The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-16

i But what circumstance connected with this
case, or with the previous administration of
justice IN this state, demands or will justify the
interpostion OF the prerogative in this instance?
The relationship subsisting between the muir.
deress and her victim-the motive for the deed
the means used to accomplish the crime. the
manner of using these means, and the dernea.
nor Of the woman since the act-all stamp this
case with the features Of those wherein par.
dons are not wont to be granted. ~
The law ever justly regards the necessity of
punishment upon conviction, as greater, in all
tnose cases wherein there is the greater oppor-
tunity for committing crime, and greater pro-
DaDl!ty OF escaping suspicion, detection and
convlcuon. The more likely crime to escape
discovery, the more inevitable should be the
penalty. -
For that reason murder by poison has ever
Deen regarded as most heinous. 1t never
awakens the suspicious of the victim until too
late. tproves premeditated design to KILL
1t gives the victim no chance to fly or defend
his life. 1t leaves no traces of the murderer's
hand which all may read and it often almost
battles the skill Of science to detect, even when
other circumstances have raised suspicion of
| the crime.
And no one has such opportunity for EN-.
ploying this insidi0us means of death as the
companion, the wife of the victim. The hus.
band will not suspect that she who has sworn
to love and cherish will betray and destroy;
and it shocks the moral sense of the whole
| community to believe it. And so, against the
wife with murder in her heart, no man has any
| protection, except in the certainty of the pun
ishment which the law afixes to the crime.
In this instance, the motive for the commits.
sion of the murder, as the evidence discloses it,
| was itself q crime. The reckless woman hay.
ing violated her marriage vows, and betrayed
her husbands bed, hesitated not to sacrifice
her husbands life.
| She procured the poison and administered
| IT.; not In such quantities as at once to destroy
life, but little by little, that no suspicion might
rise. She sat by the bedside of her husband,
not to foster, but to Stay. She watched with
out emotion the fortunes she had caused. and,
! by and by, administered no healing medicine,
no cooling draught, but ever, under guise Of
love and tender care, renewed her cup of
| death.
Such was the crime of Anna Belanski, the
motive, means, and manner of its accomplish
| ment.
| Consider the b story of the administration of
criminal justice in capital cases in Minnesota.
| Since the organization of the Territory, what
remissness in Furnishing murderers: murders
are committed, and no one apprehended, no
one hardly suspected of the deed. Or, the &C
cused is apprehended, but escapes. Or, wit
nesses are spirited away, and no Indictment is
! found. Or, the jury, through sympathy, or
misapprehending the instructions of the bench,
aquit. Or, the Court having Inexperienced
| From these and other circumstances, it has
resulted that the people throughout the State
have almost despaired of obtaining that protec-
ton of life from the Courts, which the laws and
the Courts were established to secure. Crime
has multiplied fearfully, and the terrible alter
native of popular executions has too frequently
| suggested itself. In two instances, this rude
desire for justice has led to open, murderous
violation of law, involving the State in the
common co 9 disgrace: Every failure OF the law to
creases this sad feeling that there is no law for
murderers but lynch law.
Will the Legislature, then, while the law re-
mains as it is, that the punishment of murder
shall be death, ask that the operation of the
law shall, in every case, be suspended? Ifnot,
where and when shall the execution of the law
commence? What feature of the case under
consideration entities it to be made special
exception?
Iregret, therefore, to say, finally, that after
| full elaboration, l am of the opinion that the
proposed communication of the sentence of Anna
| Belanski is contrary to sound public policy.
| ALEX. RAMSEY.
MIR. ACKER moved the bill be taken up
and the vote by which it passed be recon-
sidered. Carried.
The question then recurring on the pas.
sage of the bill,
Mr.. ROBERTSON hoped majority of
this House would vote to support the Gov
ernor, who had performed wise and states.
manlike act, in defiance of the wishes of his
political friends.
The vote on the bill was as follows, two
thirds of the members elected being requi.
site to pass the bill over the veto of the
| Governor
YEAs-Messrs. Acker. Armstrong, Arnold,
Baldwin, Beatty, Bixler, Chadderton, Cleve-
| LAM Hu1n
son, Odds, Purdie, Rehfeld, Roy, secombe,
| Shriner, Stewart, Stock, Sweet, Thayer, Van
| Worries, Watson, Webster and White.
NAYs-Messrs. Aaker, Anderson, Brooks,
Burnham, Clearey, Garrard, Green, Of Ohm
kead Knox, Langworthy, Leavens, Letford,
McDonough, Meighan, Mitsch, Olivier, Robert.
son, Sawyer, Sherwood, Shultis, Skillman,
Stearns, Stephenson, Tollman, II. Walker,
Orange Walker, Wilkins and Mr.. Speaker.
| PASSED.
A Senate bill proposing an amendment
to the Constitution, limiting the sessions of
the Legislature to sixty days, was taken up
and passed, yeas As, nays 3.
A bill tb provide for the service of sum-
mons in Justices Courts, in certain in
stances.
A bill to amend section l, subdivision 2,
chapter AZ, of the Public Statutes, in re-
gard to Justices Courts.
A bill for an net to amend the county
organization bill.
The special committee on Mr.. Greenes
concurrent resolutions on the Railroad ques-
ton, made. report recommending the
adoption of the resolutions.
| SALE OF SCHOOL LANDS.
The bill for the sale and appraisal of the
school lands was again taken up. Mr.. Sc
COMBE spoke against the bill, until the
hour Of adjournment.
| AFTERNOON SEES ION.
The school land bill was taken up.
Mr.. CLEVELAND defended the bill
from the attacks made upon it by Mr.. Sc.
combe.
Mr.. ROBERTSON proposed an amend.
ment to the bill that the appraisers be ap-
pointed by the State Board of Education,
consisting of the Governor. Attorney Cen
| eral and State Sunerintendent. and that