The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-01-05 00:00:00

Plea. ail

_
, OP OVIVISHMINT.
• Ikeesa. aPsedi (lasi,'
_radial:6. r
*Am Seq. In the noose of
Wise, ifedoesile4 Pay IS, 1821, ea the illi fse
widpting thiledieby of Punishment is certain cases
of Forgery sod ilbeMaes oweecied therewith."
. There It so weigh* will deny, that the laws of the
land Nigh' to he Wageolal with the feelings a the
pea*. Thome Ives a dew, we say suppose. I. shish
this happy sympathy prevailed.- Bat that period is
long pawed. balite the last Gantry they have web
led fres able pail/ of wisearnmee ; the law In its
alkoefteltulas 414
_pop* Is the laser et their
Isallageineadlar Irellkaash other with Assure*
tepidity. The pimple have mode weenwas stride* Is
all that wads to eiollir sad seals seat while the
laws haw oftwatied a ferocity. which did net
to them fa the seat savage period of oar histarlyif
to with extreaes'.of &twee have they proceeded.
that believe there never was a law so harsh as,
Ilddisb law t aw se asersifel sad basses a potpie as
tbelleldsb people. Aad yet to that mild sad user-
eiastpeophs, is left the execudea of that rigid aed
crud& kw!
l shield soy, Garth' isevltable wasequesees of
Via a systeetalist be impunity of crime. ores If a*
teeideeee missed epee the subject; but we base wi-
dows Is ear Report. se clear wad as (emissive, as ever
wee gives is say nee, Ni which a Committee of this
Buse had sat.
Oar object was to establish certain main priaciples.
which, If true, aeo decisive on the general quesdon.—
Ila cases seatteadod With stetson. is there or is there
set. se posMrtt a whietswe es the part of the public
to give widen/4ml to coaviet, u materially impedes
the merle of ? That Is the question to sahib
we aught as =from oar 'itemises. We weeldsi•
the ease of se ddboder, from the 111011bellt of eeetesittleg,
the ace. to the awesome of his acquittal ; and thee 'we
wasidered what persons of respectability bad opper-
tumbles ed obeerving the effect, upon the mind of the
prisoner, sod epos the mind of the prosecutor. of the
sr erig of the kW; sad these persons were examined.
The Reeder is brought before the Magistrate. We
411•0014 talons Magistrates; two, especially of the
Polleillagistrates of the Metropolis; who are most
decisive in istaioring, that the severity of the law
deadens its esicOtion. Mr. Mainwaring tells as, I
have maser ie odesider that very considerable Mut.
'suits prosecute Masts en the part of the public.' He
le thee asked, '
" In *bad arises is this reluctance most visible?'
*blab tleadmuluctaue Is meet vial* Is ape*,

!id ea A.

I

Dfif yiferster liaopes is ascisstain wires wts tbs,
eons. of thl ',lactasee os their part r I think
that is this offence. as in most others where capital
pusisbmest may follow. the reinetanee arises from lb.
punishment of death being possibly consequent apes
tbs eltemm."

" Have you observed that prosecutors have 'squired
what would be the mature of the punishment whea
they brought an offender before you?" "
astedly."
" And has any difference existed in their proceed-
ings, in consequence of finding that the punishment
was capital ?"—" Decidedly."
6' Then, have they not been less ready to go forward
with the prosecution, in cases where they toned the
punishment capital, than in eases where they found
the punislameat was of a less nature?" " Certainly,.
In such cases I have observed the disposition to pro-
secute to abate upon every re-examiaatien; and have
at times had considerable difficulty in compelling par-
ties to prosecute, and have afterwards understood from
saqaestionsble authority, that they were determined
to throw out the bill, though bound over by the ma-
gistrate. lam disposed to fear, that the apprehension
ofeapital ponisbassat adds in many cans to the fa-
cility of compounding felonies."
" Do you upon the whole, believe, that if the law
were mitigated, and the penalty of many aerie's re-
duced to imprisonment, with hard labour, that this
would be the means of products, more frequent pro-
secutions ?" " From the observations which I have
just made, I believe that it would be the means of
producing more frequent prosecutions. Punishments,
to be universally operative. mast be such as are in
unison with the common feelings of humanity. A
seas' of public duty will seldom be sufficiently strong
to supersede such feelings. Agaisst crimes of an atro-
cious •attire the public mind will rise to the highest
'degree of punishment which the law CAR deaoance
But, against those which are the result of an artifi-
cial state of sociey, and to the commission of which.
that state has produced the temptation, I apprehend
that numbers forego prosecution altogether, and that
miny who do undertake it would stop short is its
course, rather than arrive at its awls' termination,
the death of the criminal."

The Bill before the Legislature of the state of Georgia
a correspondent remarks, can only refit to notaicipa
regulations, and permit slaves to be introduced from
the adjoining States; the National Goverament alms*.
having the power to allow their importation from Ns-
yood the era. Os this latter riot. the voice of the
United Siam is *tuskless; sad so alteration ores
ever take plasm.

Ow of *tint experimental chemists ef thepreeest
day ascribes the great increase of tidies deaths la this'
rummy, to the &axioms logredieets *employed in the
maaafactete of seamy of the articles of life. The 'm-
oistens convictions is particular. that have takes place
oe &comsat of the am of deleterious drugs I. bre-,
reader it highly eeesmary. that beads of families shoeW
guard against the evil conseriseures attending the .as
of as aserholesome beverage. We are assured that
Ilse Me. Table Me, and fable-beer. brewed by Mr.
IL:hempen. of the nagelgge Welts Brewery. isfrom
melee usids sad heps.und water only. The encourage-
ment he has experiimerd 'efficiently primes the wipe-
dimly otitis miscies, ired-we 'have sib stabs Wed-
iniet• Idiotism extensive paimmege 41;4 %Misses a*
deservedly taloyed.—All letters Went be post-paid.