The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-05 00:00:00

CRIME-ITS CAUSE AND PREVENTION.

On Wednesday evening, at St. Martin's Hall, Mr.
Thomas Hodgskin, a gentleman long known and justly
esteemed in the literary world, delivered his second lecture
on " The Cause and Prevention of Crime." Though the
lesser hall in which the lecture was delivered was not
crowded, the respectability and the attention of the audi-
tory amply evidenced the increased popularity which the
subject of the lectarer's exertions has attianed since the
first development of his views on a topic which has already
engaged the deliberations of the Senate, the consideration
of the sages of the law, and the anxious attention of
those who wish well for the community at large. At
the hour appointed (eight o'clock) Mr. Charles Mackay
took the chair, amidst loud applause, and, on doing
SO, remarked that he could speak of the fidelity
with which his friend Mr. Hodgskin had for years
directed his energies and efforts for the instruction
and improvement of the condition of his fellow subjects.
He knee, not the tenour of the views of the lecturer sought
developed, but thus much he would remark, that up to the
present time, a much too microscropic view had been taken
of crime; and he desired that telescopic view, in order to
ascertain
,whether there was anything, in the laws, the
Customs, and the prejudices of society, which tended to
crime. -Ile believed that Mr- Hodgskin would afford that
view, and hence he recommended him to the attentive
consideration of the auditory now assembled. Mr. Hag-
skin, who was warmly greeted, commenced by observing
that, on a former occasion, his object had been to show
that the bulk of offences committed in this country were
crimes without violence; in short, pilfering without assas-
sination, and he now came to the question of the cause of
dishonesty so described. He proposed to-night to confine
his comment to the influence of the upper classes, of the
law, and of endowments, with reference to their effects in
the promotion of crime. In all these positions there ex-
isted at present a desire, and not an unscrupulous desire,
to the possession of wealth, and to this was to be attri-
buted the cause and the increase of crime. lie maintained
that the rights of property in this country were systema'i-
tally violated and invaded by the course pursued by suc-
cessive Governments in this country in the legislation which
they pursued. The upper classes, ignor ant of the real state
of things, have undertaken to provide for laws to govern
our social system, and he held that in all the great trans-
actions of trade, it was a certain fact that all the rights in
foreign conntries, so far from being settled by Parliament,
were decided by those engaged actually in the transactions.
The law makers monopolised the power, and excluded
men of exquisite skill and untiring industry from repre-
sentation in the Senate. To all the rapacity of wealth
Was strengthened by law into a guilty passion, all arising
from the exclusion of the multitude from legislation, and
from that legislation being directed to the protection of
Wealth and to the maintenace of a state of things which
encourages the multitude in the same direction. They
Place wealth at the highest pinnacle, and then pnnish
ten for worshipping at the idol they have created. The
same principle applied to the colonies, whore convicts
%applied some portion of our former serfs, and this was
further developed in the maintenance of monopolies in
land, creating agrarian crimes in Ireland, and these led to
as increase of crime. The monopoly ceased by the opera-
tion of the Encumbered Estates Act, under which crime
became one-fourth of what it had formerly been. In this
Country, crime increased in proportion to increased taxa-
tion in like manner. The benefits of improved machinery
and inventions were monopolised by the upper classes—
another instance of the avarice against which he declaimed.
after the peace of 1815, the monopolists relieved them- '
selves from direct taxation, and imposed indirect taxation
'Von the labouring classes, and this led to the enactment of
the infamous corn laws. Under this system, crime and
Pauperism increased untillB42, when Sir It. Peel undertook,
and carried the change, and the result was immediately a
uinainution of one-sixth in the number of criminal
Commitments. All the crimes against property, from 1815
to 1842, were to be attributed to the monopolising spirit
and avaricious and scampish legislature of the first forty
Years of the present century. He would never believe
that if work and substance could be obtained at home,
rather than in a new country, that crime would increase,
for the ;neans of attaining an easy livelihood was as neess-
eary as the means of existence whish Providence supplied.
The judges, the ministers, the army, the navy, the clergy,
must have full salaries to an extent which would supply
thclbone hundred men paid with gold of full weight, and °
e spoilation of the public afforded an example of
Pilfering to the humble classes. The upper classes
!oast have a certain income, while the lower classes
have an uncertain one ; and hence the example
led to crime. The love of gain, as exhibited by
the upper classes, was followed by those I whose
position was thrown in a lower scale ; honesty falls a prey
to devouring dishonesty of the upper classes. (Hear.)
What had been done in parliament the other day ? The
elldovjment_of a royal_maiden had been thought to_require_
the sacrifice of the incomes of not less than eight hundred
Scottish paasants. Could honesty be expected with this
state of things? (Hear, hear.) Referring to the recent
exposures, in relation to the Tipperary and Royal British
Banks, the lecturer remarked that they were out of the
line of the law, which was framed in St. Stephen's only to
Punish the poor,while the higher offenders escaped scatheless.
Again, he objected to the system of summary jurisdiction
in usurpation of trial by jury, by which punishment was
hourly awarded by police magistrates in the metropolis
and by justices of the peace in the country. This was
the result of class legislation, anc the law itself wa, the
Parent of crime. To make an extension of crime was to
secure more freedom for man and less taxation, and he
was of opinion that the Liverpool financial reformers
were the real social reformers, and their principles would
accomplish a'l sooner without new gaols, new reforma-
tories, increased police, or new receptacles for convicts
The chairman remarked that though all might not concur
With the views enunciated by Mr. Hodgskin, yet all would.
agree in thanking him for the lecture he had so ably
delivered.

