The Sun. — 1861-09-12 (London, England)

ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND CRIME.  Mr. HENRY ASHWORTH then read a paper on capital punishments, and their influence on crime. The Right Hon. J. NAPIEIt, referring to Ireland, said they had endeavoured for some years past to reduce the punishment of death to the lowest possible degree, They had abolished it in cases of conspiritig to commit murder, and where death did not ensue. Out of 46 cases of capital conviction 22 had been pardoned. He believed that wherever the public conscience did not go with the punishment it was beneficial and safe to relinquish it. During the last session of Parliament there had been passed a code of criminal law for the whole kingdom, by which the punishment of death was confined to cases where death actually occurred, and to cases of high treasoe only. (Hear.) For his own part, he thought t'nat where life had been deliberately taken away the murderer's life should be forfeited. Mr. J. Heywood said his observations showed him that juries would rather spare a guilty man occasionally, if there was the slightest doubt in the matter, than run the possibility of dooming an innocent man. He had invariably given his vote, in the house, in favour of the abolition of the punishment of death. He inclined to imprisonment for life, or some other serious penalty of the kind. A further somewhat prolonged discussion followed CE the question, whether it was correct and proper that the law should only execute those that had committed the murder ; it being stated, that at Nester, an execution had taken place where death (lid not ensue. It was explained that such would be under the old law. A new law would come into force on the let of November next. NEW SPECIES OF COTTON,'  Mr. W. Dawson read the following paper upon Barraguda cotton I have known this vegetable sntbstance perhaps f la more than 20 years, but only from as Barraguda cotton. The first was an import Peru, via Cape Horn—a few small ballots, 801 b eacwh.oolNlen u.se could be made of it—in paper, cloth, in or cotton goods. Few will lOok at a Substance ileectnd• . less quantity is on the spet ; so it was neglected. Some 5 or 6 years back Mr. John Peter G. Smith brought half a dozen bales from: Pernambuco or River Plate, which no doubt came down that river or the Amazon, from the east side of the Andes," water conveyance being the cheapest. It has been described as from a very large tree, and any quantity could be obtained, The question is, if a paying price could be realL;ed, and that cannot be determined without the capital of some enthusiast can be directed to bring qu ttntity here. There can be no doubt it has a profit F.ble 9nd paving value, and uses little imagined. When quantity is in the market for sale it is worth the nlan ufacturer turning his machinery into its consurv)tion, as a mixture alone in cotton, like mongo, old rags, and deil's-dust, ground Pto mix with sheep's vool. This shows the value P• Sea ',hind and Bowed Georgia—these rice,,, are , tu silky, .waya standards. The former is very Any uantity Peruvian and the' Barraguda cotton. —bel ow ricesq to,e fboth can be obtained at paying cotton is a question at or medium value of such -at times of mathematical calculation. This, 111. combination of the kind of