第34章

BroughamsaidintheHouseofCommonsthattherewasnomanwhovisited

theCriminalCourtswhodidnotseethefearfuloddsagainsttheprisoner。

ThisanomalywaspeculiartoEngland，andinEnglanditwaspeculiartocases

offelony。Mentriedformisdemeanours，orfortreason，orbeforetheHouse

ofLordscouldanswerbythemouthofcounsel。Itwasonlyinthosecases

wheretheprisonerswerealmostalwayspooranduneducatedmenandwomen，

asLordAlthorppointedoutinanadmirablespeechintheHouseofCommons，

thattheaccusedwaslefttoshiftforhimself。Twice，in1824andin1826，

theHouseofCommonsrefusedleavetobringinaBilltoredressthisflagrant

injustice，encouragedinthatrefusalnotonlybyCanning，but，whatismuch

moresurprising，byPeel。

Thefavoriteargumentagainstthisreform，takingprecedenceofthearguments

thattoallowpersonstheaidofcounselinputtingtheirstatementoffact

wouldmakejusticeslower，moreexpensive，andmoretheatrical，wasthecontention

thatthejudgedid，inpointoffact，representtheinterestoftheprisoner：

aconfusedpleawhichitdidnotrequireanyveryhighlydevelopedgiftof

penetrationtodissect。Buthowfar，inpointoffact，werethejudgesable

toenterintothepoorprisoner’smind？Theyhadthepowerofsentencing

todeathforhundredsoftrivialoffences。Itwasthecustomtopassthe

brutalsentencewhichthelawallowedtobeinflictedforfelonies。andthen

tocommuteitinallexceptafewcases。Bywhatconsiderationsdidjudges

decidewhentobesevere？LordEllenboroughtoldLauderdalethathehadleft

amantobehangedattheWorcesterAssizesbecausehelolledouthistongue

andpretendedtobeanidiot，onwhichLauderdaleaskedtheChiefJustice

whatlawtherewastopunishthatparticularoffencewithdeath。Welearn

fromRomilly’sMemoirs(63*)thatonejudgeleftthreementobehangedfor

theftsattheMaidstoneAssizesbecausenoneofthemcouldbringawitness

tohischaracter。

Thesamedispositiontotrusttothediscretionofthejudge，whichCamden

describedasthelawoftyrants，explainsthevitalityofthesystemofprescribing

deathasthepunishmentforhundredsofpaltryoffences。Duringthelast

fiftyyearstheenergyofParliamentinpassingEnclosureActshadbeenonly

rivalledbyitsenergyincreatingcapitaloffences。Theresultwasapenal

codewhichhadbeencondemnedbyalmosteveryEnglishmanofreputeofthe

mostvariousopinions，fromBlackstone，Johnson，andGoldsmithtoBurkeand

Bentham。Thissystemmadethepoormanthepreyofhisrichneighbours。The

mostfuriouspunishmentswereheldinterroremovertheheadsofprisoners，

andthewretchedmanwhowascaughtinthenetwasexposedtoalltheanimosities

thathemighthaveprovokedinhisordinarylife。Dr。Parrputthispoint

writingtoRomillyin1811。

’Thereis，indeed，oneconsiderationinthecaseofbadmenwhichought

tohaveagreaterweightthanitusuallyhasinthemindsoftheJudges，

dislikefromparty，quarrelswithservantsorneighbours，offencejustly

orunjustlytakeninaquarrel，jealousyaboutgame，andtwentyothermatters

ofthesamesort，frequentlyinducementowishtogetridofaconvicted

person：andwelldoesitbehoveeveryJudgetobesurethatthepersonwho

recommendstheexecutionofthesentenceisamanofveracity，ofsense，

ofimpartialityandkindnessofnatureinthehabitualcharacterofhismind。

IrememberhearingfromSergeantWhitakerthat，whilehewastryingaman

foracapitaloffenceatNorwich，apersonbroughthimamessagefromthe

lateLordSuffield，“thattheprisonerwasagood-for-nothingfellow，

andhehopedtheJudgewouldlooktohim；“andtheSergeantkindled

withindignation，andexclaimed，inthehearingoftheCourt，“Zounds！

wouldSirHarbordHarbordhavemecondemnthemanbeforeIhavetried。him？”

WhatSirHarborddidduringthetrial，manysquiresandjusticesofthepeace，

uponotheroccasions，doafterit；andwereIaJudge，Ishouldlistenwith

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