The Sun. — 1847-03-11 (London, England)

CRAWFORD.  Mr. GROGAN trusted the Bill would be withdrawn.  A short discussion ensued, which ended in the withdrawal of the Bill, after an assurance on the part of Sir G. GREY, that the subject was under the consideration of the law officers of the Crown, and a short consultation between Mr. LAnoncirEnz and Sir H. W. BARRON,  The Drainage of Lsnd Bill passed through Committee. On the motion for bringing up the report on the landed propTrty (Ireland) Bill, various amendments were proposed by Viscount NEwRY and Lord COURTENAY, which wero negatived without a division, and the further consideration of the report was postponed to Friday. The Loan Bill was read a third time and passed, and the House adjourned.  We yesterday stated our reasons for agreeing with the Home Secretary "that public opinion, so far from being in favour of the entire abolition of the punishment of death would be greatly shocked and outraged by the remission of that punishment." One of the few cases in which it may not only safely be retained, but in which the great majority of the people would in the strongest manner object to any alteration in the law, is that of wilful, deliberate, and cold-blooded murder, when the criminal coolly and with premeditation determines on depriving a fellow-creature of his existence, and hurrying him from this world without a moment's preparation for the awful change. There are, however, many cases, which although, in the eye of the law, they may be regarded as wilful murder, yet so closely approach the line of demarcation between that o&nce and the snore mitigated one of manslaughter, that a jury would be fully justified in bringing in either verdict. There is no crime for the punishment of which so wide a discretion is allowed to the presiding judge as that of manslaughter. He may sentence the delinquent to the highest secondary punishment known to the law, transportation for life, or to a mere nominal fine, or a few hours' imprisonment only. That extraordinary power is conceded in order to provide a due and fitting penalty for cases of the worst description. The Right lion. Baronet truly stated' to the House, that although the punishment of death might still be inflicted in some other cases, yet, in point of fact, there has not been a single execution since 1841 except for murder. He might have added, that many persons convicted of murder had had mercy extended to- them, and their sentences mitigated whenever there appeared any favourable circumstances, showing that it had occurred in the heat cif blood, consequent upon sudden provocation, and ha 4 not been deliberately planned with malice aforethought; and in every such case the commutation was received with approbation. It was received with approbation by those who had a conscientious objection to the punishment of death in every instance, and also by those who conceived its retention necessary for the well-being of society. Such a case was that of the man SMITH, who was pardoned the extreme penalty, last, summer, for the murder of his fellow servant at the Guildhall Coffee, house; and such we conceive to be those of the unfortunate men, WELCH and AlmnEws, who were convicted at Newcastle within the last fortnight, and who are now lying under sentence of death, and are to expiate their respective offences upon a scaffold on Wedneshy, the 17th instant. In either of these cases we believe that justice would have been satisfied, and the majesty of the law vindicated, had the juries taken the more lenient view.  In the case of WELefr, it appeared that the prisoner and the deceased had been drinking, that subsequently a quarrel ensued, that blows were struck on each side, and that IVEr.cti had been knocked down twice during the progress of the scuffle ; that PROUD, the man who lost his life, kicked him while he was down, and that subsequently, but before there was time for his blood to cool, Wzr.cir struck PROUD with a knife which he unfortunately had in his pos,ession at the time of the quarrel, and inflicted a fatal wound. Now it has been decided in the