4. That, though they live un- spread of liberal opinions; yet der the despotic government of there is a class of readers, among Austria, yet they enjoy a degree whom I most certainly include of religious liberty which Unitari- myself, who I think might be very ans in Britain are not legally en- materially benefited by having va titled to! luable publications made more To these probable conclusions I accessible to us. It must be evibeg leave to add the following dent to every one that the purquestions. chase of the best writers on Unita 1. Have any of your learned rian subjects, for these last 40 correspondents seen the Latin co- years, is beyond the ability of py of Professor Markos's work many who from education are before mentioned ? equal to obtaining much benefit 2. Is there any English trans- from the perusal of them; and lation of that work? . gentlemen who have libraries, are 3. If any of your learned cor- not always willing to lend books, respondents are acquainted with from the consequent injury they the Latin copy, and there be no they must sustain from being fre English translation extant, would quently read. What I would proit not be of real service to the pose is, that some bookseller Unitarian cause in the British should collect all the books, for Islands and America to translate these last 40 years, on Unitarian the work into English? subjects, and let them out by the 4. May not some method be volume for hire, as in circulating devised (perhaps through a mer- libraries. I should hope, far from cantile medium) of opening a cor- such a plan being injurious to respondence with Professor Mar- the sale of books, it would prove kos, or some other respectable advantageous, as it would increase Unitarian in Transylvania, where readers and probably induce most by we may know more of the cir- to make some purchases: judging cumstances of our Christian bre- by my own feelings, I know nothing thren in that remote country? but the inability to purchase would I am Sir, yours, . satisfy me with an occasional read. SENEX. ing. Proposal of an Unitarian Circulating Library. Hampstead, Jan. 5, 1812. If this or any similar plan should be adopted in consequence of my writing, I shall feel plea. sure in the hope that I may have rendered some small service to a cause in which I am deeply in A Friend to Inquiry. SIR, I am among the number of of those who look forward with terested. pleasure to the beginning of the month, when the pages of the Monthly Repository will give the information of the great exertions the friends of truth are making. The book societies, in London and many parts of the kingdom, have, I doubt not, done much for the the iminoral tendency of the Cal Practical evil of the doctrine of SIR, Jan. 10, 1812. When Anti-Calvinists object to vinistic system, they are answered his level! What would an Evan. by a charge of malignant detraction. It may be useful therefore, from time to time, to record facts which undeniably prove this tendency. The doctrine of Original Depravity is a favourite principle of the Calvinists; yet no principle seems more dishonourable to the Creator and more hostile to social peace, happiness and virtue. My experience convinces me that he that believes himself corrupt, is gelical preacher (oh! misapplied term,) have said to such a criminal, who already held so firmly the chief of the doctrines of grace! And how mischievous is a national religion; which allows such men as this the Christian name, and lulls them, on the ground of their baptism, into a deadly repose or destructive hopes! I am No Disciple of John Calvin. not far from being so. Virtue A Collection of Facts relating to unnatural! What better excuse for vice! But I wish merely to point out to your readers a case in which the wretched principle of original and universal depravity formed a covering into which atrocious guilt retreated from public igno. miny. You remember, I dare say,. the name of Hodge, the West In. dia Planter, who though not old, had gone through a long catalogue of cruelties and passed a busy life of murders. This ruffian was at length arrested in his career of blood and tried for his life, which was afterwards demanded in sacri "Bad as he had been Criminal Law. [Continued from p. 30.] "The Criminal Law is in every country of Europe more rude and imperfect than the civil." Blackstone. Comm. B. iv. ch. 1. "To shed the blood of our fellow creature is a matter that requires the greatest deliberation, and the fullest conviction of our own authority for life is the immediate gift of God to man; which neither he can resign, nor can it be taken from him; unless by the command or permission of him who gave it; either expressly revealed, or ciety, by clear and indisputable demonstration." collected from the laws of nature or so Ib. "We may even hope, that when the benevolent and more enlightened eye of philosophy shall have inspected that im portant part of legislation, the distribu- verted into correction of offenders." fice to justice. To the jury who sat upon his case, he is represented in the Morning Chronicle of July 8th 1811, as saying that represented, and bad as they might think him, he felt support in his affliction from "In free governments, the very act religion. As all men are subject of enquiring into the grounds and effects to wrong, he could not but of laws is a direct proof of increasing that say knowledge. It constitutes a presumpTHAT PRINCIPLE was likewise tive proof of such improvements in the INHERENT in him. He acknow- actual state of society as render the forledged himself guilty in regard to mer code inconvenient or oppressive; many of his slaves."