The New York herald., 1874-12-21
Punishment In Englan md.

Punishment In England.
Some time since the English people were
distressed by the renewal of the terrible
crime of ''garroting." Quietly-disposed,
middle-aged people going home at midnight
would be seized by rufRans, half strangled,
robbed and left lying unconscious on the
highway. The ordinary punishment for as
sault and battery, or even an attempt to rob,
failed to check the crime. A life in an
English prison has become rather welcome
retirement to the ordinary class Of criminals,
especially as the system of ticket-of-leave
practically diminishes the time of punishment
of all who observe prison regulations. Con-
sequently, to meet this new crime Parlia-
ment imposed new punishment, or, rather,
revived an old one. When any criminal was
convicted Of robbery accompanied with
felonious assault it was within the power of
the Judge to add to the sentence of imprison-
ment q certain number Of lashes. This
punishment has only been inflicted in rare
cases, and the judges seem to have used ex-
treme discretion in imposing it. Among the
items in the recent English files we observe
that two men, named Moulton and Cullen,
have been fogged at Newgate for "knocking
down an engine filter. stealing from him four
shillings and brutally i'll treating him. Both
men showed the greatest terror at the punish
ment and from the beginning to the end
made frantic appeals for clemency.'
Ever since the operation Of this law there
has been an agitation in favor of its repeal.
Mr.. P. A. Taylor, member of Parliament from
Leicester, an extreme radical, who will be re-
membered as one of those who voted against
the dowry Of the Princess Louise, has written
articles to the newspapers protesting against
the revival Of the lash as IAN outrage to mod
ern civilization" The London Telegraph of
the 10th of November contained an elaborate
article from correspondent attacking the law.
The correspondent critcises its operation, and
asks why it is that when husband beats his
wife, or when wife stabs her husband, or
when a German baker violently assails o
woman, kicking and bruising her, or when
"a respectable young man, described as =
clerk, assaults a young lady with his fist,
the lash is not apphedp The writer quotes
from the police reports cases similar to these,
aud insists that the lash should be applied to
ife-beaters and men who commit indecent
assaults upon women, as well as upon high
waymen. (Which" he asks, ''is the wick
eder offender-the ignorant navy, who,
blinded by passion or maddened by drink,
fells the man or woman with whom he has
quarrelled to the ground, or the delicately
bred gentleman who takes care to mark his
wife in manner where her bruises shall not
be apparent, or who wreaks upon her one
absolutely devilish act of cruelty, the nature
of which might be stated in q medical journal,
but not here p The writer reminds the
public that the lash has been discon-
tinued in every civilized nation save in
England, and that the English are "literally
the only people in the world who deliberately
and systematically fog their children and
criminals" Crimes Of violence, it is forcibly
argued, are neither more nor less prevalent
than they have usually been among very low,
thoroughly indolent and habitually drunken
class Of laboring men. The true punishment
should be the increase Of Imprisonment.
The writer marks the improvement in taste
which has grown with English civilization
by referring to the fact that Sir Robert Peel
once opposed q bill for the abolition Of bull
batting as "an unwarrantable interference
with the amusements of the people, and that
Lord Palmerston publicly refused 10 prevent
the prize fight between Hcenan and Sayers.
He does not think that the lash lessons
brutality, and he ''can conceive Of no more
opprobrious and unchristian law"
We have watched with interest the practical
effect of the revival of the lash in England.
1t does look, taken from sentimental point
of view, like return to the obsolete customs
of the past, like the renewal of the pillory and
the whipping post AT the same time it
must be said that the revival of this punish
ment has practically exterminated the crime
of garroting. One of the effects Of punish
inent is to terrify other persons disposed to
crime from violating the law. The lash
seems to have terror that no other punish
ment except capital punishment has pro-
duced. The law will hardly be repealed in
England unless its operation should be
abused, and against this there is the best
guarantee in the character of the English
Bench. We may add here that highway rob-
berries are becoming alarmingly frequent in
the streets of New York.
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