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Description and Holding Information
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House. Comm. on Capital Punishment. Report, 1831 (1832 reprint)
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SEE ALSO 52291 House No. 2 The Committee on Capital Punishment's report as House No. 15 was reprinted for members. This is the summary for that
report: On March 18, 1831, a five man Committee was formed to consider amendments to the death penalty statute. On June 9, 1831, the Committee
presented a report. The Commonwealth had six crimes for which death was allowed: treason, rape, murder, highway robbery, burglary, and arson. The Committee
observed that many modes of punishment were no longer used in civilized society. Family members or friends may thirst for revenge against specific
wrong-doers, but the state was not interested in revenge. The Committee decided that property crimes did not deserve the death penalty. Rapists and
murderers were to be kept in solitary confinement for life. If society still demanded the death penalty, the death should be in private; some criminals
relish the attention and the public should not regard the event as a spectacle. The Committee did not address treason. It also did not present a
bill, but offered to do so if asked. (Digitized from a microfilm copy of title originally held by the Massachusetts State Library).
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Title:
Ordered, that the report of the Committee on Capital Punishments, presented at the last session, as contained in no. 15 of the printed reports, be reprinted for use of the members of the House.
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OCLC Number:
1393032878
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Available Volumes
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| Name | Fiche Count | Online | Paper Backup |
| Vol. 1 | | Yes | No |
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