The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-29 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1869.

An Italian publicist—the once famous and popular
CESARE BONESANA Marchese di BECCARIA—now
nearly one hundred years ago exhausted the argu-
ment for and against capital punishment. The re-
ceptior. accorded, in its day, to his celebrated work on
Crimes and Punishments is still memorable among
the earliest of the great literary successes upon
record. ,Within eighteen months from the date of its
first publication, it had run through six editions in the
original Italian : and, within a very brief interval
after that, it had been translated, and publisheJ, and
republished, in numerous editions, in French, in Eng-
'
Ysh, in Greek, in Swiss, in German, in Russ an,
and in various other European languages. Nearly
eighty years have elapsed since the death, by
apoplexy, of the author of that renowned treatis.
Dazing all that interval, the argument set forth by
him so powerfully in its luminoui pag,?.3, has been
discussei and re-discussed intermittently among the
more phi!osophic and philanthropic legislators of the
principal nations of Europe. The abolition of Capita'
Punishment has fo'und advocates since the time of
BECCARIA among some of the most remarkable in-
tellects that have adorned the annals, or illustrated the
history, of Christendom. The distribution, but more
especially the apportioning of punishments, the world
has seen within that epoch of nearly aceutury consider- 1

, ably elevated and improved,asone of theniost moment-
' ous and complex among our Social Sciences. Capital
Punishment has certainly, during that titne, been more
and more restricted in its application. During the
' Reign of Terror, alone, it must be admitted, there
fell, as victims under the axe of the guillotine, close
upon one million people, of all ages and of both sexes,
immediately before and immediately after the close of
the career of BECCARIA. But, barring that appalling
and most exceptional epoch in the annals of the
human race, since BECCARIA'S death the tendency has
distinctly been to diminish the application of Capital
Punishment. Restticting our attention to what
has occurred, in regard to this movement, here
in England, we have to note that, as early in the pre-
sent century as in 180 S, a society was formally estab-
lished in London for the diffusion of knowledge upon
the Punishment of Data]. During the reign of the
QUEEN'S grandfather, old King GEORGE 111., miser-
able wretches who had been guilty of sheep stealing
or of petty larceny, even under the incentive of
hunger, were etrung up on the gallows by twos and by
threes, by the dozen or by the half-dozen tone her. As
time went on, the sanguinary code found fewer and
fewer champions for its maintenance. And at length
on the 2d of June, 1841, there was passed that bene-
ficent act known on the statute book as the 4 and
5 Vic., cap. 59, by which the punishment of death
by hanging was restricted to the more heinous
crimes, to the crimes of high Treason, of mur-
der, of unnatural offences, of setting fire to
the QUEEN'S ships or stores, of injuring life with
intent to murder, of burglary, accompanied with
intent to murder, of robbing, accompanied with
stabbing or wounding, of arson, accompanied by
the peril of possible homicide, otherwise of set-
ting: fire to a dwelling-house having any person
therein, of setting fire to, casting away or otherwise
destroying ships with intent to murder, of ex-
hibiting false lights with intent to bring ships into
danger, of piracy, accompanied with stabbing,
and so forth. The punishment of death, according
to the wording of that measure, being restricted, it
will have been observed, saving and excepting only
in regard to one or two of the more abhorred and
monstrous class of criminals—to such as had been
found guilty either of actual murder, or of the con-
templation, or of the attempt at murder. While
endeavours have thus been effectually directed to the
diminution of the application of the extreme penalty
of the law, with a view to the suppression of crime—
other efforts have been made to do away with the
punishment of death altogether. The last of
these was made as recently as yesterday in
the Ilouse of Commons, when, by a majo-
rity of Two to One, the House declined to read a
second time Mr. GILPIN'S Bill for the Abolition of
Capital Punishment, It is earnestly to be hoped that
no similarly wild attempt at legislation will be lightly
undertaken, either by the member for Northamp- 1
ton or any other morbidly sensitive humanitarian.
Practical philanthropy lies not, we may be certain,
in that direction. There are crimes for which there is
no other punishment but death—no other punishment
in any way adequate, or in any way'applicable. With
the commencement of the Millenium, but not before
then, will have arrivedj.the period for the Abolition of
Capital Punishment..

