The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-12-26 00:00:00

T" - ,1 ~. Ow XECUTIONE FOR FORGERY • following remarks on the frequent esecetions' tNglantl, for the forgery of Bank notes are given as e rellecaorts of a foreiper on a tour in Great Bri- , t sin: They are well entitled to consideration not only front their intrinsic weight, bat as actually being the shoughts of one who is now a staunch supporter of the present system or government, and no less a per ',Asset than the Poet' Laureate, Mr. Southey. They are extracted from one of the volumes of the amusing 1.P.T711111 fillOY ENGLAND, which he published about ixteen years ago, wirier the assumed garb of a trans latios from the Spanish, by DON MANULL ALVARIti t_APHIELLA: The frequent executions for forgery in England are justly considered by the humane and thinking part of the people, is Peputreast to justice, shocking to huma nity, aid ellairaceful to the nation. Death has been the uniform pouishment in every ease, though it is seareely pomible to conceive a crime capable of so many modifications of guilt is the criminal. The most powerful intercessions have been made for mercy, and the most powerful arguments urged in vain; no in stenee has ever yet been known of pardon. A Doctor of Divinity was exeruted for it in the early part of :he present reign. who, though led by prodigality to the commission of the deed for which be suffered, was the most useful as well as the most popular of all :heir preachers. Any regard to his clerical character was, as yon may well suppose, out of the question in this land of schism; yet earnest entreaties were made in nig behalf. The famous Dr. Johnson, of whom the Englieh boast as the great ornament of his age, and as one of the best and wisest men whom their country has ever produced, and of whose piety it will he sual ekent praise to say that he was almost a Uatlt••lic,—he atienuotoly exerted himself to procure the pardon of this unfortunate man, on the ground that the punish ment exceeded the measure of the offence, and that the life of the offender might usefully be passed in retire ment and penitence. Thousands who had been bene fited by his preaching petitioned that mercy might be shown him, and the Queen herself interceded, but in vain. Diving the interval between his trial and his exeention, he wrote a long poem entitled Prison i Thoughts; a far more extraordinary effort of mind than the poem of Villon, composed under similar cie s amstances, for which, in an age of less humanity, the life of the author was spared. Had the punish ment of Dr. Dodd been proportioned to his offence, he wield have hero so object of pity; but when he tailored the same death as a felon or a murderer, rum passion overpowered the *ease of his guilt, and the people universally regarded hiss as the victim of a law inordinately rigorous. It was long believed that his life had been preserved by connivance of the execu tioner ; that a waxen figure had bees buried in his stead, and that he had been conveyed over to the con tiseat. Wm persons have suffered for.thia offence since the I law has been enacted than fur illy otter crime. In all I ether cases palliative circumstances are allowed their don weight this alone is thesis for which ante is no resaiseloo. No allowance is made for the pressure of wait, for the temptation which the facility of the fraud holds out, stir for the difference betweru offences ! Mallet neutral or enlist political law. More merci less this Draco, or than those inquisitors who are' never mentioned in this country without an abhorrent expression of real or affected hotnanity. the commer cial legislators of England are satisfied with nothing hat the life of the offender who sins against the which is their Holy of Holies. They sacri ficed for this offence one of the ablest engravers in the kingdom, the inventor of the dotted or chalk en -s=ng. A meehaeic has lately suffered who had a ambles to go *lama homes, and peeved its sasoess by travelliog in it himself about forty Irtagnl. A man of respectable family and unblemished conduct has jest boss meet in Ireland, because, when re dacted by unavoidable misfortunes to the utmost dis tress, he committed a forgery to relieve his family from absolute want. There is an easy and effectual mode of preventing • the repetition of this offence, by