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THE HANGING AT MONMOUTH.
THE HANGING AT MONMOUTH. THE lesson afforded to the public on Monday last, by the hanging of Matthias Kelly at Monmouth, is too important to be dismissed without a passing word of comment. The history of the case that led to this legal strangling has been more than once before our readers. Its main facts are soon told. Matthias Kelly, the strangled man, was an Irishman and a soldier. He was none the worse for being the former, but the fact of his being the latter showed that he had no regard for New Testament morality. He was a passionate young man, and attached himself to a female of the name of Ag-nes Hill, whom lie seduced, and for whom We are told he hid great regard. In a moment of jealousy ha shot this Agnes Hill, in consequenee of which she died. He expressed great regret, it is said, for doing so, kissed the daad body, and did sundry other things which testified his affection for her. At the last Monmouth assizes he was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death and on Monday last he was actaally strangled by a man, at least by a creature so called, who was specially hired for the purpose. The man Was hanged by the neck until he was dead, his body was suspended for one hour, and then he was buried within the precincts of the gaol where he was confined and suffered, and there. ends the great moral lesson! Such are the the bare facts, couched we believe in the style in which the public papers ought to report murders of pas- sion, and those ordered by law. But there is another view of the case. Somehow or other this woman-shooter excited much sympathy on his behalf. The public at large were very unwilling to hang him. This was not the feeling of the vulgar crowd, but it was the feel- ing of humane and benevolent individuals- of Christian ministers-of clergy—of lawyers—of magistrates—of the r, Ul'J' who tried him, and of persons not opposed to capital punishments. All these highly influential classes unitedly concurred that there were in his case many redeeming qualities, and were satisfied that the ends of justice would be answered without strangling him. Our excellent con- temporary, the Merlin, pleaded powerfully on his behalf; the Secretary of State, the responsible adviser of her Majesty, "Was memorialised on the subject; and it was generally be- lieved until within a few days, that the extreme penalty of the law would not be inflicted. Such, however, has not been the case. Secretary Sir George Grey, after communicating with the judge who tried him, and after the most careful consideration of the facts of the case," could not fii-id "I any ground sufficient to justify him in recommending a commu- tation of sentence." And because the very intelligent Sir George Grey could not see what was seen by all the nume- 1*0119 classes already mentioned, Matthias Kelly was strangled tin Monday last. The following observations from the Merlin of .last week are too appropriate to be omitted in this place:- ■- I "There have been, perhaps, few instances where the cir- cumstances of the crime committed, an,d the commiseration and appeal for a commutation, of punishment, on the part of the public, would have more strongly warranted a Minister of the Crown to recommend the exercise of its benign prerogative, Or, where he would be more completely fenced round against any merely possible cavillings of those persons who would urge the stern path of duty, than in this and our hope lived on till the arrival of the fatal letter which appears in another column, bilat the convict would be spared to repent and atone in banish- ment, for the crime he so madly committed. For such mescy a loyal community would have blessed their beloved Queen, and'have felt grateful to the Minister who regarded the prayer t)f the most numerously signed and honest petitions for a re- prieve, that ever emanated from Monmouthshire." Of the seeing powers of Sir George Grey we nee d say no Ulore-the act speaks for itself. If no regard is to be paid to the wishes of the community, of course a mentally blind yr short-sighted Home Secretary will do quite as well as any other. The blinder the better, perhaps, for the ends of jus- tiee. Such Secretaries as Sir George Grey will soon drive capital punishments to. the wall. They will die of life. The fat kine of Pharaoh's dream were swallowed by the lean, but capital punishments are doomed to swallow themselves, and in the midst of their life they are in death. The gallows Will be its own executioner. It will feed on human life Until overfed, and will then die an ignominious death, to be regretted only by the successors of Jack Ketch, and all the last dying speech and confession-mongers," and the pound of flesh men, from Shylock upwards. Matthias Keily