5()G XOTES OF THE MONTH. 



FUGITIVES IN AMERICA. We perceive by the recent American 

 papers, that a person named Thomas Sherry, who absconded with money 

 from his employers Messrs. Martins, Stone, and Co. the Bankers of 

 London, has been arrested in the States, and compelled to surrender his 

 plunder. Instructions having been sent out to arrest him, he was traced 

 says the New York Advertiser, to the town of Jordan in that State, 

 whither he had gone by the North River route, and being taken by a 

 civil process, he gave up the greater part of the money, and communi- 

 cated information which led to the apprehension of his accomplices, who 

 also surrendered their share of the plunder. 



We mention these circumstances for the purpose of explaining the true 

 nature of the peculiarity in the legal system of the United States, by 

 which fugitives to that country are exempted from criminal proceedings 

 for offences committed beyond the jurisdiction of the union, and cannot 

 be brought back for trial to any other country. It is for purposes 

 strictly political, and to assert the inviolability of the soi^of the United 

 States, as a sanctuary to the victims of the oppression of foreign 

 governments, that the constitution recognizes no authority for the 

 abstraction of strangers from the country. But whilst this has been 

 found to be a liberal, humane, and wise regulation, with reference to 

 political fugitives, it is much regretted by all enlightened Americans 

 themselves, that the indiscriminate nature of the principle, tends 

 undoubtedly to shield the perpetrators of many private crimes. It may 

 not however be generally known, that to remedy this inconvenience in 

 the constitution, the state legislatures of almost all the States upon the 

 Atlantic seaboard have passed laws, imposing very heavy fines, and 

 severe imprisonment upon the commanders, owners, or agents of vessels, 

 who shall knowingly, and without due precaution, bring into such State 

 any convict, fugitive, or person of bad character. The amount of the 

 fine and imprisonment varies in the several States ; the laws of New 

 Hampshire imposing a fine of five hundred dollars, and an imprisonment 

 of six months ; and that of South Carolina, an imprisonment of six 

 months, and a fine of two hundred dollars. A more general knowledge 

 of the existence of these regulations in the States, would tend to 

 diminish the facilities now enjoyed by criminal fugitives, and the 

 prosecution of a few of the commanders of vessels, who unlawfully, and 

 for a large consideration, knowingly facilitate the escape of persons 

 flying from the course of justice, would go for to prevent the recurrence 

 of the evil. It is also due to our transatlantic brethren to acknowledge 

 that the existence of these regulations, tends to remove the stigma which 

 has long attached to the indiscriminate reception of all fugitives from 

 Europe, since it is apparent that the law in proclaiming the inviolability 

 and independence of the United States, is yet solicitous to provide 

 against the abuse of a high and hospitable feeling, towards the foreign 

 victims of arbitrary power. 



FUNERAL % OP THOMAS HARDY. This venerable patriot and dis- 

 tinguished and persecuted reformer, the founder of the " Corresponding 

 Society of London/' departed this life in the course of the last month, 

 and received the well-merited honour of a public funeral. Although 

 not distinguished by great talents, eminent station, or the gifts of 

 fortune, this patriotic man had been destined to appear in one of the 

 most momentous scenes in which justice, liberty, and the spirit of 



