Arizona republican., 1899-08-14

| voice in the affairs of the na ton in
the event of the overthrow of the pres
ent dynasty.
No more striking Indication of the
! feelings of the Spanish people towards
the Queen Regent can be furnished
| than the circums lance that when the
other day. the Prime Minister an1ounc-
/ ed in the Cortes at Madrid that The
| Queen had surrendered another mil
lion of francs of the civil list to the
! treasury, with view of relieving the
necessities of the national exchequer
not even the adhereutS of the minis
terial party would consent to vote a
resolution of thanks to her majesty
Indeed. the response to the Premier S
motion in the matter was so small.
that. rather than permit the resolution
preferred to withdraw it. so that the
Queens generosity has been without
any na,ionaI recognition.
The ingTatitude is all the
more marked since the Queen
has already on previous oc-
casion surrendered another mil
lion francs of the civil list. which.
owing to those sacrifices on her part
IS rot sufficient to cover the expenses
of the court. In fact. the estimates of
The civil list show an annual deficit of
over 100000. which is covered from
her own private resources. She has
likewise declined since the death of
her husband to draw either the annu-
ity to which she is entitled as the wild
oW of king nor vet the allowance
which the constitution provides for
regent during the minority of SOW
ereign. Fortunately she is very rich
IL her own right, having been one Of
the principal legatees under the will.
of her uncle, the old Archduke Albert
who WAS the weaEthiest man in all
Austria.
Over Il hundred members of rarlia
ntent in England comprising ex-Cabin-
ct Minister'S. such as Sir Charles Dixie.
petitioned the secretary of state for the
home department to commute the cap
ital sentence pronounced upon the
semi-imhecile eighteen-year-old ser
want girl, Mary Ansen. convicted of
Poisoning her sister. And This appeal
was further strengthened by a recon-
incubation of mercy on the part of the
jury that had found her guilty Yet in
spite of this Sir Matthew Ridley abso-
HUtely declined to interfere with the
course of justice. ard Il subsequent ap-
peal, direct 10 Queen Victoria herself.
merely resulted in Il communicates
from her majesty's private secretary.
Sir. Arthur Biggs, referring the petit
TONERS 10 the home secretary The
matter is one of considerable import
ance TO all those in this country VINO
Sympa thize with Mrs Maybrick for
the refusal of the crown to commute
the capital sentence of Mary Ansell an
ard ignoran5 girl in spite
OF the popular pressure brought TO bear
upon the government in her behalf, |
re2daTs it difficult for the British Az
thoritieS to grant q pardon - Mrs J
who has already benefited
by Il communications of her capital SEN
tence to a sentence of imprisonment |
for life. Unlike Mary Ansell. she is an
educ2ted woman. and fully conscious |
Of the nature of her offinse.
From England I hear that the refus- |
al of Sir Matthew White Ridley to in !
terfere in either of the two cases is |
because that in each instance the pris-
)ner made a complete and duly signed |
Of the crime for which she |
was convicted He had a confession of !
this kind from Mary Ansell and if is
asserted by those who are in Il position
AIRY of state for the home department.
there is similar confession signed by
Mrs. Mlybrick 1t is added that the
failure of the home secretary TO an
lounce this to parliament is partly due
to consideration for the unhappy wom-
IN ard for her relatives. and likewise
prompted by Il desire 10 show how
perfectly Indifferent to popuia" CAM
Dr.. either ii home or abroad, is The
course of British justice.
a few words are needed 20 explain
he attitude Of the Queen in refusing
o receive the deputatiOn0r the petition
T behalf of Mary Ausell At the time
she succeeded TO the throne people
were put to death for all sorts OF Of
lenses that are now punished merely
by Imprisonment: thus robbery. for
very. arson, and even mere larceny
were visited with hanging. acd the
ignature OF the sovereign was LeceS-
ary TO each warrant of execution. 1t
vas felt by the Queens advisors. that
t would he unfair TO subject 4 young
,irl of eighteen to the responsibility of
erdiDg to the scaffold often hundreds
+ people in single month or asking
ler to taka into consideration The Va =
ious degrees of guilt in oHenses that
we're sometimes oil an lnd2ScriDabic
character. Accordingly the cabinet.
With the Queens own sanction decld-
d that during her lifetime the prero@-
tive Of pardon should be waived by
ne sovereign. to whom it belonged by
constitutional right. an should ne
ested Instead thereof in he hands of
he home secretary for the time being,
Who would exercise it in Tie name of ;
he cr0WG !
This arrangement lasts only during
-ictoria's lifetime ard reign ana When 5
he PRICE Of Wales succce,i, to The ]
hrone. he will resume the prerpgatiVe
# mercy that belongs to the crown. {
t is a .,rerogative that ~ Great Brit t
in is more important than in any olhe;' ]
ivihZed country owing to the facI that {
4 the United Kingdom there is no
curt of criminal appeal, 80 .thar 4 ary Z
Judicial error is made, by the criminal )