“During a portion of 1829, and throughout the two following years, I occupied part of my leisure hours in devising means of measuring time, in connection with astronomical observations, more minutely than had hitherto been done. With this view I tried many experiments, and succeeded in carrying accuracy of measurement first to one-tenth, and by a subsequent improvement, to one-hundredth of a second. In June, 1832, I addressed a letter to the Council of the Astronomical Society, of which I had been a member for about seven years, showing the principle of my device, which is in some measure indicated by the name I gave it, viz., the ‘Vernier pendulum,’[71] and applying for the loan of one of the Society’s clocks, with a view to further experiment. This being granted, I continued my investigation for some time, when it was brought to a close by a circumstance which, combined with others, changed my whole course of life. I shall, therefore, only further remark that as the letter just mentioned records a piece of work to which I gave much time and thought, and of which I felt then, and perhaps feel still, a little proud, I have given it in Appendix D. My invention, I must add, never came into use, being superseded by an adaptation of electricity to the same purpose, which, while equal in accuracy, had the advantage of much readier use. “My health, which had already twice broken down under the weight of my work, now began to show signs of permanent injury; and I was becoming sensible of the necessity for some change, though to obtain this was no easy matter. Simple rest I feared would not answer the purpose, as my mind was likely, by mere force of habit, to revert to my suspended duties, and moreover to busy itself with anxiety about the little family now depending upon me. Change of occupation was, therefore, what I sought, and this was one motive to the astronomical investigations previously referred to. I found, however, that so long as I remained at my post, there was small hope of substantial benefit, and I began to consider the means of release. In 1831 I had prepared for Lord Brougham a paper which I entitled ‘Home Colonies: Sketch of a Plan for the Gradual Extinction of Pauperism and for the Diminution of Crime;’ and this, with Lord Brougham’s consent, was published in 1832.[72] My hope in writing it, beyond that of doing good, had been that it might lead to my temporary employment by Government in examination of the Home Colonies of Holland, which were at that time attracting much public attention, and seemed to afford valuable suggestions for the improvement of our own Poor Law Administration, then, as is well known, in a lamentable state. One great object of the plan, as set forth in my pamphlet, was the education of the pauper colonists.