SHREWD men of business who are disappointed if
they do not make their thousands a year must often
have wondered at the keenness of competition that
there is for admission into the Civil Service. It is
not to be supposed that the loyalty of the competitors
induces them to esteem the honour of serving their
Sovereign so highly that they are willing to take a
proportionately smaller pay. Sentiment has not in
these days much to do with the choice of a profession.
No doubt the Civil Service is a gentlemanly
profession, equally certain it is not a very arduous
profession ; and it must therefore be attractive
to that large number of men who, having a moderate
income from private s9urees, desire to eke it out by
means of an employment which will not make too
severe a demand upon their energies, and will at the
same time confer a certain amount of prestige. It
was said by a recent speaker in the House of
Commons, that whereas it was formerly the fashion
for the father of a stupid son to place him " in the
Church," it is now the fashion to put Master
DULLARD in the Civil Service. And it must be con-
fessed that a large portion of the work in that
service is not beyond the meanest capacities. Letter-
writing of the usual official formal kind, requiring no
exercise of mental powers beyond the memory of a
few formulas, is not of a very high order. But there
is a lower class of work even than that, the copying
of these letters. Until recently this has been done
by Her MAJESTY'S civil servants. The innovation of
copying-presses lately made by the Board of Admi-
ralty was considered as nothing less than revolu-
tionary.
But while a profession of this kind is just the one
to attract men with small brains and little industry,
it cannot be denied that a good many clever men

enter it. Some do so with the intention of
thoroughly working at it, and with the hope of
rising to the highest posts, which are lucrative.
Others find that attendance at a Government office for a
few. hours every day is by no means incompatible with
other pursuits, and, if the truth were known, the publi
would probably be astonished to learn the number of
brilliant leaders, clever verses, and exciting novels

written within the walls of a Government office.

But another source of attractiveness has just been
discovered. We should not have ventured to hint
at it even, if a very high authority had not done
something more than hint. The SECRETARY to the
ADMIRALTY has recently declared that a very exten-
sive system of " tipping " prevails in the contract
department of the Admiralty. The revelations in
the GA3IBIER-RUMBOLD trial shewed that the prac-
tice was possible. Mr. BAXTER goes farther, and
says that it bas been usual. No one who has had
dealingS with some of our great public companies
will be much surprised to know this. It would be
easy to mention this or that company whose officials
have to be " commissioned " before goods will be
accepted. Perhaps we had hoped that all the for-
malities which had to be passed through would pre-
vent such a system in the navy. But red tape,
which hinders proper arrangements, has proved no
deterrent to those which are improper. It seems
rather to have facilitated them. The system of
" tipping" has taken various forms. Now it has
been a payment made by a disreputable firm in order
to get put upon the list of Admiralty contractors.
Now it has been offered in order to ensure

the reception of goods inferior to the sample.
Now it has opened the dockyard doors for the
admission of goods that were not wanted at all. In
every case a great wrong was done to the nation.
No contractor who is dishonest enough to " tip"
will hesitate to charge it in his account. The nation,
therefore, pays more for the goods it receives than
it ought to pay, in order that its own servants may
be enriched. Mr. BAXTER has made short work of
this system. Adopting in the Admiralty the same
principles that have guided him in his own very
successful business, he has put this great spending
department in the same advantageous position as a
private firm. The result has been most remarkable.
The Admiralty having an open market, being
able to make the best terms and to choose the best
goods, being no longer bound by antiquated con-
tracts to take articles from inferior men, or articles
that have long since bezome antiquated by reason of
modern improvements, have been able to obtain
much better commodities than before at a reduced
price. For instance, Mr. BAXTER has arranged to
get for £43 a ton that which hitherto has cost
£'73 10s.; he has knocked off £l,BOO on an item
of £32,000 ; he has reduced the charge for
coals from £225,000 to £140,000 ; he is
buying at Old, per pound that which hitherto

