Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-10-08

stated, at great length, proposition for the
abolition of tho punishment Of death.
W. de hontigny opposed the immediate
consideration OF this, az there were more VI
gent amelorations required in the Penal
Code.
GENERAL Lafayette then rose and said, l
conceive, differing with my honorable col.
league, that tho abolition of the penalty OF
death Is new principle, or rather sentiment
that ought to be at once examined II Is No
new idea that is now laid before you-,he
abolition OF this penalty has been called for
al every period: 1t was demanded by some
respectable members of tho Constituent AS.
sembiy, by Adrian Duport it was demanded
by the father of our honorable friend the au
thor of commentary on Montesquieu. How
deeply have We all to regret that il had not
been abolished ages back II is in the pres.
ent day loudly called for in the United States
I" America From thus, gentleman, you will
perceive that many have formed n decided
opinion upon the subject. For INV own mari.
] shall demand the abolition of the penalty a.
death, until am convinced human Judgment,
is inialiible What frightful use of this pen
ATTY was made during our former revolution
The reflection fills my soul with horror
No mar, believe, ever made use of il duripo
these disastrous times, without afterwards
wishing 1t were possible no could redeem
with his own blood tho condemnatons i'm
winch he had joined But our present reyo
tuition has CHARACTER of generosity as well
as OF patriotism, and it would adorn its com
hienccment were we 10 consumate this great
act OF humanity l therefore, vote for ills
Delng taken into consideration
jonrnment.
t. NJ. de Tracy opposed it.
NJ dc Rambateur opposed the considera
ton.
The adjournment was negativcd. and tho
question taken into consideration.
Among the inhabitants Of Paris who fell
In the late conflict was NJ. Lamv. the
proprietor of a scientific journal of some caI,
ebrily. This gentleman received n muske,
ball In the breast, from which no died n few
days afterwards after having exclaimed
Dutce et dec0rum est propatrid mort - and
he was buried with military honors.
"A great meeting has been held in
Liverpool on the affairs OF France, and
subscription was opened for the re-
leli oil the sufferers. 1t was supposed
that fiteen hundred gentlemen were
present. On seconding the third reso-
luton, the speaker remarked with pleas
ure, that the son of gentleman then
IN that room, was an active operator i'm
the scenes OF Paris. Cries ior his name
resonnded from all quarters of the hail.
wien DIR. Briggs was announced.
Mons. Du Roy, a French gentleman,
presented himself, and expressed in
his own name and in that of his coun-
trymen, his heartfelt qualification for
Inc honor done them this day. He
considered such meetings absolutely
necessary, for without such expressions
OF public feeling, all the powers of Eu-
rope would do their utmost to crush the
terminated Liberties of France.
was received with great applause.
lhree cheers were then proposed by
the chairman for Lafayette, which were
sosheartiIy gwen that the hall resound-
ed with the plaudits.
Mount Etna.-The terrible explo.
Sion which lately opened seven craters
Oh the volcano at once, has DESTROYED
eight villages In the eighborhoo of
the mountain, to which neither the la
va nor the fire ever extended before
AN the houses have disappeared under
the heaps OF calcined stones and burn.
ing clnders, which were from these
new openings OF Etna. Notwithstand-
ing the trlghtiuI detonatIons which
announced beforehand the approach of
the catastrophe, the inhabitants of these
villages remained quietly in their dwell
ihgs, considering themselves safe on
account OF the distance, which had
preserve them IN ali the preceding
eruptions, however violent In the
destruction oithese villages and neigh.
boring hamlets. persisted great many
: victims, both men and animals.
Cn the 21th OF May the consumed
edi'ices were still smoking, ana these
unhappy places were inaccessible on
account OF the heat which was given out
RON 'ne cInders, stones aud lava, with
winch they are covered. 1t was
not uniii Tie eighth day after the disas-
ter' mat 1t was possible to approach for
the purpose OF aifording any succor.-
but the search was entirely useless ;
never was calamity more terrible,
more unexpected or more general. The
shores OF Calabrla, and some parts of
itaiy, lying IN the current OF the wind
which blew on that DISASTROUS night,
were covered with the same kind of
ashes under which the places in the
vicinity OF Htna were buried. Sicily
VIII long remember this disaster, which
mas devastated the richest and most
fertile country in the world.
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