The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-19 00:00:00

'THE. SHERIFF OF LANARK.

Lord BINNING said, that he had been del);ted to make a
statement in' behalf of a Gentleman who conceived that he had
been greatly misrepresented by a Noble Al ember of the Ilonse ;
,and when he considered the great publicity that was given to
debates, it was ,hut natural that a Gentleman.. in such cir-
cumstances should feel most anxious to correct any undue
impression that Might have gone abroad concerning his con-
duct. The Sheriff of Lanark did not wish to deny that:Loyd
Archibald.llamilton had not lost any votes by the arrange,
menta at the election, but this he *nog solemnly declared,
that be had not interfered in.the least to poduce any such loss:
he had filled the office of Sheriff for the county of hanark dux,
.
ing the period of twenty-live years, and the general rule he
' bad followed was to fix the day of, election so as not to inter..
fcre with those electors who had Notes to give elsewhere. Ho
(Lord Binning) having been acquainted with Mr. Itamilton
for several. years, and knowing him to be a Ilan of honour
ands Gentletnan,.cOUld not but feel willing to make the state-
' ment be had.

Lord A. HAMILTON said he thought It Irregular to give
explanations in the House to satisfy persons-out of the House
of statements which had been made by Members,nor:should
he now say any thing on the subject were it not to satisfy the
Noble Lord of the correctness of what he (Lord A. II.) had
previously stated. The inferences which hod been drawn from
his statement by the Noble Lord (Lord Booting) and the She-
riff were entirely unwarranted by what he had nut in opening
the debate on the Scots County Representation, but in the
facts which he (Lord A. 11.) had stated, and which he would
now repeat, he was warranted in drawing the inferences which
lie had drawn as to the partial feeling of the Sheriff. It was
necessary to state, that a Sherifr in Scotland was an entirely
different officer front a Sheriff' in England—that lie was appoint-
ed by the Crown, and (he believed) removable by the Crown,
and always a candidate for the patronaeo of the Crown. The
present and other Lord Advocates woultrconffun bin' in stating
that they had begun their career as Sheriff's of Counties, and
he would appeal to them whether they
of appeinting the same days for different. elections fur !
elect
? M tioneering purposes r. Hamilton, the. Sheriff of Lanark,
to was open his suspicions, from the open and warm part he
had not been in the habit
toot in the election, though he was free to confess. the. Sheriff
of Stirling had appearedto hint to have acted still more im-
properly than the Sheriff of Lanark. The latter, however,
who was from his situation bound to impartiality,
had so far
forgotten himself that (having come into tho Court where
the votes were taken) when a person who had supported him
(Lord A. Hamilton) had given his vote against him, he cried
out'' that is an honest vote,"
a line of conduct just as 1111.
proper as if the Speaker of the House should call out—" that
is a good speech.' After such conduct as this, was he not
warranted in drawing -the inference which he had done us to
the motives of his acts ? The Noble Lord then stated, that at
the Michaelmas Meeting, preceding the General Election, the
Sheriffhad declared, that after the eiesolution, he should fix as
distant a day as phssible to allow all the claimants to vote
that subsequently to the Election, when it hall been arranged
between the different Sheri-1114, to fix the County Elections, as
follows :—Edinburgh, 30th June ; Lanark, Ist July ;
3d July • Renfrew, 7th July ; 31r. Hamilton, the Sheriff Stirling,o
Lanark, had altered theLanark Election to the 2d, so as to
Fin-
terfere with the Election of Stirling. eeling as he did as to
that conduct, he should betray his duty to 11111110 f and to the
other Representatives of Scots Counties if he declared diet Mr.
Hamilton had acted impartially.
The LORD-ADVOCATE now rose, but it seeming to be
the wish of the House that the business of the day should be
gone into, the Learned Lord resumed his seat, and the matter
dropped.
BURNING_ OF