amputating the thumb; it seems one of the few crimes fur which mutilation would be a fit punishment. But it is a part of the lieglisit system to colonise with criminals. It is got the best mode of colonising; nor, having adopted it, do they manage it in the best manner. Of ail crimes. then should seem to be sone for which change of climate is so effectital a caress for forgery; and as there is none which liveries" in itself so little tastral depravity. nee which is so freqoutly committed, it is evident that thaw eemiless executions deprive ..Yew South Wales of those who world be its most meekl members. men of ingenuity, less depraved. mid better *dogma in general, than any other convicts. . 1 have sees it recorded of some Baylis!' judge, that when be was shoat to sentence a man to death for horoe•stealing. the man observed it was bard he should Wee his Wafer snip stealing a horse; to which the ;ridge repiled. " You are out be hanged for stealing a horse, bet in order that horses may riot be stolen." The rely was as unphilesophical as unfeeling; but it is the fishiest among the English to assert that pre vention is **end of punishment. and to disclaim any rineiple of vengeance, though vengeance is the faun *ties of all penal law, divine and human. Proceed epee this fallacious principle, they necessarily swage lie attempt et proportioninr the punishment to the elfeocts sad offences are punished, not according to the degree of moral guilt which they indicate in the °leader. hot wording to the facility with which r 3ifsep can be ememitted, mid to their supposed things( be comminutes ee the commeuity. Dot even tattoo difs primer's. it is no longer passible to justify the fry "teat azacetteas for forgery; the end of presrutien is amt answered, sad maarrdly the eirrina?nt has been toed. inilkisotli and safficien!ly often. other man. 'ream are held more venial us the omaptation *smote is stronger, note being frail by moth* t in this the punishment is sande heavier in pre woos to the strosteh of the temptition. Is is dm dm, of the dank Directors fo reader tbt, aalegoil *gory as Alkali is possible, Thrt am Ahead bq adeptiag *private lambi in their Mira; wink es ore amaist to be private. cal never ea . able she to ho epos their guard. Such means any it impeosibir that a him bill shosid pass k T"E STATPS'M AN undiscovered at the Bank. Inn do not in the slightest degree impede its general circulation. What is re inited is something so obvious that a common and un instructed eye shall immediately perceive It; and no thing seems so likely to effect this as a plan which they are said to have rejected,—that in every bill there should he two engravings, the one in copper, the other in wood. each executed by the best artists in his re spective branch. It is obvious that few persona would be able to imitate either, and highly improba ble that any single one could execute both, or that tun Persons suffiriently skilful should combine together. As it now is, the engraving is such as may be copied by the cluinaiest apprentice to the trade. The addi- Itional expellee which this plan would cost the Bank would be considerably less than what it now expends ; in hanging men for an offence, which could not be so frequent if it was not so east•. The Bank Directors ' say the Pater-noster in their own language; but they seen to forget that one of the petitions which Ile who hest knew the heart of man enjoined us to make is, that we may nut be led into temptation. It is reported that James Neat, alias Al•(Jerl, so long well known in the Courts of Law and Jitatit iary here, and some time since convicted of the rubbery of the Paisley Bank at Glasgow, rood tuned to death and afterwards respited, died in Edinburgh ial on Wed !lmlay night ; and that at the time he received sen tence of death, be was in a weak state of health, anti has Gradually declined since the period of his confine ment. We have never before heard this ptisoner spoken of hot as enjoying possession of the highest spirits, and, from his first conviction, the fullest confi deuce in the remission of his sentence, without even the customary transmutation of it to transportat' fur life. So singrilas:y contileat was he of vocalising pu nishment, that we understand he odered to make considerable wagers on that opinion. Rio r AT GREENecti.