Punishment

a penalty imposed upon the commi ion of some crime or offence against the laws. It is e ential to the nature of a law, that it import or decree a punishment to the transgre ors thereof. The forms and manners of punishment are various In various countries and ages, and for various crimes; as treason, felony, adultery, parricide, . Among the Romans, the pecuniary punishments were the mulct a and -confiscatio. The corporal punishments were, capitis diminutio, aquz et ignis interdictio, prescriptio, deportatio, relegatio, furca, crux, career, culeus, a hat scalee gemouiz, damnatioad gladium, metallum, flagellatio, talio, . which see described under their respective articles. Among us the principal civil punishments are fines, imprisonments, the stocks, pillory, burning in the hand, whipping, ducking-stool, hanging, beheading, quartering, burning, transportation, . ‘The ecclesiastical punishments are censures, suspensions deprivations, degradations, excommunications, anathemas, penances, . The military punishments are, being shot, running the gantelope, riding the wooden horse, the bilboes, Among the Turks, . impaling, bastinadoes on the soles of the feet, . obtain. The only two legitimate ends of human punishments seem to be the reformation of criminals, and the deterring of others from the commi ion of |rke crimes. For remarks on this subject, so important to all legislators, see - the works of Montesquieu, Beccaria, Bentham, and Basil Montague. The following return of commitments and trials in London and Middle sex, for five years, from 1805 to 1809, has been presented to the House of Commons, viz. IMG:tbl829_1.webp:Table (PDF page 829) The return of trials, . for all England, in the year 1809, was as follows: Commit. Indict. Convict. Exec. Home Circuit. 368. 332. 205. 17 Oxford ditto... 969.. 962... 154. Western ditto. 267... 253... 152. “Midland ditto. 223.. 214..134. Norfolk ditto..121,%» 118.. 70. Northern ditto.. 108... 98..“49. W.Walesdittlo.. l1..: L.. — ome Breconditto 10... 10... 5. — Car mar then do... 18... 15.. 4.5 ~ Dan eas hire do... 105... 96.. 52. 13. monthawt o.oo Baw th 5 wm ~ Middle sex { ~ London and Se , 1942..1197.-750. _ PUNITION., s. (punition, French; punitio” Latin.) Punishment (Ains worth).