The Express. — 1848-03-09 (London, England)

CHAIRMAN. opened the proceedings by a long speech, in which he denounced the punishment of death as at once most inhuman, most unchristianiike, and most inadequate to the alleged purpose of repressing crime. On the one hand, the example of capital punishment manifestly had no effect in deterring the very persons who witnessed it from the commission of crime ; and on the other hand it prevented jurors who had conscientious objections to passing the sentence of death upon a feliow-being, or from subjecting even to just punishment the offenders brought before them. He referred in illustration to the two young women who, some years ago, poisoned the it father and moth, r in Somerset. shire, but were, on their trial, acquitted by the jury, though their guilt was well established, solely because the jurors could not bring themselves to put two fellow-creatures to death. A letter was read from Mr. Pattison, M.P., excusing himself from attendance, but expressing his hearty coucurrence in the object of the meetii.g. Dr. MOKTIMEY, in moving the first resolution, said he objected to the punishment of death as wholly opposed to the do:trines of Christianity. He observed, with retard to the individual case of Annette Meyers, it was ene which combined in itself all the arguments against punishment of death. If, instead of taking with her own hands revenge for the atrocious injury she had received and the monstrous insult to which she was subjected, by the man upon whom she bad centred all her youthful affections—if, instead of hi rs..lf, a brother had called the base seducer into the field, and there made him expiate the mortal wrong lie had done, no jury would hove pronounced the doom of the avenger. (Hear, hear.) In a Christian point of view, he contended that tat, induration of spirit by which this poor girl bail worked herself up into that phrenzied absence of all fear of death, which the very act she had committed manifested, showed that she was not in a fit state to die. I He had only that morning seen Annette Meyer's late misI tress, who had herselt prepared a memorial to the Queen, and who spoke to him in the very highest terms of all she had observed of the unfortunate girl's character and conduct up to the commission of the offence for which she was condemned. He then moved as a first resolution the adoption of the following memorial to Sir George Grey To Sir 6. Grey, Bart., M.P., Secretary of State for the Home Depart. meat.—The humble anal earnest memorial of the inhabitants of the City of London, in public meeting amembled, showcth 'I hat your memorialists are deeply interested in the ease of the wretched Annette Meyers, now lying under sentence of death in her Majesty's gaol of Newgate. Your memorialists would earnestly call your attention to the mitigating cireunettances attending the communes of the crime for which the convict is sentenoed; the atrocity of the conduct of the deceased towards her, as appeared on her trial ; the cool villany of which she became the victim; the heartless coldness with which she was thrown off after the dece.e.ed had ruined her ; and your memorialists would humbly submit that while three circumstances cannot justify her Qui act, they warrant the conclusion 1 that her mind win unsettled when she committed the a awful deed. dad she, in the parosysm of her grief and despair, committed suicide, what coroner's jury would have hestated to pronounce a verdict of temporary insanity, While therefoi re, your memorialists do not plead for the pardon of Annette Aleyers,they do most earnestly beg you wiu take these circumstances into your consideration, and they do not doubt the result wall be that you win recommend our gracious Queen to exercise her royal prerogative, and to preserve the unhappy prisoner. Your memorialiga would also call your attention to the fact of the strong recommendation to mercy given by the jury, and to express their sincere desire that you will carry that reoommendation into eke!. The Rev, THOMAS BINNEY, us seconding the resolution, emphatically paralleled the case of the high-souled Annette Meyers with that of Mary Aims Hunt, who, after basely murdering her benefactress, was saved from punishment solely by the popular feeling in her &vow, on account o the circumstance of her being pregnant. It would be said,f perhaps, that if Annette Meyers were spared, it would be an encouragement to the women to shoot the men ; but no, it would not 11111091krade 1,11. 'MOM IQ shot the an,