The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-01

MoEE 70 soNING-NEcEssITY FOR LEGIsIA-
7 oN.--The frequency with which poisoning cases
occur in this city aud throughout the country is
sufficiently alarming to awaken Legislatures TO
the nee fsity OF egulating by strict legal enact
pents t c sale of poisons. Yesterday the Court
Of Oyer and Terminer in this city sentenced to
the Ia dread penalty Of the law James Stephens,
convicted of the murder of his wife by administer
ing arsenic. To-day We publish, from special
correspondent report of the trial, conviction
and sentence, in Rappahannock county, Virginia,
ofanoher man-James II. JohnsOn-for similar
crime. The TWO cases present some very curious
analogies. The object of both murderers was
identical-each wanted to get rid of his wife, that
he might the better carry out his design against
the niece of that wife both resorted to the same
means, poison and both administered the deadly
drug without any precautions as 10 secresy.
In the Virginia case strychnine was the poison
selected. 1t was administered in glass of
lemonade-lemon juice being the most effective
mode of administering strychnine. 1t was given
in the presence of neighbor, but under curious
circumstances. The poisoner brought into the
room where his wife and visiter were seated
two glasses of lemonade, handed one to the
| wife, and retained the other for him
elf. She remarked to him that it would
be more polite to attend first to his guest and to
that he rejoined that his guest could help him
self from the pitcher, but that the lemonade in
her glass contained aloes bitters, which, he said,
the doctor had recommended her. She tasted
the liquid, but objected 10 its intense bitterness.
One part of strychnine will make bitter nearly
million parts of water. He prevailed on her to
swallow the nauseous draught, and then coolly
rode out to accompany his friend home In an
hour or two the poison did it's work.
The same facility to procure poison appears to
prevail equally in Virginia as in New York.
Johnson had as little difficulty in getting from
an apothecary twenty-five cents worth of strych-
nine as Stephens had in getting six cents worth
of arsenic. The preparation of murder and Of
suicide by poison are becoming so common that
some effort must be made to put stop to the
unrestricted sale of poisons. Our Legislature is
now approaching the last days of its session; and
it is not too much to ask that before they adjourn
law may be placed upon our statute books
putting the necessary restrictions on the sale Of
poisons. Let it be made penitentiary offence
for any druggist to sell, or have sold in his store
any poison, except on the certificate of physi-
clan, or, if for mechanical purposes, on the
license of the Mayor. Such law would do
much to put stop to the murderous use Of
poison.
ENGLISH POLITICIANS AND Reform IN ENGLAND.
Notwithstanding the agitated state of public
affairs on the Continent of Europe, the domestic
| politics of England are still in the slackwater
state. For want of hobby the present tory
ministry has undertaken to bring in reform
bill, and, as might have been expected from such
an homogeneous proceeding, it satisfies no one.
Foreseeing ministerial defeat, the partisans of
the ministry give out that the question is not
looked upon by them as a test, and that if out
voted, it will neither resign nor appeal to the
country Mr.. Bright has brought out his reform
bill, and that measure seems to inspire as little
union among the liberals as the Disraeli bill does
among the tories. In fact, English politics, like
| our own, are all broken up for want of some
great leading measure before the people. This
state of affairs produces like results in both
countries. Here, nigger-drivers and nigger-wor-
shippers cooperate with each other, and Toombs
and Wilson agree on disunion. There, Russell
| and Palmerston combine, not on public questions
but on the public plumber, and are now hunting
Office in couples Their present plan is to get
Palmerston in measure out of the way, by
showing him, with the seals of the Foreign Office
into the House Of Lords, and giving to my Lord
John the leadership in the Commons. This may
look all very well in London, but ON this side of
the Atlantic English politics lose the varied CO.
lors Of party, and show themselves to us in one
concrete mass that appears very different to the
| American observer from what it does to one in
England. We can see that the course of the
AngloFrench alliance is carrying those two
| countries into very serious difficulties with US,
and that there is nothing in the present apparent
! elements Of English politics to save the three
countries from war. When the questions now
! terminating shall eliminate, look out for COM
plete overthrow of all the old parties in Eng
land and the rising of new school of politicians
there.
COMMERCE AND THE CROPs.-The condition of
the crops throughout the country at the present
| time has no inconsiderable bearing on the trade
and commerce of this year. 1t is well known
that the West generally failed to meet its com
mercial responsibilities in the financial crisis of
1857 and that the partial failure of the crops
for two or three years previous was put down
as the cause of this almost wholesale delin-
l uuepcy. There il no doubt that the hort crono