CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS. 



545 



that of death ; for, as the crime is committed without premeditation, there is 

 not room for reflection as to the nature of the punishment incurred. Murder 

 is by far the better criterion for such a purpose. 



MDRDER. 



5 years ending 1824, capitally convicted 69, executed 47 

 5 ' . . 1829, . . . . 50, . .26 



5 . . 1834, . . . . 43, . .16 



" Here there is a diminution of executions in each of the last two periods, 

 and at the same time a diminution of crime. If we compare the two extreme 

 periods, we find one-third less crime in the last with 16 executions, than in 

 the first with 47 executions." 



These are facts which speak so forcibly for themselves as to render 

 all comment on our part unnecessary. 



We now come to the case of Belgium. And how stand matters 

 respecting that country, as regards the present questio:) ? We shall 



see. 



From an abstract of returns, ordered by the Chamber of Deputies, 

 relative to the punishment of death in that country, for the thirty, five 

 years ending in 1834, we find the following results: — 



From these returns it appears that the decrease, and eventually 

 the entire discontinuance, of capital punishments, was accompanied 

 by a diminution of the number of atrocious offences. 



The case of Tuscany is in perfect accordance with the cases of 

 Prussia and Belgium. We have not space to enter into details on 

 the subject ; but we may say, in general terms, that never was the 

 expediency of exterminating death-punishments so fairly put to the 

 test as in that country. The celebrated Leopold, immediately on his 

 becoming Grand Duke of Tuscany, entirely abolished the punishment 

 of death throu'rhout his dominions. And what was the result ? Did 

 crime increase? The very opposite effect was produced. An imme- 

 diate and considerable decrease look place in the number of all 

 classes of offences. After the experiment of substituting mild for 

 sano-uinary punishments had been tried for the long period of twenty 

 years, the Grand Duke liimself stated in the criminal code which he 

 then published that, instead of the " more lenient system " increas- 

 ing the number of crimes, it considerably diminished that of the 

 smaller ones, and rendered those of an atrocious nature very rare. 



We maintain, then, that never was any point more triumphantly 



