The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-31 00:00:00

11.‘,Y I,IISOOII to Jamaica and that of Mr. ti,_
to the lonian Islands
Lent Grinnell° insisted on the expediency of malting the
cote, y feel that it must adopt for it-elf a decided course,
whether that were war, or, what he should advize, a system of
w hie comallation of the natives.
lhelkshop of LicWield admitted that the preset it relations
between England and the New Z aland COIOMILS bad been
set on foot at the demand of the Litter themselves; but he
appealed on behalf of the colonists against any attitude on
the part of the Imperial Governinent which could be con-
strues' as neglect. He maintained that England continued
bound in honour by its engagement to keep order
in New Zealand among the native tribes, and that we
were, therefore. responsible for the present state of
brigandage which through our unsystematic interference
with native affairs had now become substituted for the
highly chivalries type of sear which hail formerly prevailed
thme. Ile szgu in favour of discriminatbm between the
different mamas tof natives. 'the New Zealanders were, he
declared, a peculiarly law.lov.ng people, and he believed
that if some native official were commissioned by the Crown
whether under the name of "King," or any other title, to
sups rintend the native population, the old state of tran-
quillity, of which he drew a glowing picture, might be I.
stored. lie traced the present disorders to the monopoly
assumed by the Queen's Government of the right
to purchase land from the natives, and lie expressed
• belief that the colonists would never be aide to keep
ups time sufficient to maintain the law. That, he appre-
hended, could only be done by means of an imperial force,
which should not intermeddle with the land question, but
confine knelt strictly to the repressiou of crime. Ile asked
for such aid to the colony, on the ground partly of mercy and
partly of just ice.
Isad Lyvetlen armies' strongly against any deviation from
the reeognieed nOn,lnterventiou y. So Log as the clay
could rely on subventions of money and troops from England
it would never put forth Its full strength for its own defetice,
In answer to Lord Fortescue, who moved for all address
for documents relating to weighta anti measures for India,
the Duke of Argyll replied that there would be no objection
to the production.
Lord Colchester made some remarks in reference to
allusions made by Lord Fortescue to the report of the Stand-
ard Weights Commimion, of which he had been a member,
and their lordshqm afterwards adjourned.
In the House of Commons, Captain Egerton asked the
First Lord of the Admiralty whether tine Admiralty had
considered the proposal contemplated by their predecessors,
1,1 bringing togeteer the Channel and Mediterranean fleets
during the ,umtner months
Mr Childers said that no official information hod been
given of the iittentions of the lute Board of Admiralty. but
he belteved that a proposal to bring together the two ft. Obi
flail been under their consideration once or twice, but some
difficulty had arisen in carrying it out. The conananders-in
chief of the two fleets were both vice-admirals of similar
standing, and a annually misted in brieging them together.
He thou.dit it would be expedient to bring abut such a
meeting, and he pr posed to go out at the end of August,
together with Admiral Sydney D'Acres, in the Channel Fleet.
with a view to meet the NI editerranean stieselron.
Ile Kinnaird asked the chancellor of the Exchequer
whether ix was ',revised to change this system of posing the
dividends on Government securities by the Bank of England,
anti to remit dividend its to the holders of such stocks?
Mr. Ayrtou (In the absence of Mr. Lowe said that the
matter had occupied the attention of the Treasury with •
view of carrying out the policy advauced in the question,
tint it was impossible for them to do so without the sanction
of Parliament.
The report Of the Committee of Supply was brought up
and agreed to.
The Parochial Schools ( Scotland) Bill, which came down
from the birds some weeks hick, occupied the remainder of
the morning sitting The stage was Committee, but neatly
two hours out of the five were consumed in a preliminary
controversy—very unlike the usual course of Scotch business
—whether it was worth while discussing the bill when so
little time could he given to it at this late period of the Ses-
sion. In Committee clause 2, which constitutes Ic Central
Board, was debated at such length that at seven o'clock pro-
gress has: only been made up to clause 3.
At the Evening Sitting the House was counted out before
any business was done,
in the House of Commons, July IS, Viscount Bandon gave
notice that he should, in the ensuing session, move for leave
te bring in a bill to prevent ally deviation from the usual
mode of conducting Divine worship in parish churches
against the wish of the parishioners.
Mr. D. Dalrymple gave notice that he should, in the next
session, move for leave to bring in a bill providing for the
proper reception, detention, and punishment of habitual
drunkards.
Viscount Sandon gave notice that he should, in the ensu-
ing seesion, call attention to the question of Church patronage.
Mr. Gilpin, in moving the second reading of the Capital
Punishment Abolition Bill, pointed cut the serious injustice
and immorality resulting from the existence of a system of
capital punishment. A bill for its abolition had been re-
peatedly passed by the House of Commons, but had been per-
sistently rejected by the other House, the bishops and arch-
bishops voting against it. One of tho great reasons for the
abolition of the death punishment was the uncertainty of its
operation, and the partial manner hi which sentences had
been rover ed by It e Home Office. A still greater reason
was to be found in the list Of persons who hail been executed,
or who had b srely escaped execution, atni had afterwards
been found inuecent of the crimes attobeted to them. On
this ground the hon. member asked for the abolition of the
death penalty until the infallibility of human judgment
should be moved. The existence of stick • penalty,
In many eases, had the ,if ct of causing juries to acquit
persons charged with wilful murder, who, if there had
been a different punishment, would have been convicted.
The inconvenience and pain infl'eted upon the Home Secre-
tary, in dealing between conflicting evidence in such solemn
cases, would be entirely avoided The Min. member cited
numerous cases whisk have occurred during recent years,
and in conclusion urged the House to pass the bill as •
measure which would prevent the Miesisling of innocent
blood, which would make convict' in and punishment more
certain, and which would relieve the Home Secretary of the
painful necessity of investigating doubtful cases.
Mr. R. N. Fowler, in seconding the motion, quoted
statistics of convictions for the period of 10 years from
1526 to 1335, and the similar period from 1554 to 1863,
by which it would be seen that the number of con-
victisms for forgery and other crimes, had considerably
decreased since the punishment of death, formerly
attached to them, hail been abolished. He Contended
that a similar result would be attained by the abolition
of capital punishment for murder. From statistics which
he quoted it appeared that the number of executions
which had taken place were not 40 per cent of the convic-
tions, the sentences in the other cases having been commuted
by the Home Secretary. Ile urged the House to adopt the
recommendation of the Royal Commission which had been
appointed to inquire into the subject, and advocated the
s ihstilution ef a system a solitary confinement for the pre-