Ladies (before they are married particularly) declare it
impossible to.manage husbands, but they always the the
chance of doing so when they ean.

THE EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT.-The French Ac Idemv
of Moral and Political Sciences has proposed the following
subject for the prize of 1858 :—" To describe in a iJhilc-
sophical and moral point of view the various inff;caces of
IMlnisbments on the ideas, sentiments, and habits of ftose
on whom they are inflicted."
THE TURNFIXE NUISANCE.--From a report of the
Commissioners of Metropolis Turnpike Roads, north of the
Thames
recently printed, it appears the tolls have fallen elf,
from the removal of side-bars and " evasions," to a large
extent. The receipts from all sources during the past year
amounted to £62,538 Os Bd, and the expenditure was
643878 3s 81. being an excess of £2 343 3s beyond the
income. In one of the districts, in which three s'cle-
ars were removed, the receipts bad fallen st'ott of the
amount for which the tolls were last let by £1,805, the
toll at
having arisen from a considerable evasion c,f
at the Hampstead-road gate. In other districts the col-
lectious, the commissioners report, have also cunsiderably
fallen off, which has partly arisen from the opening of the
Woodward Railway, and partly from the removal of the
Clapton-gate, and of two sAc-bars on the road leading
to Lea-bridge. The question arises whether, if the turn.
Dike nuisance be removed the inhabitant houFeholderc will
1;ot have to pay largely for the repair of the roads, and
bonded debt.

