my opinions as they arise, although the circumstances may not always be thought of so general and important a kind as to bear them out."Page 31.

A glance at the map of Northern Europe will show that Sweden enjoys a considerable natural advantage over Norway in its more southerly position, and yet its population stands much lower in the scale of social arrangement. We are tempted to make rather a long extract in this place, contrast ing the two countries and the habits of their respective people in some striking particulars.

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"This country is certainly of richer soil, better farmed, and in ev way-even in the transport by water of its staple product, timber, fr the most remote recessess-better adapted for supporting its population than any part of Norway. This part of Sweden also is divided, like N way, very much among small proprietors. I have passed but one pie at Ihlberg, about 20 miles from hence, which could be called the dor of a large land-owner. Yet it strikes me that there is a great differ here in the condition of the middle and lower classes; and judging i such trifles as one is scarcely willing to avow, as the grounds fi.. nion, that their condition is worse in this tract of Sweden. judge from are these: the houses, outhouses, and all about out of repair, as if they had been built twenty or thirty never touched since; not one in twenty of the dwelling-houses of classes has ever been painted, which these wooden walls requir Norway every little estate, not so large apparently, nor of suchom in general as these, has the main house, barn, cow-house, and luable offices, painted red, often orange, pink, or some colour little for the good taste, but much for the good condition of and for his spirit of conservation, keeping in order and in a his property. I observe that not one house has runs or the roof, and very few porches with benches at the done father to sit on and smoke his pipe in the evening. No com is without these appendages. The windows here are hill is not under cover, the collars and bells about vourite cows, to direct the cowherd to find the en not polished and bright as in Norway. There is little outward signs and tokens of a spirit of have things in order, to repair and renew, state of well-being among the rural populations they may indicate the condition of a peasan circumstances. In this land of wood and a fection of all workmanship in these mat serving. In the houses on the road at

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Improvements-but they are the work of the government,

It is the ruling principle of the governments of the sent to do every thing for the people, and nothing by - uigences, steam vessels, schools, savings' banks,—all, as .-,, inanate from or are controlled by government; and even

of private industry, such as mines, iron foundries, salt ct to the inspection and regulation of government functrades and handicrafts are exercised under licence. The this principle of interference in all things is, that the people of pupilage, are trained to an inert dependence on their all things, like that of the soldier on his officer, and do noAves. They trust to government, not to their own industry far every improvement. What the governments do in this

is generally well done, and really beneficial to the people; 1of government cannot be applied to their mode of living, their eful articles in their households, their manners, habits, morals, t, to all that is most important in their social condition. Imin these must proceed from a spirit of improvement among the themselves; and this spirit is kept down and extinguished by the of the interference of government in all things, even in branches e industry. I saw here this morning, by the side of a new steam et fitted out by government, or with its permission and privilege, c. not a boat, but a canoe formed apparently out of a hollowed trunk large tree, and, as a work of art, in no respect superior to the omiak Esquimaux, paddled by two women with shovels at the

prow and , and conveying a party of peasants across the bay. Government may the beneficial improvements of other countries, but cannot penetrate neath the surface, and effect any improvement in the condition of the iss of the people, with all its efforts, not even in the most necessary of rts, that of their ordinary transport by water. The canoe exists by the

of the steam vessel, barbarism by the side of civilized appearances, because government does everything, and allows the people no interest or voice in what is done. The principle and spirit of a government has more influence than its acts upon the well-being and social condition of a country. This principle of doing everything for the people, and nothing by them, keeps a nation behind in real civilization, notwithstanding the external appearances its government may display*."-Pages 7-9.

*"But it seems to be with nations as with individuals—it is not what is done for people, but what people do for themselves, that acts upon their character and condition. From being altogether passive, and having no voice in their own affairs, the Danish people, with all those fine institutions of their government, are in the same state nearly as in 1660. In the practice of the useful arts, in activity, industry and well-being, they are two centuries behind those nations, with whom, in numbers and natural advantages of soil, climate and situation, they may be fairly compared,-the Scotch, the Dutch, or the Belgian

of practical application on more than one occasion. On the same subject we are enabled to lay before our readers an extract from the Report of one of the assistant Hand-loom Commissioners, which although printed has not yet been made public.

"The children at the Sunday-school were exceedingly well dressed, and their marked cheerfulness showed that they were under teachers who had a real interest in their welfare. I was informed that the establishment of this school, accommodating as it does a large proportion of the children of the village, has had a very striking effect upon the appearance of the population. In order to send their children in a decent condition to the Sunday-school, they make considerable sacrifices-greater sacrifices indeed than they were formerly in the habit of making: if this merely induced a taste for cleanliness in the children, it would be something; but it does more; the parents do not like to appear in a worse condition than their children, and they accordingly attend more to their own personal appearance. This begets industry, prevents wastefulness of expenditure, and tends continually to elevate the notions of the people as to what constitutes a decent subsistence. This is the very first condition of improvement. As long as the industrious classes are satisfied with the mere satisfaction of their physical wants, so long will they be in a degraded condition. To preach contentment to a potatoe-fed people, is to preach perpetual degradation. No people can be morally raised until they cease to be contented with a low condition; and I looked upon the remarkably neat appearance of the children of the Wortley School, as a strong piece of evidence of the improving notions of the population as to the decencies of life."

