The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-03-06

- lhe discussion on the subject OF reform In the
penal code, which began about week ago, was
resumed last night in the Lecture Room, corner OF
lLspenard street and Broadway The audience was
pretty numerous, but there did not appear to be any
converts made to or from either side
The Rev. Mr.. Bellows and the Rev Mr. Baulch
spoke In favor of the abolition of the penalty OF
death. Mr. Rickerson and the Rev. Mr.. Turbell
against such change.
On the part of the latter it was commended, in
reply to the opposite view, as stated by the advo-
Gates of abolilion-that the safety of society was
consideration which must take precedence OF the
reform of the criminal, and capital punlshm ent
being alone adequate to deter from crime, society
demanded its infection. Paey was quoted In d.
rect support of this The sbo,ionists, who had
aapreaied to scripture, 10 the abrogation OF me
Jewish dspensatloB, and the consequent lnvallda.
uon Of the commands and injunctlons ct tiod to
the Patrlarohs, were corrected ettecually by ci-
tatlon of the words OF Jesus Christ, " am not
Of the right of human tribunal to decree capital
punishment by ST Paul. when pleading before Sc
cular authority, he said" II am guilty OF bias
pbemy, let me de- and several other arguments
The curious averment of The abolionsis, that
God showed his aversion to Furnishing crime by
death in the case Of Cain, upon whom he set q
mers lest any should kill him, most effectu-
ally put aside, by showing God acted SO as TO pre-
law the deed having been committed before the
decaiogue was given As to the plea Of changing
Tor the purpose OF trying It's operation, the DANCE r
OF that experiment was very Justly enforced as too
strong, too imminent To entertain ]. seriously.
II On the part oftha Abolitonists, Individual cases
were pointed out in which executions were sue
ceeded by murders. and others in which the limo.
cent suffered whilst the criminal escaped. II was
argued BY them at one time that the bure rossbili-
~ CT taking the life of an innocent person, ought
he enough to substitute confinement, as smacking
more OF "the quality at mercy" and the next mo-
ment they argued most tenacionsly that coDti.e-
nent was more awful and repugnant to the feelings
ta9n death, and the case Of Babe the pirate was
ctted, IN which he was represented as expostu
iiing urgently against the commutation Of his sem
tence into state prison confinement tor life. Ii was
contended. too, as a leading consideration, that
tnst capital punishment does not answer the end
for WHICH 1t s intended, allowing that TO be the
prevention of crime; for wherever it has been
abolished, crime has decreased, but wherever in.
tlicted, crime has augmented. In support of this,
Mr. Bauch said that when Napoleon restored the
prral law in Tuscany, when il had been abolished
win marked decrease IN crime, II returncdto lie
former prevalence England, too. was cited as an
opposite Illustration OF the tendency OF a
sanguinafy penal code 10 increase crime
The Apostles injunction to ''admonish bro
Their, If over-taken in fault" was quoted 10
prove that nothing else should be done to him who
commits an atrocious crime and, in one instance,
III order TO show the dIsproportion between the
crime and the penalty, the abolition advocate al
ieuStu lndt turTc were worse crimes IMAM MURDER,
and nsinuatcd that, in some instances, killing was
sanctioned by public 0pInlon-intendihg by that, as
he was understood. to say it was not wrong.
Many curious observations were made during the
discussion, and not few efforts to keep in good
temper, on the part of the abolitonists, who GER
tainly got sound fagellatioH, and who were very
near "waxing wroth" more than once or twice,
because they were most triumphantly bearded in
their den by the advocates Of law and order
Verify, one pebble, slung from the sling OF common
sense, IS enough to STAY as many abolition Goliahs
as there are gradations in wickedness from SYM
pathy with the cut-throat TO the hardened villain
who would put his dirk into his neighbor Tor a
dollar.