PROCEEDINGS 



OF T H E 



LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 

 OF LIVERPOOL. 



SESSION XXXY. 



MDCCCXLVII. 



March 22. 



The Rev. J. BOOTH, LL.D., F.R.S., President, 



in the Chair. 



Mr. John Wilson Greene, Mr. Henry Jevons, and 

 Mr. H. P. Horner, were elected Members of the Society- 



Dr. Watson exhibited some Zoophytes from Africa, 

 also some Seeds and Shells. 



The Rev. J. Robberds read a Paper on Capital Punish- 

 ments. 



After some introductory remarks on the importance of 

 the subject, Mr. Robberds proceeded to consider the funda- 

 mental principle of Penal Jurisprudence, showing that the 

 principle of retaliation, though the most natural, simple and 

 effective, in early stages of society, was now condemned alike 

 by Philosophy and Christianity as both inadmissible and 

 impracticable, it being impossible for man, and especially 

 for a court of law, to determine the exact amount of guilt in 

 every offender ; and that the only legitimate object of penal 

 law was tlie protection of society by preventing anc l sup- 



