Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1849-11-28 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.  MR. DICKENS'S SECOND LETTER.  The execution of the Manning's has called forth a second letter from Mr. C. Dickens, on the subject of hanging in public, in which, after reiterating the statements made in Li. first communication, corroborating them by the stateturns. of the journals to the same effect, and strengthening them still further by argument and induction from history and morals, he proposes the following plan as a substitute for that niarful form of inflicting capital punishment "Prom the moment," he says, " of a murderer being sentenced to death, I would dismisa Mtn to the dread obscurity to which the wisest judge upon the bench cons!gned the murderer Rush. I would allow no curious visitors to hold any communication with him ; I would place every obstacle in the way of his sayings and doings being seined up in print on Sunday mornings, for the perusal of families. His execution within the walls of the prison should he conducted with every terrible solemnity that careful consideration cauld devise. Mr. Calcraft, the hangman (of whom I have some information in reference to this last occasion), should be restrained in his unseemly briskness, in his jokes, his oaths, and his brandy. To attend the execution I would summon a jury of 24, to be called the Witness Jury, eight to be summoned on a low qualification, eight on a higher, eight on a higher still; so that it might fairly represent all classes of society. There should be present, likewise, the governor of the gaol, the chaplain, the surgeon, and other officers, the sheriffs of the county or city, and two inspectors of prisons. All these should sign a grave and solemn form of certificate (the same in every case) that on such a day, at such an hour, In such a gaol, for such a crime, such a murderer Was hanged in their sight. There should be another certificate from the officers of the prison that that person hanged was that person, and no other; a third, that the person was buried. These should be' posted on the prison gate for '2l days, printed in the Gazette, and exhibited in other public places ; and during the hour of the body's hanging would have the hells of all the churches in that town or city tolled, and all the shops shut up, that all might be reminded of what was being done." He adds—" I cannot understand that the mystery of such an execution as I propose would be other than a fit. Xing climax to all these wise regulations; or why, if there he anything in this objection, we should not retort) to the days when ladies paid visits to highwaymen, drinking their punch in the condemned cells of Newgate, or Ned Ward, the Loudon spy, went upon a certain regular day of the we to Bridewell to see the women whipped.—Another claps of objectors I know there are, who, desiring the total abolition of capital punishment, will have nothing less; and who, not doubting the fearful influence of public executions, would have it protracted for an indefinite term, rather than spare the demoralisation they do not dispute, at the risk ot losing sight for awhile of their fund end. But of these I say nothing, considering them, however good and pure in intention, unreasonable, and not to he argued with.—With many thanks to you for your courtesy, and begging most earnestly to assure you that I write in a deep conviction that I incurred a duty when I became a witness of the execution on Tuesday last, from which nothing ought to move we, and which every hour's reflection strengthens, I am, sir, your faithful servant, "