obtained much sympathy in our opinion little too much. For our own part we see no.thing very redeeming in his case. Only a base, heartless sinner could turn woman-shooter, and that woman seduced by himself. ]¡¡t that does not alter the case. Sympathy was excited on liis behalf—he was sincerely pitied, and that by overwhelm- ing numbers of the best and most intelligent-men in the land. If he had been sentenced to banishment or even solitary confinement for life, we do not think a single voice would have been raised on his behalf. But the strangling law made the degraded criminal the object of great, extensive, and deep sympathy, and that sympathy will be much enhanced ky the fact of his strangulation. Some persons will say it was the law." Granted, and what then ? Is the law infallible ? If the law, of 1848 is infallible, the of 18.00 was very fallible. But if the law of 1800 was right, then the law of 1848 is very, wide of the tnark. At the earlier date the theft of an article of the value of thirteenpence halfpenny was punishable with death. The cutting of a mere twig in the squire's plantation then exposed the offender to legal strangling. Now at what Period was the law right ? If it was right to hang men then for these crimes, it must be right to do so now. Z5 If wrong UQW, it was then wrong. And yet men and women were Wrangled without discrimination at that period, because it -IN-as according to law, forsooth If abstract right, cannot be pleaded for law, its rightness must be derived from public Opinion, and we venture to say that public opinion pro- Uounced most decisively against the strangulation of Kelly. If a law, destitute of abstract right, is no more than an em- bodiment of the public will, then this man was not right- fully hanged, because the public will of those beskt acquainted with his case wanted to save him. Of what conceivable use s it, then, to maintain in force a bloody law, not founded on inherent right,—a law at variance with public opinion—-and & law which creates; sympathy with the criminal, and thereby throws a halo o\er his crime ? but some law-corn eivi lg advocate will tell usthathanging l of inherent right, lie will tell us that real orthodoxy must blood for blood, on 1 life for life, It' will be of no use telling that the Uivf-r of life has told men from the awful cliff of $inai, "Thou shilt not kill," Back, back he will. convey us tu the days of Noah, and will then exultingly inform us that the ti luitteriti- God of Sinai also informed the patriarch of the «ld world, Whoso sheddeth man's blood by manshall his blood shed." Granted, but the words addressed to; Noah are only a prediction, whilst those addressed to the Tsraelities some "enturies later take the form of a positive command. Which fchen is to be our rule, the early prediction or the late coni- tr,nJ ? But it will be said men were put to death among the Hebrews, after the command thou shalt not kill" was issued. True, and men were not put to death. Adultery and murder were crimes punishable with death, and yet we have instances under the Mosaic economy of men guilty of both crimes who were not put to death. Nay, the eating of fat was then a ic capital crime, but how many of our blood-for-blood sticklers should wish to see it now enforced ? In fact, we cannot make the Mosaic econony our guide. It may be a very valuable teacher—a schoolmaster to bring men to Christ; but if followed it will prove a most dangerous leader. It will, in fact, lead many of our modern strangling advocates to the point where they are so anxious to lead others—to the gallows We will not add,—they deserve it. Of what public benefit is this killing by law ? Take this case, for instance,—who is the better for it ? Is the murdered woman better ? No, she wished to see the murderer that she might kiss and forgive him before closing her eyes in the long sleep of death. Is the murderer any the better for beino- strangled ? Of course not, the gallows was not intended to reform, but to prevent men from reforming. Are the public much improved by the strangling process ? Not in the least they protested against it. Who then is benefitted ? Some few of the publicans of Monmouth, because the drunkenness was very great in the town through the day, and of course that dealer in death, Calcraft the hangman. And was it worth while for the Secretary of State to strangle a man for the benefit of publicans, swindlers, prostitutes, and the hangman ? The middle classes of society did not want the moral lesson of the gallows to deter them from the commission of murder, and the very class for which it was intended as an impressive, solemn, crime-deterring lesson, ended its exhibition by yells, howls, oaths, curses and madness, and were ten times riper for passion and murder at the end than at the beginning of the