The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-24 00:00:00

EXECUTIONS IN CHINA.

The following interesting letter has been received
by Major Young of Inverness from a nephew resi-
dent in Canton. It is dated Canton, June 7. The
executioner's sword referred to has been received,
and is a powerful • instrument, about two feet in
length, with a long handle capable of being wielded
by both hands. The blade is strong and wedge-
shaped, not unlike a large butcher's knife l—" My
curiosity took me with a party the other day to see
a sight which I never wish to see again. You have
heard of the rebellion in thii neighbourhood; the
rebels are worsted, and the mandarins are re-
taliating upon them for all the trouble they have
given them. Every one who cannot give an ac-
count of himself is seized and thrown into priSon ;
if, within three days, no person well known in
Canton comes forward and answers for him, he is
taken out, with.a gang of others, to the execution
ground, and beheaded. Since the late disturb-
ances, about three or four months ago, not less than
10,000 have lost their lives in this narrow strip of
ground, less than half an acre in size. Is not this
almost too horrible for conception ? I will describe
it to you as I saw it. The ground is situated about
two miles down the river, so we had to go there by
boat. 'Our Party consisted of four Europeans and
my Chinese teacher, whom I took with me as a guide.
We were told the execution would take place at
nine ; but, on arriving in the neighbourhood, we
found that it would be 10 o'clock, so the teacher after
showing us the ground which was to be the scene
of the tragedy, took us to a shed near the spot
where we could wait, for the sun was very hot.
Hero we lighted some scented joss sticks to purify
the air. In a few minutes we had a bevy of China-
men and boys round our resting place ; they were
very curious, and asked many questions. At last
they swelled into such a crowd that we were
obliged to charge them over the threshold, and
posted the teacher at the door to keep them out-
side. They remained outside scrutinising us with.
apparently as much wonder as if we had.beeu the
criminals about to be executed. At length, when
we got tired of waiting, the teacher informed us
that they would be ready in a few minutes, .so we
bargained to give the man of the house a dollar to
let us ascend to the roof, which overlooked the
ground. I should think houses in that neighbour-
hood must he cheap and disease prevalent, for this
horrid slaughterhouse is situated in a densely-
populated quarter. Besides ourselves there were
five other European spectators. About 10 o'clock
one mandarin made his appearance ;'he dismounted
at the gate, and took. _up-:his quarters about the
centre of the ground, with two coolies to hold an •
enormous umbrella over his head. • I noticed that
he had a sort of black cap tied over his nose to
prevent him from inhaling the foul atmosphere.
He was followed by a guard of 30 or 40 soldiers,
and then came the prisoners. The way they were
brought in was most curious, and if it had not been
for time tragedy to follow, ludicrous. They were
put in small baskets, like those used for clothes, and
slung on a pc le carried by two coolies, but their hands
were tied behind them and their feet also secured,
and they were fastened to the basket. On arriving
at the ground they were shot out of the basket as
unceremoniously as if they had been cattle, and
placed in rows kneeling on the ground four abreast.
The number on this occasion was 127. When
they were all placed, one man behind gave them a
push forward to bring their heads into a leaning
position, and the executioners, beginning at one
end of the line, strike off the head at a blow. Be-
fore you have time to look about you, two or three
more, one after the other, are despatched. The rapi-
dity and dexterity with which it is done are won-
derful. There were four executioners, and between,
them they beheaded the whole 127 in three mi-
nutes ! We heard that most of them at the time
of their death were not conscious, as their friends
had stupified them with opium. No sooner was
the last head cut off than the mandarins, about
eight in number altogether, left the ground, and
the coolies, who bad carried the victims, rushed
in with shouts; and began to pack the bodies into
rough wooden boxes, in which they are carried
into the country and buried, that is to say, shot
into a hole in numbers, and the boxes returned
for the next lot. This is now a daily occurrence,
and sometimes repeated even twice or thrice in a
day. Is not this a system for the parental govern-
ment of China ! and what can missionaries do with
*pie among whom wholesale judicial murders
are daily tolerated It is infinitely worse than the
Reign of Terror was, and the sword of the execu-
tioner has made more havoc than the guillotine.
I bought one of these swords after the execution,
and I now send it to you, all bloody as it was."—
/flyer/ass Couriei..

