The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-15 00:00:00

Abolition of Capital Punishment ,

Yesterday afternoon a meeting was held in the Mayor's
Parlour at the Town Hall, Manchester, for the purpose of
forming an Association for the Abolition of Capital Punish-
ment—the Mayor (Abel Heywood, Esq.) in the chair.
There were present Messrs. Di. J.Watts, Dr. Pankhurst,
W. Stokes, A. Megson, Isaac Wright, P. B. Alley, J. J.
Allen, R. Griffiths, G. Harrison, T. Harrison, and J. Bryce.
The CHAIRMAN said that when the request was made to
him to grant the use of one of the rooms of the Town Hall
for the purpose of holding the meeting, he felt very little
difficulty in acceding to the request, because in the early
part of the year the Corporation had taken steps to bring
the question prominently before the public so as to bring
the matter before Sir George Grey. He was present when
the deputation which was appointed waited on Sir George
Grey, and he in reply to them urged many objections to the
abolition of capital punishment. The deputation urged him
as strongly as they well could to introduce the matter in
some act of Parliament, but he shook his head and smiled
at the suggestion. No communication had been received
since from Sir George Grey, and he therefore took it for
granted that it was not the intention of the Government to
take any steps in the matter. The proposition now was to
establish a Manchester Association for the Abolition of
Capital Punishment, and Mr. Stokes, one of the secretaries,
would be glad to state the reasons.
Mr. STOKES said they had not met for the purpose of
discussing the question, but from their presence it was
assumed that they were all agreed on the importance of the
abolition of capital punishment. There were some of them
who took the highest possible grounds in supporting the
movement, namely, the inviolability of human life ; others
supported it on the ground of general expediency; and
others supported it on the question of local expediency, in
consequence of the erection of the new assize courts. But
whether they took up the question on the higher, inter-
mediate, or lower ground, they were glad that they sup-
ported the proposed Association. It was plain that nothing
could be expected from the Government, and great move-
ments must be commenced from the bottom of society.
Dr. J. WATTS said he had to propose " That a society be
now formed, to be designated the Manchester Association
for the Abolition of Capital Punishment." The society
being formed, it would be necessary for it to go to work,
and perhaps the most effectual mode would be to get up a
large petition, and in connection with that to hold occasional
or sectional meetings throughout the borough. He was fur-
ther of opinion that no time should be lost in getting to
work to carry out the objects of the society. There was no
fact more settled than that exhibitions of capital punish-
ment created crime, and he was satisfied that it public exe-
cutions took place in Manchester, the Recorder would not
have the opportunity in future sessions of repeating the
remark he had made at the sessions which were now being
held—" That it was the lightest he had had for 21 years."
Punishment had only two objects—Mao being to reform the
offender, the other to deter from crime. They knew that
capital punishment did not deter offenders ; and instead of
deterring from crime it rather incited the commission of it ;
and it was very natural that it should do so, because people
who had a tendency to commit crime and who went to see
a murder committed under legal sanction, has their morbid
feelings excited, and thus other spectacles were furnished
loa future occasions. _ _ _

_Dr. PANKHUEST seconded the resolution. He said it
could not but have been remarked that at the late execu-
tions at Liverpool, a kind of half and half public execution
was adopted, a screen being drawn in front of the drop.
The question there seemed to have been partly yielded, and
if the society was obliged with the other half its object
would be accomplished.
The motionn was adopted.
Mr. G. HARRIsON said he thought there were not many
people in Manchester who had thought much on the sub-
ject, but now as there was a possibility of the demoralising
spectacle of capital punishments being brought to their
own doors, there were many in Manchester who would wil-
lingly aid the socioty both by subscriptions and in other
ways. He then proposed the appointment of a committee
and officers.
Mr. P. B. ALLEN seconded the resolution, which was
adopted.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

The Loss of the Norwegian Steamer.—

Official Report.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS OF THE PRIVY

COUNCIL FOR TRADE.
My Lords,—ln pursuance of orders received from your
lordships, I have, in conjunction with Captains Harris and
Baker, as nautical assessors, held an inquiry
into the cir-
cumstances attending the loss of the Norwegian on St. Paul's
Island, at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in June
last, The Norwegian was an iron screw steamer, built at
Dumbarton in 1861, of 2,449 gross and 1,888 registered ton-
nage with two engines of 450 horse power, owned by Messrs
Allan Brothers of Liverpool, Glasgow, and Montreal, and
forming one of their line trading between this country and
Canada. She was under the command of Mr. A. M'Master,
who held a certificate of competency, dated Feb. 23, 1854,
and had a crew of 88 hands. The Norwegian, in all respects
well found and equipped, left Liverpool on June 4 last with
50 cabin and 267 steerage passengers, and a general cargo.
Nothing occurred to call for comment until the 10th, when
they encountered fogs on the banks of Newfoundland,which
continued occasionally for three days, during which time
every precaution was taken by sounding, slowing, and stop-
ping the engines. Upon Saturday, the 13th, the fog cleared
off, and the engines were put on full speed, and at noon a
good observation was obtained, which placed the ship in
lat. 45 54 N, long. 54 54 W. From this position a course
was steered to make the Island of St. Pierre, which was
passed about 6 p.m., at a distance of from 15 to 20 miles,
This point was subsequently slightly altered for the pas-
sage between Cape Bay and the Island of St. Paul. About
2 a.m. on the 14th, land was supposed to have been seen by
the master and mate, which they took for the land to the
eastward of Cape Ray, and the ship's course was accord-
ingly kept a little more to the westward off the land. The
weather up to 4 a.m. had been moderate and fine. At that
hour a dense fog set in, when all sail was taken off the ship,
but the vessel eentinued her course at full speed, going 12
to 13 knots an hour. At 6.45 a.m, breakers Were reported
a-head. The master, who had been on deck from 2 a.m.,
immediately ordered the helm to be put hard a-port, and
the engines to be stopped and reversed, but before this
order could be effectually carried out the ship ran upon the
rocks, and ultimately became a total loss. Such are,
briefly, the facts of this disaster. Everything that could
possibly be done to save life and property was at once
carried out, and all the passengers, crew, and mails were
saved. Great credit is due to Mr. Campbell, the president
of the island, whose kindness and humanity to the
r'
shipwrecked passengers and crew was very conspicuous.
In commenting upon the loss of this !fine and valuable ves- 1
e
sel I h
ce av s
e a
the most disagwho,reeable duty to perform. The long
up to this fatal occurrence a
s to have enjoyed and deserved the confide '''
pe
owners and the public fora long series (se of his
sravr
nee
i of master,
which he never met with an udder.
... yearsi darine.
cermet bat enlist the
late have disasters oven- , oehalf. 13 ut so freclaent of
that -'
~,
~red in this particular navigatien,
ofsy ms i
such
ihs::pht mi ofr e therat
iC Court in
pi non histh o
s:
charged with the conduct
sion, he „inky as this not to shrink from the conclu-
T' ...wever painful, clearly pointed out by the evidence,
_iie course steered from noon on the 13th towards the
Gulph of St. Lawrence appears to have been judicious, but
in opening the Gulph due allowance does not seem to have
been made for the influence of the strong currents known
to prevail in this vicinity—a fact which, from his long ex-
Iperience, should have made the master extremely cautious,
and should undoubtedly have prevented him running at full
speed, or even at half speed, in the midst of so dense a fog,