bloody homily. The scales of this murdering law are not equipoise. A months ago, a jealous woman shot an abandoned soldier and killed him. She was tried and found guilty but her life was spared. In this case, a jealous soldier shot an abandoned woman, who forgave him before she died; and he was tried, convicted, and strangled. Now, why should a jealous woman be spared for shooting with great premeditation an abandoned soldier, whilst a jealous soldier is hanged for shooting an aban- doned female in a momentary passion ? Are soldiers the more easily found than abandoned women? And later still, a wretched profligate in London killed his companion in crime. She fell at his feet as dead as a stone but he was not hanged. Why should one woman-killer be transported, and the other strangled ? The disappointed memorialists of Monmouthshire have, no doubt, been greatly pained by the deadly deed of Monday.. Let them join in demanding the abolition of capital punishment. z, That will be the only conduct worthy of themselves. If man ought to be put to death for voluntarily shedding the blood of another, they have exceeded their duty in memorialising for Kelly if men ought not to be put to death, then they must advance, and demand the downfall of the gibbet. Above all, let them discourage what produces all manner of corruption and murder—soldiery and drinking usages. Kelly, the woman- seducer, and woman-shooter, rests in a murderer's grave; but recent proceedings at the Newport police court have shown that he has left among his comrades more degraded villains than himself. Kelly sought a victim who could judge for herself; Mitchell's repeated victim was a little girl not five years old. The one case exhibited the passionate madness of humanitv, the other the depravity of a demonised brute. These are the fruits of soldiery; they are the natural results of a vicious sys- tem-a system which carries with it ineffable woe and unsup- portable degradation to numerous families—which fills our towns and suburbs with loathsome obscenity and unmitigated corruption—which saturates the land with blood, and brands humanity with vices, at the very thought of which demons would blush. Let soldiery and the gallows perish the self- same day from among men, and may the strangling of Kelly greatly hasten the dawn of that day ———
THE BRITISH ANTI-STATE CHSSCH…
THE BRITISH ANTI-STATE CHSSCH ASSOCIATION We can state, on authority, that Edward Miall, Esq., the talented editor of the Nonconformist, will commence a tour in South Wales 011 behalf of the above association, about the 10th or October next. Mr. Miall will be accompanied by some Welsh gentleman. We trust our countrymen will greatly welcome an individual so eminent for his talents and attachment to great principles as Mr. Miall is, and that much good will result from his visit.
CARDIFF.
CARDIFF. -TArr VALE RAILWAY.—The traffic on this railway during the week ending August 26, 1848, was £1,679 4s. 7d. BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL AMONG THE JEWS.—A public meeting, in connexion with the above society, was held at Zion chapel last evening. The Rev. Evan Morgan, in the chair. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Jaffe (student in the Jewish College), Mr. J. P. Cohen (South Wales Missionary), and the various ministers of the town. It ,,a stated by Mr. Cohen that the annual income of this society is Z3,261, out of which, ^2,000 have been collected by ladies alone. We regret to state that the gentleman announced in an advertise- ment, which appeared in our last, as the deputation from the pa- rent society (C. Foster, Esq.), died on the 23rd ult., after a few hours' illness, occasioned by internal hemorrhage. The Rev. Evan Davies, of Loadon, has been appointed by the committee to attend the meetings that have been arranged to be held in South Wales. PUBLIC ESTIMATION,—No article ever rose so rapidly in public estimation as JOHN CAssEi,i/s Coffee. In all quarters its use has elicited the greatest satisfaction, and it is pronounced to be une- qualled for strength, richness, and mellowness of flavour. Beware of imitations, Every packet has the signature ofJ OHN CASSELL, without which none is genuine. PUBLIC NUISANCE-We find that the few observations we made in our last, and the admission of letters from rate-payers, complaining of the abuses and nuisances which are permitted to exist, have given considerable annoyance to certain impor- tant functionaries. We have no delight in faultfinding; but our position as prof ssd reformers necessarily obliges us, when palpable and glaring evils are permitted to exist (and especially when aggrieved paries call for redress), 1;3 raise our voice, how unpleasant soever it may be, in behalf of the wronged, and against neglect and oppression. We know the natural