§ Petitions praying for a revision of the Criminal Law, so as to do away with the punishment of Death incases of Forgery and other crimes, except murder, and to render punishment more certain, were presented from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by Sir M. W. Ridley; from Carlisle, by Colonel Lushington; and from Chelmsford, by Mr. Bramston. The hon. Gentleman said, that he concurred with the Petitioners in their prayer, that human life should not be taken away except for murder. The making any other punishment, such as that of solitary confinement, certain, as the consequence of particular crimes, would probably be more effective for the prevention of crime than the present system. However, he should not feel altogether disposed to take away from the judges that discretion they were very properly allowed to exercise in particular cases.
§ Mr. Western, like his honourable colleague, supported the prayer of the Petition. He concurred with the petitioners in thinking that the punishment of death was frequently inflicted when it was not necessary to insure the safety of society, but he had not yet carried his opinion so far as to suppose that it ought to be abolished in all cases except murder. It sometimes happened, that great violence was used in committing crimes, which, though not amounting to murder, could only be repressed by capital punishment. Except in such cases, he admitted, as a general principle, that the law ought not to inflict death as the punishment of crimes.
§ Petition to be printed.
§ Similar Petitions were presented from Sunderland and Darlington, by Lord W. Powlett; from Lewes, by Mr. Kemp.
Mr. Grantsaid, he earnestly hoped that this subject would not escape the atten- 542 tion of government; the punishment of death was inflicted in many cases, where it completely failed to deter others from the commission of offences. Horse-stealing, for example, had been carried to a great extent, and it was quite plain that the number of executions for that crime had not tended to check it. In the revision then going on of our Criminal Code, he hoped, therefore, that this subject would not be overlooked. The number of offences to which the penalty of death was attached was disgraceful, and it had signally failed to answer the effect intended.
§ Petition to be printed.