The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-04 00:00:00

papers would wish, should be amended by the intro-
duction of a clause enabling .the Magistrate in certain
uses to commit for the felony, instead of inflicting the
summary punishment to which the conviction of this
offence is now restricted. The former act only wanted
the discretion now given to the Magistrate, to fine,
imprison, and keep to hard labour, offenders of this
description, to render it perfect. That Garden Rob-
bing is an offence which ought not to be visited with
severe punishment, cannot be maintained by any sen-
sible or moral person. As a private injury to the in-
dividual, whether that individual intends the produce
of his garden or hot-house for sale or for private use,
one of the most mortifying wrongs to which any
man can be subjected. The hopes of a season
are blighted by a miscreant, who is to lie treated
with the tenderness which modern Philanthropists
are too apt to advocate for all offenders. We know
not why a market gardener, or the man of fortune, are
not both as well entitled to have their gardens pro-
tected, es the bleacher his bleaching ground ; or why
!tealing a hundred weight of grapes, worth, perhaps,
4/, is not to be punished as severely as stealing a
piece of linen. . .

As a public wrong, garden robbing can only be
viewed as one of a heinous nature, and preg-
Lint with the most baneful effects upon the lower
Inters. The boy who is taught to consider apple-
stealing as a venial offence, will soon advance to the
stealing more valuable commodities ; and potatoes
and onions having 'followed, grapes, pines, and
peaches, next become his object. The hedge
once passed, and the hot-house door will not
stop him; and having learnt the art of forcing
his entrance through such guards, burglary, and with
it every other crime, follow as a natural consequence.
We contend, therefore, that the severest penalties ought
to await garden robbing, not only as a punishment for
the offence itself, but to stop the young offender in a
career of guilt which, from this beginning, frequently
terminates his existence on the gallows ; and we repeat
our hopes, that instead of mitigating the penalties at-
tached to this offence by the existing law, the Legis-
lature will, in additi6n, re-enact the provisions of the
Act 6 Geo. 4, making the commission of it felony in
certain cases, where the nature of the robbery, and the
mode of its being effected, shall seem to justify it.

We would direct public attention to a report of what
took place at the Winborne Petty Sessions, Dorset, on
Friday last, when the Bench of Magistrates, with
H. BA mus, Esq. M. P. as their chairman, deemed it
inconvenient for private reasons that any Reporter should
take notes of their proceedings. Could any thing be a
better satire on the impartiality of their conduct, or
better illustrate the wisdom of their decisions, than the
unblushing modesty with which they seek to hide the
lame of their good works undera bushel ? Mr. BAN ICES
was particularly imbued with this retiring modesty,
Which scarcely trusts the garish eye of day to look upon
its ways—ways the more pleasant as they are more
unseen by hedge row walks," and, we think
" crooked lanes," the poet has it, but, if not, the Chair-
man can set the quotation all straight in his next
decision. Vain people, it is well known, are very
Fond of seeing the beauty of their faces in a glass, which
reflects things just as they are ; but modest men, like
Bench of Worships, are very shy of looking at
'hem
vanities, lest the blushing mirror should shame
'hem out of countenance. It is said that nothing
a man who rims away, so much as the echo'of
his own feet, because it gives too faithful a report of
Lhe pilgrim's progress ; and it is upon the same pin-
41e, we suppose, that certain worthies are annoyed by
riiinort of their proceedings following close at the
leels of their Door-skid decisions.'