Mr. N. Calvertpresented a Petition from the Bankers, Traders, and other inhabitants of Royston, praying for the abolition of the punishment of death in cases of Forgery.
Mr. Broughamwould take the opportunity to express his satisfaction at seeing the number of petitions coming in from such quarters for the mitigation of the severity of the forgery laws. It was most gratifying to observe, that those persons who had formerly thought it their interest to oppose any such measure, and more particularly the traders and dealers in a paper currency, were now becoming generally favourable to it. The bankers throughout the country were reviewing their former opinions, and getting gradually rid of the prejudice which had hitherto induced them to suppose that the punishment of death, in cases of forgery, afforded security and support to the credit of a paper currency. He had, within the last week, occasion to look through a very extensive correspondence upon the subject, from various parts of the country, and from persons situated as he had described, and he should soon have to present several petitions from bankers and traders, in which they express their con- 36 viction that the continuance of the punishment of death for forgery was injurious instead of beneficial to their interests: he should have to present petitions signed by the most respectable bankers and traders, in which they call upon the House to pause before it passed a bill, allowing the punishment of death to remain for certain cases of forgery; and they assign as a reason, that the severity of the law, instead of preventing forgery and protecting paper securities, tends to promote the crime, by preventing punishment, and thereby affording indemnity to the offenders. They did not go upon any abstract principle of religion, or upon any view of humanity; they came forward as practical men, to object to the continuance of a punishment which they found to be injurious to their trade and interests. He wished to know whether the right hon. Gentleman opposite would have any objection to a postponement of the discussion upon the principle of his bill for some time longer, so as to afford an opportunity for the presentation of the various petitions which were in progress to that House upon the subject. The bill might be read a second time without discussion, upon the understanding that the discussion should be had in another stage of the bill, and in that way no unnecessary delay would occur.
Mr. Secretary Peelhad no objection to the proposition of the hon. and learned Member. The discussion, as he proposed, might be taken in the committee; he wished, however, then to remark, that in proposing to reduce the number of cases to which the punishment of death should be applied, his bill did not go to create any new capital punishment. The principle of his bill was a consolidation of the criminal law with regard to forgery. For the convenience of hon. Members, he should not object to a postponement of the discussion upon the bill for a fortnight, but certainly not to a more distant period. The bill might now be read a second time, and the discussion would take place in committee upon the clause for retaining the punishment of death in certain cases of forgery.
Sir James Macintoshhad no objection to that arrangement, on the understanding that no Member was pledged to the principle of the bill by not opposing the second reading of it.
§ Mr. C. N. Pallmerpresented a Petition 37 from Kingston-upon-Thames; he said it prayed a revision of that part of the criminal law which inflicted capital punishment with respect to property. He stated that the petition was signed, not only by the magistracy, but a long list of the more respectable bankers and persons engaged in trade in the place. He rejoiced to have it in his power cordially to support the prayer of this petition, against laws which were ineffectual for their object, while they were hurtful to the feelings, and disgraceful to the character of the country. He was most happy to sec an intelligent and weighty class of the community come forward, when those laws which had long been the objects of the silent horror of all Christian and enlightened minds were about to be submitted to Parliament for re-adoption as part of the code of the country.