VALUE OF AN OFFICIAL INQUIRY: THE HANG- MAN AND THE
HEADSMAN.
We have been favoured with a copy of a petition presented to the Peers on Monday by the Duke of RiensioNn, on the subject of " the disgusting conduct" of the Gloucester hangman. It will be recollected, that an inquiry instituted by order of Government re- sulted in the acquittal of the man, and a virtual imputation of falsehood on the parties who accused him. As an "official person," efforts were used to screen the hangman : it was evidently considered a point of honour by Lord DONCANNON to place the character of Ketch in a fair light before the world. Unluckily,
however, the accusing parties were respectable men, and by no means wiling to submit to the charge of having given false evi-
dence in the ease. They accordingly sent the following petition to the Duke uf RICHMOND, with the names of witnesses and other documents, to establish the truth of their statements.
" We, the undersigned inhabitants of the city of Gloucester, having seen that a paragraph whieb appealed in the papers some time since, respecting the dis- gusting conduct of the hangman at the late execution in this city, has been
voutradietc:i by authority ; and being prepatcd to !move by an ample number of competent o itnessta, that the said executioner did on that occasion display it
most disgusting levity of conduct ; that he did stlike the dead body with such violence a, .3 cause it to torn round, saying Old chap, you are dead enough,' or some sue:, winds; and that he did address the crowd m is most unbecoming manner ; We most respectfully request that your Lordships will be pleased to direct such further Myth), into the facts of the case as may, in your wisdom, seem bent calculated to arrive at the truth, and prevent the recurrence of such revolt-
ing scenes. "And your petitioners," &c. Ste.
We have no doubt that the petitioners state the truth. The inquiry directed by Government was committed to the very parties most interested in screening the delinquents—Sheriff and Under Sheriff ; who, of course, would have been liable to reproof fur em- ploying such a fellow even in the capacity of hangman, and the Under Sheriff especially for allowing such revolting behaviour in his presence,—for as it was his duty to be present, we take it for granted that he was there. But this, in a small way, is illustrative of the manner in which a Government generally examines into charges preferred against its own officers. Not long since, some most respectable men ac-
cused Sir FRANCIS HEAD of specific acts of misconduct in his government of Upper Canada. Ministers said they would inquire into the truth of the charges ; and their mode of inquiry was to send the statement of his malepractices to Sir FRANCIS, with a direction to reply to them. HEAD gut up his case, just as the
Sheriff and Under Sheriff of Gloucester got up theirs. Ministers were quite satisfied in both instances. The accused parties had nut found themselves guilty, so of course they were innocent. It
has happened in the Gloucester case, that the accusers have re- turned to the charge ; and as regards the really important ques- tion of Sir FRANCIS HEAD'S behaviour, we expect that the truth will yet one day be fully exposed.
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