-What a prin- and when the expedients proposed by inciple must that be which places such an abuser of humanity upon a level with the majority of mankind; or rather, which drags them down to wishes of the community, it becomes telligent men harmonize with the silent the duty of every wise and honest legislature to supply what is defective, and to correct what is mischievous." Philopatris Varvicensis. ii. 492. observed that 200,000 men had Proposition III. Experience has not shewn that been governed for seven years Capital Punishments tend to the diminution of Crimes. without a capital punishment, and without any increase of crimes. "The Duke of Tuscany, soon At the close of the Sessions, the after the publication of the Mar- foreman of the Grand Jury deliquis of Beccaria's excellent trea- vered an address to Sir James from tise, abolished death as a punish- that body, expressing their regret ment for murder. A gentleman at the diss lution of the connectiwho resided five years at Pisa, in- on between them and him, and formed me that only five murders requesting that the learned judge. had been perpetrated in his domi- would sit for his portrait, which nions in twenty years. The same they were desirous of placing in gentleman added, that after his the hall where he had so long preresidence in Tuscany, he spent sided with such distinguished abithree months in Rome, where lity. death is still the punishment of "Sir James in his answer, ex. of murder; and where executions, pressed his acknowledgements, and according to Dr. Moore, are con- replied, that as soon as he reached ducted with peculiar circum. Great Britain, he would take meastances of public parade. During sures for complying with their de. this short period, there were sixty sire."* Proposition IV. murders committed in the precincts Morning Chronicle, Monday, of that city. It is remarkable Feb. 3. 1812. that the manners, principles and religion of the inhabitants of Tuscany and Rome are exactly the same. The abolition of death, alone, as a punishment for murder, produced this difference in the moral character of the two nations." Rush's Inquiry into Public Pun. ishment. p. 30. By the severity of the laws, and the discretionary power in judges, murders may sometimes be committed under the forms of law. "When a member of parliament brings in a new hanging law, he begins with mentioning some injury that may be done to private property, for which a man is not "SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH yet liable to be hanged; and then delivered his last charge to the proposes the gallows as the speciGrand Jury at the Sessions for fic and infallible means of cure Bombay, held on the 13th of July; and prevention. But the bill, in in which he suggested the esta- We have quoted the whole of the blishment of a better system of paragraph, not being able to separate the police, and more efficient regula. tions for the distribution of the property of insolvent merchants. The learned judge also commented upon the effects produced by desisting from inflicting Capital Punishments, during the period he had presided in that court, and statement, referring to our Proposition, so as to make it intellig ble. We have, besides, a pleasure in making known the speedy return to his native country of so distinguished a man as Sir James Mackintosh, who, we fondly trust, will devote his extraordinary talents and brilliant ous liberty, philanthropy and reform. eloquence to the cause of civil and religi ED. proved her mind to be in a dis. tracted and desponding state: and the child was sucking at her breast when she set out for Ty. burn. Let us reflect a little on this woman's fate. "The poet says, 'An honest man's the noblest work of God.' He might have said with equal truth, that a.beauteous woman's the noblest work of God. progress of time, makes crimes capital, that scarce deserve whipping. For instance, the shop lift ing act was to prevent bankers' and silversmiths', and other shops, where there are commonly goods of great value, from being robbed; but it goes so far as to make it death to lift any thing off a counter with intent to steal. Under this act, one Mary Jones was executed, whose case I shall just men- "But for what cause was God's tion; it was at the time when press- creation robbed of this its noblest warrants were issued, on the alarm work? It was for no injury; but about Falkland's Islands. The for a mere attempt to clothe two woman's husband was pressed, naked children by unlawful means. their goods seized for some debt Compare this with what the State of