really no great things; and, I fear, they will not leave on your mind a favourable impression of our country."

"Are they not, however," I asked, "the men who regulate all your affairs, who make the laws, who are chosen by the people, and who, in fact, exercise the supreme authority of the State ?"

"Yes, they certainly do all that you say—they certainly are the sovereigns de facto."

"Then, if so,” I retorted-beginning to feel a little nettled at this double-refined sensitiveness— "I cannot but think they are very proper persons for a traveller to see. I presume, also, the legislature in question is not inferior to those of the other States. I have already seen that of New York, and I wish to compare it with others."

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"O, there again," he called out, "I could have wished you had left that legislature alone, for we

do not by any means consider it a favourable specimen of our country."

"Upon my word," I cried, "I must say this is very hard! You are constantly blaming us travellers for taking a superficial view of your country, and yet the very moment we pretend to go thoroughly into any subject, you are up in arms, and would have us look at one side of the picture only. You ask us for our opinions, but if they be given with sincerity, what is their reception? Within this last half hour, I have heard you, and the other gentlemen present, abuse your legislature, your roads, the face of your country, and even this overwhelming tendency to democracy, besides half a dozen other evils; and yet, if any stranger were to insinuate one-tenth part so much, you would say he did you injustice-that he travelled too quickly-that he did not make proper allowances-and that he did not understand your character!".

They all laughed at my taking the matter so seriously, but admitted there was some justice in what I said. They begged, however, that I would, at all events, stay long enough to arrive at the right explanation of these apparent anomalies, which, they assured me, were all easily explained by persons who understood the true nature of their institutions.

One day, when walking through the streets of Baltimore, my eye was caught with the following title-page of à book stuck in a shop window: "The American Chesterfield, or Way to Wealth, Honour, and Distinction, &c. &c., with alterations and additions, suited to the youth of the United States. By a member of the Philadelphia bar.” The work in question I found to contain, besides an abridgement of Lord Chesterfield's Letters, "A chapter addressed to the Americans."

I should probably not have ventured to touch on these delicate topics, had it not been for this casual opportunity of quoting the words of a witness who must be supposed impartial.

"The foregoing instructions," says the writer, "were originally written for the improvement of a European. The editor of this work takes the liberty of adding a few remarks, addressed particularly to the young gentlemen of the United States.

"As there is no nation that does not exhibit something peculiar in its manners worthy of commendation, so there is none in which something peculiar cannot be observed that demands reproof. Should an American gentleman, during a visit to Europe, be seen chewing tobacco, it matters not what may be his dress, or his letters of introduction, he will immediately be set down as a low