Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-26

CARDINAL MANNING ON THE REVELATIONS
AND THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

CARDINAL MANNING ON THE INVITATIONS
AND THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION
In the October number Of the "North Ameri.
can Review" there is printed an article on SIN.
human Crimes in England" by Cardinal Man.
ming, relating especially to those forms OF
wrong that have been exposed by the Pail Mall
Gdzette. After speaking of similar exposures
made by the commission of 1881 and the fail
ure of parliament to pass the bill intended to
check the traffic in young girls he goes on to
sequences, of decentralization and wreck and
ruin to the innocent the helpless of our people
Justly aroused the INDIGNATION ofthose towhom
distribution of seats or the Acknowledgement
for medical relief" and prompted the action OF
sis instrinsically just and mercifui." "The in
cidental evils which may arise" he says, care
of a lower order, and depend upon the use or
terrible revelations
Cardinal Manning refers to the fact that in
the United states and on the European CONT
nent laws far more stringent and adequate ex-
tst for the punishment and repression of crimi-
nal vice, and adds:
By our present legal code o girl cannot give
her consent to marriage before the age of 81
but she is regarded as capable of consenting to
her own ruin at the age of 13 years. The man
law. The man who ruins o child of 10 escapes
with impunity. She may ruin herself at 49,
but cannot MARRY for defect of consent tin 21:
were detained in any house the police with all
expedition, could search for his property. But
if he knew that his child Were detained in the
house, neither he nor the police could enter it.
His only remedy would be by writ of habeas
corpus, which could not be obtained for many
hours aud perhaps for days; but the ruin of his
child might be at any moment. Once more I
say, children of Is, and all girls above that age
are supposed to be free agents, and capable OF
consenting to their own ruin; thus he who ruins
them for life escapes with impunity on the rule
"uole,,i non fit iajurid.' 1t has been, therefore.
solemniy argued by men who have great legal
trade of the procurer and the procuress cannot
be punishable at law, because the end to which
their hideOus traffic is directed is not illegal
Here we have another legal dictum: The accom-
plices are not punishable, because the principals
are within the rights of their liberty.
"Would you punish the pOstboy who drives q
runaway couple to Gretna Green?" Such is the
levity with which this subject has hitherto
been treated, even by men who have q reputa-
The moral sense Of this country has been pro-
foundly aroused. Our public newspapers in the
provinces, without number, have written with
great ardOr and indignation, and forty-one pub
Tic meetings in such places as parts Of London,
held. In thirteen days the immense pressure
brought to bear upon the government has com
PEELED it TO promise that the criminal law
before parliament is prorogued. If it were to
be defeated by any of the means which have
wasted the last few years no one can foresee
what might be the popular excitement and the
Indignation In the country. Most assuredly at
the next general election, when 1900, 900 new
voters, chiefly the fathers and sons of the work.
ing classes, shall appear at polling booths, all
those who have INSTRUCTED the bill to protect
the children and the girls of this country will
meet with no liberation.
Tomorrow night the criminal law amend
ment bill will be discussed. A multitude of
amendments to weaken its reach and it's effect
are already on the notice. On the other hand,
amendments will be proposed directed to the
four points touched ON above, viz: First, the
raising of the age from Is to IL, or possibly to
~; secondly, the providing of an effective
power of search in all houses where there is
may be detained: thirdly, stringent and ef-
fectual powers to arrest and punish the perpe-
equaize the penalties of solicitation, whether
by man or by woman, thereby giving equal
protection to both. Such are the chief points
for which We are contending.