THE PENAL LAWS. That our capital punishments are too numerous, and that punishments are often not properly proportioned to the nature of offences, and to the degrees of guilt, can be doubted by no man of equity or humanity, by whom the fubject shall be investigated. Indeed, many of our penal statutes, from their fanguinary nature, are certainly in a very high degree dishonourable to the country, In 1787, a motion was made by Mr. Minchin, for leave to bring in a bill, to appoint commiffioners to examine into the state of all the penal laws now in force in the kingdom, and to report their opinion thereon to the house of commons. But this very just and proper motion was opposed by Mr. Pitt. Unfortunately, there is a very mischievous species of pride, by which minifters of state appear fometimes to be actuated, which leads them to oppofe any attempts that are

made

made to introduce any new kind of reform ́ation, or any new regulations, though manifeftly beneficial to the public, and even though they should not immediately interfere with the views of government, merely because fuch measures, or plans of reform, did not originate with themselves. This is one of the evils refulting from that extreme complaifance to minifters of ftate, and profound deference to their opinions, by which our late parliaments have been too much distinguished.

Of the various modes of raising money for the service of government, which have been much practised for fome years past, one is that of LOTTERIES. The pernicious effects of this mode of raifing money have been repeatedly pointed out, and are fo generally acknowledged, that scarcely any man entertains the least doubt upon the fubject. But notwithstanding this, lotteries continue

VOL. III.

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to

to be fupported by those in administration; which could not be the case, if the welfare of the people were really the object of those to whom the powers of government are entrufted. As I am fpeaking of the conduct of perfons in administration, I fhall here also remark, that, at a period when the French nation are abolishing all titles, our ministers for fome time paft have been acting as if they fuppofed, that one of the most important and useful offices of government was to make new lords. A ftrong representation from parliament to the crown, on the great increase of the peerage during the prefent reign, would, I apprehend, be a very just and seasonable measure.

ANOTHER object, which might be proper to engage the attention of parliament, is the prefent ftate of THE SILVER AND THE COPPER COINAGE, which is a dif

grace

grace to the nation. I know, that this is confidered as the bufinefs of government; but I know, at the fame time, that it is the business of parliament to fee that the executive officers of government discharge their duty to the public. It is faid, that confiderable difficulties would attend the adjustment of such a new filver coinage, as fhould come into general circulation. Of this I am not infenfible; but these difficulties are no reason why nothing should have been done, in a matter of fuch impor tance, at least nothing that has been ef fectual, during the whole of fo long a reign as the present.

1

THE new act, paffed in 1789, by which additional stamp duties were laid on newfpapers and advertisements, was not favourable to the liberty of the prefs, nor was it fo intended. Befides the additional revenue from the increafe of the ftamp duties,

E 2

ties, the avowed object was, to secure the payment of thofe duties; but the real de

fign seems to have been, to put newf

paper printers, and the proprietors of newspapers, more in the power of the commifsioners of the stamp-duties, and of the government, than they were before, and to render prosecutions of proprietors of newspapers, as well as of printers, if it should be thought expedient by government, more practicable. This is done by the claufe by which it is enacted, that from and after ⚫ the first day of Auguft, 1789, no printer

or publisher of any newspaper now print⚫ed or published, or which may hereafter be printed or published, in which any advertisements, liable to the several duties by this or any former act or acts impofed, • fhall be inferted, fhall receive from the faid commiffioners, or any perfon or perfons employed by them, any ftamped

paper