The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1886-05-29 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

AMEXIII.  ' The calendar just disposed of by Justioe Mawkine, although a tedious one, wad not of the heaviest character. The list of misereante, however, stabds unique so far es revolting and -inhuman crime is concerned, and they had the opportunity, too, of frying in • mental sweat entirsipation as regards thc ir doom. The agony experienoed by the suspense of judgment after being found guilty must have been intense, for the most ignorant of law breakers recognise dosses of punishment; and they were no doubt fully aware of the stringency of the law on their individual crimes, sad when the sentence was pronounced it came like a release rather than an imprisonment; for grave anticipations filled the breasts of outsiders (ITID that the eestenees on came of the culprits, at any rate, would Imre been of greater severity than they actually wore. There are few, however, of the most hardened of them, but will remember the summing up of the learned judge. The vehemence sad minuteness with which the incident' in each case were set forth, and the sound drubbing inflicted upon the prisoners, Gannet fail to teach them a moral lemon. But the leniency with • hi& they were dealt was rather a surprise than otherwise. It is a deplorable fact that such came are becoming more.frequent, but poiMibly the Criminal Law Amendment Ant has something to do with it, for it is a strange but undeniable fact that such crimes are on the increase latterly. Whether an act of this kind has an alluring or strange fascination in the direction of lawbreaking, both morally and physically, I am not in a position to judge, but the fact is palpable evidence in itself, for, notwithstanding the terrible penalty attaching, the most atrocious crimes are still being perpetrated. For instance, capital punishment, with all it.. horrors, does not thwart the assassin. "Laws are main for the lawbreaker" " is an old saying, but the innocent have often to suffer for the guilty. There is, however, no greater or more diabolical crime, excepting murder itself, than that of inflicting life-long torture on an innocent child, and the law cannot be too severe on such inhuman and cowardly conduct : yet the sea 'Maces pronounced upon some of the prisoners at the Swansea May Assizes were comparatively light by the side of the misery inflicted by the plaintiffs In some of the more severe of the oases. It is a vice upon which the Bible is more explicit than any other ; upon which Moses legislated with boldness, judges condemned, and venerable prophets spake often. And we think that the learned judge'a remarks anent flogging are 'worthy the notice of our legislators. Flogging would do good, for a thrashing would have a salutary effect when other forms of punishment fail.., and would do MOM towards stopping the current of impurity so prevalent just now than a few months in gaol, which old " birds " take very little heed of. It is a crime that should he denounced from the pulpit and prate until what is now a moral scourge as well as • terrible anxiety to fathers of families would possibly be, loan extent at least, diminished.  I that SHOP HOtlllB