The only part of Mr. Laing's remarks with which we have any fault to find, is the narrow sense he gives to the term education. We shall not tire the reader with a long discussion respecting the definition of the term, but shall merely observe, that in speaking of the superior education of the Swedes, Mr. Laing must allude to ordinary school knowledge-reading, writing, &c.—whilst we should be disposed to extend the term to those very "habits and modes of living which denote civilization," and in which the Norwegians stand so much above the Swedes.

Among the most conspicuous causes of social improvement, Mr. Laing very properly places that habit of self-reliance which a participation in political power invariably generates. Speaking of certain improvements which a lapse of forty years

"These are improvements-but they are the work of the government, not of the people. It is the ruling principle of the governments of the continent, at present to do every thing for the people, and nothing by them. Roads, diligences, steam vessels, schools, savings' banks,-all, as well as the laws, emanate from or are controlled by government; and even ordinary branches of private industry, such as mines, iron foundries, salt works, are subject to the inspection and regulation of government functionaries; and all trades and handicrafts are exercised under licence. The consequence of this principle of interference in all things is, that the people remain in a state of pupilage, are trained to an inert dependence on their governments for all things, like that of the soldier on his officer, and do nothing for themselves. They trust to government, not to their own industry and exertion, for every improvement. What the governments do in this enlightened age is generally well done, and really beneficial to the people; but the hand of government cannot be applied to their mode of living, their supply of useful articles in their households, their manners, habits, morals, and, in short, to all that is most important in their social condition. Improvement in these must proceed from a spirit of improvement among the people themselves; and this spirit is kept down and extinguished by the principle of the interference of government in all things, even in branches of private industry. I saw here this morning, by the side of a new steam vessel just fitted out by government, or with its permission and privilege, a canoe, not a boat, but a canoe formed apparently out of a hollowed trunk of a large tree, and, as a work of art, in no respect superior to the omiak of the Esquimaux, paddled by two women with shovels at the prow and stern, and conveying a party of peasants across the bay. Government may copy the beneficial improvements of other countries, but cannot penetrate beneath the surface, and effect any improvement in the condition of the mass of the people, with all its efforts, not even in the most necessary of arts, that of their ordinary transport by water. The canoe exists by the side of the steam vessel, barbarism by the side of civilized appearances, because government does everything, and allows the people no interest or voice in what is done. The principle and spirit of a government has more influence than its acts upon the well-being and social condition of a country. This principle of doing everything for the people, and nothing by them, keeps a nation behind in real civilization, notwithstanding the external appearances its government may display*."-Pages 7-9.

*"But it seems to be with nations as with individuals—it is not what is done for people, but what people do for themselves, that acts upon their character and condition. From being altogether passive, and having no voice in their own affairs, the Danish people, with all those fine institutions of their government, are in the same state nearly as in 1660. In the practice of the useful arts, in activity, industry and well-being, they are two centuries behind those nations, with whom, in numbers and natural advantages of soil, climate and situation, they may be fairly compared,-the Scotch, the Dutch, or the Belgian

This vice of regulating all things exists to a greater extent in Sweden than in perhaps any other continental state. In England every thing may be lawfully done which the law does not forbid :-in Sweden, the fundamental rule of action, Mr. Laing tells us, is directly the contrary; nothing being lawful but what the law permits. Thus the government must perpetually make itself felt by the people; though it may not act itself, it lies like an incubus on the actions of the people; until at length, like labour to an idler, action of any kind becomes irksome, and government is looked to for the accomplishment of ends which should always be left to the people themselves. To prevent a people from looking to the government in cases where they should look to themselves, is always a matter of difficulty, even in this country, where self-reliance is really practised to a very considerable extent. Governments which like to be called "paternal," and kings who delight in being designated "fathers of their people," as all despotic kings do, give encouragement to this pernicious state of the public mind. Demands are occasionally made by those who are suffering from insufficient remuneration, or from excessive toil, for legislative relief, in the shape of what they call a "fair day's wages for a fair day's work;" a phrase which assumes a most equitable guise, but which involves an intermeddling on the part of government which could not but be productive of pernicious results, inasmuch as the real meaning of the phrase is,-let a low maximum of time be fixed, beyond which nó man shall labour; and let there be a high minimum of payment, below which wages shall not be permitted to fall. In what manner have these demands been usually met? By shuffling and evasion, and not by fairly and openly attempting to reason down the fallacy. The governing class in our own country may yet have to repent the neglect of popular instruction. The industrious classes in the towns and cities are certainly advancing in intelligence and moral improvement most rapidly; but they are organizing even more rapidly. At the same time, discontent is becoming very prevalent among them, the more especially as they cannot help attributing to the vices, or at all events to the