Referring to' the prevalence of crimes of 1 incendiary character in the province of Fengt'ien, the Military Governor suggests that criminals -convicted of this. offence should be punished by summary decapitation, instead of their execution being deferred, as hitherto, until after the autumn assize. Under the present system the de-torrent effect of the capital punishment is lost to a great extent owing to the length of time that must necessarily elapse before the sentence can be carried out. Nothing is gained Ly the delay as, there can be no mitigation of the capital penalty for offences of this description. In the case of criminals condemned to death for robbery with violence summary decapitation is the rule, though their crime is really less pernicious in its effects than is that of arson, _Memorialist therefore hexs to be allowed in all future eases of incendiarism to inflict summary decapitation immediately on receipt of the necessary authorisation. With regard to accessories, who are liable to various de= grees of banishment, lo would propose that in their ease the inerensed severity of punishment should take the form of banish ment. to unhealthy prices on the extreme frontiers of Yunnan, Kuvichow and the two Kuang provinces, As soon as the effect of these severe measures shall have decrease in this particular the uld method of procedure he reverted to,—Keferved to 2nd October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.