New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-02-06

Dr. Finlay's is cotton plantation about forty
miles from Havana on the south side OF the island
Mr. Hall and his friend and physician DR.. Turner
had been there about ten days, and designed to
return to Havana on the 10th February.
Punishment of Death.
A large meeting of the friends of the Alb
clifton of the Punishment of DEATH" was held
at the Apollo Saloon, last evening. The following
officers were appointed by the meeting:
President Vice Chancellor WILLIAM T. McCouN.
Vice. Presidents WILLIAM G.. BRYANT, BENJAMIN ELLIS
THoMAs Cock, JoHs McKEoN, JACOB HARVEY and DAN
Secretaries JACOB HAKgN, SAMUEL j. TILpEN and Jo
SLAB HOPPER.
Agreeably to the call of the meeting, a commit
tee was appointed to prepare a Constitution for
the permanent organization of g Society for the
collection and diffusion of information on the sub
iect of the Punishment Of Death."
The Committee having reported Constitution,
and the same being adopted by the meeting, the
following gentlemen were elected officers for the
present year:
President =. 80. WILLIAM C. BRYANT
Vice Presidents MonR1s E EaNS
TREASURER .BEsSAsirs Ellis
Recording Secretary JOSIAH Horror.
Corresponding do. JOHN L. Q'SULLVAN
Erecutiue Connie HORACE GREELEY,
WILLIAM Fl. CLAIMING.
sAMurl j. Tn.nES,
JACOB HARsEy.
JouN L. O'SuLLlvAN, Esq. then presented the
following Memorial, which was adopted, and or
dered to be printed and extensively circulated
Memorial to the Legislature for the Aboli-
e., - CT -. S1Ss;iss"ss-
For the following rea5v..- ,s-,.is. ,aem adj
minds and others to others we believe that tie
os.srt.es,f of Death is not only unnecessary, but
far worse than unnecessary, positively and highly
injurious in its direct and indirect influences on So
ciety and we therefore call for its Abolition with
the substitution, in the cases which it is APP
piled, of solitary imprisonment for life, at labor,
with civil death, and beyond the reach of the par
doning power, except for the purpose of granting
new trial in case of the subsequent discovery of
new and material evidence.
l. We call for the Abolition Of the GaUows-
BECAUSE, The decisive preponderance ofthe argu-
rnent to be sought within the Sacred Scriptures is
on the side of the proposed reform. Against il is
addued only the authority of the Code of Moses, for
the peculiar people, the peculiar land, and the pecu
liar times, for which it was his inspired mission to
legisate; together with that OF single ambiguous
tex, of earlier date, which preJudlced theologmns
perye,t into perpetual and universal injunction,
only by ii process ofmistranslating and nsappying,
which il repSdiated and rciuted by others OF at least
aoual piety and learning. In favor OF the proposed
yeiorm on the other hand, almost every page OF The
New Testament IL beautiful with It's radiant tesu
mony the light of which Slows only the brighter
from the failure of the efforts made TO IND lev
specks on its surface, aad to extract from TWO OF
r6ree uncertain texts scant and doubtful federation
of practice emphatcaly condemned by the whole
pervading spirit OF the Volume.
, We call for the Abolition of the Gallons
BECAUSE, Ii is we'll settled axiom, that certainty
II punishment is a much more effecual restraint
from crime than It's severity. more probable
cbance of less penalty provided 1t be still OF
form; liable degree of severity will always operate
more h,duentially on conduc, than less probable
b,nce Of = greater. The mind brooding over tempt
anon 70 crime dwells the bright lights OF It's ia
gorahie chances far than on the darker shades
of the same perspective picture. From the days OF
Draco 10 our own, penal law has constantly found
itself compelled to promote IFS own steadiness and
efficiency of action, by moderation OF the harsher
seventies bequeathed to ii from the mistaken policy
of less enlightened times. Laws NJ variance Win
public sentiment are couiessedly imperative; and In
proportion the extent of that variance Is the uncer-
fanty of their execution. Ii not TO be questioned
that deep and strong public feeling hostile TO this
social institution OF the Gaows, pervades at least a
he ma sory minority, affects this argument only
~ deores The action OF Jures, when death is the
sake st issue is proverbially MISUNDERSTANDING
IN the long run improperly 10 the side oil mercy
ga;ns; ruth though occasionally, for short periods
oscillarug back TO the opposite extreme;-the TWO
alternate evils thus fatally reciprocatng each other
an excessive leniency which grants an UNJUST aiio
unwise impunity TO guilt, followed by an excessive
though brief severity which is sometimes nasty anC
rash in inacting irremediable punishment upon IN
nocencs. The probability of escape, derived from
that widespread repugnance 10 The death-doon
which is more or less strong IN every Jury-boX ano
on almost every bench, and magnifed by the delu,
1--WE batteries OF hope, cannot but be very material
clement In The calculations OF every miEd meditatlng
cr;me Under the operation of the proposed reform
,capuot be denied that the action OF the law would
he much more certain, uniform and steady. Convic-
long would in many cases take the place of those
:,onroner scsuittals which al encourage crime
IN others by their example OF lmpuny and let loose
rha worst criminals back upon society," hardened by
!. first guilt and emboldened 10 It's repetition In
on The removal OF the death penalty IRON orhe
than MurietihuS showns The increased s9eddnes
Of the administration OF the law through te ats anu u.
r.rtaipty Of punishmept-wouu De ss't oy our oP
oornra 70 move nothing but the repugnsnee OF los 70 t
esh. penalty for those minor offences
fom pr,seut,ng any Of the evidences 70 tat pors
,.ndsncy i. ase seen the case OF
We have statistics OF our own coectea on IiIe
rt ia England where they coPous and accurate an.
49,, the horror and detestarion OF the CRIME Of mufGef
certainly great on The OF Jurors as IL can De ay
n ha. awa, been found that the proportion OF
roumtmen,s az that of executions 10 coaTctous
h. fewer Executors there aud the greater the
.eady Jutois 10 convict
an the House Of Coumoa. The 3th MaFeh lSfc i ~
showed that while fo tweny0ne years before lsV IN Eng
sspd and ale, The annual number Of executions IA" pe
the proportion of CONVICTIONS to commitments had osen
cent eight years, ending with 1888 e annual lumber
IF be