CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 135, 31 July 1911, Page 2

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

PROPOSAL FOR ABOLITION. A meeting was held on Tuesday last l)i the Christchurch City Council Chambers in connection with a movement to secure the abolition of capital punishment. There were live gentlemen and five ladies present. Mr ft T . Ensom was elected chairman. The chairman said that the Fabian Society had decided to hold the meetrag, and had invited organisations in favour of the abolition of capital punishment to attend. Mr T. E. Taylor, ALP., had said that he was in favour of the abolition of capital punishment, and that he intended to introduce a Bill in connection with the matter at the next session. Apologies for absence were received from Biship Julius, Air G. Witty, ALP., Air H. Hunter, and Airs Cunnington. Air J. McCullough said that Bills for the abolition of capital punishment had been introduced to Parliament previously, but none had passed into law, mainly owing to the lack of public opinion in support of them. He would endorse a suggestion made by Air F. Howard that a public meeting should be held to strengthen die hand of Air Taylor. Air S. Atkinson moved that the meeting, as representative of various organisations,' should urge members of Parliament to remove, the death penalty from the Statute Book. Air Howard seconded the motion. Air McCullough spoke at length on the subject. He urged that statistics in Great Britain had shown that only 33 per cent of people tried for murder had been convicted. In many cases criminals were acquitted because juries would not convict on account of the provision for hanging, and therefore "those criminals were let loose upon society "again. Airs Secklon, representing the Girls’ Social Club, said that she was present for the purpose of hearing the disension and not because slic was in favour of the abolition. She said that it should he remembered that although the death penalty was passed by the Judge, iu many cases there was no hanging. A lady present said that although a recommendation for mercy had been returned by the jury in the case of Tahi Kaka, the penalty had not been commuted.

Airs Seddon: But it is hard to argue in individual cases. It was said that Tahi Kaka was uneducated, but afterwards it appealed that he had been educated. Anyway, it was ' a very cold-! Tootled murder. The chairman said that -the meet ing had been called for those in favour of the abolition of capital punish l ment, and therefore no discussion could be taken about the rights dr wrongs of capital punishment. The motion was carried, Airs Seddor! dissenting. It was decided to forward the motion to the Canterbury members and ask them,to support Air Taylor’s Bill. It was decided to circularise various organisations, asking them to caf- r ry a resolution endorsing the resolution of the meeting, and to forward ii list of the organisations endorsing the resolution to all Ministers of the Crown and members of Parliament.