On February 9, 1810, Romilly, the great reformer, obtained
leave to bring in three bills to repeal the acts which punish
with death the crimes of stealing privately in a shop goods
of the value of five shillings, and of stealing to the amount
of forty shillings in dwelling-houses or on board vessels of
navigable rivers. In May that relating to shops was passed, the
two others were opposed by the Government. But on May 30 the
former bill was rejected by the House of Lords by a majority of
31 to 11. There were no less than seven bishops who voted for
the old cruel law. These learned Christian gentlemen devoutly
believed that transportation for life was not a sufficiently
severe punishment for the offense of pilfering what is of
five shillings’ value (dollar and a quarter).--EDWARD
GILLIAT, “Heroes of Modern Crusades.”
(1770)
=Lawless Business Men=--See MISERY AN EDUCATOR.