REPEAL OF DEATH PENALTY

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28008, 30 June 1956, Page 9

REPEAL OF DEATH PENALTY

Jubilation As House Passes Bill LONDON, June 28. The House of Commons tonight finally passed a k’ll to end the death penalty for murder in Britain—without exception. The last voting was carried amid jubilant shouts from the abolitionists who had earlier swept away the last obstacle to the total abolition of hanging. This was an amendment which would have retained execution for murderers who killed a second time, while serving their life sentence in gaol. The House passed the bill on the final vote tonight by 152 votes to 133 — a majority of 19. It now goes on to the House of Lords.

Reference to Gang Warfare In tonight’s debate, both sides referred to recent outbreaks of gang warfare in Britain, culminating this week in the Chicago-style shooting of a gambler. The Home Secretary (Mr G. Lloyd George), said that the warnings he had given were proving to be justified sooner than he expected. Mr Sidney Silverman (Labour), who sponsored the bill, retorted that the House was voting in the full knowledge of what was going on. The bill is expected to have a tougher passage in the House of Lords, which has a large majority of antiabolitionists. The House of Lords mav decide to throw it out unless the Government leaders advise otherwise. They cannot repeal the measure, but they can delay it for a year.