The Sun. — 1842-04-23 (London, England)

CRIME IN FRANCE.  The Journal des Debats gives the following statistical account of the state of crime in France :  " In 1826, 1827, 1828, and 1829, the amount of acquittals in criminal cases was 39 In 100 accusations. In 1832, the ae • quittals were 41 in 100 ; in 1833, 41 ; in 1834, 40; in 1835, 39; in 1836,40; in 1837, 37; in 1838, 36, in 1839,35. But in the last four years, the amount has increased two per cent. The exact average of acquittals in the first period, from 1825 to 1829, gives for the whole number of accusations 38 1-sth per cent. ; and in the second period, from 1833 to 1839, when the law of 1832 was in force, 3817-100th per cent. The amount of acquittals is then within 3-100ths of being the same as under the old legislation. And if since 1835 the amount is diminished, it must be borne in mind that by the law of Sept. 9, 1835, the declaration of guilty is obtained by a majority of seven votes. Now the condemnations on a simple majority, taking one year with another, being more than 2 per cent., this amount ought to be taken into consideration in comparing the number of acquittals for the preceding years, It is then inexact to say that, looking at the amount of acquittals, repression lies found new force is the legislation of 1832. If the penal effect of this repression be sought for, it will appear that it has constantly become weaker by the diminution of the punishment. Thus the admission of extenuating circumstances is 28 per cent. in 1832, 43 in 1833, 45 in 1834, 46 in 1835, 53 in 1836, 69 in 1837. 68 in 1838, and 70 in 1839. If these results be classified according to particular crimes it will be foind that from 1838 to 1839, there were 50 declarations of extenuating circumstances in 64 condemnations for parricide ; 453 in 638 condemnations for murder; 136 iii 154 condemnations for poisoning ; 39 in 56 condemnations for murder, preceded or followed by another crime; 217 in 230 condemnations for infanticide. Thus, on one side the number of acquittals has been nearly the same, and on the other the repressions have been weakened in an immense proportion for crimes against the person. Have these crimes increased? On this head we lease aside the number of accusations, to attend simply to the amount of condemnations involving capital punishment. In 1825, there were 134 condemnations to death ; in 1826, 150 ; in 1827, 109 ; in 1828, 114 ; in 1829, 89 ; in 1830, 92. After 1832, it will be expected that the amount ought undoubtedly to be greatly diminished, for the law of 1832 suppressed the capital punishment in nine of the cases provided for by the cede of 1810. On the contrary, the amount has increased; and without the admission of extenuating circumstances, it would have been 156 in 1834; 178 in 1835; 172 in 1836; 183 in 1837 ; 248 in 1838; and 230 in 1830, that is to say, that in the period of 1825 to 1830 the Jury gave verdicts against 688 prisoners for crimes punishable by capital punishment, or 113 a year ; and in the second period, under the influence of the system of extenuating circumstances from 1834 to 1839, the number of those crimes was 1,267, nearly double, or 211 a year! We do not certainly pretend that an absolute value is to be given to statistical information, and we arc aware that in penal matters it may be dangerous to receive with too much facility the logic of figures; but when facts present themselves with such obstinacy, they ought to be taken into serious consideration. These results are. we think, of such a nature as to awaken the solicitude of the legislator, if not on the principle itself introduced in the law of 1832, at least on the modifications which it will be useful to apply in its application."