The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-05-10 00:00:00

k4il,

~~` .

ii

~

•

!

• e .

there occasionally sprung up there bursts of less.
:ricteble gallantry that may require the strong iii-
te-powtion of legit authority—(.. /angle.)—lint they
ere very few in number, and very rare in their or-
riturence. lle Man 'unposed to alter that part of the
Act of Geo. I • which merle privately receiving
•nilen goods, under peculiar circumstances, a cani-
,al felony. The only conviction under that Act
•• was the noted one of Jonathan Wild. The Honour.
Ste and Learned Gentleman then briefly recap'.
•.lated the head. of the parts of various Acts. inn•
eanii.ll pir.i.hment• fur off•nres specified
~err, 1, which he pr0,e...0f to hive rip...trd..
A them was the Arl fir e spirally piton
..,:pout reserve, the kiting end morning of rattle;
nod he also promised an alteration in the Statute
.resperting bankrupts. He meant to mitigate, he
rock the severity of some of the provisions of the
'ilarriage Act, which, among other mellow eR
created no less than five capital of reoneo.—..
hear/—For many of these. and other, of a
. 'abler character, lie would propose to melsetitute
t -insportation instead of death ; and in eft spe-
c R4l he meant to consolidate. ar it woe, the
er,terul penalties which he would substitute for
. ,nose contained in tarts of other Statutes. He had
ss 'Mention of withdrawing the capital punishment
f, cis the actual forgery of Bank notes, though he
wi;alrl propose its being revoked in all cases of
}:rryste forgery. In tittering or holding forged
Bank notes, he would apply the punishment of
tranisportetion, still of course leaving to the pro.
••c dm to select his own mode of proceeding.
Ile hod observation enough to see that the greatest
apposition he should have to encounter would be
in.repealing the severity of the law in cases of pri-
v.tely stealing in a dwelling house, and in private
Lorries; and yet these appeared to him the cases
it, which the principle of the repeal more clearly
'palled, for they were exactly those in which,
according to the must conclusive testimony of
at evidence before the Committee, prosecutors
sloe deterred from proceeding against offenders
11 the unmitigated severity of the tinnishroent
upon conviction. He, therefore. in these roses
less appealed to the humanity than the Rood sense
cf the floury, to adopt the propositions he submit.
;.,1 to them. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman
n concluded. by proposing that a Select Com-
c.ittee he appointed to conoider so much of the en.
animal law no related to the iiifliction of capital pu-
i.,si,ment fur felony, and that they do report
t'•ereon.
11Ir. CANNING rose, not to oppose the motion in
+naval the proceeding, but merely not to be
Underwood a• nsenting to the whole of the proposi-
tions commented upon by the Hon. and Learned
Grrntlernan. He could. however, truly assure him
tt.it in the future stages no cil.jection should be
taken to any of his propositions for mere objection
sake, bat only upon what should appear to arise on
safe end solid grounds.-1 Hear, henr.)
The Committee was then appointed.
On Sir Jews, MACKINTOSH next moving for
leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the 12th of Queen
Arr.', which made it a capital felony to steal to
Op vela' of 40s. in a dwelling home—
Mr. Beau sr! rose to 'sprees, in common he
*rested with every Gentleman who heard him, his
aseirsto Cs Hon. and Learned Friend for the ef.
f•ct;ve meaner in which he had called the attention
r Parliament to this most important subject. He
r•-•az complimented him upon treading in the steps
e that great wan. Sir Samuel llomilly, in enforce
g the repeal of those parts of the criminal law
wt-ith were inopplicahle to the present state of
society in thi. country. Sir Samuel Itomilly had
si:cceeded in abolishing a part of tbat revolting
aef:tence for high treason which was so calculated
to disgust minds of ordinary feeling; and lie (Mr.
li ; trusted his Learned Friend would now have
tea, good fortune to abolish that still remaining part
of •he sentence which left the quarters and head of
tie criminal to be disposed of as the Crown shall
tl„rik fit. There never was a mare thrilling or re-
'minim sensation manifested than at the late execii-
tton of a set iif criminals. Any thing which in this
Merrier could weaken the moral taste or keen
sensibility of the people, must have an ilijnrious
tendency.—(!:fear, hear, hear.)—Many attend.
rd executions for a variety of reasons; some
through curiosity, others from a more laudable
mrairre. On the late occasion it was found ne.
cessary to diiguise one of the executioners in a
soriik, the first he believed worn on a scaffold in
filiglend since the time of the dreadful scene of
Cheats the First's execution. His objection to
V.Pse cruel exhibitions was, that they did nothing in
ILe way of prevention, and sere only calculated to
«mind the ferlinajs of the helpless families who
rurvivril criminals. He made this allusion without
it. slightest political feeling towards any recent
rarrumstairce—his allusion was meant geeerally to
e impolicy and injurious effect of such exhibi-
tionii.—(hear.)
Sir Jaur.s filactutvrosti said, he entirely disap-
proved of etl acts of unnecessary severity. He
I.A manifested this fr.ling by his sloe on Sir
Simnel RoI:IRVs motion for abolishing the
..hale of that mutilation of the body of the cries.
stet executed for high treasou, which had now*fil
ocly in part altered. terdoobtedly on a future
occasion it might be his wish to endeavour to do
away wills these vain severities at an execution
ari.ieh 'hewed the rancour of the survivor. and lied
sin effect upon the fetings of the criminal. They
were the barbarous relics of past times, which
might to he wide yield to a differerit condition of
society.--(ifeer.)—Siitl, hoot.. r r, also he touched
such circonistinices, he should like to intro-
ct nee the topic of rrtt irmporhry ullusions. and
when the dist could he had upon it on a bet-
ter finding. lie then complimented his Hon.
Friend fur his kilossii humanity and philanthropy,
mid expressed the gratitude lie, as well as the pub-
lir', always felt fur hie important assistance on all
occasions connected with benevolence and hums-
eity.—f Hear.)
jAINE3 1111CitSITOSI1 then brought up a Bill
f.r the repeal of the 514'1i Geo. it. making it
capital to steal to the value of 40s. on a nevi-
gable riser 'or a port of entry and discharge; and
another lull to repeal the 13th Queen Anne, which
makes it a capital felney to steal to the valor of
101. privately iii a dwelling-house. Both Bills,
were read a tirst time, and ordered to be read a
second tisne—the first un the 14th May, the second
on the 110th May.
Sit JAMES Slacstirtosi brought op soother Mil
•
• • • ,
••

i

•