The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-08-18 00:00:00

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.
Sir,—lt was with no little disgust that I read the letter
in your paper of this day, in favour of capital punishment,
but, we may congratulate onurselves that, with the rlcer
tion of Sir G. Grey, " Jure Divino," and a few othetet
the masses of humanity, in civilised nations, are rapidly
getting wiser and better. If we look at the unmistakeable
landmarks of past history, we can find plenty cf reasons tort,
the aboli ion of capital punishment. In the early ages
mackind, crucifixion was the capital punishment of the
day ; when Christiani y dawned upon the world, tb
punishment of its followers and others, was impaling at ,n 1
stake. In the middle ages, burning, beheading, 8/17,
embowelling, was the miscalled (like the signature of you.
correspondent) "Jus Divinum" of the day; and coming deal
to our own times, in the reign of Geo. 111., when twenty or
thirty men and women were hung at once, and some fortrifling offences, we may see reason to congratulate our-
selves upon a more modified criminal code. When Geol
111. was asked to pardon Dr. Dodd, he replied, "land
pirdon him I have murdered all I have hung before,..
so, to maintain a doubtful policy, be went on murdering
more. Let me advise "Jure Divino" to advocate more
education and less hanging.—l remain, respectfully yonrs,
15th August 1856. J. M. S.

The Duke of Northumberland is actively continuing hi 9
endeavours to enable the maritime population of the northern
districts to acquire the art of swimming.
;Ap t,
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN HOLLAND.—An acc,--14
with some loss of life, occurred last Saturday evening on the
railway between Schiedam and Rotterdam.
The will of Mr. Samuel Gurney, the late eminent bank
and bill broker of Lombard-street, was proved on Fridß,
under 4000,000. The probate duty payab eon thi•i stun I°
the Government is £10,500. The deceased left a large
landed property Inside.
THE LATE MADAME VESTRIS.— The funeral of the late
Madame Vestris took place on Thursday morning at Kent
green Cemetery. The funeral was of a perfectly privet'
nature, there being only one mourning coach, in which vr're
Mr. Charles Matthews, the physician attendant upon the
deceased, and Mr. Morison, a friend of the family.
The use of the Nile, which this year is very rapid'
promises most favourably for the harvest. The Viceroy;
indeed, was to have left Alexandria on the 9th in order
.o proceed to Cairo for the ceremonial of opening the Kolit
This is the name given to the canal which is thrown oP'
by breaking down a dyke when the Nile has reached e
certain height.
THE Ray. PATRICK KING.—We have just heard, thooo
the report certainly requires confirmation, that the visiting
justices of Warwick gaol, where the Rev. Patrick K ng
doing penance for his grievious offence against law an
morality, have entrusted that person with the task es
preaching to the inmates, and still worse, of teaching the
child ren,—Birmingham Journal.
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE closed on Saturday nil
with the opera of "La Traviata." The house was crowd°,
to the ceiling, and Piccolomini sang with greater spirit, and
acted with far greater power, even than on any former °cgs;
sion. For its duration such a season has not been known et
her Majesty's theatre as the one which has just terminated.
GILDED NUGGETS.—There is at the present time solve
unprincipled persons attempting to victimise the trade by
offering for sale nuggets made up of from 40s to 60s gold'
and strongly electro-plated ; some of the se weigh from 34.:
to 50z., are very handsome, and well "got up." Of course
the deception is easily detected by breaking or filing deepi4
and applying the usual tests. They are intended to pass 01'
for Australian gold.
The stay of the Lords of the Admiralty in Cork harbour
is not expected to extend beyond to-day (Saturday), but it
is not probable that Sir Charles Wood, the First Lord, ,
be able to leave Ireland so soon, as he has been detained 11:
Killarney by an attack of gout, and is still staying 'lv
Mucruss, the seat of Colonel Herbert, M.P., with LadY
Wood and family. Sir Charles will, it is understood,•
proceed to London via Dublin, and will not return to Cork`
FLOGGING AT THE MARYLEEONE WORKHOUSE.— 00
Friday, at the weekly meeting of the guardians and direr-'
tors of the poor of Marylebone, Mr. Rae, the secretary, ream
a communication from the poor law board, in which the.
commissioners informed the guardians that in consequence
of statements respecting the flogging of certain female.
inmates of the house at the hands of the master, Mr. ByoUir
and the two porters, Green and Brown, they (the corals.
sioners) had directed one of their inspectors, viz , Mr'
R. B. Cane, to make a strict investigation into the whole
circumstances.

Considerable sensation has been caused in Berlin (-Thrift%
the last few days by the flight of three officers of the Royal
Guard, on account of being heavily in debt. The officerl
in question are Prince William of Mecklenberg Schweriol
Major et Cuirassiers; Lieutenant de Hagen, of the Fusiliers
of the Guard, son of the general commanding at Stettin
and Lieutenant Stosch, of the same regiment, son of tir lieutenant general on the retired list. A great cause of tho
affair is said to have been that each of the parties has beell keeping an expensive mistress attached to the theatre•
Prince William also spent a good deal in bacchanalian
enjoyments—a propensity which has acquired for him tha
nickname of Prince Schnaps, on account of his red nose"
M. de Hagen is said to be in England, and M. de Stosch at
Altona.

COURT INCIDENT.—MarshaI Vaillant asked the Empress'o
permission to bring Marshal Pelissier, to present him to hat'
Majesty. "Of course," was the answer, "to-morrow'
whenever you choose—let us say to morrow at two." We
shall come in uniform," said the Minister of War. " Olt i.
Marshal," exclaimed the Empress, " It is very hot for that
—come en bourgois." Marshal Vai lant hesitated, but
ended by saying that, if truth must be told, the " marshal
duke" had no coat—only his full dress uniforms. The
Empress laughed, and said, " very well then, come in your.
uniforms ; but then the household must also be in full dres't
and the ladies in low bodies and short sleeves." On the
next da Marshal Vaillant observed to his illustri us cow'
trades
,hat the au iience was a full dress one. "Oh
!" 13"i7,
plier, " this is killing heat for a uniform." ‘‘
answered the Minister of War, " but you have no coat.'
" Yes, hut you can lend me one !" suggested the Critneau
hero. "Certainly," rejoined M. Valliant, forge ting hi'
conversation with the Empress ; and, coniequently. when
they came to St. C oud, they found every one en, gr
tenue, and only themselves in every day costume. The:
laugh was general at the double change of dPc,,ration, 504
the audience a very gay one. The imperial infant was
produced, and much caressed by Marshal Pelissier, to whom''
as he is already trained to do when bid, he gave his hand
only, atter putting out its right hand, it put out its left on''
too, in Marshal Vaillant's direction. who reverentially
kissed the imperial fingers. A person present (such
courtier souls are not every where) said, " that child
is unquestionably a genius! such sense is quite extraor-
dinary !"

2
Printed and Published by CHARLES WlLLiaßit. n+^l, ( Ila'
jgr
street, at his General Printing and Stationery Establishinen."
South John-strut, Liverpool.
(MONDAY, AUGUST 18,.18A6.