Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-14
LONDON'S EXPOSE.
PALL-NALL GAZETTES STAND
important Suggestions OF Changes Needed In
the English Criminal Laws Comments on
the Results OF It's Revelations.


important Suggestions OF Changes Neededin
'ho English Criminal Laws Comments on
the Results OF It's Revelations.
IBy cable to the Dispatch.l
LONDON, July l3.-The Pail Mall
Gdzeffe this afternoon, in response to
requests for its opinion as to the nature
OF The changes required in the present
English criminal law, makes several
important suggestions. Ii advocates :
First, an addition to the criminal act
raising the age at which female chill
dren may legally consent to sinful con-
duct from thirteen years, the present
period, to sixteen. Second. the ex-
tension of the law prohibiting soliciting
to both sexes. Third, the denial of
any additional power over women to
the police that will be aimed at the sup
preston Of crime, and not at the sup
preston of vice-that is, complete le-
gal liberty for voluntary immortality
between adults, contracting on equal
terms ; but the rigorous repression of
sexual criminality in all cases in which
the parties are under age. or the ele-
ments of full, free, and intelligent con-
sent are absent. Fourth. greatly in
creased stringency in the laws against
procuration.
The Gazette, in an editorial COM
menting on the results of its reyela-
tons, declares that its trumpet-blast
he
was raised yesterday in the churches
against u.s." continued the paper, " but
all the forces of wickednesS in high
places are arrayed against us. Hon.
W. II. Smith X Sons. possessing the
monopoly of the stands on the railway
system of England, have suppressed
their sales Of the Pail Mall Gazette.
The Prince Of Wales has stopped his
paper. Right Hon. Mr.. Bentinick is
posing in Parliament in the name of
outraged morality and clamors for
our extinction. The Gazette did not
undertake this inquiry to unearth the
vice Of the great, but if we are driven
to bay we will be compelled by the ac-
ton OF our aSsalants to speak out and
spare not"
A MEETING or WOMEN.
A mass-meetlng Of women was held
in Princes Hall this afternoon to con-
slider ways and means to protect young
girls from the horrible pitfalls of Lon
don as revealed by the Pdil-AaH Ga
zate. Mrs. Booth and other ladies
made eloquent addresses. The meet
ing resolved that the laws on the sub
ject should forthwith be made more
efficient denounced the State regula-
ton Of vice; demanded the total re-
peal Of the contsgious-diseases act; and
that the age of consent be raised from
thirteen TO eighteen. The meeting also
voted to send copies of the record of
its proceedings to the House Of Com
mons.
A SERMON BY REV. MIR. SPURGEON.
Rev. Mr.. Sturgeon yesterday preach
ed powerful sermon on the patrician
iniquity Of London, as exposed by the
Palm Gazette during the past week.
Mr.. Sturgeon took for his text the 10th
verse of the second chapter Of the EpiS-
tie of Paul to the Romans, which he
quoted in defence of the Gdzetie'S
work in making its revelations. "St.
Paul." the preacher said, felt it
necessary to mention the hideOus
vices Of the heathens and left on record
An exposure Of the sin of his day which
crimsoned the cheek of the modest
when they read. 1t had to be written
to shame the denominations Of an age
almost past shame. There was juds-
ment for sin in this world for both men
and nations. Assyria, Babylon, Per-
STA, Rome, and Egypt were empires of
oppression and cruelty, and full of
iniqulty. When the sin of these people
could no longer be tolerated they were
wiped off the face of the earth. Thus
Of nations. But no one could tell what
blOOdshedding and suffering came upon
men for their iniquitieS." Why
should London, - exclaimed the preacher,
" be more favored than Rome: What is
there about our bOaStful race on this or
on the other side of the Atlantic that
we should mOnopollzc Gods favor:
God will Judge mems secret sins, too
vile to be spoken of, and which cause
the nation to shudder if dragged. as they
ought to be, into daylight. Deeds Of
the night-of the closed room-lonc
when the finger is put upon the lip,
and the act committed which must
never be mentioned lest man himself be
regarded as an outcaSt, abhorred even
Of his ellow-snners-all, all shall be
revealed.
AN that we have for our own com
fort blinded our eyes to ndayertcd our
gaze from, things incOnyenent to see,
shall be revealed. We here make DIFF
ference between secret and public, but
God does not. Every secret sin Is
secret only by the lying phantaSy Of |
Imagination it is public before God.
1t is necessary for the Church to warn |
men Of what will hsrren if they con- I
tinue in their sins, and not keep them .
in fools paradise until they be sent |
down to hell's damnation. IL becomes !
every preacher to cry aloud and spare
not"