dispo- sition of those in authority to abuse power, and to neglect the due discharge of the duties they have undertaken to perform. It is therefore of the greatest importance to keep a watchful eye over the doings of public institutions and public servants and from a sense of that duty, we have from time to time allowed letters of complaints to appear in our columns. We have no personal or party purpose in view; our only object is to promote the public gcad,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY. SIR,-I noticed in your paper of Friday last, a letter respecting the state of our streets, and especially noticing ..some tilth in Crockherbtown, and complaining that neither iuspector of nuisances nor inspector of streets interfered in its removal. It is not often, I think, the inhabitants of Crockherbtown have cause to complain, although they now do so justly but, sir, do you happen to know the track of highway through Cardiff, and did you ever pass through Whitmore-lane? If not, I would recommend you to avail yourself of this treat. There you may see halfway through the road stagnant mud, which has been allowed to remain for weeks, and is as green as the grass. I know if our worthy high- way surveyor is found fault with, he will take high ground imme- diately, and say, If you don't feel satisfied, appoint a better one." He has done this, and is able to tell you the same again and in addition will say, We have no funds to remove the nuisance complained of." In connexion with the highways in this district some year or two ago, the Irishmen in the neighbourhood used to scrape the road, and carry it to the back of their houses until they would get a waggon load, when they would sell it to the fanners. Of course, this did not please the authorities, and the inspector of IS nuisances, with his physician and surgeon) pounced (ri the land- lords, and made them remove it. The place where that mud was deposited is now in a very unwholesome state, because all kind of filth is sent there, and being without any drainage, it presents another such a green picture as that described above. Whilst dwelling on this subject, I would ask the superinten- dant of nuisances if he ever pays a visit to the back part of Shen- nessey's, in the old gas yard, held in lease by an alderman of Car- diff ? If not I respectfully submit to him to do so, and report upon it; and would further recommend t) him the propriety of visiting all places that are leased from the corporation of Cardiff by town councillors. It surprises me that Cardiff should groan under such a burden of taxation, and remain silent whilst they see such abuses of power permitted to exist. This reminds me of a meeting which took. place some time since in the town-hall, when a committee was formed to look into the state of the town, and adopt measures of redress. Can you tell me if anything has been done by those gentlemen; if not, I wonder when will they begin. Not wishing further to trespass on your columns, I am, sir, yours respectfully, Aug. 28, 1848. ANOTHER IIA.TB-PA.YBR. Ox Monday last, a person of the name of John Richards, farmer, Pennon, Llancarvan, was found dead. lie had gone out in search of game, and it is supposed that the gun, which was found in his hand went, off by accident, and killed him. His faithful dog was lying by the corpse. The deceased left a wife and family. THE TAFF VALE RAILWAY.—This profitable little line has always paid a very good dividend to the proprietors, and though it may be little known in the share market, because not a specu- lative but a bona fide undertaking, and because the shares are what is called well held, its value is known and properly appre- ciated in business quarters. The revenue for the last six months has been of course to a small extent affected but from causes in no way touching its legitimate resources. Tin railway as a pro- perty is excellent now, it will be much better when the South Wales line is completed. The affairs of this line appear to be in a very healthy condition as will be seen from the report we give elsewhere.- Railway Gazette. CARDIFF STREET COMMISSIONERS.—On Monday the 23th ult., a meeting of this body was held in the Town Hall, Charles Williams, Esq., in the chair. The chairman said that he calied the meeting to have the accounts balanced and have money paid to the men. But as only two commissioners were present, business could not be proceeded with, and the meeting was ad- journed for a month. The chairman said that he understood one of the local papers" found fault with their mode of proceedings. Mr. Stockdale I am named also. Mr. Clinton And so am I." Chairman: "It is perfectly wrong, the road through Crockherbtown belongs to the County Road's Board, and not to Cardiff-street Commissioners the boundary of the town is on the tunnel."