The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-26 00:00:00

known niltnirous 'persons ere 'annually de-
rauded_by bankrupts, who calmly tesolved to let
:he offenders escape with.impuoity, biecause there
Loos no alternative between this and shedding Oleic
blood. Forgeries had formerly been Uniformly pu-
nished with death, but there had been such a great
increaSe of forgeries of late years, in consequence
of the great addition nottle.tb our paper cirenlat
ing 'Hellions, that beets found,impossible to
-carry the sentence of the law into effect in every
ease. In most cases, it was true, the law had
been executed, but still, from the uncertainty of
punishment which hied:tilos been introduced,-all
the benefit of the severity of the law wits lost
The feeling of the public was against the severity
• of the punishment, yet many painful examples
had been thought necessary. That very day two
lads, the mie 17 and the other 18 years of age,
were to-have been executed, but• owing to the
exertions of a worthy', Magistrate of the City,
who was also a Member of that Hpuse, and au
lion. Friend of his, they had beenrespited for, a
'week. If totngninary laws did not prevent crime,
,they ,produced. the 'most injurious effects. Not
only were the lives of the victims wasted, but the
impression which such scenes made on the spec-
tators was not that which it was desirable to pro-
duce. This had been stated in stronger language
than any be.could use by Mr. Burke, erbo,'speak-
lug of the policy of punishing political crimes on
a great number of persons, had said, ".Such
lilbitions only increase the ferocity of men, acrid
teach -them to regard their. own lives and the lives
of others as of very little valuel whereas, it
should be the great policy of a Government to
make them feel that both are. of importance in the
eye of God, and that they should never sacrifice,
or even hazard them, but in conformity with.those
rules prescribed by. morality, and tinder the direc-
tion of the law." lie-considered the exhibition
which had been made of the wretched mats who
had committed suicide in, Newgate, from the ac-
countip he bad read in the l'aper'of the dtry to he
highly objectionable. His • bloody and mangled
corpse, it appeared, had heen exposed to public
view with the instroment of death suspended over
him. Such pi) exhibition !wore a caiwel, partly.'
made tip of women and children, could not bin.
produce :the most unfavourable Impression on
them. Besides, be, bad to remark, the Sheriff,
or whoever had done this, had no atithotil for
taking such a course. . Ail the law directed ss here
a verdict of felo de se was given was, that the
body should be buried in the highway, and
those who made the exhibition to which, he

had just alluded, had no right to tahe upon
themselves to pronounce a. man tt ho bad not
been tried, to be a murderer, and to dispose
of him by the lianth of the executioner. There
wav little or no doobt that. this. man had been
guilty of the murder- for which: he was to have
been tried but still.those Who had him in custody
had no right to make an exhibition of his wretched
remains, that should be at once diSgraCetid to*tke
country and injurious to the chat actter of the peo-
pie. Such conduct had been justly reprobated in
stronger and in better terms than arty he could
use, by a Right lion. Gentleman now no *more

(Mr. Sheravi), when the .body of Williams, the
snpposed perpetrator oldie mut:tiers committed in
Pateliffe highway, some years ago, was. exposed

in tke 3: me manner. Ili then muted for leave to
bring in a 13ill,:t0 repeal t;() ninth of an Act passed
in tie 10111 and I/ t!I of King William 111. as went.
to take array the Benefit of Clergy trout persons
convicted of stealing in shops, &c. to the amount
of 53. or more.

Mr. JOHN SIIITiT corroborated the statements
which had been made by the Learned Gentleman
whit respect to the numerous fraudulent bank-
ruptcies' which occurred in every year, and -the
increased number of for which had occurrill
of late yeats. He further remarked the House
were not aware of the manreases in which forge-
ries were committed where the business was given
tii) on account of the severity of the Ifitv. To
guard against the effects which pity for the hull-
vidual produced in such oases, he bad belonged
to art association frirmrd for the purpose of bring-
ing off, airs tc, justice. Pity however pre-
vailed over all their arrangements, and their union

had been of no,avaii. He supported the Motion.
J.,2sTawpotir supported the Motion, and
hoped the 13111 would pass into a law.---Leare was

gh;en to bring in the Bill.

lONIAN ISLANDS.

Sir C. Moscx said, by a treaty concluded he=
tween the tom Great Powers of Europe who were
in alliance at the close of the late war, the lonian
Islands were placed 'under the protection of Great
Britain, and it was in that Treaty stated that a
Constitution should be framed for them. The na-
ture of the Constitution framed for them, it Ap-
peared to him, could not bur be highly intereat-
log to the country, and to the English Parliament.
He wished to know, as he understood the Consti-

•
tutiou bad been frameol stud ratificd, if it, were in-
tended to submit it to the llouse.

Lord CANTLEREAGII Stilted 'that which had beep
(lope to have heti' done in conformity with the
prayers of the.inhabitants of the lonia')
The Constitution .was fringed, ratified, and in
()iteration., but he had tint received the con:mantis
of --

_ .......
ite Prince jt rget‘t to lay it before the House.

Sir C. MONqk gave notice, that on Tuesday be would
move fur au Address to the Prince Regent, praying that the
Constitution frame or the lonian Isles might be laid Ikefore
the House.'