—One of those disgraceful scenes, which, in the present demoralised state of the lower orders of society. have become of so common °centre-nee .-biewhere, and, we are sorry to add, nut %infrequent here, was exhibited in oar streets, on Sa turday evening, During the latter part of the day, snow fell heavily, and a keen frost still prevailing, soon entered the ground to the depth of several inches. After dusk, the tender mercies of the rabble augvest ed to them the Anemlcss pleasure of converting the congealed element into missiles for the purpose of an noying the lieges; but this desultory warfare was ultimately abandoned for a combined attack, which was accomplished by accumulating a snow-ball of co lossal dimensions, and rellitig it into the door-way of a shop in Hamilton-street, occupied by Mr. Hume, can dlemaker, who, from having fiirtnerly been a member of the Port-filasgow Armed Association, ban of late, been made the subject of notch unjustifiable outrage, on the part of the mob. On notice being given of what was going on, the Magistrates, Sheriff, and town officers came to the spot, the former of whom strongly remonstrated with the rabble on Ike impropriety of their system, but without elfeet. The emir part of the proceedings was apparently the work of idle boys, bitt latterly as the disturbance was prolonged, others of mature years took part in it, and unrondliated by the forbearance of the Magistrates. the outrage o• 1 the shop was continued until the window was entirely broken, and considerable (Image otherwise done to the premises with brick bats, &c. At length, finding their lenity was only productive of personal abuse di rected against themselves, the Magistrates called in the assistance of a party of military. who bad scarce ly made their appearance when the hitherto .conrage cts rabble began to scamper away in all directionsosild in a few minutes the distarbed part of the street was completely cleared of the mal-contents. It is matter of regret, however, that none of them were caught in I the act.—(Greessock Advertiser.) On Wednesday last, about six in the evening, a die- pate arose in the tap-room of the White Bear Inn, St. I Michael's Hill, Bristol, between -- Tilley, a milk man, and Abraham Shipton, a labourer, inhabitant of the cottage in the meadow at the back of Montague parade, and who, as usual with him, was equally in liquor and maliciously out of tamper. When Tilley left the house to go home, Shipton /allowed him, and near the Montague, a seuMe ensaed, ih which Shipton drew a knife, and, while Tilley was on the ground, cut him across the throat and stabbed him in the side. Tilley was not, however. too dirabled to appear in person before the Magistrates, yesterday, to give evi dence ; when Shiptoa was committed for trial. Jobe Olive of Longford, farmer, who stands charg ed pith rarions fdonies and forgeries to ticonsiderable amount, and for the apprebeneioe of whom a reward of 1001. was offered, was discovered last weak on beard a weenaLlu ike &ilia Oland. P k had in tended, it seems, if possinle, to proceed to kmerica. On Thursday morning he was convoited to LamF lighter's Hill, and when there, retiodsted he might he shared. His request being granted, be complained that the razor hurt him. The wan who was perform ing the operation put down the razor, and went to .pr.cor•• tel:re A.:401 the .1.•, .01.sity, Atilt drew the deadly imorament across his throat. His recovery is deem •ti p ;e:.l This noltappy man, about three weeks ago, threw himself from the top of a very high boom in liloucerer, for the purpose of putting na end to his esisteace.--(Briatel.Wercery.) On Saturday evening, there was an infernal attempt to murder one of the partners who is manager of the Underwood Cotton Mill, Paisley. This attempt was made so early as a quartet past tea o'clock. and under cirtemstances peculiarly daring. to y had been made- fur him at six or seven differe nt ha the coarse of the evening, and, at the time Awe mention ed, he was found at the house of a friend in Canary siJe-stroet. one of nearly the most public streets its Paisley. The person who called for him brae vegetat ed by the servant to step into a pastime. which the summit' declined, pleading urgent business. The gentleman had scarcely reached the threshold of the street door, when he cos saluted by a discharge of kennel pistols, Lot mootrosideatially without receiv ing any appal. roar belbia hare siert been foapd, leo at which had *track the door, the other there Aver, found in the lobby. The assassi ( our i s weber, who instantly made off. Three men bare been apprehended on snspicion, vtl a pr. cognition has ince bee going on. A LOYAL MEETING. PLYNCUTH, Dec. 21.