CoARUPT ENGLISH..—In an article in the on the
subject of public education, the wrier sneers at those can-
didates for appointments under the East India Company
Who " failed in English.,' His right to •sneer may be
indged by schoolboys. For example, he writes A vast
number of schools are most disgracefully conducted." He
goes 0n..._“ The best remedy for the veiy low standard of
elementary education which now obtains, is a problem
Which has yet to be solved." Obtaias what. To obtain
's to win • from, to procure from, to get. The writer re-
sembles those gentlemen of Mincing-lane who talk of tal-
-11178 looking Upward, of sugar being quiet, of prices ruling
VI, or ruling low. These corruptions are spreading
i....aioingst us, and young ladies lisp oat talanatotebzyn cannottabie.
j:n-ise a mountain' 15,000 feet hill,
be
u• three miles below the surface 11.1 Ee,,. would
be than a miracle if they cetiiil. We LLI 7 : ong esta.
unshed absurdities of the same sort in the shape . of th0b...7
provincialisms in which persons indulge when they s:,eak
of a quantity of men, or a few broth.-- 411
CONVICTION OP A MERCHANT FOR A Uaoss AS3ALLT.
At Reigate on Tuesda.y Mr. .Tame 3 Algernon Stllart
Austen, a middle-aged man, of :Headley, Surrey, stated [o
be a merchant it! the City, son of a baronet, end brother to
a county magistrate, appeared before the bench of
justices of this town to answer the complaint of Miss
Emily Burley, ladies' maid to the Rev. Lord Charles
Hervey, rector of Chelmsford, for committing a ross
and indecent assault upon her in a railway carriv, in the
Bierslham tunnel. The complainant having given the par-
ticulars of the offence she imputed to the prisoner, Mr. Mor-
rison addressed the bench on his behalf, contending that it
was quite possible sbe might be mistaken as to his idea-
tity. The chairman (Mr. Frazer) said that a stop must be
Put to such cases, and the bench would, therefore sentence
the defendant to three weeks' imprisonineinvta 5.. Mr.ol. to
Morri-
sonany, appealed to the bench, offering
to g
charity, if they would only mitigate the sentence. The
defendant was a highly respectable London merchant, and
his'character and prospects for life would be ruined, if he
were sent to prison ; and, besides, he had not titne to con.
fate the evidence. The bench, however, declined to accept
,any compromise, and the defendant WaS removed to the
lockup, preparatory to being lemoved to Wanthw9rth
Prison.

THE WALLASEY LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH.

The usual monthly meeting of the commissioners form-
ing this board, was held last evening, at the public offices,
King-street, Egremont. Mr. Pooley took the chair. The
commissioners present were—Messrs. E. W. Colborne,
Chambers, Hughes, Wilson, W. R. Calborne, and Odell.
The Clerk read the minutes of the last general meeting,
which were confirmed, as were also those of the special
meeting, held on the 21st ult., when Mr. N. Caine was
elected the chairman of the board for the ensuing year.

Before the general business of the board was proceeded
with, Mr. W. R. Colborne called the attention of the chair-
man to the number of vacancies that had been agreed upon
at the last meeting ; and, after some conversatior, the
chairman explained that they had acted in accordance
with the expressed wish of the board, and that in future
there would be no difficulty as to their proceedings, be-
cause they had then got into the right path.
Mr. W. R. Colborne said he had only mentioned the
case, because he thought there would be more difficulty
in finding gentlemen to take upon themselves the respon-
sibility of the office.
The matter then dropped.
TIM WORKS AND HEALTH COMMITTEE.

The proceedings of this committee ( which contained no
matter of public importance) were confirmed without
comment.

NUISANCES.

Mr. W. R. Colborne directed the attention of the sur-
veyor to some .existing nuisances in New Brighton, and
hoped that steps would be taken immediateiy to have them
removed

Mr. Odell also informed the surveyor Coat there were a
great number of nuisances existing in Seacombe, which he
hoped would be remedied.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE,

The proceedings of this committee were read, and upon
moving the adoption of the same, Mr. E. R. Colborne
directed attention to the fact, that the new constabulary
had not taken possession of the police-office adjoining the
Board-room. He also said that, to his astonishment, they
would have to pay a higher rate under the new system
than under the old. He also regretted that they had not a
full compliment of policamen, and thought that the chief
constable should be communicated with on the subject.
The Chairman said, that the committee had the power
of doing so without coming to the board.
Mr. W. R. Colborne said, there was not a sufficient
number of police officers, to do their duty efficiently, in
the district, which was very peculiarly situated, and
entered his protest against any reduction in the number of
police constables under the present system.
Mr. Odell thought the present number c•f police was
ample for the district, and that they did not require any
augmentation, particularly if Mr. Colborne did not, as he had
done on the peevious day, monopolise the services of four
to attend at his ferries, when great numbers of visitors
came over.

The proceeding were then adopted.
THE AUDIT.

Mr, Roberts, the auditor, reporte 1 that he had made the
annual audit of the accounts.
The business then terminated.