THE DEATH PENALTY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIII, Issue 14349, 15 November 1910, Page 7

THE DEATH PENALTY.

MODIFIED IN CHINA, i SOME CURIOUS NOTIONS. L The horrors of a penal execution ia ! China have been dwelt upon with shuddering disgust .by many travellers. ' and it is a relieFto know; tnat Western civilization has so influenced the Government at JL'eking tliat the shocking torcures hitherto inflicted upon criminals before they were put to death 1 have been utterly abolished. There is a party on Ciima wiio wash for the erasure of the death penalty from the (Jhmese code. Italy furnisiies an exrnple from Europe, and France has tried the experiment and acknowledged its failure. It is.SHnetiuiig more tlian the mere spirit of.' imitativeness that leads China to attempt in its penal administration, its law-making, and its methods of finance a copy or American end European examples. The writer in the "Tour du Monde" (Paris), from whom we derive the above information, thus describes the various methods for a long tims iu yogne in China: "The penalty of death in the ancient Chinese code had six degrees, namely: (1) Death with torture; (2) decapitation without torture, followed by public exposure of the head; (3) decapitation without exposure of the head; (4) decapitation postponed for several months. According to the new code all torture ia abolished and the death penalty is limited to-: (1) Decapitation at once; (2) decapitation postponed; (3) hanging at once; (4) hanging postponed." A postponed execution is desired bocause it affords room for a hope of imperial etemenoy, and we read": "Ihe advantage of a death sentence whose execution is delayed lies in the fact that the sovereign once everv year is given a list of ail those who have been condemned to death. The names of. criminals he circles with a crimson line, and these are imfnedi- | ately delivered to- the tender mercies of th public executioner. The - rest, are allowed to live for another year, until the list is again presented and many thus have their liv.es from >ear to year, so long as the fatal circle of ruby is not set round the.r names." Decapitation is looked noon as more shameful than hanging—oris of those many instances where Chinese instinct and opinion go clean contrary to Western feeling. R u t there is a reason, sa.ys this writer, which is based upon the most profound religious convictions of tlie peonle: Decapitation is regarded as more rerr.ble than hang-ng because it results in separating the body into two portions. From this fact the decapitated criminal is thoiuiht less of bv Tr's cl* 2 - scendants, who have the task of consigning Ins remains to the tomb. His memory is never venerated as is the memory of the man who is buried vv-itli Ins body entire and nnmntilnted. lint, more than this, the mutilation of '