330 Mr. Turner on Crimes and PuniJJjments. 



" him."* But, as civilization increafed, it 

 would foon be found a wifer method, to provide 

 fuch exptdicnts as might efFc6tually induce the 

 offender himfelf not to repeat his offence, deter 

 others from its future commilTion, and, at the 

 fame time, preferve an ufeful member to fociety. 

 And though I will not undertake to determine 

 univerfally, that in proportion as political 

 governments have advanced towards perfed:ion, 

 fubftituces for capital punifhments have been 

 more frequently mtroducedi f yet I think it may 



be 



* So the Hottentots have no fixed laws to direft them 

 in the diftribution of juftice, and confequently, when any 

 oiFence has been committed, there is no form of trial, 

 or proportion of punifhments to offences; but the Kraul 

 (village) is called together, the delinquent is placed in 

 the midft, and without further ceremony, demolifhed with 

 their clubs, the chief ftriking the firft blow. 



t Feudal times will furniih us with a ftriking exception. 

 Every one will acknowledge the imperfedion of this form 

 of government ; and yet, under it, almoft all crimes were 

 reftrained (or more properly //Vf-wy^^y) by pecuniary muldls: 

 and few capital punifhments were in ufe, except, moH 

 abfurdly, for breaches of the foreft law. The legiflators 

 of thofe days feem injudicioufly to have followed, in regu- 

 lating a fociety of which they were properly the governors, 

 the example of that cotemporary hierarchy, which fuc- 

 ceeded in its attempts to perfuade mankind, that it could 

 controul the diftribution of punifhments under a confti- 

 tutioa of government, of which its chief direftors were 

 likely to be ranked among the moil unworthy meipbers. 