EXECUTION OF THOMAS JONES.

~-

Thomas Jones, the murderer of Dr. Hope, the convict
surgeon at Portsmouth, was executed'at Whinchester on
Saturday morning. Before he died he repented of his
crime, acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and
sought the ail of religion to pupport hien in the prospect
of an ignominious death. From his condemned cell he
sent the following letter, v:z.
" Winchester, March 18.

"To the friends and relatives of the late Dr. Hope.

"It is quite impossible for me to express the feelings
of deep sorrow and shame with which I reflect on the
wicked deed of mine which has deprived you of one so
near and dear to you. I feel I cannot depart this life
without this expres-ion of my Farrow, even though it
may be suspected or spurned, as I deserve it should be ;
but as it will be too late when this reaches you to ask
you to forgive me, I can only entertain the hope that
your Christian charity would have afforded me that emu-
fort if there had been an opportunity. May you be
found on the day of judgment amongst those who shall
be saved. "THOMAS JONES."

The parties to whom this was addressed, believing in
its sincerity, and compassionating the unhappy writer,
sent a reply, which consoled him in his last agonies.
Thomas Jones was a most extraordinary man, arid
some particulars of his life are to be published at his own
request. He partook of the Holy Sacrament on the day
previous to his execution. He met his death with firm.
ness, but without bravado, and the drop fell as he prayed
God through the Saviour of mankind to sustain and re-
ceive his soul. It will be recol'ected that Jone. 4 was a
convict on board the hulks at Portsmouth, and that he
Murdered Dr. Hope, because he thought the latter
treated him harshly on the trial. Witnesses bore testi-
mony to Dr. Hope's tenderness and humanity, but the
attention of the Government has been drawn to the dis-
cipline of the hulks in consequence of the murder, and,
it is not improbable that the hulks will be abolished, as
the treatment of convicts on board them tends rather to
brutalise than to reform the man.

LA IV INTELLIGENCE.--March 22.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.
THEATRICAL FAILURE.
Among the applicants to the court is Mr. Sheridan
Smith, whose " appears-ice" has been caused by his
losses as a theatrical manager on the York circuit, and
especially at Hull. He had sustained a loss of 1201. in
a short time, after having engaged several "eminent
actors" at large salaries. He had sustained a further
loss of 201. on the English Opera comyany at Hull, and
al o spent a large sum on a pantomime. The debts in
the schedule are inconsiderable, being under 2001., and
it appears that Mr. Smith, known by the name of
Swanborough," had received 901. from the proprietors
of theatres in consideration of his losses on the York
circuit.
An order for hearing has been granted.
FAILURE OF A PENNY NEWSPAPER.
The projector of the first penny ',onion newspaper
has petitioned the Insolvent Debtors Court, and has ob-
tained an order for hearing. The paper was called the
London Evening News. The insolvency is attributed
partly to the " uncertainty of profit, on periotho4l put.-