-has been id: ; and has brought down a
charge of 1:5-s. per ton to £l6 Bs. But he has
not always gone upon the principle of taking the
lowest price. Cheap goods often mean inferior goods.
Those which we were getting formerly were too
often both inferior and dear. Indeed such a reputa-
tion had the Admiralty for jobbery that the best and
most respectable contractors refused to tender.
Honesty would not permit them to offer bribes.
Self-respect would not permit them to enter into
competition with men of damaged reputations who,
fur all that, would be sure to beat them. Under the
present arrangements it is understood that any
contractor of good standing and condnc may
compete; and that the successful competitor
will win entirely through his own merits.
There will be an officer responsible to the House of
Commons for contracts, and any contractor who feels
himself aggrieved will have a right of appeal to the
Board of Admiralty direct. It is to be hoped that
the good example thus set in a Government depart-
ment will have a beneficial influence upon commer-
cial transactions. Recent City revelations have
shewn to what an injurious extent this system of
commissions has been carried. It was quite time
that an example of a better state of things was
made in high quarters.
The supposition that the efficiency of the navy
will be diminished by these economies and reforms
is utterly unfounded. There is nothing so inefficient
as waste, except waste and jobbery combined. Where
jobbery prevails its demoralising influence is felt far
beyond the transactions which it directly affects. It
induces the feeling throughout every department that
the nation is a victim to be plundered rather than a
master to be served, and so every man instead of
doing his best does his worst. Contrarily, if those in
authority lay down the principle that everyone is
bound to act for the nation as if he were acting
for himself, a right spirit will be infused
throughout the Service. So it has come to pass that
although the navy estimates have been reduced
by a million in one year, and will probably,
by means of Mr. BAXTER'S subsequent economies,
shew a similar further reduction next year, the navy
was never so efficient since the great French war as
it is now. We have better ships, they are better
equipped, and better manned. There has been no
discharge of our sailors, but there has been a termi-
nation of the jobbery which has been eating our
revenues like a canker. The disease was an invete-
rate one, the growth of no particular period, and due
to no particular party. The knife has been applied
to it at last, and we may hope that we are on the way
to a perfect and permanent cure.

LATEST INTELL EGENCE

(RELITEP.'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, July 28.

The Guion steamship Minnesota arrived ou
yesterday, and the Cunard steamship China a
9 a.m. to-day.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CLOSING PRICES.

Gold closed at 1351, ; the highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 1361 ; the lowest, 1351.
Sterling Exchange on London llok.
5-20 U. S. Bonds, 1882 l23i.
cc " 1885 1221.
cc " 1867 l2ll.
10-40
Illinois 1414.
Erie 291.
Cotton—Mid. upland 34c.
Petroleum—Standard White
-2
Flour, extra state, $6.70e. to $7.30c. Corn, old
mixed, $1.12c.

QUEENSTOWN, July 29.

The National steamship Company's steamer
England, froth New York, arrived here at 9 '.m ,
an I having landed mails procce led for Liverpool.
Specie, $70,000.

I'Lvmot•T t, July 2), 9.30 a.m.
Tile Royal mail steamer Seine; fro.o the West
Indies, has just arrived off here.
PHILADELPHIA, July 28, Evening.

A Cincinnati telegram announces a fearful
disaster yesterday on the Memphis and Ohio Rail-
roa 1, near Clarksville, Tennessee. A passenger
train fell through a bridge, and all the cars but
one were burned. Six persons were killed and 30
wounded.

EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, Julf 28.

The Viceroy arrived here from Toulon to-day.
The foreign consuls were present at his reception,
when an address was presented.to his Highness.
Preparations have been made for an illumination
of the city to-night.

It is rumoured that the Viceroy will only stay
in Egypt a few days and then proceed to Constan-
tinople.

SWEDEN.

STOCKHOLM, July 28.

The marriage of the Crown Prince of Denmark
and the Princess Louise, daughter of the King, was
celebrated this afternoon. Their Royal Highnesses
left Stockholm for the castle of Haga at eight
o'clock in the evening, where they will remain some
time. An immense number of persons was present
at the festivities, which took
Place amid great re-
joicings. A grand fete will be held on Friday at
the Castle of Drottninghohn.

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, July 29.

Yesterday afternoon the Prince and Princess of
Wales, accompanied by the King, paid a visit which
lasted two hours to the Exposition of Fine Arts.
This evening their Royal Highnesses will pro-
bably be present at a state reception of the Arama
Patrie.