3 FEBRUARY 1838, Page 8

We wonder that among the ingenious expedients for superseding sanguinary

punishments, it has not been suggested that the reading of historical and philosophical works should form one of the class of se- condary punishments. We feel assured that no persons would recog. nize the force and value of such a discipline in deterring from crime, more than Members of the present House of Commons, to whom the very thought of such a penalty must be painful.