The National Register.
London, England, 1818-05-18 00:00:00

that individuals of it are ready to come forward aLtt
declare that such a practice is compatible with health
and longevity ! The part which the House has minim
on this subject, does honour to its feelings. The cause
.of reason and humanity mast, doubtless, prevails and
we should really blush for those Members *ito have
bcca' left in the minority on the 'BIB in question, if
they should persist in wishing.tat expose more than
they have done, the want of .inaliKriu themselves and
the absence of common tin-:!srstptling nvliviltuak ,
.erhose profession requires more thin an ordinary degSei
in all who are allowed to practice it. Allowing for
an instant, that it were possible to bring forward such
medical evidence, as here alluded to, is it reasonable to
suppose that, with the exception of their employers,
any Member of either House could be found su stupid
as to allow it the smallest influence on his decision ?
Certainly not—ln spite of all the efforts of those in
Slavery of this description, the stigma attached to the
country from its prevalence is on the point of disap-
pearing. The humanity of the legislature is too inti-
mately concerned, the character of the cesintry too much
at stake, to admit a doubt that our expectations can be
disappointed. But the regulation of public charity, and
the protection of youth against cruelty and oppression do
not constitute the only subjects for approval in the pro-
ceedings of Parliament during the last treek ; even cri-
minals participate in the result of those feeling en
which we pride ourselves. The punishment of death
in eases of fOrgery which the public has lung pronounced
out of proportion to the offence, has at length.oecupied
the attention of Parliament, and we trust that the period
is fast approaching when our feelings will cease to be
revolted by the many capital punishments with which
this crime is annually attended in this country. 'We
can scarcely, however, permit, ourselves ts' hope, that
any change that can be male in the 13ank N'ote will
be sufficient to check the evil in question. The arts
in this country have attaintsd. too Reuel pc.firtion
justifY such a Loncluaion. Were it possible to frustrate
all attempts to fitbricate Bank Notes, the Bank Direc-
tor would indeed be deserving of the severest censure
for having so long postponed a measure of such cryltig
importance—ehut the thing, we feel persuaded, is too
difficult, if not impossible. We rather incline to think
that, admitting the punishment to be out of proportion
to the crime, the remedy should be in the alteration of
the law itself. We have now ample proof that its ef-
fect is quite inadequate to the prevention of crime, and
an axiom, we boldly venture to assert that when the
effect of any law becomes as the one in question merely
vindictive it is time that it should be erased from our
Code. Forgery is unquestionably a most serious offence
at all times, but certainly never can be more so, than at
the present moment. Could the punishment of death,
unifiTnily inflicted, tend to prevent the perpetration of
it, we should not, much as we deprecate the too an-
proportionate severity of the punishment' to the offence,
feel inure than pity fur 11c offender; but convinced as
we feel that the preventative effect of the existing law
is inadequate to its object, we cannot but feel disgusted
at the lam itself In all ot!e.tces we should presume the
offender to. be influenced more by what may appear
to him the probability of escape from detection alto-
gether, than by any reference to the punishment which
would attend the detection, and perhaps on this assailip-
, tton the punishment of forgery does not claim the at-
terference of the legislature. We rejoice, however, at
what has been done already, and doubt not, that the
humane efforts of the Member who made the motion,
which has led to the latter part of this discussion, will
ultimately be rewarded with success.

Admiral Sir Josias Renyley is to premed forthwith
to Ireland, to assume the command on the Cork station,
in the place of Admiral Hallowell, who is appointed to
command the squadron ordered fur a two months' cruise
in the Channel.