INTRODUCING THE LASH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 52, 2 March 1875, Page 2

INTRODUCING THE LASH.

The London correspondent of the Christchurch Press says : — A momentous question of the day is the expediency of introducing the lash for the repression of brutality. The necessity for some more powerful deterieat than is at present in the hands of 1 the law stares us hideously in the face. Could any savages evince greater brutality than is to be found in some of our countrymen ? I take for instance the following cases : — At Liverpool a gang of men set upon a porter, who was walking, accompanied by his wife and brother, and because he would not accede to their request to stand a pot of beer, there and then, in tho Btreef, kicked him to death in the presence of a crowd of bystanders, who hounded on the murderers, and held back the agonised wife and brother. Tbe other case descends even lower in the scale of brutality. A dozen youug Lancashire colliers, of from thirteen to twenty years of age, form a ring round a wretched drunken female tramp in a field, and there several of them in turn outrage her to death. But this is hardly the worst of the case, if anything can be worse. Two of these brutes are brought to trial, and the witnesses— the young savages who formed the ring — -one and all say they did not know there waa any harm, "and only thought the matter a bit o'fun." This was too much for the Judge, who burst forth with indignation, "I want, to know how it ia possible in a Christian country like this that there should be such a state of feeling, even among boys of thirteen, sixteen, and eighteen years of age It is outrageous. If there are missionaries wanted to the heathen there are heathens in England who require teaching a great deal moro than those abroad.' 1 His lordship was quite right. The only question is which to put into the hands of the missionary, a hymn-book or a cat-o'-nine-tnils. One despairs of being able to get at the moral sense of such savages as these, and therefore let us appeal to their physical s j nse. Flogging practicully stopped garotting, and there is ft strong inclination throughout tho country to extend the punishment to the perpetrators of all brutal outrages. In Edinburgh it has been decided by a majority of the Town Council, to memorialise tho Government lo grant power to sheriffs and higher judges to order ihe infliction of the lash in the case of all criminals convicted of personal violence. Beating and kicking a wifo to death is of almost daily occurrence. To this particular species of ruffianism one of our Judges hae just read a wholesome lesson. A man came home from his work, and commenced his usual little game. He kicked his wife about the room ; then he kicked her into the street; and then, as she lay insensible on the pavement, he kicked her in the face. Then he dragged her back again by the hair oi her head into the house. This brought her to consciousness, and seizing a "steel" for sharpening knives, which lay on the table, she threw it at her tormentor and splintared his frontal bone. He was taken to hospital aud died, and the woman baa just been found guilty of manslaughter by a jury. The Jud»e then addressed her after the finding: — " All the real right ie this case was on your aide, all the real wrong on your husband's, and God forbid that I should punish you. I will not allow it to be said by anybody that you are a convicted felon ; for a conviction is not complete until a sentence is passed, and I mean to pass no sentence at all." And the woman was told to go in peace. This speaks volumes. This same Judge, Mr Justice Brett, says:— "lf the lew as it now stands is overcome by cruelty, tho law must and should be altered." Another Judgp, Mr Justice Mellor, one of the celebrated Tichborne triumvirate, says that though at one time he looked " with horror" to a return to the system of flogging, his experience on the bench has led him reluctantly to the conviction that by no other means can crimes of violence be prevented The press generally endorse these sentiments.

The Westland Public House Bill, introduced in the Council now sitting, provides that " Bar" license fees shall be £50 per annum, and "Hotel" licenses shall be fixed at £40. Id the laat mentioned class of houses it will be Decesaary to bbve not leas than two parlors, ten bed-rooms, and other specified accommodation. Thus making provision that the mere vendor of strong liquors shall pay a higher rate than the legitimate hotel keeper who goes to the expense of providing accommodation for the public. The following paragraph relating to the increase io the rate of money appears in the Argus of the 16th :— 'An unobtrusive advertisement on an inside page of the Argus of yrsterduy has created surprise, we might almost say consternation, in financial circles. As most people are aware, the banks of issue carrying on business in Melbourne have lately allowed interest for deposits, fixed for three months and more, at rates ranging from 4 per cent, up to 5 per cent, per annum maximum. On a deposit of less than three months' duration no interest has hitherto beeD allowed. The Bauk of New Zealand is represented by a Melbourne branch, which now intimates that on deposits withdrawable at 30 doys' notice interest will be paid at the rate of 5 per cent; with three months' notice, 5£ per cent ; aud with six mouths' notice, 6 per cent. The effect of this must obviously bo

file raising of the deposit interest rate by all the bauks of issue. They will not allow the Bums they hold in trust from depositors to be withdrawn for use in New Zealand, And the natural corollary of a higher rate of deposit interest will ho an increased charge for discounts and advances. In this view it is unfortunate that the money market should take aa upward turn at the present juncture. Commerce is not in a condition to bear increased burdens, ami but for this challenge to the associated bnnks it is probable that a reduction in interest rafe3 would shot tly huve been agreed to by (hem. The New York- World thus enumeiates the seven blessiogs coufenel upon the United States by 13 years of protection to native industry: — " 1. Universal strikes; hundreds of thousands of working men out of employment, and an immense increase of pauperism and consequent misery. 2. A falling off of immigration to the extent of 50 per cent. A stream of emigrants from the United States to Europe, nearly 1000 having left during the week ending November 21, from the port of New York alone. 3 A total stagnation in the woollen, cotton, and iron industries, the price of wagea reduced, and mills running only four days in the week. 4. A plethora of money (such as it is), which can be had for three or four per cent, on call, which no one is crazy enough to invest in manufacturing enterprises. 5. Almost general stagnation in the wholesale and retail trades. 6. An unprecedented fulling off of imports, which threatens the revenue with a deficit, while it gives the lie to the theory that diminished imports make home industries prosperous. 7. A ruined export trade for all kinls of manufactures." At the Lambeth Police Court recently, one of the relieving olficers of Newington called the magistrate's attention to the case of Elizabeth Peacock, described as the head of tho followers of Johnanna Southcote. Mrs Peacock it is believed was born in Junn, 1771, so that she is now in her 104 th year.