sent punishment.
After remarks from Mr. J. D. Lewis, Mr. Tipping, Mr.
&dealt Simon, Mr. scourneid, and Mr. ilihrsers,
Mr Bruce said that although the present state of the law
was very unsatisfactory, he could not support the bill of the
hon. member. During the last z years 155 persons hail
been sentenced to death, and only 82 had been executed.
Of the 73 who did not undergo the penalty of the law 20
were convicted of infanticide. In cases referred to the Home
Office the sentence of death was not enforced against the
opinion of the judges who tried the respective cases.
The great fault of the present system was that eviderve was
often procured In certain cases after conviction which led
to a commutation of the sentence, but that In the case of
poor persons this evidence could not be brought forward for
want of means. lie could not adopt the principle of
total abolition of capital punishment, for he believed
that the principle was a great power in the repression of
crime. In State; where universal education prevailed, and
where the population was scattered, the abolition of that
penalty would have good results, but it would not have hat
effect in our great cities. Ile admitted that the present state
of the law was not in accordance with what the Howe would
like to see, but the greatest sufferer was the Herne Secretary.
He did not believe from his experience that juries could not
be got to convict in cases where the evidence was clear, any
more than that judges could not be got to pronounce sen-
.

tepee.
After a few words from Mr. Hadfield in favour of the

bill,
Mw Gilpin said that he should divide the Boner on it.
Mr. Henley said he found that crimes previously punish-
able by death had not increased since that punishment
hail been abrlished, and that whilst out of every three
persons accused of murder, only one was convicted,
In every other class of crime two convictions were obtained
out of every three persons accused. life was not
sanguine of any alteration in the present law, but thought
the simplest mode of I beating with it was to pit rid of the
death penalty, and he should therefore vote for the bill.
Alter a few words from Mr. lorrens, the House divided:—
Poe the second reading. 53; against it, 118 ; Majority, 60.
The tell was therefore lest.
Lod Eleho moved the second reading of the Game Laws
'Scotland; Bill, but eventually the bill was talked out.
' the Sunday reading Bill was w ithdrawn, the Seeds Adul-
teration Bill parsed through Committee, and the Lords'
amendments on the Endowed schools Bill were considered
and agreed to.
After some other business had been disposed of, the Rouse
adjourned.
w.m......