Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-12-06
SENTENCE OF.THE ENG LIsH BANKERS

SENTENCE OFTHE ENGLISH BANKERS.
A late English paper says that the members
of the London Banking House of Paul, Strahan
Il Bates, have been sentenced to fourteen years
transportation to Giberalter. After a fair and
impartial trial, which occupied several days, the
jury brought in verdict of guilty, and the
Judge passed sentence in the following words
civilian Strahan & John Dean Paul, and
Robert Maxim Bates, the jury have now found
you guilty Of the offense, charged upon you in
this indictment the ofiense Of dspoaing Of se-
cariti9s which sFcTe insrrsssi hT yo5ascersa,pers
to you as bankers, for the purpose Of being kept
safe for their use and which you appropriated,
under circumstances of temptation, to your own.
A greater and more serious ofense can hardly
be imagined in great commercial city like this.
1t tends to shake confidence in all persons in the
position you occupied, and it has shaken the
public confidence in establishments like that
you for long period honorably conducted. /
do very, very much regret that it falls to my lot
to pass any sentence on persons in your situa-
tion, but yet the public interests and public JUS
tice require it, and it is not for me to shrink
from the discharge of any duty, however pain
full, which properly belongs to my office. |
should have been very glad if it had pleased God
that some one else now had to discharge that
duty. have seen Continued the learned judge,
with deep emotion) at least one of you under
very different circumstances, sitting at my side
in high Office, instead of being where you now
are, and could scarcely have fancied to myself
that it would ever come to me to pass sentence
on you. But so it is, and this is proof, there
fore, that we all ought to pray not to be led into
temptation. You have been well educated, and
held high position in life, and the punishment
which must fall upon you viii consequently be
the more serious and severely felt by you, ant
will also greatly affect those connected with you
who will most sensitively feel the disgrace o
your position. All that have to say, is, tina
cannot conceive any worse case Of the sor
arising under the act Of Parliament applicable
to your offense. Therefore, as cannot concev,
, any worse case under the act can do nothing
else but impose the sentence therein provided
, for the worst case-namely, the most severe
, punishment, which is that you be severall,
transported for fourteen years. The prisoners
who seemed astounded by their sentence, Leaned
against the dock as if they expected their coun
sci to make some observations to the court, but
a after short interval, they slowly retired il
: custody"
v The London Globe says of the sentence &"
: is severe only as an amount of endurance dis
: tinctly presented to the apprehension; it is nc
severe in proportion to the otfense, nor less tina
j. the fair justice of the case demands. For il
J. aicting less mischief Fauntleroy was hanget
IT Three men were subjected to a fate which stri
e them of their worldly goods and sends them
is a compulsory labor. How many unofendir
" people did they secretly strip of their world
t, goods They sentenced Dr. Griffith and nun
N bers of other bameess people to wholesale CO
We fscation and it is only tco probable that sou
se of that number will by the act of the thr
lie bankers, be sentenced to labor for their live
e, hood. 1t is too probable that in some respec
d, the position of the innocent victims may be wor
9, than that of the criminals; the three convie
- are penniless and consigned to labor they ma
tn not have the port wine which they could sti
~ obtain in the House of Detention, but they a
ne assured of their daily bread throughout the ter
as of their imprisonment. How many honest fol-
would be glad to have so much assured to them
r :. Tho Times trusts it will tend to do awi
se with the absurd notion that person trust
n with the property of another is less guilty
or appropriating to bis own use than person n
is so trusted, which runs through our whole LAY
NJ and vitiatee the morals Of commerce. The strs