The Sun. — 1870-01-20 (London, England)

FOREIGN NOTES. PARTIES IN THE' 'UNITED STATES.  The last scene of a dreadful trageay says the nem according to the Washington correspondent of the New has been enacted at Paris. Troppman, the murderer York Times, Mr. Wells's report has given so much offence paid with his life for his monstrous crimes, and this to some of the extreme Protectionists in Conmarvellous story of wickedness is thus brought to an end gress that they are anxious to remove him from In France, the execution as well as the trial of criminal' the Government. Mr. Wells is the Special Commissioner is regulated on principles peculiar to the country. The da3 of the Revenue, and it will be remembered that his of execution is always left in uncertainty until the las, report was strongly in favour of a free trade moment, and is never, indeed, announced to the public a, commercial policy being adopted in the States. This all. When sentence of death has been pronounced time i is not the first time that Mr. Wells has combated left for appeal, and then, if the appeal is rejected the cleatl the arguments of the Protectionists, and shewn warrant is despatched to the prison on the nigh) the mischief wrought by the prohibitory tariffs, but he preceding the execution. Even then the criminal is not seems to have excited especial indignation on this occaapprised of the fact. He learns it only by the summons lion. So strong indeed is the feeling that the to the scaffold itself, and with such expedition are the opponents of free trade wish to expel Mr. Wells from proceedings then conducted that three-quarters of the Republican party altogether. The correspondent of the minute only are found to elapse between the appearance New York: limes thinks that if Mr. Wells's opinions of the victim on the steps of the guillotine and the fall of are made the test of party, his supporters have no need his head into the basket. Everything is done to bring to fear the result. The most influential organs suffering within the narrowest possible compass, though of the Republicans at the great commercial some horrible speculations have been ventured centres have declared in favour of the Special Commieupon the the success of the system. Illost sioner's doctrines. The press of the west of Illinois, readers will be aware that the guillotine was in" Wisconsin, and Minnesota, as well as that of vented in the days of the great French Revolution expressly with the object of depriving death of its pains. If Missouri and Indiana, are also on the same side. The death—or the annihilation of all sense and feeling—does Democratic press throughout the country has, generally actually follow the separation of the head from the body, speaking, endorsed the recommendations of the report. "The best writers and thinkers," adds the correspondent, then no death could be more instantaneous than that by "as well as nearly all the young blood of the country, are the guillotine. As we have said, nothing can exceed the rapidity of the process, which is past and gone almost on the side of the Special Commissioner; and to provoke before it can be witnessed. But is that single the active political opposition of this section of the party flash of the knife really sufficient to extineuish would, no doubt, entirely change the complexion of the all sensation? Is there no vitality of any kind next House of Representatives." surviving for a minute, or any number of minutes, in the hee l or the trunk? These are questions which have beef.: argued and discussed by modern physiologists with very different conclusions, and which it would be very very hard to resolve. But it is at least plain that the substi Ilion of the infallible action of a machine for the lulu rtatn agency of the human arm was so much gain. Whatever may be the incidents of decapitation, it is better, at any rate, that it should be sure and speedy than doubtful or difficult. In the operation of the guillotine there is no room for the effect of nervousness or inexperience—no need even for the infliction of a second blow.