—[The nuisance complained of in a local paper" was on the town side of the tunnel, and therefore within the province of the Commissioners.] POLICE COURT, MONDAY, AUG. 2ST ii.- (Present, James Lewis, Esq.)—Mr. Stockdale called the attention of the bench to an Act of Parliament that had recently received the royal assent, the II & 12, Vic. e. 49, entitled, An Act for regulating the sale of Beer and other Liquor on the Lord's Day." The provisions of the Act extend also to the better regulating of Coffee and Eating Houses. Mr. Lewis very properly suggested that it would be a very de- Z, sirable thing to have a few copies of the Act printed and circulated amongst the publicans, &c. and as it was so short, he would pro- pose this to the mayor, so that no excuses be given by the viola- tors of the Act when appearing before the magistrates.—The notice appears elsewhere. Griffith Thomas, of boat No. 291, belonging to Mr. Meredith Jenkins, of Little Frederick-street, who was found on the canal bank, with a larg-e block of salt concealed in a coat, was remanded until further inquiries be made. Jane Williams, charged with being drunk and disorderly, in Duke-street, was committed to prison tor one calendar month. Emily Atkins, a yoiing girl, who was drunk and disorderly, and using itidecent language, in St. Mary-street, about one o'clock last Sunday morning, was committed to gaol for one month. C'apt. Birk, of the! barque Recovery, of Dublin, was brought up by Mr. Daw, the collector of Customs, who said that tobacco in packages under 30\)1bs. weight were found by the officers concealed on board. The law upon which he ( Vlr. Daw) acted was the 8 and 9 Vie., cap. 87, sec. 51 and 53, and under section 58 of the same.Act, Capt. Birk was remanded until Mr. Daw received in- structions from the Board. James Hardy, second mate of the Recovery, was also charged bv Mr. Daw, under the 57th section of the same Act, with having one pound three-quarters of tobacco concealed under his bed.- David Rees, assistant tide-surveyor, being sworn, said On the 24th of this month, I went on board the ship Recovery, of Dublin, then lying in the Dock, and in searching the larboard side of the cabin, in the second mate's berth, I found one pound twelve ounces of tobacco in loose, pieces lying together, beneath the bed of the mate. Mr. Rooke, the tide-surveyor, was then present. The cook jpjjthe mate said it belonged to the second mate, Hardy. I after- ds went on deck, and asked the second mate why he did not report the tobacco. He said he did not think it was necessary to report such a sffl.ill quaqtity.-(ross-eximii)ecl by Mr. Bird, who appeared for defendant: The vessel had sailed from Quebec. Each sailor, on coming from there, have about a pound or two of tobacco allowed them. A vessel generally takes from 35 to 40 days to sail from Quebec to the port of Cardiff. In this case the voyage was a great deal shorter, only about 25 days. The men generally keep their tobacco in their chest, and if they have no chest, it was sometimes found under the bed. Hardy's chest was on the deck and contained some tobacco, Mr. Lewis, trusting that the defendant had no wilful intention of defrauding the revenue, would only inflict a fine of 5s. and costs. William Davies, sawyer, Pentyrch, given into custody by Jas. Williams, Tredegar-street, on Saturday night last, was iined 5s. and costs. POLICE COURT, THURSDAY, AUG. 31sT. (lleföre the Mayor, H. Lewis, and James Lewis, Esqrs.) —Joseph Costroe, charged with loitering on the terminus of the Taff Vale railway, in such a position as would injure him if a train had come up at the time, and with obstructing the officer of the company, was fined 40s: and costs, and in default of payment to be imprisoned for one y calendar month, Mary Dowling, charged with being drunk and disorderly in Whitmore-lane, and William Dowling, otherwise Leicester, shoe- maker, charged with attempting to rescue the female prisoner from P.C. Nash, and with assaulting P C. Morgan, were sentenced, the one to one month's imprisonment and hard labour; and the other to pay a fine of 5)s, and costs, or be imprisoned for two months with hard labour. Henry Wood, charged with assaulting John Brinkworth, mate of the Success of Gloucester, in Whitmore-lane, was fined E5, and in default of payment, two months' imprisonment. John Edwards, jun., Mary Anne-street, appeared to answer the charge of Eliza! e.h James, for assaulting her, and for breaking her windows, was discharged on paying costs. William Lawless, an apprentice to the Messrs. Batchelor, Bro- thers, charged with neglecting his work, was remanded until Mon- day next. 11[r., Aubrey, butcher, appeared to answer the complaint of —— Rees, the keeper of the Cardiff east turnpike gate, was discharged, the complainant not appearing.
NEATH.
