to commence hostilities against
Japan. It is inflicted for certain forms of homicide, substantially
wilful murder in the first degree.

_Norway_.--Under Norwegian law, up to 1905, sentence of death might be
passed for murder with premeditation, but the court might as an
alternative decree penal servitude for life. Sentence of death had also
to be passed in cases where a person under sentence of penal servitude
for life committed murder or culpable homicide, or caused bodily
injuries in circumstances warranting a sentence of penal servitude for
life, or committed robbery or the graver forms of wilful fire-raising.
The sentence was carried out by decapitation (see BEHEADING); but there
had been no execution since 1876. The new Norwegian Code, which came
into force on the 6th of January 1905, abolished capital punishment.

_Portugal_.--There has been considerable objection in Portugal to
capital punishment, and it was abolished in 1867.

_Rumania_.--Capital punishment was abolished in 1864.

_Russia_.--In 1750, under the empress Elizabeth, capital punishment was
abolished; but it was restored later and was freely inflicted, the
sentence being executed by shooting, beheading or hanging. According to
a Home Office Return in England in 1907 the death penalty is abolished,
except in cases where the lives of the emperor, empress or heir to the
throne are concerned.

_Spain_.--Under the Spanish Penal Code of 1870 the following crimes are
capital:--inducing a foreign power to declare war against Spain, killing
the sovereign, parricide and assassination. The method employed is
execution in public by the garrote. But the death sentence is rarely
imposed, the customary penalty for murder being penal servitude in
chains for life, while a parricide is imprisoned in chains "in
perpetuity until death."

_Sweden_.--The severity of the law in Sweden was greatly mitigated so
far back as 1777. Under the Penal Code of 1864 the penalty of death may
be imposed for certain forms of treason, including attempts on the life
of the sovereign or on the independence of Sweden, and for premeditated
homicide (_assassinat_), and in certain cases for offences committed by
persons under sentence of imprisonment for life. In 1901 a bill to
abolish capital punishment was rejected by both houses of the Swedish
parliament.

_Switzerland_.--Capital punishment was abolished in Switzerland in 1874
by Federal legislation; but in 1879, in consequence of a