The New York herald., 1871-02-05

crafty and designing leaders such as Rudolph Count
bre they lost sight Of the fact that Criminals
must be made TO feel the iron hand OF the law, to
the terror of evil disposed persons ana to improve
the social condition OF the people. Each generation
added TO and elevated the character OF criminal law;
from mere primoval condition Of IAN eve for an
eye" or lie for life, they have added dignity and
majesty to the laws until there are no more inluen
tlal or efectual courts In the world than those
been their motto; instead OF teaching by the gbbet
the knife or the galiows, they have tnaugurated d
system OF edncatlon-so far as Prussia. especially,
Is concerned d-renderin2 murder almost Obsolete.
The only difficulties regarding the conviction and
executing OF criminals IN Austria and Prussia ut
the present day are the slow methods Of procedure
and the great expense Of preparing papers in error
Sc., before an appeal can be had 10 higher court
prisoner Tor pardon from the king. ' ~
ABOLITioN OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
me erect OF the clemency shown to criminals In
the murder calendars to such small proportions.
inas ten months ago bill for the Abolition OF
passed BY considerable majority in the House Of
the Legislature OF the North German Confederation
Premier Count bismarck, and at his Suggestion, and
on some technical objection put forward BY the
Minister, the biil was withdrawn. only to be pre-
sented again at the forthcoming session OF the Par
lament nn OF United Germany.
RECORDS OF CRIME IN FRANCE
furnish matter at once for horror. disgust and les-
sons In Jurisprudence for the whole world. Much
after the same manner as the Germans, their first
ideas OF law consisted IN avengng the injured or in
taking lille for life when and wherever occasion ne
cessitatcd. Like other European countries France
had To pass through the periods when lawleSsnes OF
every Kind prevailed, every excess known to the
human mind was INDUCED In. and murders-coId-
perpetrated without even o shadow Of excuse or
necessity. Her first ideas OF criminal law came
among the high-spirted, excitapie Gauls than they
sought to upset or suppress 1t. After centuries OF
lighting between the constituted authorities and the
people, followed by the acceptance OF the Christian
feilgion. the administration OF the law began
TO be respected. and great criminals could no longer
OF the populace. Murderers were given up and
MADE TO PAX BLOOD FOR BLOOD,
according 10 the recommendation OF the early
priests, and as set forth in the decalogue. Toward
tile end OF the twelfth century perfect code OF
criminal laws was drawn up setting forth tnat as.
sassins. traitors, felons ana gross heretics should
su1er DEATH either on the rack, at the stake or by
This same code contained restrictions upon Judges,
Jurors ana the man1er IN which the proceedings
We're 10 be conducted In the cases named, the kings
sentences OF death and pardon the condemned or
commute the sentence OF death to servitude for ie
which the sentences were TO be carried out 1t was
considered that nothin2 would deter crime more
body OF an assassin who had been put TO death be-
fore the eyes OF the multitude. But modern adge5
that instead Of sappressng the evil evil passions bass Of
men, ured In hoceds of iDfamy aud lawIes suess
such as existed In al large cities II only tends to
excite and inHsme those desires which place men
upon the gailows ,,.-ss. -
THE CONDUCTING or MURDER TRIALS
In France is frequently lengthy. indccsive and ex-
pensiye. After the detectives make the arrest the
accused is taken before . Commssaire dc Police
and after the cooners verdict and papers have been
read over the prisoner undergoes an examination.
u this magistrate agrees with the coroner that the
man S guilty he refuses bail and sends nir 10 PRISON
20 await his tral az the Court OF Assize ms case is
placed in the hands Of the procureur general-f the
prisoner DE pebean-who arraigns hlm as soon as
he thinks convenient, before the courts. After
formal examination the evidence is handed to the
Grand Jury who sometimes remain together for
nearly week before the necessary quorum OF
twothrds their number agree either for
or agalnst a verdict OF guilty. This is SUBJ
seqnent 20 the charge from the bench. II
they return a true bin against the accused
the counsel for the defence is Permitted TO plead
mitigation OF punishment. The judge aud legal
GenAemen appear in their wigs and black six
Is assumed ny the Judge, who allows, generally, one
month to transpre before the decree Is carried out
appeal against the decision OF the jury he must
carry his papers and evidence to the Court Of Cas-
all tribunals for the review OF the judges and the
Minister OF Justice. This is a most expensive pro-
cess ana seldom avails ~, unless accompanied by
Assize who passes the death sentence.
