Now, from these numbers we draw the following conclusions:namely, that the proportion of persons convicted to persons proceeded against in stealing cases, is about 56 per cent.; in malicious offences, about 72 per cent.; in assault cases, about 61 per cent.; and in offences against the game-laws, nearly EIGHTYFOUR per cent.! Turning back to Table 5 (p. 22), we find, under the head of indictable offences against the game-laws, that 92 such offences were committed, in respect of which 164 persons were apprehended, of whom only 28 were discharged, 1 bailed, and the rest, numbering in all 135 persons, were either committed or bailed to appear for trial! Doubtless, more persons than one are usually implicated in each offence of this nature; but yet this seems scarcely sufficient to account for the large number of com 2 Ditto, since 1855. 1 Subject to summary jurisdiction since 1847. 4 mitments as compared with the number of discharges. The inevitable conclusion, we think, is, that country justices are determined to "put down" poaching, and jump to the conclusion that every person accused before them of poaching is guilty of that crime. Amongst the 70 offences classed in Table 8 (p. 34) as punishable by justices, that of drunkenness stands first in respect of the number of persons proceeded against; the number for the year 1859, being 89,903. Of this large number, 33,742 were discharged, and 56,161 convicted. In 1858, the numbers were:-charged, 85,472; discharged, 33,611, and convicted, 51,861. Drunkenness, therefore, appears to be on the increase. The right of appeal to the quarter-sessions from the convictions of justices, which is given by statute in many cases, is very sparingly exercised. There were but 38 appeals in the year 1859, which resulted in the convictions being affirmed in 19 cases, and quashed in the like number of cases. In 1858, there were 60 appeals which were also similarly disposed of, 30 convictions having been affirmed, and 30 quashed. Mr. Redgrave says (Report, p. xiii.), that there were also, in 1859, 72 cases submitted under the statute 20 and 21 Vict. c. 43, on points of law to the Superior courts, but we do not find any return on this head, nor does it appear how these cases were decided. There is the same defect in the returns for 1858. There are many other points in this division of the returns. on which we would gladly dwell at large, but so much yet remains to be considered that we must pass on. With regard to the coroners' returns, Mr. Redgrave tells us that, "upon the face of the returns made, the coroner in many instances complains that, from the interference with his office by the justices, his return does not fairly represent the state of his district. It is alleged that the costs of the inquests are disallowed in some districts where a verdict of natural or accidental death is returned; in other districts on verdicts of found dead, still-born, or sudden death; and it seems clear that the number of inquests has been diminished by these limitations, and that there is not a uniform practice in the different districts." This is not a very satisfactory state of things. It is essential no doubt, to guard against these inquiries being instituted for the sake of costs; but the importance and benefit of coroners' inquests is so great, that a practice which perhaps tends to prevent the holding of necessary or proper inquests is much to be deprecated.1 The following table shows the number of inquests held during the years 1859 and 1858. The average cost in the years 1857 and 1856, was somewhat higher, being respectively £3 1s., and £3 1s. 7d. 2. Criminal Proceedings.—The next division of the returns deals with Criminal Proceedings; but whether the returns in this division are made up to the 29th September, or the 31st December, 1859, or any other day, does not appear. They are merely stated to be for the year 1859. The same inaccuracy— for we must call it an inaccuracy-occurs in the Coroners' Returns, and in other parts of the volume, and detracts in some measure from the value of the work. - In the annexed Table, which we have calculated from the Returns for 1859 (p. 47), the various offences are classified as before, and the number of commitments, &c., in each class is given. The Act of last session, relating to County Coroners, will, it is hoped, effect some improvement in this respect. [A notice of the Act will be found in a subsequent page.—ED.] TABLE. Showing the number of Persons Committed for Trial in the year 1859, with the result of the proceedings. (a) Under this head are included the cases in which there is no prosecution, or no bill found, as well as those in which the verdict is "not guilty." (b) Either acquitted as insane, or found insane. (c) For periods varying from three years and under, to the whole term of life. (d) For periods varying from one month and under, to three years. In some cases, with whipping, fine, &c. (e) 2109 in the Table, p. 47, but the number we have given is the correct one. The trials of the 16,674 persons who were committed or bailed for trial in the year, were distributed among the various criminal courts as follows (Rep., p. xvii.) : : It is here worth remarking, that the Great Unpaid of the Quarter-Sessions try, with the aid of "twelve intelligent Englishmen in the jury-box," three-eighths of all our criminals, excepting those who are disposed of summarily. It will be seen from the table ante, p. 39, that the capital convictions numbered 52 in the year. Of these, 18 were for murder, 6 for attempts to murder, 19 for sodomy, 7 for burglary, with violence to persons, 1 for robbery and wounding, and 1 for arson of a dwelling-house, persons being therein. For the last fifteen years capital convictions have practically been confined to these six crimes; and within the last ten years the maximum number of such convictions in one year was 70 (in 1851), and the minimum 49 (in 1850 and 1854). This is in marked contrast to what was the case thirty years ago. In 1829, sentence of death was passed or recorded in 1385 cases; and in that year 74 persons suffered death, of whom 51 were convicted of crimes happily no longer capital. But there is still room for improvement; and we trust soon to see our criminal law so far reformed, that the solemn farce of recording sentence of death may be abolished. Custom and feeling have now so firmly established the rule of commuting every sentence of death except only in cases of murder, that it would now be utterly impossible to carry out the sentence for any less crime; and therefore, to compel the court to record a sentence where there is no intention of executing it, is a senseless mockery, and can lead to no good result. Out of the 52 persons sentenced to death last year, 9 only were executed, and these had |