33 S Mr. Turner on Crimes and Viimjhments, 



profpea of advantage from this practice, the 

 offence died away of itfelf ; and we now fcarcely 

 ever (I believe I may fay never) hear of a fingle 

 offender in this refped. 



Thefe are the expedients which have hitherto 

 been ufed in thofe countries, where attempts have 

 been made to fubftitute other piinifliments in the 

 room of capital ones, and otherwife to reform 

 the penal inftitiitions ; and they have, I believe, 

 been ah-nofi: univerfally attended with fuccefs. 

 The governments of China, Rufn.i, * and Prudia 

 have been foremofl: in thefe experiments, while 

 other,- perhaps' more perfeft, flates, have not 

 purfued this laudable meafure fo far as might 

 have been expeded. Even in England, this 

 excellent work has not hitherto been entered 

 upon with proper fpirit. Our penal laws have 

 too frequently been the work of a few, influ- 

 enced by various improper paffions, and not 

 diredled by that coolnefs which legiflators ought 

 always to pofTefs. They have too often been 

 made upon the fpiir of the cccafion, as Lord Bacon 

 cxpreffes it, and when fo made, their revifal 

 has been afterwards neglected 3 f or we Ihould 



• Grand inflruflions for forming a code for the Ruflian 

 Empire. § 210. 



f If Lord An:iburton really was engaged, as we were 

 told, in the revifal, amendment and digeftion of our code 

 of penal laws, his death is much to be lamented by every 

 ffiend to humanity. 



not. 