OF all the cities in the world Paris stands foremost
for the enormiy and extent of murders and bloody
crimes committed within It's walls.
'THE REIGN OF TERROR"
from 1890 TO 1885, Is noted in history for the numbers
OF assassnations and the bloody work the gulotine
had TO perform while the helsh JacoOms and
Grondists swayed the popular WILL Long before
guided Queen, Marie Antonelte, were called upon
to suffer- the Place dc la Conc0rde was the constant
scene OF iendish nbaldry and horror The multi.
tude who gathered beneath the scalrold and howled
like thousands Of wolves for the blood OF the cul
practices OF the executloners, were sufficient OF
themselves to condemn the execution Of culprit5
liz on pas aas ,he eas sf Ge sGasSn
movement rou, Of ihat n, tme RSSespee hg Was vas
ore s 70 he Of his
lower jaw with q revolver, and when he came 10
the scallod 1t was bound up with Imminent; Dut the
man whe was 10 execute hlm tore of the binding,
causing the wretched traitor and murderer TO howl
with palma just retrbuton for his cruel and bloody
propenstfes-and he died beneath the gulllotine
amid the execratons or the enraged MOB he pre-.
yiOusy had controlled at VIII.
The cost TO the late government alone Of the trac
ing, convictng and executing the notorious
derer Iraupmann has been estimated at 25,0O0I.
The trial OF princes OF France Tor murder can
the jurors being the conses & n rauX OF the
provinces as IN the case OF Prince Pierre Bonaparte
ior tie murder oI Victor Nor last year.
GREAR BRITAIN
Two centuries ago differed but little from the other
countries Of Europe in her laws regarding those
condemned to deatn for neinous offences. Supersti-
tion bgotly ana irregnlariiy or procedure were OBJ
servable III almost every case. Many OF the laws
for the suppression Of crime based upon unjust
principles. Whether the cuprt was Tyrrcl, q JACK
Sheppard, or codblooded. cowardly assassin like
Rutnyen, 1t not deemed sanlcient to simply
hang them, but, as II to create greater the
public mind, they were quartered ana then hung up
on giDbet. There the mutilated remains would
hang on ssme common or place OF public resort,
through summer and winter, sunshine and ram.
until the elements had reduced the sub.
stance SO that 1t re piece by piece to the ground
food for hawks or carrion crows There are
men living to-day who remember the case Of q noted
highwayman captured In Kensngton lane, near
London and executed and gibbited on Barnes Com
mon, but few miles from the metropolis, and the
authorities dad not remove the repusive remains
unri body OF citizens whose eyes and nasal organs
had been offended, requested them to 90 so.
Formerly men were hanged for sheep and horse
stealing forgery and political offences. These things
occurred long after England had claimed to have
acquired the acme Of civilization and learning, and
was supposed to be foremost among the nations OF
the earth literature, science and public enghten-
ment. Gradually however, the possession, not pro.
fession only, OF enlightenment began to show Itself
In the public MIND and great outcry was raised by
the nation against tDicting the death penalty Tor
minor offences. Statesmen and governments set to
work and
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR CATTLE STEALING AND
FORGERY WAS ABOLISHED,
murder and high treason remaining as the only two
offences Tor which the scaold was the penalty. Mar
yellous TO relate. the penalty had enly been with
drawn a few years when the former crimes almost
entirely ceased and horse stealing, &C., became