NEATH. PETTY SESSIONS, FRIDAY.—(Before Howel Gwyn, M«P., Grif- fith Llewellyn, Esq., and the Rev. D. H. Griffiths.)—Samuel Lewis, tailor, Neath. was charged by Mr. John Bently, relieving officer, with the non-maintenance of his wife, and thereby leaving her become chargeable to the parish. Mr. IIargreave3, who ap- peared for the defendant, informed the bench that Lewis's w.fe had received a sum of money to pay the rent, which she had spent in drinking. The magistrates told Lewis that they con- sidered his wife was a bid character, but he was bound to main- tain her. Ordered accordingly. Robert Alford was also charged by Mr. Bently wLh the same offence. Committed to the house of correction for ten days' hard labour. Mr, Hargreaves appeared for the defendant.——enkin Jonesr Aberavon, was summoned by Ann Williams, his servant, for the non-payment of wages, amounting to l ls. 3d. Ordered to pay forthwith. Mr, Hargreaves appearetJürthe defeti(e. --David, Edward, and Rees Jtees, three 0 J 1 notorious e laracters from Cadoxton were charged by P. C. Rees, of the borough police, with violently assaulting and kiciung him on the ground. It appeared from the evidence that the complainant met the defendants in Castle- street, where the assault was committed and had it not been for timely assistance rendered by P. C. Vigors, from Merthyr, who happened to be near, he Inuit have been killed. The magistrates fiued David Rees £ l 2s. 6d, and the other two £2 2s. 6d. each, and to find sureties to. keep the peace for six months.—"Thorn ,s Jenkins, another well known character, was charged with the like offence, but in the a,baence of P. C. Vigors, there being no evidence, lie was discharged with a reprimand. James Lary and Thomas Thomas were charged by the overseer of Coedfrank, Cadoxton parish, with the non-payment of poor-rates. Ordered to pay the amount,—Thomas Thomas, landlord of the "Jolly Sailur'b £ errhanse, Neath, was charged by P.C. Rees with draw- ino- beer at illegal hours, and harbouring prostitutes frequently in his house,. Fined 40s,, including costs. Allowed a week to pay. Some orders in affiliation were also made. A-VVFKLLY SUDDEN DSATH.—On Thursday week, Elisabeth Evans, widow of Mr. Evans, sawyer, residing in Water-street, Neath, was left by her grandchild for a few minutes, apparently in good health, eating her breakfast, when a neighbour Went in and found her, as she thought, asleep but upon attempting to rouse her, discovered thatthevital spark had fled, evidently with- out a struggle. The deceased was a quiet, inoffensive woman, and always enjoyed excellent health. She was 79 years of age, ON Saturday, the Caractacus ayd Owen Glyndwr societies of Odd Fellows, at Neath,, walked in procession, preceded by the Neath band," to, Cadoxton church, where a sermon was preached to.them by the Rev. Mr. Griffiths, curate. After the conclusion of divine service, they proceeded over the pleasure Z, grounds of Cadoxton Lodge, wherehey were hospitably re- ceived by Airs, Tennnnt, and her amiable family, and 0. glass of ale was presented to each of the members. In the ev< niag, 110 sat down, to di^a.a- at 'the Ca&ietacus Lodge, held at the King's Head. Henry Tennant, Esq., barristerk presided, and on leaving munificently presented the members with a so- vereign. At the Chven Glyndwr Lodge, h«ld at the Plume and Feathers, 70 dined. ON the same day, the Ivorite club, preceded by the Aber- dulais band, walked round Aberdulais, and 49 sa-t down to din- ner at the Globe Inn, Neath.
NEWPORf.
NEWPORf. NEWPORT, ABERGAVENNY, XND IIHRFFORD RAILWAY.—The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders in the above run- way company was held on Tuesday last, at the London Tavern Mr. W. E. Fitomaurice in the chair. The report stated that the works had been suspended a further instalment of .the purchase muncyof the Hereford, Grasmont, and Llanvebangel Tramroad Companies had been paid. The balance sheet showed that the receipts of the past half year had exceeded the expenditure by £ 1,783 2s. 9d. The total expenditure up to the present time amounted to E79,617 lis. Sd., and the receipts to 7s. Sd., leaving £5,627 16s. in the cotters of the company. The arrears of calls received during the past half-year amounted to jHO 448. The report was unanimously adopted, and the meeting terminated after passing a vote of thanks to the Chairman and directors. THE NEWPORT WESLEYAN CIRCUIT.—We learn that an ad- ditional preacher has lately been appointed to this circuit. The appointment we understand has been a happy one, aud seems to have given general satisfaction. THE MAIN DEE ESTATE.—This estate—which was lately ad- vertised for sale in 48 separate lots at the King's Head, was not disposed of at the time of sale, but was bought in by the venders,, in consequence of some ambiguity then existing in reference to the maintenance of the occupation of roads-is now offered for sale by private contract. The spot is a delightful one for the purpose assigned, building ground it commands a very excellent view of Newport, &c., and possesses besides many other advantages for building. N ewport-on- U.ok extended, as now anticipated bv many, will soon become the Liverpool of South Wales. AN ATROCIOUS AFFAIR.