his, and she, with two small did, and what the Law did. The children, turned into the streets State bereaved the woman of her a begging. It is a circumstance husband, and the children of a father, not to be forgotten, that she was who was all their support: the Law very young (under nineteen) and deprived the woman of her life, most remarkably handsome. She and the children of their remaining went to a linen draper's shop, took parent, exposing them to every dansome coarse linen off the counter, ger, insult and merciless treatand slipped it under her cloak; the ment, that destitute and helpless shopman saw her, and she laid it orphans suffer. Take all the cir down for this she was hanged. cumstances together, I do not beHer defence was (I have the trial lieve that a fouler murder was ever in my pocket) that she had lived committed against law, than the in credit, and wanted for nothing, murder of this woman by law. till a press-gang came and stole Some who hear me are perhaps her husband from her; but since blaming the judges, the jury, the then, she had no bed to lie on; hangman; but neither judge, jury, nothing to give her children to eat; norhangman, are to blame; they are and they were almost naked; and ministerial agents; the true hangperhaps she might have done some- man is the member of parliament: thing wrong, for she hardly knew he who frames the bloody law is what she did.' The parish offi- answerable for the blood that is cers testified the truth of this story; shed under it." but it seems, there had been a Sir W. Meredith's Speech in good deal of shop-lifting about the House of Commons. Quoted Ludgate; an example was thought in Montagu's Opinions. ii. 393— necessary; and this woman was 400. hanged, for the comfort and satis Proposition V. faction of some shopkeepers in The punishment of death for of Ludgate Street. When brought fences less than murder, often into receive sentence, she behaved cites offenders to commit murder; in such a frantic manner, as hoping thereby to escape, and He knowing that if they be detected the course of the week. they cannot suffer more than death. stated that the preceding day, at a "I was once present" (says Mr. hookseller's, a person came in and Gilbert Wakefield,) at the exe- inquired for "Plato on the Imcution of a man of undaunted mortality of the Soul," and adding firmness, and (saving this action "it was for a person in Newgate of robbing a traveller of a few who was shortly to suffer death.” shillings, without insult or ill. This led to some further conversa. usage, under the seduction of an tion, and excited a wish on the hardened accomplice,) of an un- part of my friend to have some exceptionable character. He died, conversation with the convict alwithout bravado, and without ob- luded to. In the midst of our duracy, under a due sense of his conference, Mr. Kirby, the then goawful situation, with the magnani- vernor of Newgate (whose memory mity of an hero; despising that will be ever respected for his wismerciless and unequal sentence dom, kindness and humanity, in which had brought him to this sad the execution of his important condition. Had I known', says office,) came in, and I informed he, that I should have suffered him of what had passed, on which thus for that offence, I would not he at once said he should be glad have so easily been taken.' He if we would converse with the was a man of Herculean strength, and capable of destroying half a dozen constables before he could have been secured." Life of Wakefield. i. 313-315. a poor man, as he could not prevail with him to hold any intercourse with the ordinary of New. gate, or to join in any religious service; offering, at the same time, to introduce us to him immediately, Mr. B. Flower's Account of as the following day was appointed man executed for Forgery. for his execution. We accordHarlow, Jan. 12, 1812. ingly went into the yard, where SIR, we found the prisoner walking. Amongst other bad effects result. Mr. Kirby, who in the kindest ing from our penal code, the impres- manner took him, as well as the sions thereby inade on the mind of other prisoners by the hand, inquir. the sufferer have not been duly con- ing if they wanted any thing their sidered. Of this I had a remarka. situation would admit, left us to. ble instance when I was in New. gether. We entered into such con gate in the year 1799, in conse. versation with the convict as we quence of a sentence of the House thought most suitable on the sad of Lords, for a pretended libel on occasion. After some time he the Bishop of Llandaff, in defence addressed us nearly as follows:of which I had nothing to allege "I did not wish for the conversa but its TRUTH! tion of any Christians to disturb An acquaintance, a respectable me in my last hours; but I thank dissenting minister, one day called you for your kindness, and will be on me to make some inquiry con- very frank with you. I have not, cerning a man under sentence of I confess, thought much about death for forgery, and who was to Christianity, but I have seen suffer the sentence of the law in enough of it in the lives of its pro |