15 JANUARY 1853, Page 10

ENGLISH JURISDICTION.

Branttcood, Lancashire, 4th January 1863. Sin—I cut the following from a leader of the Times (of Saturday, 1st January) on the trial of Mr. Bower-

" An Englishman was called before the bar of a French criminal court to answer for the assassination of an Englishman committed within the French jurisdiction. a6Tdshaotntoleialuthwase fLetsrueletemdanin an orrtstatilehowAamfearn as human laws are concerned,. he An Englishman murders an Englishman, and is let of by a foreign tri- bunal for reasons which would not have been listened- to in any English court of justice, Nevertheless, "as far as human laws are concerned, he stands once more a free man"; the murder having been "committed within the French" and so beyond English "jurisdiction." Does England, then neither protect nor punish her own subjects except while they are on English territory ?

But the question must go farther. It was only after some months that Bower voluntarily Surrendered to take his trial in France. He had made "good his escape to England." And English law, it would seem, took no cognizance of his offence.

It appears, then, that, if I wish to murder niy fellow-countryman, I have only to catch him on a foreign soil, (I suppose.France is not a favoured ex- ception,) and-I may stab or shoot him when I will, provided Icon make good my escape home; the slaughter of Englishmen abroad-being altogether out of English knisdietion. How has our England's shield been lowered, that it can throw no shadow beyond our own coasta!

I ens, Sir, yours faithfully, W. J. Linr0$.