The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-24 00:00:00

THE CONVICTS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH

It has been already stated that Francis, after his convic-
tion, appeared completely unnerved, and it was nearly two
days before he recovered anything like composure. He is
now, however, much restored, and exhibits much the same
appearance he did previous to the trial. He has been re-
moved to the cell he occupied before his conviction, and turn-
keys are with him day and night, as is customary in the case
of persons under sentence of death. The Rev. Mr. Carver,
ordinary of the prison, visits him several times in the course
of every day, and the prisoner has frequently expressed his
gratitude to him for the kindness and attention he has paid
to him during his imprisonment in Newgate; and although,
of course, the rev. gentleman has refrained from questioning
the wretched young man in relation to the charge of which
he has been convicted, yet it is said that Francis has fre-
quently voluntarily brought up the subject, and has all along
persisted in declaring that there was not only no bullet in the
pistol, but that it contained in reality nothing but a small
charge of gunpowder and some paper, and that he never had
any intention to hurt the Queen. He abstains, however, al-
together from mentioning what was his motive for discharg-
ing the pistol at all, although it would seem that he hoped it
would be a means for securing him from the state of misery
and almost destitution in which he was at the time he com-
mitted the act, and it is evident that he never contemplated
that the proceeding would lead to such an awful re-
sult. He appears now, however, to be fully alive to the
consequences that might have resulted from his crime,
and his conduct and demeanour while in the prison have
gained the good opinion of all the officers and the other
authorities with whom he has been brought in contact.
The conduct of Cooper, it is painful to state, has formed
a striking contrast to that of Francis. Ells violence
i
on several occasions has been extreme, and n lieu of prepa-
ring for the dreadful fate which awaits him, his only feeling
appears to be that of regret that he was not
.able to inflict
some mischief upon the police and the other witnesses, and
as yet the exhortations of the reverend ordinary have be
enunavailing with him, and have entirely failed in bringing 91111
to a proper sense of his condition. He has been visited
since his conviction by his mother, and although the latter
was of course very much affected, the wretched culprit him-
self exhibited very little emotion. It has been rumoured
that the execution of one or both of the culprits would take
place next Monday, but it can be confidently stated that no
definite arrangement has yet been come to on this subject.
With regard to Cooper there can be very little doubt that
the extreme penalty of the law will ultimately be inflicted ;
but very great doubts are entertained whether Her Majesty's
clemency may not be extended to the prisoner Francis. It
is probably known that, by r act of Parliament which pas-
sed shortly after the accession of her present Majesty, the
ceremony of the recorders report to the crown and Privy
Council of the prisoners under sentence of death in Newgate,
with a view to ascertain the pleasure of the crown regarding
them, as also the limitation of the period for the execution
of persons convicted of murder, after conviction has been
abolished ; and now all the few remaining capital offences
are placed in the same position, and a period of 21 days may
elapse between the periods of conviction and execution ; and
the sheriffs are empowered to fix any day they please within
those periods. Indeed upon conviction the sentence may be
carried into effect without any communication whatever
being made either to the Home-office or any other portion
of the government. The usual course, however, has been
for the sheriffs to settle the day on which the execution shall
take place, and then to notify the fact to the Home Secre-
tary. Her Majesty of course, has the power of extending
her pardon or granting a commutation of punishment to any
criminal ; but it will be seen that the Crown is now entirely
relieved from the painful task which was formerly cast upon
the Sovereign, of directly ordering the execution of a fellow
creature.

The dress ball which took place at her Majesty's theatre
on the 26th of May, for the benefit of the silk trade in
Spitalfields, realised a profit of about £lOOO.
M. Mainzer, the celebrated popular instructor in singing,
has been invited by Father Mathew to visit Ireland, under a
belief that the innocent and salutary recreation of music will
powerfully aid in weaning the people from a pernicious in-
dulgence.

On Tuesday morning the following distressing case of hy-
drophobia occurred to a youth 14 years of age, the son of
Mr. Guildford, a cabinet-maker, residing in East-street,
Manchester-square, London. It appears that he was sitting
with his parents, at breakfast, when he was suddenly seized
with shivering fits, at the moment he was attempting to
drink some tea. After recovery, he complained of a violent
pain in his throat and head. Medical assistance was called
in, when it was found that the unfortunate youth was at-
tacked by hydrophobia. Abont ten weeks since he was
slightly bitten in the thick part of the thumb of the left hand
by a strange dog, but the wound healing shortly afterwards,
no notice was taken of the circumstance. Every possible
surgical skill has been used to allay his sufferings, but it is
feared there is no hope of his recovery.

SECOND EDITION.

Standard-office, Three o'clock, a.rn

LATEST FROM THE
UNITED STATES.

By the South America, Capt. Bailey, which arrived at this
port last night, we have New York papers of the Ist instant,
being one day later than by the Acadia. Very little news is
gathered from them.
THE BOUNDARY QUESTION—ACTION OF MASSACHU-
MTS.—The governor and council of Massachusetts have,
in like manner with Maine, appointed commissioners with
full powers to sanction such arrangement as the general
government may make in relation to the North Eastern
boundary. The commissioners are Messrs. Abbott Law-
rence and John Mills.

A severe shock of an earthquake was felt at Mayaguez,
P. R., which caused the ground to be in motion for two mi-
nutes, like the waves of the ocean. It spread great conster-
nation among the inhabitants, and several families repaired
to the sea-side to take boats for the shipping. But little
damage was done. A slight shock of an earthquake was
felt at Guyanilla, on the 7th instant, at 6 a.m.

THE LAST NEWS FROM FLORIDA.—We are authorised
by an officer of the army, just from Florida, to say that the
statement of Indian Murders contained in t.he morning
papers of the city, taken from the St. Augustine News, is
founded on rumour, and confuses what it purports to describe.
It makes several transactions out of one, and exaggerates
beyond all proportions.—Madisonian.

EMIGRANTS.-5,850 passengers have arrived at New York
during the week ending the 28th instant.

CROPS.—Accounts from every quarter of the country re-
present the growing crop of wheat as very promising. The
crop is very fine in all lower Virginia, but it is not a large
one, the failure for two or three years having deterred far-
mers from seeding as much as usual.—The other growing
crops are also promising. .No idea'can yet be formed of the
tobacco crop. The season has been and is favourable to
planting.—Richmond Whig.

Capt. Madison, brig Fame, arrived from Antwerp to New
York 31st ult., spoke Swedish barque Oscar 21st ult., 59 days
from Gottenburg for New York, who reported having fallen
in with the British barque Analitta, seven days hence for
Antwerp. Had run into an island of ice on the Banks, and
was obliged to abandon the vessel.