The united chambers of the Court of Cessation
will be called upon next week to decide, in the last
resort, e eeestion:of vast political importance. The
case immediately before the Court is whether one -
Delayen, au elector for au obscure town called
Pont-Sainte-Ma,xe,nce, committed a penal offence
by distributing, without the permission of the pre-
fect of the Seine and Oise, bulletins bearing the
name of a candidate for the municipal council.
The point really at issue is whether the Govern-
ment will succeed in keeping that formidable baby,..
universal suffrage, eternally in leading strings, and
in securing the election of its own nominees to the
Legislative Body in all time coming. This matter,
although the public has not hitherto troubled its
head much about it, is likely to become one of
immediate interest as soon as the peace
is concluded. The four years for which the
Corps Leeislatif was 'elected expire this time
twelvemonth. The imperial constitution has re-
served no power to prolong the term. There woald
be au inconvenience in allowing the chamber to
exist up to the latest moment of the legal perio 1,
because the moral authority of a popular a, semb'y
is always weakened in its expiring moments.
Among the members of the house itself a dissolu-
tion and a general election ie looked for so soon Rs
the autumn of this year. Now it is quite certain
that if this election shalt take place under con-
ditions, permitting any, even the most moderate
amount of freedom of choice to the electors, the
government majority in the chamber will be very
greatly reduced. Ttiis must be so, even admitting
that the popularity of the Emperor has not chilli.
nished since 1852. The election of teat year took
place .under peculiar circumstances of terror and
excitement which cannot in the nature of things
occur again under the regular swayofgtrheaatt gievaer4;-yn:
ment, which was then battling with
but by unscrupulous means, for existence. It is
impossible, now that " moderation in success "
has been proclaimed from the throne, to trans-
port people to Cayenne merely becati e they are
obnoxious. Tee electors will have much less fear
than formerly of being noted down in the prefect's
black book. The apprehension of being roasted
alive by red repubicans, which impelled thousands
to rush to the poll for the government candidates,
is not now au active principle. Moreover a class
of influential candidates who stood aloof in 1852 are
now prepared to come forward. Then every man
who was not for the
:Empire was against it. There
was no room for shades of opinion. However great
might be the local influence of any independent man,
he shrank from exposing himself and his friends to
the danger of a declarat len of open hostility 'to the
power which reigned by a force without control.
Consequently the government candidates walked
over the course almost everywhere. There were not
in all France ten opposition candidates elected.
The time is now at hand when the extraordinary
unanimity whiche he power of Dec.. 2 contrived to
secure in the popular assembly will be a source of
gre Lt embarratsment, for should the composition of
the new parliament be sensibly different the public
will not fail to see in the fact a symptom-of reac-
tion. Many men of mark, who are anything but
friendly to the principles on which the present
government of their country is constituted, are
nevertheless prepared to defer to a certain extent
to de facto success. Without meaning entirely to
sacrifice their p iuciples, they do not feel bound in
conscience to abstain perpetually from taking part
in public affairs. Of course those of the class I have
been speaking of, who would be members of -the
Corps Leeislatif, are prepared to take the oath of
" obedience to the constitution and fidelity to the
Emperor." But how small a guarantee is a poli-
tical oath in France, where there is such high autho-
rity for -overruling it at the dictates of political:
expediency 1 It is certain that if a general elec-
tion were to take place to-morrow, many men who
would hot be mere registrars of the decrees of
power would be chosen, unless means should
be taken to make it practically impossible for the
electors to return any other than Government'
candidates. This mean the Government hopes
it has found in a strained interpretation of a law
of July 7, 1849, made,diverso iutuitu. The object
of this law, as stated in the preamble, was to check
the circulation 'of " books, writings, and pamph-
lets" containing doctrines dangerous to social orders
It was objected at the time that the law, if literally
construed, might, interfere with the freedom of
election, since a bulletin containing simply the
came of a candidate was a• " writing ;" and an
amendment was actually proposed declaring that
the. act was not to apply to electoral bulletins.
This amendment was rejected on the ground that it
was unnecessary, inasmuch as the right of distrf-
bitting bulletins was expressly secured to citizens
by another law, and that it was absurd to suppose
that a card bearing a candidate's name could ever
be confounded with a writing containing some
conception of the mind, such as the act evidently
meant to allude to. Notwithstanding this ab-
surdity, the present government, seeing the im-
mense power which a literal construction of
this law would throw into its hands at the next
general election, has instructed the Procureura
Imperial throughout the country diligently to pro-
secute all persons presuming to distribute bulletins
for the municipal elections. The decisions of the
provincial courts of law have been conflicting. In
the instance which gives rise to these remarks,
Delayen wa. originally acquitted by the tribunal
of the First Instance of Senlis, and again acquitted
on appeal by the Imperial Court of Beauvais. The
Government appealed to the Criminal Chamber ttf
Cessation, and this court put the desired con-
struction upon the act, quashed the judgments of
the courts below, and sent Delayen to be tried
again before the Imperial Court of Amiens.
The Court of Amiens has pronounced an ac-
quittal, .in a judgment containing very clear and
convincing ‘reasons ; and now, pursuant to
the course of French jurisprudence, the question
is to he solemnly and finally argued before
the full Court of Cassation. The Siecle, which
from the first has shown itself folly alive to the
immense importance of this subject, and has
front time to time published leading articles upon
it, now strenuously upholds the decision of the
Court of Amiens, and affects to treat as a matter
of course that the law must be altered should the
supreme court confirm the view taken by the Cri-
minal Chamber of Cessation. It justly observes
that if the electors aro not allowed to know the
names of any but Government candidates there
can never be any real election, the electors will be
transformed into pure and simple approvers of
the acts of government now and for ever. 'The
system of " universal suffrage" prescribed by
the imperial constitution will be changed into
a system of universal approbation." To appre-
ciate at the full value this argument of the
Siecle, it must Le remembered that no ,poli•
tical meetings can take place in France, and that
any newspaper writing in favour of an oppo•
nent to a Government candidate would be consi-
dered seditious. Therefore, it is quite true that,
if the Government construction of the law be up-
held, it will always be impossibe for the consti-
tuencies (with very rare exceptions) to agree to
support any names but those circulated by the
prefects. The Siecle observes, with great boldnesQ,
that if the councils general, the municipal council,
and the Corns Legislatif are really to be the mere
delegates of'the Government, it would be better
for the Government to nominate them 'directly,
and not to mock the people with the idle form of
an election. It concludes by declaring that, as
France cannot have passed through three revolu-
tions only to areive at the exclusive representation
of the country by authority, it is quite easy as to
the ultimate solution of the present question--
Daily News.