—0 n Friday last, pnr•nant to reqbisition, a meeting was held at the (Taildloall of this town, for the purpose of presenting a loyal and dutiful address to his Majesty. The number of persons assembled were about 200 I and the important business cotunenced shortly afire I l o'clock. Peter Tonkin, Esq. brought forward a prepared address. which was read, put, and seconded by J. Hawker, Esq. The Mayor being called to the Chair, proposed the address to the meeting, when it was carried, about ualf a dozen persons being dis sentient. When the Chairman put the question that all per sons who voted against the address would express themselves accordingly, the persons dissentient called out s' No, no." Upon which Mr. Hewitt:lt addressed the meeting. He thought it had been understood that no persons were desired to attend winless they concurred in the ob• ject of the meeting, which was to present a loyal ad dress to the King, and which, in his opinion, was the most pleasing thing that could be imagined. Persons of a different opinion, however, havieg thought fit to disturb 10 harmonious and gentlemanly an assembly, by their pro.ence, and cries of " no, no," he thought it would be proper to put such pers.mi out of the hall. This thought of his, however, was received in a manner which we believe, he did not expert. Lord Exmouth oh posed it with all the warmth of a real gentleman; and many others did the same. Mr. ti.t NUT animadverted upon his motion at length. He entirely disagreed with Mr. Ilawker, he said, on that subject ; as he (Mr. bandy) could not conceive that any man ought to be precluded f attending that meeting, merely because he differed in his poli tical opinion from the majority of the persons present. In fact, such a measure would be the height of lice. It was his wish that the doors of that ball should he thrawn open to every man. He was not an enemy to the government ; he was in its service, but be was paid by the country: and no man shoulo ever compel him to du any thing against his will ; sail in in his opinion theconduct ()revery on in in such meetings. should be equally free and unbiassed as his own. It was every man's duty to oppose such measures us he thought had a tendency to forge chains for himself and children ; and he himself would oppose with all his might any ministry, be it Whig or Tory, that en• deavonred to enshive the country. ---•- - - When he slt down, the persons concerned being satisfied with the odd kiwi of unanimity evinces, by the meeting. the whole affair was finished in exactly 20 minutes. Such was the loyal meeting rot together by the united interest of Mayor, Aldermen. Common Coun cilmen, and Freemen of the borough of Plymouth' So finished that mighty stir which the respectalok requisitionists expected would display such eclat. Raiser. the celebratettlies9leb podeetrian. being last reek at Brighten, with a view of getting himself backed to run agaiust time, a gentleman's grown, who had confidence in his own speed, had the vanity to chal lenge the Kentish hero, to run a mile the next mom int. for 20gs. aside: which was of course accepted, anti at the appointed hour, on Wednesday morning, the race took place. The ground agreed upon was the turnpike road, between the mile stone near Monis• comb, to that near the alms houses. At starting, the groom took the lead followed by his competitor at a convenient distance; exclaiming, " Don't run so fast, you'll ruin my reputation!