CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 148, 23 June 1911, Page 2

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

SHOULD IT BE ASOLISHED. BISHOP CROSSLEY'S .VIEWS. Tahi Kuka's last message on the brink ol luu grave, "J. hope 1 am tne last man to b« iianged," is lively to.inspire a widesureu.U plea lor the. ftboUtlon: oi. capital and it is understood that ma will shortly take the form of a dejunie ugitauoa in iarour ox an amendmuni, iii the law. fcpeajong to a "Star" representative tin, morning, Dr. Crossley, Anglican X..sliop oi Auckland, said that till Uiownlful people must realise the intense diuicuuy of the; subject. The taicili" oi human life was the deepest crune that could stain the Mc of a human being and the sternest discipline of thu daw "would have io -always ue exercised to express horror.ot the crime. The statement that the Bible authorised— nay, even demanded—the taking of a life ior a life was true, it illustrated the elementary action of law, which was revenge. But those who supported, the principle of capital punishment on Scriptural authority were wont to forget that the same Scriptures, on the same principle of revenge, -demanded an eye for an i eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Even in the Old Testament the' true Executioner I of Vengeance was recognised to. be. &oii j .Himself, for "Vengeance,,.is Mine," said the Lord. "Now -on tlie-day- of- the execution of Kaka," added Dr. Crossley, "the 'Star' j published two separate columns on the one page, the one I would like to describu as of infinite hope, the other of j darkest'gloom. The -first, column drew I attention to the splendid advance New Zealand has made in its treatment of the criminal class, arid the effort to bring | about reform not merely by punishment, i The other column contained the plainly j ■told but pitiful story of the hanging of | the Maori boy Tahi Kaka. Punishment , is an integral feature in reform. But . many minds have for many year 3 chal- j longed the existence of capital punish-; menfc being- a,denial of the duty and possibility of reform. My own view for j years past has oeen this: that -the incarnation of our Lord has lent a new sanctity to other human lives, and that: the followers of Hiis religion are bound to give new -weight to his message of mercy to wrongdoing mankind. Christ I ■once "saved the life-of guilty under the laws of the/period of a crime -warranting death, by saying, ' He that is •without,,sin,..amongst you,' let him/first oast a atone at her,' afld to the crim-' inal His dismissal was "' - go~ and sin no more.'" . .' '." .... ..' Dr. Crossley then went on to say that lie would like to draw attention to the evolution which had gone on in England in regard to the matter of capital punishment. That great legal authority, Blackstone, wrote that at.the one time, an. the middle of the 16th century, there were no less than 160 offenders a/waiting punishment by 'death. It was a very ordinary occurrence for 10 or 12 persons to be hanged at a single execution, and for 40 to 50 to be •condemned to death at a single assize. In the same period women found guilty" of murdering their husbands were publicly burned by law, and this custom was not abolished till 1790. r In the 18th century a- solicitor forcibly ! complained that while everything else (had risen in its nominal value, and be-, come-dearer, the life of man "had continually grown cheaper. As Lecky said, '. "The enormous and. undigested multiplication of capital offences soon made the ■ criminal code a , mere sanguinary chaos. At that tune to break a pane •of glass after 5 o'clock in the eVening for"' the purpose of stealing something was pundshuble by death." "I draw attention to these facts in order to ask my co-citizens in New Zealand to realise the'long way we have travelled since,the,; 18th century," added the Bishop. "I shall indeed be amazed sf we do not now see the last and most | enlightened step in progress made/ and. ■capital punishment for ever abolished 1 ■from our Statute Book. My attention has been drawn to the editorial comment of the "Lyttelton Times," published in last night's 'Star,' in which it is asserted that public feeling has long 'been in revolt ag&inst the barbaric doctrine of a lifp fora; life. 'Tihat lam bound to admit I consider .an admirable appeal. In conclusion I can only. say -that I hope some of..the' leading citizens of Sew Zealand 'will take up this cause, iind while I dp not wish to be the leader, any such movement will have my hearty Bupport/ ,