—A charge of an atrocious nature was last week preferred against John Mitchell, a private in the 14th regiment, who had given evidence against the convict Kelly at the assizes. The offence charged against him was, that ucon different occasions he had made felonious assaults with intern &c., upon an interesting little child about five years okl, named Margaret Catherine Beckwith, daughter of the s rgrant of the barrack room in which prisoner was stationed. Mr. J. Phillootts conducted the prosecution. The evidence offered went to support two charges against the prisoner, but distinct and disgusting as it was, there were ddects which defeated a legal proof, and he was therefore discharged. Mitchell solemnly protested his innocence of this disgraceful accusation, but the evidence which had been preferred was i-ninutely clear and unshaken so that the impression seemed to prevail, either that the prisoner was the victim of a ter- rible conspiracy, or that he was a criiriiiial whose vicious propen- sities deserved that he should be banished from human society —Merlin. BAPTIST MISSIONS.—Two sermons were preached on Sunday last at the English Baptist chapel in behalf of the Baptist Missionary Society by the Rev. Mr. Angus, M.A., one of the secretaries of the association. He also delivered an address to the Sunday school children in the afternoon on the manners and customs of the Africans. A public meeting was held on the Monday evening following at the above chaps), when, on the mo- tion of the Rev. Mr. Allen, seconded by LI. Jenkins, Mr. Mulloch took the chair and opened the meeting in a short speech and called on the Rev. W. Allen, who gave an outline of the principal facts connected with the society. The Rev. D. Salmon moved the first resolution, and was seconded by Mr. IJ. Jenkins. The Rev. Mr. Angus, M.A., next came forward, aid having paid the last speaker (Mr. Jenkins) a compliment proceeded, and arranged his remarks into two heads." 1. Identifying the Baptist Missionary society with the cause of God-2. therefore it was the duty of all Christians to support it, especially Baptist Christians. The Rev. Mr. Cohen next addressed the meeting, in a short and humorous speech, and the Rev. Mr. P,)well, Wesleyan minister, having next addressed the meeting, the Rev. A. Barber, Wesleyan, concluded by prayer. The collections we understand- were liberal.
MONMOUTII.
MONMOUTII. EXECUTION OF THE CONVICT KELLY. (FXUIM OUR OWN COURESPONI:E>;T.) All the efforts made to rescue the life of this unfortunate man proved ineffectual. It appears that the judge, who, after his trial eagerly pronounced his fatal doom, was strongly opposed to a com- 1:1 .p,)scdtoaconi-' mutation of the sentence. His influence, of course, in such a case was of the greatest moment, and his arbitrary opinion was amply sufficient to counteract all the numerously a id respectably signed petitions which had been forwarded in behalf of the .unhappy convict. An official letter, therefore, by the instruction of the Secretary of State, arrived at Monmouth, on Thursday, the 24tl, ult., staling that Sir George Grey, "after the most careful cons ration of the facts of the case, and after communciating with the judge before whom he the prisoner was tried, cannot firld aiii, grounds sufficient to justify him in recommending a commutation of the prisoner's sentence." Accordingly, the ill-ffttfid convict had to undergo the extreme penalty of the law on Monday morning rn .1, last, at eight o'clock. Though he had manifested deep repentance for his crime ever since his conviction, and even his first imprisonment, yet he is said to have been entirely resigned to the dreadful fate which awaited him. It is said, however, that he wrote a very long letter to his command- ing officer, af Newport, dwelling chiefly on the cause which induced him to perpetrate the horrible crime of murder, and. which, with strong probability, he states was intoxication. What his motive was in writing, we have not been able to learn. It is certain that he did not know that any exertions were made by others to miti- gate his sentence. The prisoner, who was an Irishman, being at- tached to Catholicism, the Rev. Mr. Burgess, the Cittholic nriest ;i' Monmouth, daily attended him during his solitary conSneaient after conviction and a high mass wa* celebrated oa .beiiuu oi 1.0 destiny in another world, on the morning of his execution, in^he Catholic chapel of that town. After he was brought to the scaffold, he did not speak a word to any one, but offered up a short silent prayer, shook hands with the governor of the prison and his executioner, and then gave the signal to the latter to cause him to be no more! Mr. Barratt, the governor, who, we understand, is strongly averse to death-punish- ment, is entitled to much praise for the wise and discreet manner in which he managed the