ted in favour of the bill, from London, Leeds, Liverpool, and
other places, as well as from private individuals. On the second
reading the usual topics in favour of it were enforced by Sir Robert
Wilson, Lord John Russell, and Messrs. O'Connell, Brougham, and
Huskisson. Sir Robert Peel--for the honourable secretary had now become
a baronet by the death of his father--said that he would not go so far
as to say that this bill would unchristianize the legislature; but its
principle was clearly this, that every form and ceremony whatever, which
gave an assurance of adherence to Christianity, should be abolished;
and all who supported the bill must maintain that every man, whether a
sectarian or infidel, would have a right to the same concession, though
he could give no affirmation which would afford a security to the state.
General Gascoyne moved as an amendment that the bill should be read a
second time that day six months, and on a division this was carried by
a majority of two hundred and twenty-eight against one hundred and
sixty-five, and the bill was lost.

BILL FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN CASES OF FORGERY.

On the 1st of April Mr. Peel brought in a bill to alter the law in cases
of forgery. The principal object of this bill was to abrogate partially
the capital punishment which had so long been affixed to almost every
branch of this offence. Thus he proposed to remit the capital punishment
in all those cases where serious doubts attended its infliction, and
where the complainants by due caution could have saved themselves--such
as forging receipts for money, orders for the delivery of goods, forging
stamps, uttering forged stamps, attempting to defraud by issuing forged
orders for goods, the fabrication of the material of Bank of England
paper, and forging deeds and bonds. Capital punishment was still
retained in all forgeries of the great seal, privy seal, and
sign-manual; in forgeries of wills, on the public funds, on bank or
money notes, or orders for the payment of money; and, in a word, of all
documents which represent money, and are negotiable and transferable
for it. This bill did not meet with the views of a strong party in the
house, who thought that the punishment of death should not be inflicted
in any cases of forgery, nor extended to any offence short of murder.
On the third reading of the bill, Sir James Mackintosh moved a clause
repealing the punishment of death in all cases of forgery, except that