22 JULY 1955, page 14

Sir,—although 1 Agree With You That The Decision To Hang

Mrs. Ellis was barbarous, I think you are wrong to assume that Home Office officials become coarsened or blasé about such matters, or that Englishmen delight in hanging. What......

Letters To The Editor

Capital Punishment Cunard Dawson, Ludovic Kennedy, John W. Harvey, R. Marker and others Men at Waugh Evelyn Waugh, Nancy Spain, Nancy Mitford, Joan Werner Laurie and others......

Sir,—your Leading Article In This Week's Edi- Tion Seems To

me so indefensibly foolish that I am ceasing my subscription. I deplore hanging as much as you do---but so long as it is the law, a reprieve for R. Ellis would be an insult to......

99 Gower Street, London, W.c.1

Euston 3221......

A Very Large Number Of Letters Have Been Received On

this subject, which is dealt with In a leading article on page 110. To include as large a selection as possible, cuts have been made in some of the letters.......

Sir, —your Brilliant And Courageous Leading Article Of...

has, 1 hope, brought a little • nearer the abolition of the revolting ritual of capital punishment. In the news that Mrs. Ellis was, after all, to be put to death, there was......

Sir,—the First Page Of The Current Spectator Is A Strange

amalgam of enlightened wisdom forcibly expressed and an almost hysterical waspish rancour. With all you say so well on the general question of capital punishment, I believe that......

Sir,—as A Reader Of Tho Spectator For Mall Years, I

congratulate you on the recent nevi format, but view with regret the increasinelY arrogant manner in which you state you r opinions, which surely has reached its zenifo, in your......

Sir,—harold Begbie Described Democracy As A Triumph Of...

reason : I must congratulate you on the democratic tone of your leading article on the execution of Ruth Ellis. Its absolute dogmatism was only equalled by its obscurantism. The......

Sir,—your Brilliant Attack On The Death Penalty Is...

is probably no MP who would deny that abolition is bound to come before long. It seems therefore reasonable to suggest that, in the period of delay before MPs have finished......

Sta,—congratulations On Your Enlightened And, Humane...

01 Ruth Ellis.'—Yours faithfully, N. C. F. BOWES Sunny Croft, Wayside Road, St. Leonards, Ringwood, Hants......