The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-24 00:00:00

COURTS OF CRIMINAL APPEAL.

The Pall Mall Gazette has a leader erprepes to the case
of Charles Wiltshire, in which it suggests the appoint.
meats of Courts of Appeal in Criminal Cases. Let a
court be constituted, to be composed of the Home
Secretary and two judges of the superior courts
of common law, to be called the Court fur the
Consideration of Sentences in Criminal Cases.
Let it be enacted that whenever a judge who
has tried a criminal case is of opinion that
the prisoner was wrongfully convicted, and when-
ever any person who has been convicted succeeds in
satisfying the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment that matter which was not given in evidence
at the trial renders it desirable that further inquiry
should be had, it shall be lawful to send the matter
before the court, who shall thereupon inquire into
the truth, and shall have power to confirm, quash, or
alter the finding of the jury and the sentence of the court.
Provided always that such judgment should be delivered
in open court and the reasons for it assigned. This would
provide for those exceptional cases in which at present
the Home Secretary sits as a court of appeal, and ends
by pardoning an innocent man for having been found
guilty. As for the mitigation of sentences, it might be
provided that whenever any judge passed sentence of
death or of penal servitude for twenty years or upwards,
he should report such sentence to the court, together
with any observations or documents which he
thought it desirable to lay before them ; and that it should
be lawful for all persons who had been sentenced either to
death or to penal servitude, say for ten years or upwards, to
submit memorials to the court in mitigation of punishment;
that the court should take such reports and memorials into
consideration, and decide whether or not they would
inquire further into the matter ; that if they decided to
make no further inquiry, the law should take its course ;
and that if they decided to make further inquiry, they
should have power to make it in any way which might
appear to them most proper. We believe that the
establishment of such a court, altogether unshackled
by technicalities, and invested with full power to do
complete justice, would do more to strengthen the
hands of justice, to abolish the scandals which con-
tinually- occur at the Home Office, and to give the public
confidence in the administration of the law than almost
any other reform which could be suggested.

The Roman correspondent of the Tablet says that
Ring Victor Emmanuel "is fast progressing towards imbe-
cility in mind, and his bodily health is in such a state that
ho cannot lie down for fear of an attack of apoplexy."

The Weekly Register says that at the (Ecumenical
Council only one political question will be discussed. This
will be an endeavour on the part of the Holy Father, as the
head of the United Church, to persuade the different na.
tions of Europe to disarm their present enormous and costly
armies and fleets, and submit their differences to arbitration.

The Earl of Fingall was found dead in his bed
on Thursday. The deceased peer was born in 1791,
and was, consequently, iu his 78th year. Ho sat as Baron
Fingal), and was a Liberal in politics. He was Lord-Lieu-
tenant of 31eath, and a trustee and visitor of Mayuooth
College.

Prince Louis of Bourbon, son of the Count
d'Aquila, was recently married in New York to Mise
Hamel, an American lady of great beauty. The
ex-King of Naples, as the head of this branch of the
Bourbon family, has sent n protest to New York declaring
the marriage null and void. It was contracted without the
consent of Prince Louis's father.

ller Majesty bas been pleased to present a copy o)
her work, "Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the High-
lands," to the Walsall Church Institute. It bears her Ma-
jesty's autorn al h in the following inscription on the fly-leaf
—" Presented to the Walhall Church Institute by Victoria
R. Windsor Castle, April, 180." It is intended to deposit
the volume in a glass case at the Institute, and to purchase a
second copy for general use.

Miss Baker, after running last but one in a Selling
Stakes at Croydon, was sold for 16 guineas to Mr. J. Read .
The Touch and Go colt, the winner of a Selling Plate at
Lewes, was sold to Mr. Reeves for 80 guineas, and the
same gentleman claimed Plunger.
TARGET.—This horse, which has recently been pur-
chased by Lord Roseberry to lead Ladas in his work for
the Derby, arrived at Ilsley on Thursday.

REFRACTORY JOCKEYS. - The start.q. reported Hardy,
Wyatt, and Crickmero for misconduct at the post in the
Woodside Plato at Croydon on Thursday.

Saturnalia, after winning a Selling Race at Lewes, was
sold to Mr. John Nigliting:4ll for 100 guineas ; and Mr.
Goddard claimed Masquerade, who ran in the same race.
Tim°leen (2 yrs), after running.unplaced in the Juvenile
Stakes at Lewes, was renamed Brighton.