I am, with sincere respect, Your most obliged humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. EXPORTING OF FELONS TO THE COLONIES [From the _Pennsylvania Gazette_, May 9, 1751.] TO THE PRINTERS OF THE GAZETTE By a Passage in one of your late Papers, I understand that the Government at home will not suffer our mistaken Assemblies to make any Law for preventing or discouraging the Importation of Convicts from Great Britain, for this kind Reason, '_That such Laws are against the Publick Utility, as they tend to prevent the_ IMPROVEMENT _and_ WELL PEOPLING _of the Colonies_.' Such a tender _parental_ Concern in our _Mother Country_ for the _Welfare_ of her _Children_, calls aloud for the highest _Returns_ of Gratitude and Duty. This every one must be sensible of: But 'tis said, that in our present Circumstances it is absolutely impossible for us to make _such_ as are adequate to the Favour. I own it; but nevertheless let us do our Endeavour. 'Tis something to show a grateful Disposition. In some of the uninhabited Parts of these Provinces, there are Numbers of these venomous Reptiles we call RATTLE-SNAKES; Felons-convict from the Beginning of the World: These, whenever we meet with them, we put to Death, by Virtue of an old Law, _Thou shalt bruise his Head_. But as this is a sanguinary Law, and may seem too cruel; and as however mischievous those Creatures are with us, they may possibly change their Natures, if they were to change the Climate; I would humbly propose, that this general Sentence of _Death_ be changed for _Transportation_. In the Spring of the Year, when they first creep out of their Holes, they are feeble, heavy, slow, and easily taken; and if a small Bounty were allow'd _per_ Head, some Thousands might be collected annually, and _transported_ to _Britain_. There I would propose to have them carefully distributed in _St. James's Park_, in the _Spring-Gardens_ and other Places of Pleasure about _London_; in the Gardens of all the Nobility and Gentry throughout the Nation; but particularly in the Gardens of the _Prime Ministers_, the _Lords of Trade_ and _Members of Parliament_; for to them we are _most particularly_ obliged.