Lord Suffieldpresented a Petition from the Bankers, Merchants, Shipowners, and Inhabitants of Liverpool, praying for a mitigation of the severity of our Criminal Code, and that Capital Punishments might no longer be inflicted for Offences against Property. His Lordship observed, that in this petition, strong reasons were given in support of its prayer—reasons, which he must say, appeared to him well founded. The petitioners prayed for a mitigation of the severity of the law, on the ground that severity occasioned an insecurity of property, chiefly generated by a repugnance to prosecute capitally for offences of that nature. He believed, besides, that many, if not all the petitioners, felt religious scruples on this subject. It was not his purpose to solicit their Lordships to act upon these scruples, but he claimed attention to the petition on that account, and presumed to urge the existence of such feel- 700 ings, conscientiously entertained, as a strong reason in itself for the mitigation of the severity of the law. The petitioners stated, in the first instance, that they deplored the severity of the Criminal Law, which they thought was not authorized by Divine Revelation, they alluded to it as repugnant to reason and humanity, and gave that as the cause why in the present age it could not be uniformly enforced, in consequence of which, uncertainty of punishment existed, offences were multiplied, and insecurity of property ensued. He most cordially supported the prayer of the petition.
§ To lie on the Table.