The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-04 00:00:00

C;K I

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etet4aleq"&te;%4:f.?:
4leet eq;eii
other words the good of society
there shall be less mistaken mercy, les
and laxity extended to the murderer th ire
criminals. yet we are seriously told tlnfolihenni
delay has teiern place in executing a courdefet, net"
matter tram whet calve, whether from being im-
properly reprieved upon a false suggestion of in-
sanity, as in 'fownley'a case, or any ether circum-
stance, the practice 13 not to hang him at all, but
to commute the sentence to route leaser punishment.
The inference from this is that the punishment of
murderers, instead of being tight and for the good
of society, is wrong, and bad altogether. When Ella .
a confusion of false ideas, combined with rr orbid and
wrong sentiment, operates to render human life in-
secure and to militate against the safety of society,
it is high time that we should correct this psycho-
logical error, which in its way is even worse and
more pernicious than that of the mad doctors who
insist that crime per se is a proof of insanity. The
logic in question is certainly' fe novel and outrageous
form of the reductio ad absurdum. " u rderers
general ought to be punished with all due specd
and certainty for the good of eociefy and th© pro-
tection of life. Bat in this particular murderer's
case the preventive force of punishment has been
weakened by unnecessary delay. Therefore it
ought to be weakened still more by remitting the
punishment annexed by law to murder and substi-
tuting a milder one." It is evident, that this sort of
reasoning will not bear analysis. It is society that
is entitled to ask for " mercy" in the sense of being
protected in person and property, life and limb,
from would-be murderers and depredators. Another
principal of all sound legislation is that criminals
shall be tried and acquitted, or found guilty and
condemned to punishment, by a judge and jury
sitting in open court—hearing the arguments of
counsel for the prisoner and the prosecution,
and the testimony of witnesses who may be
examined, cross-examined, and re-examined: But,
running diametrically counter to this principle, wo
have in practice a secret tribunal, consisting of a
few persons—probably doctors, who know little or
nothing of • evidence—nominated privately by a
member of the Government, who is not a judge, or
even a lawyer, and possessing the power of practi-
cally nullifying the sentence of a court of law atter
a careful public trial. Sir George Grey has him-
self told us that the Home-office has no power to
order that, in each investigations as those which
have been made in Townley's case subsequently to
his trial and sentence, the evidence of the persons
expressing opinionsas to the alleged lunatic's sanity
shall be taken upon oath. In Jessie M'Lachlan's
case nobody knew at the time what was being done
in the secret inquiry which took place. Indeed, it
is doubtful if many people know now.

/

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.8., Naval
Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, yesterday hoisted his
flag on board the Sprightly steam tender, and proceeded
out to Spithead, where he officially inspected the Duncan,
81, screw liner, Capt. Gibson, flagship of Rear-Admiral
Sir James Hope, K.C.8., the future Admiral command-
ing the British squadrons on the North America and West
India stations. The Duncan will make her commission
trial of speed at the measured mile in Stokes Bay early to..
morrow, weather permitting.
The Orontes, screw troopship, Capt. W. H. Hire, will go
out of Portsmouth harbour on the completion of her repairs
to machinery, Szc., this morning, and will anchor at Spit-
head in readiness for her trial at the measured mile, which
is appointed to take place on Saturday. Should the trial
prove satisfactory, the Orontes will then proceed to the
Mediterranean.

Her Majesty's paddle yacht Alberta will make a third
trial of speed to. day with half boiler power at the measured
mile in Stokes Bay, near Portsmouth. Rear-Admiral
Robinson, Controller of the Navy, and other officials, are
expected to be presenc at the trial.
In addition to the iron and ironclad frigates in progress at
Chatham dockyard, it is decided to appropriate No. 6 build-
ing shed for iron shipbuilding purposes as soon as the ne-
cessary arrangements can be carried into effect. The slip is
at present occupied by the Myrmidon, a small wooden screw
4-gun vessel of 200-horse power, which is about throe-
fourths completed. All the hands have been removed from
that, as well as the other wooden ships in various stages of
progress at Chatham dockyard, for several years past. It is
proposed to complete the Myrmidon at once, and forthwith
to launch her, when the slip will be immediately prepared
far one of the smaller classes of iron ships which are about
to be introduced into the Royal navy. In anticipation of
the slip being required for the construction of an iron vessel,
a number of workmen have been for some time employed in
erecting the supports and tramways for the overhead tra-
vellers and cranes. The details respecting the new iron ves-
sel have not yet been forwarded to Chatham dockyard from
the Chief Constructor's Moe, where the drawings and plans
are in course of preparation.

The freight-ship steamer Lord Clyde yesterday went
down to Woolwich Arsenal, and shipped ammunition for
1 Hongkong.
Her Majesty's steam storeship Dee, Master Commander
Raymond, has shipped a full cargo of steam gear, consisting
of machinery, &c., for the steam sloop Harlequin, at Ports-
mouth, and naval stores, spare spars, sails, &c., for the Fox,
about to sail for Corfu, to bring home war stores from the
lonian Islands. The Dee will sail this morning from Wool-
wich at 9 o'clock, and will embark 200 men and boys for
the fleet. A number of scaling ladders, manufactured in
the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, have been despatched by
the last Mediterranean mail packet for the use of the party
of Royal engineers engaged in razing the fortifications of
Corfu on their evacuation by our troops.
The screw steam. Coastguard ship Russell, GO, Capt.
Sydney Gronfell, from Falmouth, arrived at Plymouth on
Tuesday evening. She discharged her powder yesterday
morning, and went into harbour to be dismantled. Her
officer a and crew will be turned over to the screw steamship
St, George, 81, to succeed the Russell at Falmouth. The
Hind, steam tender to the Russell, Lieut.-Commander
Scott, arrived in company with that vessel.

&The following appointments were made yesterday at the
Admiralty :—V. F. Johnson, master, additional to the
Cumberland, for the Arethusa ; Arthur Charmer, Henry B.
Flemming, R. B. E. Ogle, and A. K. Woodrow, nominated
to naval cadetships.