The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-11 00:00:00

punity—until at length all bounds are disre- '
garded, and the wretch proceeds to such extremi-
ties that forgiveness or forbearance is no longer
possible, and he is called on to answer before a
legal tribunal and to receive some punishment,
however inadequate, for his offences. It some-
times happens that this partial vindication of the
law is too long deferred, that the violence has
attained a pitch that ends fatally to the victim,
and makes the assailant responsible for the
highest crime known to the law. In these
cases, several of which have recently occurred,
we find the same invariable principle—that
the practice had grown up by degrees—had
increased gradually but steadily, and that it would
have been a mercy to all parties Concerned had
the offender been called to an earlier account, and
*hown that the law affords some protection to
females. The accuracy of the ancient apophthegm
"limo repents fuit turpissimus" is established
beyond the possibility of dispute. The most
sceptical must have his doubts removed by a
perusal of some of the sickening details of a few
of these horrible and disgusting narratives. It is
not necessary to be careful in the selection—they
all exhibit a painful similarity in the leading
features. It is not necessary to go far back—one
or two days will be amply sufficient to furnish
suitable illustrations. Nor are we tied down to
a single locality. The record of the Police Courts
in any of the larger towns of England, Ireland, or
Scotland, will afford abundant materials for con-
sideration.

From the proceedings at the Glasgow Autumn
Circuit Court we find two cases where the parties
have been sentenced to perpetual banishment—the
one for attempting to murder his wife by cutting
her throat with a razor while tranquilly sleeping
by the side of her would-be assassin, with their
child sleeping between them—the other for murder-
ing a kind-hearted individual who had interfered
on behalf of the wife, and for the time being suc-
cessfully--.a courageous and vigorous man being
seldom encountered by one of these cowardly
ruffians. The moment, however, when, supposing
he had quelled the disturbance, his back was
turned, in the act of leaving the room, the trucu-
lent scoundrel, whose malice he had foiled, seized
a heavy iron fender, and with it struck a terrific
blow that fractured the skull of the unfortunate
peacemaker, who shortly afterwards died from the
injury. In this case seven of the jury were in
favour of finding a verdict of wilful murder ; and
it was only by a majority of one (I) or by eight to
seven (for the verdict of the majority is received
at the other side of the Tweed) that the assassin
escaped the extreme penalty of the law for his
atrocious outrage.
It is quite certain from these and many other
instances, that the existing law is totally inade-
quate to remove this fearful blot upon the na-
tional escutcheon—even where it is fully and
fairly carried into operation, as we rejoice to say
it is, with some few exceptions. In the city,
however, " under the shadow of the grasshopper,"
the same undue leniency of which we formerly
complained is still exhibited towards offenders,
and woman-beating is still a cheap amusement in
the district of the Mansion-house. Indeed, the
Lord Mayor appears to regard any kind of assault
as a mere ebullition of animal spirits, not requir-
ing more than a slight reproof from the civic
SOLON occupying the bench for the time being.
Last week a scoundrel, named THOMAS MAGRATH,
was brought up for assaulting his wife so violently
that she had been obliged to remain several days
in the Hospital for " lacerated wounds of the fore-
head and lip, and injury to the nose." The un-
fortunate woman did not appear, but the out-
rage was brought clearly home to her cow-
ardly assailant, who was (credat Judceits
Apella) fined twenty shillings (!), or, in default,
21 days' imprisonment. Another person who,
while drunk, had knocked down and severely in-
jured two policemen, was the same day fined 40s.
by his Lordship, which, it is almost unnecessary
to say, was paid with alacrity !
But the evil is not merely with those who re-
fuse to put the law in execution. Others who
strain it beyond its legitimate objects, and
thereby render the Legislature unwilling to
enhance powers thus abused, are no less respon-
sible. Thus we find Mr. YARDLEY, on Saturday,
bringing the Act, which he acknowledged was in-
tended "to apply to the case of men who beat
women," into force for a dispute between two
women. It is this straining of the law beyond
its intended operation that prevents the additional
authority being conferred. The reason of the in-
crease of the summary jurisdiction was because
the wives were tampered with, and prevented
from coming forward, when the case was sent to
sessions or the Central Criminal Court. Mr.
YARDLEY'S only duty is to carry out the law ac-
cording to the spirit in which it was framed ; and
he occasions much mischief by endeavouring to
add the legislative to the magisterial functions.
Increased powers should be conferred on the pre-
siding Justices, but they should be exercised with
discretion, and under the vigilant supervision of a
controlling power, or the nuisance will never be
abated—the stain never removed from the Eng-
lish character.

TRANSMISSION OF TROOPS TO THE EAST.

By telegraph we learn that orders arrived yes-
terday (Monday), at Dublin, for six regiments to
hold themselves in readiness for the Mediterranean.
The 17th and 91st Infantry, in Dublin garrison,
are to proceed to Cork for embarkation. The ru-
mour is, that this sudden movement is connected
with the Turkish question.