The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-14 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

was a witness of the execution at Horse-
monger-lane this morning. I went there with the
intention of observing the crowd gathered to behold
it, and I had excellent opportunities of doing so, at
intervals all through the night, and continuously from
daybreak until after the spectacle was over.
I do not address you on the subject with any in-
tention of discussing the abstract question of capital
punishment, or any of the arguments of its opponents
or advocates. I simply wish to turn this dreadful
experience to some account for the general good, by
taking the readiest and most public means of advert-
ing to an intimation given by Sir G. Grey in the
last session of Parliament, that the Government
might be induced to give its support to a measure
making the infliction of capital punishment a private
solemnity within the prison walls (with such guaran-
tees for the last sentence of the law being inexorably
and surely administered as should be satisfactory to
the public at large), and of most earnestly beseeching
Sir G. Grey, as a solemn duty which he owes to so-
ciety, and a responsibility which he cannot for ever
put away, to originate such a Legislative change
himself.

I believe that a sight so inconceivably awful as the
Wickedness and levity of the immense crowd collected
at that execution this morning could be imagined by
no man, and could be presented in no heathen land
under the sun. The horrors of the gibbet and of the
crime which brought the wretched murderers to it,
faded in my mind before the atrocious bearing, looks,
and language of the assembled spectators. When I
came upon the scene at midnight, the shrillness of
the cries and howls that were raised from time to
time, denoting that they came from a concourse of
boys and girls already assembled in the best places,
made my blood run cold. As the night went on,
screeching, and laughing, and yelling in strong
chorus of parodies on negro melodies, with substitu-
tions of " Mrs. Manning" for " Susannah," and the
like, were added to these. When the day dawned,
thieves, low prostitutes, ruffians and vagabonds of
every kind, flocked on to the ground, with every
variety of offensive and foul behaviour, Fightings,
faiatings, whistlings, imitations of Punch, brutal
jokes, tumultuous demonstrations of indecent delight
when swooning women were dragged out of the crowd
by the police with their dresses disordered, gave a new
zest to the general entertainment. When the sun rose
brightly.—as it did—it gilded thousands upon thou-
sands of upturned faces, so inexpressibly odious in
their brutal mirth or callousness, that a man had
cause to feel ashamed of the shape he wore, and to
shrink from himself, as fashioned in the image of the
Devil. When the two miserable creatures who
attracted all this ghastly sight about them were turned
quivering into the air, there was no more emotion, no
more pity, no more thought that two immortal souls
bad gone to judgment, no more restraint in any of
the previous obscenities, than if the name of Christ
had never been heard in this world, and there were
no belief among men but that they perish like the
beasts.

I have seen, habitually, some of the worst sources
of general contamination and corruption in this coun-
try, and I think there are not many phases of London
life that could surprise me. lam solemnly convinced
that nothing that ingenuity could devise to be done in
this city, in the same compass of time, could work
such ruin as one public execution, and I stand
astounded and appalled by the wickedness it exhibits.
I do not believe that any community can prosper
where such a scene of horror and demoralization as
'was enacted this morning outside llorsemonger lane
Gaol is presented at the very doors of good citizens,
and is passed by, unknown or forgotten. And when,
in our prayers and thanksgivings for the season, we
are humbly expressing before God our desire to re-
Move the moral evils of the land, I would ask your
readers to consider whether it is not a time to think of
this one, and to root it out.
I am, Sir, your faithful servant,
CHARLES DICKENS.
Devonshire-terrace, TuGsday, Nov. 13.

The Master of the Rolls has appointed Tuesday,
November 20, at the Rolls Court, Chancery-lane, at
three o'clock in the afternoon, fa- swearing solicitors.
Every person desirous of being sworn on the above day
niust leave his common law admission, or his certificate
of practice for the current year, at the Secretary's office,
Rolls-yard, Chancery-lane, on or before Monday,
November 19.