The Potteries Examiner : — 1874-04-11 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

AND 'LIBRARY FOB HANIXY.—Some few months ag• this question was raised in the town, and there was a pleasing prospect of. the matter being taken up heartily. A requisition for the calling of a public meeting was signed. The Mayor was favourable, and the matter had been mooted in the Town Council, when suddenly the whole question was allowed to fade out of the public mind. No arguments are needed to justify such a step beingitaken in a town of the size and importance of Hanley. Will not some energetic persons of influence in the town volunteer to serve on a committee to organise the consulting of the public mind upon the topic ? We are quite certain that there is a wide-spread feeling in favour of a free library and reading room. Public baths we shall soon have in the town, where people, during the coming summer months, may wash and be clean. Cannot we have, also, in the town, by the time the winter comes round again, some place where the people may read and learn?  The abolition of capital punishment in Belgium is having a decidedly good effect. fferty years ago, for a period of five years. 1330 to 1834 inchunve, capital punishment was practically, although not by statute, abolished in Belgium, and no execution took place during that time. But in the next five years, ending 1839, four executions were permitted to take place. But so far from this proving a means of increasing public security, it was found that the number of murders had increased nearly 50 per cent, in the second peried as compared with the first. Since this experiment Belgium has almost entirely relinquished the infliction of capital punishment, and it appears with continued good success. A letter received a few weeks ago from M. Viaschers, a member of the Belgian Government, addressed to Mr. Tallack, the secretary of the Howard Association, London, remarks : "ne commission of grave crimes is everywhere diminishing in Belgium, and it is a noteworthy circumstance that for nearly eleven years no execution has taken place in this country."  • • A report has just been issued for Mie,haelmis, 1873, being the half-yoarly statement of the sums etpended by the Boards of Guardians for the sus. ten,uce al the indoor and relief of the out-door paupers chargeable to the English Unions. From this we gather that, as compared with the corresponding period of 1872, there is but little diminution of outlay. However, it is to be noted that there is a marked decrease in the number of paupers relieved in the half-year. The two items last Michaelmas term amounted to £2.346,000, against £2,363,0011 in 1872, being less than one per cent. decrease. Outside London the unions generally decreased slightly, but in the metropolis there was an increase of disbursement's Which amounted to nearly £16,000, or four per cent. Again we find a marked diminution shown by the Welch Unions. The Guardians, it should lse observed, in Wales have endeavoured tomake improvements in the methods of administering the poor laws, and in addition have been greatly assisted by Mr. Doyle, the Lo,•1 Government Board Inspector. The expenditure in Wales was £ll,OOO less than in the six months of 18—th respective figures being 1201,000 and £lOO,