The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-08 00:00:00

THE CASE OF CHARLOTTE WINSOR.

Though, remarks the Times, judicial discretion is capa-
ble ocabuse, if a jury may be discharged because a judge,
without stating reasons, thinks it desirable, yet some
authority must be empowered to release juries, and this
ought to be vested absolutely in the judge ; and no reason-
able person can doubt that for the public interest
the effect of such a discharge should be to render the
prosecution abortive and to leave the parties in state quo
ante. Though the woman Winsor, whose crimes would
entitle her to rank in history with Locusta, or with
Tophania, but that her victims are infants of humble
parentage, still, after all that has passed, the Times will
not be surprised to hear that her Majesty has been advised
to commute the capital sentence upon Charlotte Winsor.
When once a prisoner has been respited—still more, when
execution has been deferred for a whole year, a considera-
tion which it is not easy to analyse, intervenes to make
the infliction of the death penalty an act of doubtful

policy.
The Post states that it is still possible to carry an appeal
to the House of Lords against the decision of the Court of
Exchequer Chamber, and in that event another respite
would be granted. A judicial decision in which all the
judges in Westminster Hall concur must be assumed to
be unassailable ; but the Post cannot avoid remarking
that it is opposed to a decision pronounced a few years
since by the majority of the Court of Queen's Bench in
Ireland.

With the utmost desire to show respect towards the
bench, the Telegraph cannot but think that some blame
attaches to the judges for the delay which has taken
place in settling this case. The infliction of capital punish-
ment in the present instance would be, despite the fearful
character of the woman's crime, a confession of deplorable
weakness, tardiness, and indifference to human suffering.
We may reasonably doubt whether the populace of Exeter
would be edified by the hanging of a person who was tried
for her crime fourteen months ago. Twice already the
scaffold has been raised for her, and twice her grave has
been dug in the precincts of the prison at Exeter. Should
the sentence of the law now be executed, the spectators
of her death would be much more impressed by the uncer-
tainty of the law, and the bungling way in which the
lawyers have done their work, than by the righteousness
of the decision.

Eire Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE, MAT

The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon, ac-
companied by Princess Helena, and attended by Lady
Churchill.

Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Helena, walked
and drove in the grounds this morning.
Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice also went out

walking.

The Queen will hold a Council at Windsor Castle to-
morrow (Wednesday) at 1 o'clock.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Alfred
visited the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg.Strelitz at
Gloucester-house yesterday.
The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Prince Alfred,
rode out on horseback in the afternoon.

A committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Most Honour-
able Privy Council sat yesterday at the Council-
chamber, Whitehall, to consider matters relating to the
cholera. The Lords present were :—The Lord President.
the Lord Privy' Seal, the Duke of Somerset, the Right
Hon. Sir George Grey, the Right Hon. Sir Thomas Fre-
mantis, the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, the Right Hon.
C. P. Villiers, and the Right Hon. H. A. Bruce. The
Committee was attended by the Attorney-General, Mr.
Simon, Mr. Helps, and Mr. Harrison,
A deputation, introduced I.y kir. Bright, M.P., Mr.
Bailey, M.P., Mr. E. Jame', M.P., Mr. C. N. Newdegate,
M.P., Mr. Baines, M.P., Mr. Platt, M.P., and Mr.
Graves, M.P., and consisting of Mr. Wright (Vice-Presi-
dent of the Birmingham Chamber), Mr. Edmund Sturge
(of Birmingham), and others, accompanied by Mr. T. B.
Sintaon, Parliamentary Agent, had an interview with the
Right. Hon. Edward Cardwell at the Colonial office yester-
day, on the subject of the acceleration of the West India
MAIL

A deputation, consisting of Sir Colman O'Loghlen, hart.,
M.P., the O'Donoghue, M.P., Colonel French, M.P.,
Mr. Gregory, M.P.. Mr. Dillon, M.P., Captain Stacpoole,
M.P., Mr. Chas. Moore, M.P., Mr. Kennedy, M.P., Mr.
P. Burrowes Sharkey, Mr. Edward Hudson, and Mr. John
McEvoy, had an interview with Mr. Childers, at the
Treasury, yesterday, on the subject of the opening of
St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, as a public park.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the governor of Malta.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, Major
Teesdale, and suite, honoured the performances at the
Adelphi Theatre last evening.