[To THE EDITOR OF TEE "SPECTATOR. "] Sin,—Lady McLaren in your
last issue terms the capital sentence passed upon young women who have murdered their illegitimate infants an "offensive farce" because the sentence is seldom, if ever, carried out. I submit that there is nothing farcical, but something profoundly important, in impressing upon all whom it may concern the fact, hitherto undisputed, that such killing is murder. That the Royal prerogative of mercy should be extended, to whatever extent, in this or other cases is no infringement of this law. On the contrary, the exercise of this very prerogative assumes the fact of infanticide being murder under the law of England.
It is well known that to the rougher classes the law of the land is the all-sufficient measure of right and wrong. That this is but a very imperfect standard of man and woman's moral obligations is undeniable. But it is vastly better than no standard at all. Should Lady McLaren have her way, these ignorant people would inevitably draw the conclusion that the killing of illegitimate babes is no murder. And then heaven have pity upon the helpless little ones !—I am, Sir, &c., L. C. F. C.
P.S.—Lady McLaren speaks as if nothing was done for these unhappy young mothers ; as if nothing was before them but misery and ruin. Has she never heard of Houses of Mercy ?
[This correspondence must now cease.—En. Spectator.]
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