It is true the Right Hon. Secretary did not avow a complete concurrence in the prayer of the petition, but he admitted that he partially acquiesced in their views, and clearly shewed that his mind was in that state on which a more general spirit of petitioning would, no doubt, make a very sensible impression. He said he "felt flattered by being entrusted with this petition, but was afraid he could not go the whole length with the petitioners in recommending the abolition of the punishment of death in all cases of

'called Quakers, on behalf of themselves and of the other members of 'that Society in Ireland, was presented, and read; setting forth, 'THAT the Petitioners have been instructed by the last General Meet❝ing of their religious Society held in Dublin, to convey to the legis'lature a representation of the deep interest they feel in the amelioration ' of that part of the Criminal Code of this Realm which affixes to certain 'offences the punishment of death; THAT, whilst the Petitioners ' believe it right to declare that their objections to the punishment of ' death derive their chief strength from a full and serious conviction of ' its repugnance to the precepts of the Gospel, they are persuaded that 'the propriety of abolishing this punishment can be sustained on other 'grounds, and that, with reference to this question, as well as others ' of public or private interest, it will be found that the course prescribed by the obligations of Christian duty is alike dictated by sound and 'enlightened policy; THE Petitioners submit, that the fallibility of all 'human tribunals is a consideration which ought alone to have great ‹ weight in influencing those engaged in the framing of Criminal Law, ❝ to reject a punishment irremediable in its nature, and so awful in its consequences as that of death; THAT the inefficacy of the punish'ment of death in preventing the commission of crime is proved by long and mournful experience; and that the continued prevalence of crimes ' of an aggravated character in those districts where public executions ' are most frequent, is a fact of unequivocal import;' [the reader will bear in mind that this Petition came from Ireland ;] THE Petitioners ⚫ are hence strongly impressed with the belief, that, so far from a salutary effect being produced by these dreadful spectacles, they have a powerful opposite tendency, and by exciting the vindictive feelings of 6 some, and by familiarizing all with the destruction of human life, they harden the hearts of spectators, and thus prepare the way for the commission of future deeds of violence; THAT the forfeiture of life

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forgery." But, upon Mr. LENNARD expressing his regret that the Right Hon. Gentleman had not been able to adopt the humane suggestions of the petitioners, he observed-" I only said I would not go the whole length with the petitioners-I agree with them in part. I now give notice that I shall, on Wednesday, move for leave to bring in a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to forgery; and, perhaps, when I say that it is my intention to dispense with the capital punishment in many cases, the motion of the

❝ for forgery, theft, and other offences against property is opposed to 'the feelings of a large, and, in the belief of the Petitioners, an increasing portion of the community, and that the extreme rigour of the Law ' in these cases frequently defeats its object, by preventing the prosecu'tion of offenders, and thus affording impunity to crime; THAT cir'cumstances existing in Ireland, tend in a very striking manner to 'counteract the objects for which public executions are designed, ' namely the deterring of others from the commission of crime, the popu'lar sympathy being in many cases strongly excited in favour of the 'criminal, and the awful event consequently in great measure divested ' of its ignominious character; THAT the interest felt by the Petitioners ⚫ in the amelioration of the Criminal Code is not of recent origin; but 'they feel themselves warranted in an especial manner to renew their • Petition to the Legislature at the present time, inasmuch as by a late 'alteration in the Law of Evidence, whereby testimony on affirmation ' is rendered admissible in Criminal Courts, they are placed in a more ' responsible situation than heretofore with regard to this momentous subject; THE Petitioners therefore approach the House with their 'respectful but earnest entreaty that, amongst the important considera❝tions connected with the improvement in the administration of the Law which are intended to come under deliberation in the course ' of the present session, the subject herein set forth may not be over'looked, but that it may obtain the early and patient investigation of 'the House; and the Petitioners fervently desire that, under the influ'ence of Divine Wisdom, the House may be enabled to render the 'Criminal Code in all respects consistent with the Gospel dispensation ' under which we live, that so our Country may exhibit to surrounding 'nations an example of legislation on true CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES.' -(Appendix to the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons, 22° die Martii, 1830, Petition No. 334.')

Honourable Member will be unnecessary." This was in allusion to a notice given by Mr. LENNARD, who said he would call the attention of the House to the subject after the recess.

We hope, however, that Mr. LENNARD will not allow his own more decisive measure to be superseded by this compromise between enlightened principles and legislative barbarism with which Mr. PEEL expects the country to be satisfied. The objection to the punishment of death for forgery is not an objection of degree, but principle.* Mr.PEEL

* In introducing the subject of FORGERY, it may not be amiss to insert the following remarks which appeared in the Edinburgh Review of Dec. 1818, in an article bearing chiefly upon Bank of England prosecutions for forgery subsequently to the Act for restricting cash payments. (See ART. IX. Returns of Prosecutions and Convictions for forging Notes of the Bank of England from 1783 to 1818; laid before the House of Commons, 21st April, 1818.)