Mr. F. BUXTON said, he litul., a petition to present from a
most respectable meeting of the county of Bedford; signed by
2,400 persons, praying the 'louse to interfere to prevent the
practice of Burning Widows in India. When it was known,
not froM vague reports, but official documents, that 840 per.
sons were burned annually in our Indian possessions, surely
some attention was due to the subject on the part of the House.
These cruel exhibitions Here accompanied with circumstances
of the most revolting cruelty. The son set fire to the, pile
which consumed his mother, and the agonies of the eXpiring
victims were the subject of indecent jocularity and brutal mer-
riment. Often, from the poverty of theparties, the fuel was
insufficient, and the half consumed victim Was abliised to
wait till fuel was procured to complete her execution.—
In one instance the widow of a village barber, whose relations
were too poor to rocure a sufficient quantity of fuel, was
subjected to excruciating tortures. lie would mention another
case, which proved that these horrible sairitices were not al.
ways voluntary. A female of fourteen years of age had been
induced by her relations to ascend the funeral pile, and afterm
reainifig upen it for a short time, lier agonies became so
escape from it. She was brought
back by her relations,
great, that she effected her
and itgaitl placed
,upon the pile. Slie
escaped a second time, and ran to a water.eourie, but her rehi.
Lions pursued her, anti binding her up in a sheet, placed her a
third time upon the pile. She escaped a third time, and then
one of the surrounding spectators seized her and cut her throat.
Another opportunity would occur of bringing this subject more
fully under the consideration of the blouse; and he would only
add at present that no danger could possibly arise from prohi-
biting this practice altogether. It had already been prohibited
by every European Government possessing any territory in
India—by the French, the, Panes, the Dutch,
anti the eortu.
guese, and many of the Native Princes had abolished it in their
dominions. He hoped the Bight lion. Gentleman opposite
WYnn't would take this subject into his serious considera.
dun ; if he did not, he,(lllr. Buxton) should certainly bring 1.
forward early in the next Sessiefi.
Nr. WYNN said there could he no difference of opinion
as to the principle upon which the honourable Gentleman
urged the abolition, of thishorrible practice. considerable
difficulty, however, would attend any practical measure which
might be adopted with a view to putting an end to this harlot.
Yetis custom.- The cases of successful interference on the part
of Fortin powers. to which the Honourable Gentleman hadadverted,
ralverteir,"-were not parallel,' because an experiment might be
safely made in small possessions, which could not be hazarded

without danger in so linmense a • territory as that which was
subject to Great Britain in India. The practice, horrible' as it
was, was not one- of late introduction ; it had existed at least
as early as the time'of Alexander the Great, and under all:the
circumstances he doubted the policy of legislative interference
in a matter which it would be better toleave to the judgment
and discretion of the local Government.
Mr. llLLME`Ohierved, that the subject had occupied the at.
tendon of. the Government in India, and: that as strong' mea-
sures of prevention had been adopted as could be taken, with_
out interfering with the religious prejudices of the people. By
the existing regulations, no widow could be burnt unless by
their own free consent. No means of influence or persuasion
ought to be omitted to prevent this horrible practice, but be
deprecated legislative interference, as likely to lead todanger-
ous consequences.
Mr. WILBERFORCE thought there would be no greater
difflculty in abolishing this custom than there had been in
putting an end to a similar practice under the 'Government of
,LOrd Wellesley. Ile was sorry. to find that the practice was
increasing, and had extended io places in which it bad not.
liirruarly existed. As to,tho,saa,crifices.. being 801ut.44,er,...-hOw
pz)uld a sacrifice be called voluntary, where the wretched
'victim was bound down to the intake to prevent the poSsibility
.of escape ?
Mr. FORBES doubted. whether the practice .could be put
down by any interference on the part -of the Government...—
Much might be affected by persuasion, but he .was persuaded-
that legislative interference would rather increase:than miti-
gate the evil. The widows 'would equally satisfy- the barba-
l.ous superstition which. prevailed in India, by being. burned,
drowned, or buried alive; and if the existing practice could
'be abolished; the-number of victims was not likely to be di-
minished.

. Mt: MONEY trusted that this subject would be referred to
n Committee, and that some measure might be devised for
checking this horrible practice. • -
The petition was ordered to lie on the' Table, and to be
printed.
Mr. BUXTON moved for Copies doll Correspondence on
the subject of Hindoo Infanticide, and of •all Papers of the
'Government of India respecting that practice.
31r. WYNN feared that the effbtts of the GOvernment of
India were not likely to be More etibctual in repressing this
practice than they
,had been in the case of the immolation of
,widows.—The motion was agreed to.