dona-
tions
toTOF
the
OFFERING.—you .—Y
soldiery
aysreenwteoll reuat%faromotfhtehefadiroan:;
in England, from the lowliest cottager to the very high-
est lady in the realm. Among the' presents were some
flannel shirts. One of these fell te, the lot of Setjeent
-- the other day (I am requested not to print
the name, but I know the man well) ; this shirt he
opened, and then, inside it, he discovered, carefully
pinned, a lock of hair and the following letter, which I
subjoin verbatim. The letter is directed thus :
" This is for you And I
hope it is A young
man
if not Give it tou won."
Inside, the words run thus :
My dear Friend,—l write those few lines to you
ir
hoping that they Cheer you A little. I think yen are dull,
but God will hulp yen. lam A young woman And I hope
that you are A young man, this is my hire (sic. for hair)
Keep it for My sake " from MART.
" You are now lafing, it is bad writing."
So ends the letter. Neither county nor town is men-
tioned in it. It was wafered, not sealed, and the stamp
on the envelope is a " forget-me-not." The lock of
hair enclosed is light brown in colour, and plaited in
three, tied with bluceand yellow silk threads. 'Who is
Mary ?—Crimcam Correspondent of the Herald.
The ruins of the Temple of Diana, which were known
to have existed at Marseilles, have just been discovered
by the workmen employed in digging the foundation of
the proposed new cathedral.
THE ISLE OF MAN.—The number of causes tried awl
decided in 1853 by the high bailiffs of the Isle of Mau
amounted to 759, the highest Full they are empowered
to decide on being 11. 14s. 33/411., or 408. Manx currency.
The number of causes tried by the " deemsters " of the
Isle in 1854 was, southern district, 666, and northern
district 400. The number of can•rog tried and decided
by Mr. Vicar-General Corlett in 1854 was 994. In 1854
1,560 vessels entered the port of Douglas, 627 that of
Ramsey, 768 that of Castletown, and 334 that of
Peel. The. money expended on repairs, ac., in 1854 was
as follow, via.:—ln Douglas harbour, 8601. ; in Castle-
town, 171. ; in Peel, 1131, ; in Ramsey, 2181. ; aid in
Port St. Mary, 811.

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