The Express. — 1848-03-11 (London, England)

ANNETTE MEYER3.—A public meeting was held last evening, at Willis's Rooms, St. James's, to take into consideration the above question, particularly with reference to the cue of Annette Meyers. There was a numerous attendance. Mr. Ewart presided.—Lord Nugent nicved the first resolution which was for the adoption of petitions to her Majesty, end to Sir G. Grey, for the life of Annette Meyer. The memorial to the Queen set forth that without seeking to jektify the act for which the prisoner had been vole d..mned, the memorialists considered it a fit ease foe the ex. mess of the prerogative of mercy. They submitted that the convict had bee. made the victim of systematic and terocious vitlany; that every circumstance combined to ren•ler it probable that her region bail deserted her; and coupling this fact with the strong recommendation of the liar; to mercy, they considered that there was ample gr for granting a reprieve. The memorial to Sir G. Grey was to a similar purport, wito the addition that, suppoeing while in such a state of mind the convict had committed suicide, there was not, in the opinion of the mamorialigto, a coroner's jury in the kingdom who would not have returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity." With regard to the case of the criminal in question, he believed it to his one in which mercy might well be exercised, and he truited. —and indeed believed—that it wculd.—The Rev. T. Binney seconded the resolution. H. thought there were tire degrees of opinion with regard to capital punishment; tLi were tome who believed it to be a divine command, and one not to be departe.l front tinder any ctreumsbuices ; there were others who considered it not as a command, but as punishment permitted to man to billet ; while there was another class who abjured it altogether. He bad no doubt hut that each opinion had its representatives at the meeting, but be had no doubt that however they might disagree on the general subject, they would be unanimous in the present case. Ile considered that if ever man deserved death, the moldier who fell by the hand of Annette Meyers deserved his; and that if one woman's guilt c ,uld be excused it was the woman's in quer tion. Without attempting, however, to justify her conduct, lie asked them to consider the peculiar circumstances in which she had been placed. The ill. gitimale child of a person of rank, she might be said never to demo known a Chrisvan home or a parent's care ; and, in addition, had been hrouaht up in a country where the restra,nts of morality were not so great as in this country. She Ishid told him (Mr. Pinney) that she considered herself in the sight of God the wise of the man whom she had killed; and there was no doubt that the connexion did not present itself to her mind in the moral aspect that it would to those differently placed. Under those circumstances, he could only conceive the feeling which led her to commit the act wee one of virtue and insulted womanhood. He th night that if the Queen exercised her prerogative of mercy in this caw, she would not be encouraging her subjects to do wrung, bu, that she would be reading a lumen to for soldiers to do ri,ta.— The resolution was carried unanimously, and was follow d ne another, strongly condemnatory of the general principle of capital punishment.  SwEeEING IN SPECIAL CONSTABLIPL —Specis I conwere sworn in at the various police ogles yes arday —At Worship-s.r. et, in consequence of it having been public announced that tome out-door meetings of au inflamm tory character were about to be held in the distrier, see ,eel young men, CIIIIIPCIA d with large commercial establishments in the neighbourboxl, presented therase:ves in court to be sworn in.—At Marlborough-street the whole time of the !magistrate oat occupied is swearing in special constables, the Duke of Norfolk, accompanied by his son, the Earl of Surrey, being among-t the numbers— A, Bow-street, Mr. Moneley, vestry clerk of St Paul's, C ,veht-gaiden, a considerable number of lateepayers, and in .he course of the day nearly every householder in the parish, were sworn in, sod having each received a precept from the court to act as such in ease of emergency, they pr. ceilled to the vs stry, where th. y were furni.hed with staves ss badges • f their authority. The parishi mere of St. Martla's-in-thes Fields subsequently followed the saran example,—At the Thames pOliCe•COOrt, Mr. Ballantine was m gaged in swearICU/ in above 300 of the inhabitants of St. Mary, Whitechapels to act as sp_cial constables.