The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-25 00:00:00

LONDON LIBRARY.

We are happy to assist in making known an ex-
cellent proposal for the establishment of a large
...General Public Library, from which books may be
taken out to be read at home. It is needless to tell
(what every one knows) how much the usefulness
of the Library of the British Museum is circum-
e-eribed. by the absence of the privilege of taking
mit books. The only library with which we are
acquainted, where this privilege exists, is that of
the Russell Institution ; but this library is exceed.
ingly scanty and ill-chosen, and inferior to many
circulating libraries. Circulating libraries are
at present the chief resource of all who are unable
to go to the British INluseum, or some similar li-
brar) (as that of Sion College) during the day,
and who at the same time need the assistance of
more books than they can afford to buy. Now,
.admitting that many of these circulating libra-
ries contain valuable books, and reflect much
4redit on the sense and spirit of their proprietors,
we must yet observe, that the list of them will
necessarily be inferior to what a public library in
London should be, and easily may be. Designed,
even under the artist favourable circumstances, for
limited circle of readers, the circulating library
must always hare a partial character. And it is
not likely that a private speculator can offer such
great advantages at so reasonable a rate of subscrip-
tion, as a body of gentlemen having only a public
object in view, and addressing themselves to the
whole metropolis.
The terms of subscription proposed for the
Library of which we now speak are thus mode-
rate :—Five Pounds by way of entrance, and two
Pounds annually. The annual subscription may
•at any time be commuted by a payment of twenty
pounds. Thus moderate in their demands, the
Committee ought to meet with most extensive sup-
port; and it should be borne in mind by all whom
this scheme concerns, and for whose convenience it
has been proposed, that the more extensive the
support, the greater will be the usefulness of the
Library.
We observe, that the Committee require a thou-
sand names before they begin!to !educe the scheme
to practice. This number of names should be
easily obtained. _ _ _

Persons wishing to subscribe may write down
their names and addresses, at the houses of the fol-
lowing booksellers :—Messrs. Longman and Co.,
Paternoster-row ; Mr. Moxon, Dover-street ; Mr.
Ridgway, Piccadilly ; Mr. Fraser, Regent-street ;
Messrs. Rivington and Co., St. Paul's Church-
yard ; Mr. Hatchard, Piccadilly ; Messrs. Taylor
and Walton, Gower-street ; Mr. Hooper, Pail
Malt East ; Mr. Rodwell, Bond-street ; and
Messrs. Black and Armstrong, Wellington-street.
The following is the list of the Committee from
which the proposal emanates :—Sir E. L. Bul-
wer, Bart., M. P. ; H. D. Christie, Esq. ; the
Earl of Clarendon ; G. L. Craik, Esq. ; Charles
Dickens, Esq: ; William Empson, Esq. , John
Forster, Esq. ; Arthur Helps, Esq. ; Sir Walter
James, Bart., M. P.; Professor Key ; G. Come-
wall Lewis, Esq. ; the Lord Lytaeton ; Professor
Malden; I. S. Mansfield, Esq. ; Rev. H. H. Mil-
man ; R. M. Milnes, Esq., M. P.; the Viscount
Morpeth, M. P. ; P. Pusey, Esq., M. P.; James
Spedding, Esq.; G. S. Venables, Esq.; K. Ma-
caulay, Esq.
In the list of subscribers we find the following
names Austin ; Mr. C. Buller, M. P. ;
Sir Augustus Clifford; Lord De Lisle ; Mr.
Fcotor, M. P.; Mr. Goldsmid ; Mr. Knight (the
publisher) ; Mr. Shaw Lefevre ; Mr. Macready ;
Mr. Maclise ; Miss Martineau ; Lord Monteagle ;
Lord Northampton ; the Bishop of Salisbury ;
Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, M. P. ; Mr. Emerson
Tennent, M. P.; M. Van de Weyer, (the Belgian
Minister) ; and Mr. Justice 'Williams.
We heartily wish success to the scheme, and
shall watch anxiously its future progress.

GENERAL REPRIEVE FOR CA-
SEY AND HARTNETT, CONVICTED OF
THE MUI.DER, OF POLICE SERGEANT
LAWLOR.

(FROM OUB COBRESPONDENT.)
CORK, MAY 20, 1840.
The case of the unfortunate men, Casey and Hart
nett, for the murder of police-sergeant Lawlor, has not
ass yet been decided upon by the Government. Subse-
quent to my last communication relative to the attempt
to escape from prison by Casey, a respite was received,
with an order that the execution should be stayed until
this day ; and on yesterday evening a general reprieve
arrived, directing it to be delayed for further orelers.
This delay has been the result of an investigation by
the Judges on some points reserved by the prisoners'
professional agent, Mr. Philip O'Connell, who, it is
stated, was furnished with them by a gentleman named
Martin. One of them was the mistake, by the Judge
who sentenced the convicted parties, of the name of
the dry on which the date of the month fell ; and the
other, that it was not stated their bodies should be
buried " within the precincts of the gaol," which words,
it appears, were necessary to the legal completion of
the sentence. Upon these points their Lordships, after
two days' deliberation, decided, by a majority of six to
four, that the points reserved were in favour of the con-
vies. The Pilot, which conveyed this intelligence,
concluded the paragraph by stating—" Thus these
wretched men (whose death was otherwise certain) are
saved from death." The Paper which declares the
feeling :of the people here, the Cork Southern Re-
porter, has espoused the cause of mercy, and draws
a line of distinction between the animus, or in-
centive, which induced the murder of Lord
William Russell, and the homicide committed
by these convicts, in fact, in their own defence. That
Journal does not at all mean to qualify or palliate the
enormity of their offence, aggravated by their previous
lawless mode of life ; but taking into consideration all
Ate circumstances of the act, estimating the general
feeling as leaning to the side of mercy, and being made
acquainted by experience with the ineffectual results,
in the repression of crime, of the corrective of capital
punishment, trusts that the Government will mitigate
the penalty to perpetual banishment. In the course of
my inquiries, I heard what perhaps may be conceived
strong evidence for those opposed to the shedding of
blood as a retribution. The sister of the deceased, a
few days past, whilst conversing with some of her asso-
ciates, ono of whom was my informant, said, after be-
wailing his untimely fate, which present circumstances
bad brought more forcibly to her mind," If he lived, I'd
be better off ; but now that it comes to it, I don't wish
them to be hanged ; for sure, it would not bring him
Eck again to me." The police, who, in this country,
partake too much of a military character, have been gene-
rally heard to express themselves opposed to any commu-
tation of the awful sentence ot the law. It is natural, from
their association with the deceased, and the fact of his
being a member of their corps, to view the transaction
in a bad light ; and I am convinced, that had the cir-
cumstance occurred some years ago, when this force were
of so amenable to public opinion, or civil restraint, as
diey happily are now under a good Government, discon-
tent would have been more loud at the course pursued by
the Executive. The local community arc favourable to a
coMmotation, and it is to be hoped, that the decision as
Yo the fate of these wretched and degraded men will
be with the majority. The distribution of the reward
offered by Government for their prosecution was made
in the following manner :—Roche, the npprover, 100/. ;
Mantcy, in whose house Casey took shelter, 501. ;
Corkery, watchman, 50/. ; Mary Thempson 501. •
Constabulary Fund, 80/. ; Haves M`Carthy, 'and te
..two Longs, (51. each) 201.
It is now confidently expected, that the convicts will
be transported for life.