Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1851-06-26

the appointment of Recorder of Nor
wich also, providing for the extension of
the term of Office of justices of the peace
to two years.
Tuesday, June II. The General
Banking Bill was negatived, as follows ::
Yeas.-Messrs. Mitchell, futile, Hull,
Brockway, Morris, Stearns, Williams,
Dimick and Talcott--9.
Nays. - Messrs. Deming, Plummer,
Peck, White, Burial, Marvin, fainter,
Ramsdell, Adams, Heaton and WEIGH.
Ill.
Resumed the consideration of the bill
concerning Judges of Probate - bill
passed.
Bill passed providing that town clerks
may decline receiving or registering
deeds, &C., until the fees are paid sub
scquendy reconsidered and laid on the
table.
The bill concerning Electors and Elcc-
TONS was amended and passed.
Wednesday, June Is. The order of
the day came up--the question of CONS
mpting the punishment of Balcomb.
Calhoun and Menasseth, for the murder
of Barnace White of Colebrook.
Mr.. Adams, chairman of the commit
tee gave history of the murder.
1t was agreed TO consider the cases
separately. The question committing
Balcomb's punishment was then put and
carried. ga ..-
Calhoun's case being taken up, Mr..
Adams explained some points of bis con-
nection with the murder, and his agency
in the act said that he was the object
Of universal sympathy in Litchfeld and
| Colebrook that he is a young man--is
| sincerely penitent. &c, that Chief JUS
tice Church, (who pronounced sentence
on the plisonnr,) was anxious to have the
punishme in this individual case COM
muted. as he felt there were extenuating
circumstances.
Mr.. Deming inquired if Judge Church
rested his desire for .commutation on the
insuffieicncy of the evidence against hirs?
Mr.. Adams.--No, sir. The evidence
was conclusive, though the Judge tho't
there were mitigating circumstances In
the case.
After somo further questions, Mr..
Dcming reviewed the facts adduced on
the trial, and bore hard upon Calhoun.
Mr.. Brockway could not see the neccs
sity Of going SO deeply into the question.
That there had been murder commit
ted, there was no doubt: and that CAL
houn had been largely concerned in tina
murder was also admitted. The resolu~
ton before US commutes his punishment
to life Imprisonment. The question
for us to decide is, whether we pass that
resolution, changing the galIows for state
prison. The main reasons for such com,
mutation were, the youth If the prisons
er, and the fact that he had been drawn
into the crime by older and worse per-
sons. We see the community in which
the crime was committed, and the very
Judge who pronounced the sentence,
unanimous in praying for the commutas
ton OF the punishment. We do not at
tempt to revise the judgment of the
Court, but we desire to save the prisoner
from death by substituting Imprisonment
for life. Suppose We take this young
man out into the Jail yard and choke him
to death with a halter. What do we
gain thereby? 10 be sure it would
4 guard against any crime which he might
be disposed to commit but SO would
imprisonment for life. Would ii restore
Bdrnace White to life +? Not at ALL
Would it make the prisoner better man?
Surely all those senators who believed
in the necessity of an earthly prepare,
ton for future life, must admit that it
would be better to grant him time to
make that preparation, while safely i'm
INJURED within the granite walls OF our
prison.
! Mr.. Heaton followed with some ap>
propriate remarks. Ii he voted in this
! case to sustain the law inflicting capital
punishment, it would not be because he
placed Alright estimate upon human life,
! but because he considered it precious.
Sill he was undecided how to vote on
this question:.
The debate was continued for two
hours, and was participated in by sew
eral senators. The question was then
taken by yeas and nays and decided as
follows
Yeas Messrs. Mitchell, Hull. Brockway
M.rris, fainter, Ramsdell, Adams, Stearns and
Dinock--9. aas
Nays.--Messrs, Demirg. Plummer, Pcck
White. Tulle. Eish, Burial, Marvin, Heaton
WEIGH; Williams aud Talcoll-l2'
So the petition was lost.
The resolution committing the punish
ment Of Menasseth was then taken up
Mfr. Adams detailed the circumstances
Of his agency in the tragedy. He APP
pears 10 Jail like hardened man lis app
parently Indifferent to his fate--says ho
is an Indian. and suppOses no shall be
hung any scay.' ~4
The question was then taken on the
1 -. Al. 4. FL n