'Before we make any observations on the moral revolution which 'followed the stoppages, we entreat the attention of every reader who 'considers the prevention of crimes as any part of the object of Govern. 'ment, to the following authentic and extraordinary documents.'

Several tables of PARLIAMENTARY RETURNS are then given, which we have not room for the subjoined abstract is taken from them.

BANK OF ENGLAND prosecutions for Forged Notes in ENGLAND AND WALES.

The Return itself is dated 21st April, 1818, and signed 'JOSEPH

KAYE, Solicitor to the Bank of England.'

says he is not prepared to state that capital punishment is to

The writer in the Edinburgh Review, in allusion to the comparative paucity of executions prior to the year 1797, remarks- Yet even 'this number, inconsiderable as it now appears, was sufficient at that ⚫ time to excite the disapprobation of wise, and the indignation of good 'men, against laws which inflicted death on such a crime as forgery, ' and offered sacrifices to the Moloch of Paper Credit.

The time was not yet come when the number of convictions rendered 'the uniform execution of the law too horrible to be hazarded. Cri'minal justice had not become a lottery, in which it was a mere chance 'whether a man guilty of forgery should escape being transported, or 'be hanged.

The year 1798 opened a new scene. The Act for authorizing 'the Bank of England to stop payment, passed in 1797; and another "Act was passed in the same year, the necessary consequence of the former, but still more directly applicable to our present purpose-to ' enable the Bank to issue notes under the value of five pounds. The ' number of those who suffered death for the forgery of bank-notes in 1798 and the two succeeding years, was twice or thrice as great as 'that of all who had suffered for the same offence for fifty years before 'the suspension. From a Return of none,' in the eight years before 1797, we suddenly pass to a Return of 146 capital executions, for this offence, in the eight years which followed that unfortunate year!

"These frightful contrasts multiply at every change of our point of view. Four prosecutions for forgery by the Bank of England are 'to be found from 1783 to 1797. In the equal period from 1797 to 1811, the number is 469!—They were multiplied more than a hundred-fold !-Well might the preamble of a statute, passed in 1801, ⚫ (41 Geo. III. cap. 49.) recite, that The forgery of bank-notes has of late increased very much in this kingdom!' But the preamble ' does not confess the whole truth.-Even at that time it was not an 'offence increased, but an offence created. One fatal measure of

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• State had, even then, caused more blood to flow for forgery in three years than had been shed in England for that offence during fifty 6 years before. Perhaps no civilized Government has by one act given

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so dreadful a wound to the morality of a people. The visible connec⚫tion between the issue of small notes and the effusion of blood, is one of the most frightful parts of this case. *

*

In the

• former periods there were no capital executions :-in the latter, 116 ' executions occurred in four years.

be discontinued in dangerous cases of forgery. We say that

"We have been foolishly told that the increase (as it is called) of forgeries is only a part of the general progress of criminality. The 'sudden leap made by forgery in 1798 is a sufficient answer. Other 6 very dangerous crimes have diminished in the same period, and it is 'more reasonable to ascribe a great part of the increase of some other offences to the progress of that depravity to which the forgery of 'bank paper gave the first impulse.

'The various Returns which contain the above information, were 'not obtained without struggle. Much resistance was made to the 'production of many of them. More was threatened, and abandoned ' only on the eve of a division, when it was apparent that all resistance ' would prove vain.

To complete this view of the subject, we must conclude with a 'short account of the judicial proceedings relating to the forgery of 'bank-notes since the dissolution of parliament. During the Summer 'Assizes we recollect no capital conviction for this crime. In the state ' of the public temper on this subject, the Bank seems to have thought ' it more prudent to prosecute only for the transportable offence, of 'knowingly possessing forged notes.

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• At the September Sessions at the Old Bailey (1818) a long array ' of prosecutions for forgery reappeared, but attended with clear 'proofs that, on this subject, it was no longer safe to overlook the 'excited feelings of THE PUBLIC.-Thirty-eight persons were ' arraigned on the capital charges of forging notes, or knowingly uttering them; and also on the minor charge of knowingly possessing 'them. A scene appears to have taken place among these wretched 6 persons, very unsuitable to the deliberation and gravity of a court of 'justice. Such was the general confusion, that one prisoner pleaded 'guilty to the capital charge, and not guilty to the inferior charge. 'Another confessed his guilt, retracted, and afterwards repeated his 'confession, and at last pleaded not guilty. As the trials advanced, 'the JURIES began to manifest that they shared the general feeling of 'their countrymen. One jury desired that the forgery of the signature 'to the note should be proved by the signing clerk whose name had 'been used, instead of the Bank inspector,-whose evidence had hitherto been thought sufficient. On the next day, a juryman ' declared that he was not satisfied by the affirmation of the witnesses ⚫ that the notes were forgeries, and that he desired to ascertain how these ' witnesses knew them to be so. Latterly, the ordinary course of the