preparations for this awful scene, so as to prevent a concourse of rude, reckless, brutal people from witness- i g i'. He kept all concerning it as concealed as possible hud tlie drop made within the walls of the prison-yard, and wrote to ask the permission of the high sheriff for the execution to take place at. eight o'clock, A.M., whereas from, the usual custom, and the announcement of some of the public papers, all thou^lt it would not have taken place till twelve o'clock. There were, therefore, present as spectators of the execution, including women and children, not more than about a hundred persons, who were cniefly of the very lowest order in the town. From ten to twelve o'clock, however, hundreds of men, women, and children could be seen hurrying into the town from every direction. About twelve o'clock there were in town many thousands of strangers, including persons from Coleford, the Forest of Dean, Ross, Hereford; Aber- gavennyand its vicinity, Usk, Newport, and ChepsioWj.several of whom had been travelling all night, it is said. It is a strange fact that the physiognomical appearance of the of 'the major number of these hanging-seekers indicated more or l jsa a natural capability of perpetrating murder under favourable cuinstances. Being all persons who had been induced to assemble from a wish, and consequently possessed sufficiently of those destructive propensities which would enable them to look at a human being struggling under the pangs of death, they were, in the aggregate, the most ferocious tribe that could be witnessed parading any street in the most uncivilized part of Africa. And not long were they before they gave ample proofs that their physiognomy was a true index of their dispositions and conduct. When they found they were disappointed in gratifying their brutal propensities by seeing the poor convict deprived of life, they like madmen, raving about the streets, or raving like lions having lost their prey, awfully cursing and swearing those that had ongd th' mun zo zoon. The ideas expressed by-them about the streets were as savage and ridiculous as was the brogue in which they conveyed them, such as H clammum we'll onw." in ond agen" &c. indicating at oiice, the prevalent immorality y and ignorance of this class of the community. The town until a late hour in the evening presented a most degrading and disgraceful scene. Some dozens of cadgers with a bundle of printed slips of paper in their hands about the streets crying Inonotonou.sly, Trbl and execution of Kelly, for one half- penny," which papers are said to. have been printed the pre- vions Su/td-ii/ night. The lower order, of public-houses cram- med with, bibbers—fighting in several parts of the town— special constables sworn in to assist the police— windows of some shops broken—a great number of shops closed—business suspended—several disorderly persons taken to the station- house—some of them bailed Out the streets dangerous to be walked—numbers of drunken persons at a late hoar of the night returning home in different directions from the town— some of them lying on the road side. Noble effects of death punishment, by way of warning [The remainder is unavoidably postponed till next week ] ( VQ/tiirmed :in the eighth page). ( VQ/tiirmed iii the eighth page).
CIRCULATION OF THE PRINCIPALITY.
Pormit me to suggest a plan. Let three persons join to telke this paper, and it would only cost each of you three half pence per week. Suppose you were to give up one half-pint of beer, or one half-ounce of tobacco; and suppose the women that use suuff were to give that up, that the) might have the pleasure of enjoying their husbands and sons, seated around the domestic hearth, on their Saturday evenings, scanning over the contents of the PRINCIPALITY, instead of the painful drudgery of leading them home from the tavern. If some three or four of you were o ilv to commence taking the paper, I would pledge my word that you would soon say, We will have a paper for each family." Fellow-workmen, I am proud to think of the time I spent amongst, you; twenty years' education in the school of hard la- ,st 3, bour is not a small advantage and I would always say, let siime be the covering of all those persons who are ashamed of their former honest occupations. It is an honour to have been a mechanic or miner, thuugh some people are found who can sneer at those who once earned their bread by manual labour; but very probably if these sueerers had been once amongst the sons of toil, they would have remained there till death would have relieved them. Those who can look with contempt at persons in the hum- Lie walks of life, are most surely very destitute of a mind to ad- vance from the position in which they happen to find themselves. I assure you, brethren, that I fee! a manly pride at the reflection that I laboured in your company for so long a time, and from the inmost recesses of my heart I wish your happiness. If you have a penny to spare, spend it to gain knowledge, for knowledge is power." Your brother, CYMEO BAcrr.