—You'll beat me easy enough!" which made the groom run (to use Kainer's own words) "tit to burst himself;" and influenced the betting, till they hail got within about 300 yards of the winning post, when Ranier again exclaimed— " Well, if you can't go faster, 1 must bid you good bye," when the groom finding he had no chance, to use a jockey phrase, pulled up, and walked in. An unfortunate disciple of Jelin, adds our correspondent, said, lost on this rare, a roll of bank notes, amounting to upwards of 301. About three o'clock on Friday reek, the extensive flax-mill in the occupation of Mr. Prest, of Masham, in Yorkshire, was discovered to be on fire, which spread to various parts of the building, and before the engines arrived from Bedale, the devouring ele ment had increased with such rapidity as to render all endeavours to save the building fruitless. After burning for some time with nnabating fury. the roof fell in with a tremendous crash, an ; the whole of this extensive building, which was thirty yards in length, ten in breadth, an I five stories in height, soon became a mass of sum:sing ruins, nothing bet the bare walls being left. The loss, we are sorry to say, amounts to ten thousand pounds. and was only insured in the Nor wich Union Office for four thousand five hundred. It is supposed the machinery in the mill bad been over- he:.ted, which caused the fire. The dwelling-house and twenty-five cottages adjoining would have shared the same fate, but happily the wind blew in a contrary direction: providentia ly no lives were lost. We are informed that the building bel.•nged to Mr. Wyvill, and was occupied by a, Mr. Prest on lease, thirty years of which are unexpired. On Monday night the Revenue *Seen of this place, seized, on the beach, nigh to Porto Bello Hap, near Beachy Head, 66 tubs of contraband spirits, about half the cargo of a small smuggling boat, from which they had been a very short time before landed. The seizure was the next morning, lodged in the store house of the customs. The asetmo Rescue Ostso.—We have the eels feetien to state that Mark Herd, the leader of this game, was taken nn Saturday by the two Brands, of Culdhath•fields prison, and S. Foreman, after many days' search. This fellow will he distinctly proved to be see of the persons who actml with Starley, alias Jock Joliv. is making the first assault upon aid 'mock iug Marsden down. He is the PION swan who souse time since rescued a prisoner from fit. Martha's watch house, and retail sot be tonna afterwards; he is alto @barged with a burglary in Survey. Ora glair pug, ageless who. the evidence will ass reach. is alisiltird hine's endear?, and in a fest Eqe dm ease will be brought home to the majotity of the prisosers, by the unceasing labours of Messrs. Comsat and Farraot, and the a.sideity and diligence of the officers. DEOREDA7IONS. As a melaneholy proof that the uni,reeeOented pre ♦alence of robbing, at the present lICAPOII, is not con fined to London lir to Eughtui, we girt ri le follow ing extracts from a single E linhurgh paper, the Ediaburfh Slur, of the a:her day, remarking, ‘ei t h regret, that almost every paper received of late, nut only fr.nn that, but other paprika, tutees, hare he el) occupied r.•ith similar details to nearly an equal cxtsnt STIFET SAVINDLINO.•.-One evening !ately, a tout; girl was sent from a straw-hat shop on the Nor:lt bridge, to a lady in Union-place, with a black ciiip bonnet, full trimmed, for mourning, in a basket. Ott her goin . e.to tl:e !time, a girl earne ■p to her and asked her where she was going ? She replied, Mrr. -- with a bonnet." The girl then told h. r. that Mr.. - and all the tansilywere ju.t une out; but if she would give the bonnet to her, she would give it to the lady when she tame 11,puir, as she g u t her *errant; which the little girl nusaspeetinglv . . The whole, however, was an imposition ; the bonnet has not been heard of, and the basket has since beeia offered for sale in the Cowgate. Ott Saturday forenoon a boy bad the audacity to snatch a ridicule from a lady at the Trott Church; he was immediately apprehended and carried to the Mice-other, where he Irma sentenced 11- the sitting Magistrate to6o days confiuement in and to he fed on bread and eater. A few days sr, a girl, who had been sent from h. milliner's with a parcel to go by the Delkrith enach, on coming near the office was met by a man, wbo pretended he belonged to the coach, and talsing the parcel trout the girl,said, ac the coach w.lll just going away,she need not book it, as it would be safely de livered. The girl not suspecting any deception, al lowed him to g., away with it. and lie has not since been heard of. The value of the root+fined in it, we uuderstentl, amounted to about 611. On Saturday night a fellow arm into a shop in the Coltgate, while the shopkeeper was in a room ad joining, and wit 4 in the act of carrying away • kit of butter, when he was observed by the shopkeeper, who gave the alarm, and the fell's' was seised by some persons in the street, and takento the Perlin office. 