EXECUTION OF THE MANNINGS. [Abridged from the London Papers.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 484, 23 March 1850, Page 3

EXECUTION OF THE MANNINGS. [Abridged from the London Papers.]

The extreme sentence of tbe law was carried into execution on Manning and his wife at Horsemonger Lane Gaol on Moixlay 13ih November. The female prisoner was fully impressed with the idea that she would not be executed. She refused all religious consolation and paid very little attention to the Chaplain, On some allusion being made to her attorney and to the counsel who defended her, she became much excited, and clenching her fists exclaimed " Oh, if I only had them here, I'd serve them out. They might have got me acquitted if they had done their duty." Manning was quite dejected and was very anxious for an inletview with his wife 10 try and persuade her to confess, and with this view he wrote her a letter which with her answer will be found below. Ou the Saturday morning previous to her execution Maria Manning attempted self-de-struction ,by forcing her nai s, whioh had grown to a great length, into her throat and choking herself. The noise consequent on her convulsion' having staaled the watchers, on hastening to her bedside they saw she was almost black in the face. Precautions were taken to prevent a recurrence of similar attempts. At the execution Manning appeared first on the fatal platform, and the rope having beeu adjusted and the cap drawn over his face, the female partner in bis crime, w,as brought forth and like himself', walked with a firm, •tep. . -On .advancing the drap sh c

ohse ved her husband, doubtless fur the first lime since their trial, and as if acting upon the impulse of the moment, she seized bis right hand and shoot it for several minutes. To the last she refused to confess her guilt, and on being asked by the chaplain when the fatal noose was in the course of adjustment, if she had any thing more to say, she replied firmly, " nothing except to thank you for your kindness." The bolt shoitly fell, the wretched man and bis wife swung in the air, a murmured expression of horror escaped the multitude, and the terrible drama closed.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MANNING AND HIS WIFE. Manning to his Wife. " I address you as a fellow-sinner and a ( fel-low-sufferer, and not as my wife, since thecontract may be considered as cancelled, extending as it does only until death and not beyond it, and both of us standing as we do on the brink of eternity. We may already consider ourselves as cut off from the world. The consciousness of this truth, does not, however, prevent me expressing my earnest solicitude for j the happiness of your soul as well my own. I do, therefore, beseech and implore you to be truthful in all you utter, and that you may not be tempted to yield to any evil suggestions of the enemy of our souls' welfare, to question for a moment the solemn truth that we shall shortly appear before our God in judgment — that His eye is upon us now. The time, though not, so far as I can learn, precisely fixed, when we are to be launched into eternity, but we may be quite sure and certain that it is close at hand. And now, by all kindly feelings we have at any time entertained towards each other, I earnestly pray that you will look to God for the pardon you need, and of which I feel my own need also, believe me, through the merits of a crucified Redeemer, being satisfied that His all-sufficient atonement and intercession cannot benefit us unless we repent, and give proofs of that repentance. Believe me, I upbraid you not, but trust you will be assured that I forgire every one, as I pray and hope to be forgiven by God ; and now I close, as my feelings are too acute to write more. May the Lord be merciful, and may he be so consistent with bis promises. Let us be truthful and sincere in all we say or do, This ia the last letter you will ever receive from me. Now let me beg of you to grant me an interview this day if possibie., I have a great wish to have one before I depart this world. F. G. Manning. Written on the 29th of October, 1549, in the condemned cell, Horsemonger-lane Gaol. — F. G. Manning."

Maria Manning to her Husband. " I address you as my husband. lam far away from my happy native land on account of this contract, and this land which you have made to me a captivity. The peace and wellbeing of society, the laws of truth, which you have broken, have alike demanded my banishment from the country which gave me birth. But I am not going away from God; He is everywhere alike present, and at all times gracious to those that seek His mercy and His favour. What has brought me into this eternal consequence? If you live and die unforgiven by God, though those sins will be punished by the laws of man, they are still all registered by the only God. All that I have to say is this — I never made any statement of any kind to injure or condemn you in this matter, that you well know, from first to last. I am here condemned only by your statement. If it had proved benefiaial to you, I should have been satisfied. With all your doings and the great expense of your learned counsellors, that did not benefit you, but plunged me unmercifully with you to this horrid fate. All I have to beg of you now is to state facts, as you know that I was not in the house when O'Connor met with his death ; but I was gone to seek for him, and during that time he called in my absence, and was shot by that young man from Guernsey who was with you in the back parlour smoking ; but that I did not know anything about it until the Saturday, and that it was all settled in the kitchen. I was in hopes that you would have brought this young man forward on the trial, but that you did not do, but only blame me, as you did, from the first day. But, my dear, as you know that you cannot save yourself, I implore of you to state the facts which are truth, and endeavour to save your wife. By so doing it would be satisfaction to your own heart and soul to know that you are doing right and good towards me before you depart from this world. The Lord God will forgive you and comfort you. Believe me, I upbraid you not, but trust you will be assured that I forgive yon, and every one, as I pray and hope I may be forgiven by God. If you comply with this true statement, I shall be happy to see you until the last day. My hope and life is in your .hands. You can, if you will, save me. Remember you cannot answer for our sins and transactions when all our secret sins shall be set in the light of His countenance, and when the wicked who carelessly lived and miserably died without the fear or favour of God shall doubtless perish everlastingly. In that day a craven conscience shall proclaim a failing heait, and an angry judge shall point to the wicked. I humbly look to thee, O Lord. Thou hast set forth a propitiation for the remission of sins that are past, through Thy forbearance. I cannot write any longer. God bless you, and have mercy on us both. M. Manning. Received by F. G. Manning on the 30th of October, 1849.