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taintyi Tfae ften ^ tfao& ^ fy -indefed ; one t ) f the bright ^ j < r * ta * 1 ft * l * e cr ^ n ^ ar pitacej to ^ a ^ e ^ ry < erowri H s « t xtitti thoW * As W ^ IS m jewels , We aught nol ; wafttoblyta de *
Bpoil the sovereign of any m we l& # . ter ; But to make th » prerogative most valtobley it should be brought into exercise only « n extraordinary occasions . 1 ? hat its ttdfc should be
coitffcned to u narrow field , seemd essen tial to the public good , which inclttdefc the advantage of the head as well as of the members . The lenity of the state in its criminal law& should ren » -
der needless tli « frequent exercise-of mercy by tile ? executive pmr&r . Td mitigate the severity of punishment * and to shorten its duration * upori evi * . dence of contrition and reform in tlhe
convict , or upon the ! discovery ofwdU attested and important circumstances affecting the justice of the conviction , seems tm be the proper sphere of this prerogative ; and it is doubtful whether , if tie criminal code of a country were in all respects jtieft and lenient , it ought ever to extend to commuting
punishments , or to pardon without good cause assigned . The letter and spirit of the Ifcw should correspond , and both should agree with reason and religion ; and then it would be for the public welfare that the law
pronounced should be invariably exe * . ettted , saving * only the right of m& Sk > - vereign to shfew mercy in the eases atlOve mentioned . Ami to ia 9 « re a
just decision , it » id equally important that thfc cwirt' sfeoutd be ctear ^ ^ f all obstructions to the prisoner and ! the prosectot ^ r * The j ^ dgfe dlieaWi as now be the prkolieVs couHse !* if lie
had no other , to point out ^ here the evidence w ^ b d ^ feetiVe , and to state feirly the foree ol tifrf JuM plea to Mb favour . And on tifee other hand ; no technical or clerical flaw ui-the
indictment , or- other defect in mere form , fihould l > e ^ tal to the proceedings , bmt the ermr should bfe ^ connected on the spot : The |> Tosecutor should likemse , upba eenvictiftn ^ al ways -be flllowed the full amount ofc hid- £ mf costs ^ nd
ch ^ rge ^ , fejea to ? counsel except ^ d . — Enough of dt ^ eaurog ^ nae ^ t w ^^ l then remain ^^ jbwl ? friv < Hou » ap 4 ^ tti ^ iye f ^«^ mm » i Wfsr -shonW /^ nril ^^ tef sire tt ^ Nthe innocent sliofdd n ^ s » fi f «» v tfosit ^ tm tgtntty should not > eBcttpe witlt H » mm ^ y an ^ that pcmfekm ^
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^ fessi 6 ea * i 0 A ^ P criifte ^ , and a wide system of penalties * We hw ^ mer ^ otf ^^ thly , Arit ancr -ther end of crfttwiial fei ^ sMotfld be
to make repattfti ^ fl ^ ttlrerevef ^ it % praetidable > to tliepmty inj ^ a ^ d ; This prinoip ^^ we knd ^ ^ ould be ^ op ^ bsed * y « o ^»^ ^ rtioae judgtnent de » # l ^^ regard . They wtfuld fcm > tentf , th ^ t al ^ migh crime iholuiSia a private ii ^
jmy , y « t in me greater < 5 rlTOe 84 < the private wrong is swallowed up in the public . " In murder ami a few other crime * , compensation fo admitted to be impo ^ ibi e . fel t ? can ^ iy aun 1 crei *
ordained that the thief should restore double , or four ot nve-foM in certain circui » stances to the party robbed : and shall we say that this precedent deserves no attention , because in its
reason be asftfemed fbr rejecting * tlie general principle of satisfeetkfn to the party injured in c ^©» of * robbery fraud juid other attack © upoft property ? The Legislator of tile Jbws
full extent it is among tts iinpractica ble ? Under the laws of hue aad cry and in case of riots , the pa ^ ty whose property has been stolen or destroyed , n > ay recover the amount of his i ^ ss from the district where the offence is
committed . But no notice £ & tftken of the offender in this view . It may be Bciid that by adopting tile ? prfneipte in question , a wide door ^ ^ v ^ uld be
opened to imposition on the part of proseoutoTB ; and th » t pr " os © outiiott 3 might even take place for tWpttrppse of private gain . But , swely , sui ^ v ini ^ positions tnight be prevented ii * ail
oases of alleged ldss of property ^ by making it ^ p ^ rt of the d&ty 0 f > arjtuy to inve ^ tig * at 0 the matter , and to cer ^ - tify the amonirt of the loss in tbeir v « r ( Kc ^ t . And vrhten-iiHpK ) sifi < m is 1 > revented ; the fd « ai < f 0 prosecuting teri * e srike ^) f gaitt r cdttld liefer be eUt ^ r--tained . Indeed , the difficttlty of sup *
piying prisoners ^ tvith-employment , fMm whlefr a pront might be drawn , Tvowld probably be urged' as an' insu-|> er 1 able ol > Jeetion to laws reqoirifeg reparatS ^ n' in kind . By -mere wM&kU ti ^ s ,- howevcr /« ot amoimting to itn « p 6 s * itiiH « fesf , -h ^ ardefct irieiM * of hi ^ Aperies would > he 4 iA € nto& IVom niea 6 ttrea of grettt prtWRe irtn ^ ortaneeaHd apparent ^ d ^ ft ^ agier - Rife dfffi ^ nKy
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JB ^ ffm ^ wPtiMipl ^^ Crimimki ^^ %
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1823, page 31, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1780/page/31/
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