011 Saturday evening as one of the inmates of Vie Bl:nd Asylum was passing up a close in the Canon gate. a fellow made a violent pull at his wane`. bat only succeeded in carrying o[ the ribhaod and key, which was scarcely a snlficiest compensation for a li beral salute which he received over the head front the stick of the_ ri son attacked. We lately mentioned, as en instance of the activity of the police officers, ►hat a entlemaa's watch, of which he was robbed, was recovered almost immedi ately after he had given information at the Ake. 44e s.tles the two other watches found then on the two young men, as they were entering a ionise which they had been in the habit of frequenting, we •sderstatd that five more have since been recovered i■ the same As the offwers maid sot get rid of the suspi cion that such articles were concealed there, they at to work, and actually proceeded to dig op the ffoor till they found the number mentioned! Owners have ap peared for all of them excepting one. Frequent depredations continue to be committed is the back greens of houses in every quarter of the town. About the latter end of last week washings of clothes were taken away from the first and second houses in Duke -street, and similar robberies bare been committed at four different places. On Thursday week, a man and woman went into a house in Dumfries, and galled fur • gill •f whiskey, which having discussed and paid for, they were suf fered to depart. In a abort time, however, it was di.- covered that they had contrived to carry with theta the landlord's watch; but the woman being lc/awaiilr head mark, the parties were scented to hiaxwell-teww, and the watch ultimately recovered, though not with out considerable trouble and some expense. Last week, William Yonng, garJener at Iloqnhan, was lodged in Stirling jail, charged with abstrattlng 141. from a chest belonging to a person who skpa im the same room with him. An Exciseman was taken into custody, on Satur day, for stealing three pounds and a half weight „t candles from a tallow chandler's in Mart-le -boor, where he attended in performance of his duty. HP was taken to the watalsbonse to be brought up this day for examiaatios. Thou COURT Or JCSTIf tIT.-011 Monday the Ccurt met for the purpose of hearing Counsel in a case cer tified from the last western circuit. T. Steel, mate of the ship Hariesooy, accused of murder, alleged to have been committed at sea, on the voyage between tire:- neck swA thelsland al St. Thomas, in March or April last. Upon the diet being called, the Counsel fur the prisoner passed from his objection, when the Coon de elared the libel relevant to infer the pains of law, and adjourned till Saturday newt, at 12 o'clock. Ltaraatcu, Dac. 16.—This morning about oat o'clock, during a violent storm from S. S. Z., the large chimney of Captain Flicktuan's house, is Cfarr -street. was blown down, which, falling upon the riot: broke it in with &dreadful crash, and carried down all the back mono to the ground fiuor. euptaio Hickman's family are in England, and oho home was occupied by a cook, Mary O'Connor, too chil dren belonging to Mr. Hichman's servant. and Mary Kiely their grandarother. The cook was dug out wf the ruins, dreadfully braised, and there is bat little hopes of her recovery ; but the pour old woman, silk the two istaats e were killed. MARRIED. On the Mai inst., at Rt. Wools Raekehnreh. by the Res. J. Grose. Cha►les YarrGld, Esq., surgeon. of Great It. He llos; to alto Loggia Mary Teseloonseher, of Itood-loor. OWN& IIhoINA DIED. Os Thersday. the 7th Lamaist, at Newbury. flush Cashes the Weird sad oldest daughter of the Rev. Jabs livaassil. Hear of Resat sa. Berks. alter a oast sayers illness of they sore than these wt eke. which she was n!ieliled to be st with tbeirsitsst fortitude end resignstios. aged & yews._ OeTtlibg. the aid last., aired I yews, Nay &ea. ihsighlat Mr. W. V suable!. Queen' tate. Liaise s BOOM:Prioted. sad Published st qs Ofine "his ST MI" and " Tas Cosirrtartes" (Sas*/ Paper) Ns I. Stroud, opposites litelsoset'sChsec is. by R. WARDELL. Jva.. LL. R.: Ss Moo ell Cow siesissiless. Orders, te. are requesled Os be addressed. a: