The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-08 00:00:00

(FROM THE NEWS.)

The public attention has been for some time pain-
fully drawn, particularly- by the cases of the Rev.
Mr. Fenn and Joseph Hunton, towards the sub-
ject of the frequency of our capital punishments for
the crime of forgery. We had occasion to remark,
in a recent number, that " the temptation to crime is
increased with the apparent impunity, and Me greater
the temptation the less the moral guilt." Now, if
such are truisms,--and we believe all will admit them
to be,—why punishforgery as you punish murder.
The only excuse for this-twerinal.severity we ever
heard worthy of being listened to, is that ive live in
a commercial country, and that it is necessary far
the carrying on of trade to fence round our paper
circulation with the bloody edicts ialich are now
being so frequently appealed to for its protection.
Even admitting this argument, the Christian and the
i♦loralist must allow that we are adapting our laws
more to expediency than to the great principles of
equity, which are co-eternal with truth. But we
are far from admitting the correctness of the
' argument, that such severity is absolutely :ne-
cessary. It is exercised in no other country than
England, although it is well known that in France
and Holland,- and many parts of Germany, a large
portion of the commerce is carried on through the
medium of a paper circulation. And yet we hear of
nothing like the frequency of the crime of forgery in
those countries that we experience here. We there-
fore contend, that instead of going on hanging as
we barbarously do, every Sessions (and which after
all, is found ineffectual as a remedy) it would he as
well if we made a trial of the more huMane mode of
transportation, under. peculiar circumstances of pri-
iTation. The life of a fellow creature is too precious
to be risked where there exists any doubt as to the
expediency of its sacrifice.
" To wrest from God's own hand the sword of justice,
And be your own avengers."

The numerous interviews which the Duke of
Wellington has lately had with the Archbishop of
Canterbury, have-given strength to the reports that
in the ensuing Session something will be attempted to
allay the furor which now attends the question of Ca-
tholic Emancipation. Whether that son►ethin; will
content the Irish Catholics, we entertain considerable
doubts. For our parts we must say, that if a con-
cession is to be made, it should he of that nature as
to be acceptable to those on whorls the favour is in-
tended to operate—else why make the concession.
We will riot, however, anticipate objections before
we know the facts. Humour says that the Duke
intends to bring forward a qualified plan of Emanci-
pation—and if that is not acceded to by the Irish
Catholics, and if they still persist in their present
system of agitation,he will then suspend the Habeas
Corpus Ad, and by force put down the Association
and the collection of the rent. Ile is unable, such
is the present state of the law, to effect either of these
measures without suspending the Habeas Corpus.
This is, however, a dangermis step for any Prime
Minister to take—the more especially, as it would
absolutely do nothing towards permanently qaieting
Lela►nd. The game of agitation would recommence
with additional fury the instant. the despotic pressure
of power was relaxed—and the intervention of a
war, in which England were a principal, might prove
the means of separating the two countries for ever.