New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-02
THE TRIBUNE E.
Capiiai Funislment-An Exciting Scene
in the Lexisinfure.
Correspondence Of The Tribune.


in the Legislature.
Correspondence of The Tribune.
Bosrow, Tuesday, Feb,.s. 1s45.
You may have observed that Gov. Norton in his
Address to the Legislature, recommended, though
in rather feeble terms. the abolition of Capital Pun
ishment, except in aggravated cases OF murder. A
considerable number of petitions for its total abo
lion have been presented to the Legislature, snd
referred 10 Special Committee aad several pop.
ular meetings have been held for the discussion of
the subject, with view to influence that body in
favor Of the proposed melioration of criminal
code. The question, hewever, has not excited a
very deep interest and se many subjects Of party
bearing engross the attention of the Legislature,
that think there Is little probability that the mat
ter will even be discussed at the present sessicn
Yesterday, however, petition of somewhat
novel character, relating TO this subject, was pre-
sented in the House, where it produced one OF the
most exciting. and, in some respects, amusing
scenes, which has occurred during the session
Here is the petition, as it was offered BY Mr..
FsIscE, Of Essex:
To ae and HOUSE If Repyesentofuc the Comnor.
.rsoi If Massachusetts,, IN General Court assembled
The Undersigned, nizsns OF Massachusetts respectfully
rsprssent-,ha in lteir opinion Capital Punishment not
only eIpeden and means OF preventing
crime contrary TO the dictates OF humanity and tie law
Of God They therefore pray your honorable bodies L
abolish such punsh'nen, IN .hls coms,onweal.li
II, however, snch abolition shall, for any reason bt
deemed dent at The present your petitioners
earnestly pray that The aw fully solemn duty OF hanging the
convicted criminal, and usaerng the guilty soul the
presence Of God, instead OF being longer imposed upon
Shefs, whose humane feelings aca shocked by such
brutality may he eater be assigned hnngmes such
your enable you to select that numerous
portion OF the clergy who The Jealous adyoc
judicial nlrrdr, ADD through whose influence the nuRan
practice has been long continued Your petitioners
cciye iha, such an arrangement would be peculiarly fifth
and
by fe acquisitions o, tie Divine Law is the most solem
formed ouly by men who have been ordained and
Grated as ministers Of Ged And And yonr peners vii ever
february, 843 With 20 Others.
If the ANCIENT and venerable Goldfish which he's
for so many years been . mute spectator &c
the proceedings of the House, had. in the Ian
guage of Abigail Folsom, announced 90 message
from Heaven it would not have caused moro as
tenishment G had almsst said consternation) than
was produced by this petition, when it was read
BY the Speaker Mr.. GlBBENs, of Boston, de-
cared that it was gross insult to the House, and
he therefore moved :" that it be not received, be
cause it is not couched in proper and respectful
language, and because ii proposes TO degrade a
most respectable class of fcow-citizens with
out giving them hearing Several others took
similar view Of the question; but Messrs. ADAMS
of Boston, (son Of ]. q. Adams.) WHlrMARsH,
BOUTWELL, and others conteuded that there was
nothing in the petition which could Justify its re-
lection. Mt ADAMS contended that ' there was
nothing in the language or the spirit Of the pe
uon which was disree eepectfu to the House. Mr.
ALLEN said the petition did not propose to ds
grade the clergy. The office of public executioner
was established BY law, and attached to the non
orable office Of the Sheriffs. 1t was disrespect
to the clergy to request that it should be conferred
upon them Mr.. MoepY, of Hardwch, said
/" Ihe petitioners only prayed that those people
who in favor of having certain acts done by
tie law should be employed BY the law to perform
those acts.
The question was finally taken, after two hours
debate, on Mr. GlBBEss's motion to reject tt pc
ttion, and decided in the negative, lis to 153,-
So the petition was received and after some far
ther discussion, on motion of Mr.. klNNlCUTT, it
was voted, by small majority, that the petition
ers have leave to withdraw.
OF course the petitioners intended only to create
excitement by calling public attention TO the qles
ton, and to give certain portion of the clergy
who, they deemed a fair hit on account of their
Jealous defence of the gallows. For my own par
do not see why, if the execution Of the criminal
demanded by the Divine Law, tine Performance
ef that duty (Which all must admit In tina: case,
TO be one of great soeraniiy and importance should
be deemed degrading to any class of men--easi
Of ell TO those who arc in peculiar sense, the ex
scn,ioners of the Will of God on Earth. Can 1t
he that God has required of any class of men,
sheriffs any more than clergymen,-lhat they
should degrade themselves (! This spontaneous
confession of the advocates of Capital Punish
ment, that the office OF the hangman Is a desrad-
ing one, is very significant 10 my mind, and sulh
cien, to upset any quantity of theological arsu-
ment which they urge in favor of the practice
At anv rate think the clerical defenders of he
ga!lews are pretty fairly hit by this novel petition
Yours. truly, RtvlLo