CO129-186 - Public Offices & Others - 1879 — Page 159

to acquaint you, for the information of Lee Mr. Wicks

term.

Beach, that be has taken the

as

the Law Officers opinion of to whether the difficulty might not be got ove en by Her beajesty's Good undertaking that in the event of a fugitive criminal surrendered the bang-kany Govt by the Authorities of macas being tried for murder and

sentenced to death, the senteme should be commuted to

of imprisonment for life for a shorter period.

au

The

2501

155

the opinion which has just been received from the Law Officers is that this proposal

is inadmissible inasmuch as

the Gook has no

power to stipulate that the punishment ordained by law should not be carried into effect.

Under these circumstances and with reference to the opinion of fir M. Hicks Beach, expressed letter of the 16th of October

in your

last, that it is undesirable

that persons having committed murder should excape without

punishment