In the offices of the Chancellor's Hall, the Viscount of Melbourne and Lord Broughham sat on either side of the sofa.

There were also several documents in front of them, densely filled with names.

Behind these names are all sorts of felony charges that make people tremble at a glance.

Snatching large livestock, burglary, smashing and destroying machines, roadblocks, murder, treason, ......

Even if these charges were brought out alone, they would be enough to be hanged, not to mention that many of them still had several charges on their backs, so they could only sentence him to death for one sentence and repeat execution.

Lord Broughham held the list and looked at it for a long time: "More than a thousand felons, and if all of them were to be hanged, it would be more than the number of hangings in the past ten years combined." ”

The Viscount of Melbourne stroked his hair and said, "Of course I know this, and I have promised these rioters before that as long as they are willing to surrender voluntarily, the government will definitely consider a lenient sentence." Therefore, more than 1,000 people will certainly not be able to carry out all of them by hanging, even if most of them will not be executed. It's not a decade ago, the atmosphere of freedom has taken root in Britain, and every hanged will be carefully observed by the British people with a magnifying glass, not to mention that Fleet Street still has a group of news media that see the wind and rain. ”

Lord Broughham leaned back on the sofa with his wine glass crossed and his legs crossed: "This is indeed a social level of progress, but at the same time it has caused a lot of trouble for our executive body. Although the British courts have always been known for their impartiality and independent trials, even if the court finally sentences him to death by hanging, only a tenth of what can actually be carried out in the end. ”

Hearing this, the Viscount of Melbourne said, "Your Excellency, for this Swayn riot, I think even a one-tenth execution rate is still too high. More than 100 people were executed at once, which is already equal to the number of executions in England last year.

I had already spoken to Peel about the riot trial, and both he, the former Home Secretary, and I, the current Home Secretary, thought that this time it would be sufficient to execute only those who had led the way and committed unforgivable crimes such as murder. As for the rest, acquittal may be considered as appropriate if the circumstances are not serious, and the sentence may be commuted to exile or hard labour if the circumstances are more serious. ”

When Broughham heard this, he frowned slightly and said, "Your Excellency, with all due respect, no one can interfere with the independence of the British judges. Although I have the power to appoint vacancies, I have no power to remove them from office once they have taken that position. If it's just a few criminals, I can really help you find a few judges who are more flexible.

However, it is impossible for such a trial of more than 1,000 people to be completed in a short period of time by relying on a few judges alone. Maybe the Ministry of Internal Affairs can afford to wait, but there aren't many reporters on Fleet Street. If they blow the wind, things will only get worse. ”

"No, you misunderstood me."

The Viscount of Melbourne spoke: "I know, of course, that the independence of British judges is sacred and unshakable, and that even His Majesty has not been deflated at their hands once or twice. When you were a lawyer in your early years, didn't you win the divorce case with Queen Caroline against the late King George IV?

Therefore, I will not and cannot desecrate the justice of the court. On the contrary, I hope that all courts will hear impartially and decide what they want. The original intention of my request to set up a special trial committee for the Swain riot to supervise the trial was precisely to demonstrate the fairness, openness and transparency of the trial. ”

Lord Broughham is not stupid either, and as soon as he heard that the Viscount of Melbourne was not trying to manipulate the trial, he immediately understood his subtext.

"Do you want His Majesty the King to issue a special pardon to those criminals after the trial is over?"

The Viscount of Melbourne nodded with a smile: "I have already explained to him in advance on the Prime Minister's side, and I will also visit the other members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council one by one later." As long as you, the Chairman of the Committee, nod the same head, then I am sure that His Majesty the King will respect the collective opinion of the Committee. ”

The Viscount of Melbourne thought that he might have to pay for the Chancellor's Chamber, after all, Lord Broughham, the senior former counsel, was notoriously difficult.

In addition to his slightly cold personality, Broughham's habitually vicious style and rhetoric are also daunting.

As one of the founders of the Edinburgh Review, the Whig newspaper, Lord Bruham, in addition to doing his job as a lawyer in his youth, had a great hobby of attacking Byron, Shelley, Keats, and other romantic poets who were so uninhibited that he did not like them.

Among these attacks, the criticism of Keats was the most ferocious.

It is said that when Keats was seriously ill, he vomited blood and died after seeing one of Lord Broughham's critical articles against him.

Although this kind of gossip cannot be taken seriously, the citizens of London still referred to him as 'Grim Broughham' for a long time.

However, it is not accurate to use the word 'cold' to describe Bruham as a person. For within the Whig Party, he was sometimes too 'enthusiastic' in terms of political positions.

In the long confrontation between the Whigs and the Tories, the Tories prided themselves on their emphasis on tradition, while the Whigs took liberty and progress as their slogan.

But even in the eyes of the liberal and progressive Whigs, Bruham seemed too liberal and progressive.

Even in the already left-leaning Whigs, Brumham belonged to the radical left.

At the legal level, as a young man, Breham was already one of the rabid supporters of the law reformer Samuel Romilli.

On the human rights front, he was an active supporter of William Wilberforce, the founder of the abolitionist movement.

In education, he was one of the first people in Britain to raise the voice for public education. Although he couldn't change the notion of Parliament, Broughham and a few like-minded friends raised money to found the University of London.

On the political level, Breham is a die-hard supporter of parliamentary reform, and the kind of person who can't turn him back even with ten donkeys tied to his neck.

Perhaps it was because of Bruham's radical ideas and activism that even though he joined the Whigs at an early age, his reputation was not low, but it was not until 1810 that he was officially identified as a candidate for parliament by the Whigs, who were virtually unavailable.

Neither the scolding of Keats' supporters nor the vicious attacks of his political enemies made the royal justice change his face.

Such a self-styled personality is almost the opposite of the mild-mannered and lazy Viscount of Melbourne, who is not very willing to argue with others.

Therefore, when the Viscount of Melbourne came to the Chancellor's Hall today, he was already prepared for a possible encounter.

After all, what he said to Broughham was, to a certain extent, a complete contempt for the authority of the court.

However, what he didn't expect was that Broughham actually agreed to it.

"Actually, even if you don't come to me, I will ask Your Majesty for an amnesty."

"Huh?" The Viscount of Melbourne raised his brows slightly in surprise: "What is the reason for this?" ”

Lord Brumham spoke, "Originally, this matter was still in the preparatory stage, but since it happened to happen, then I will make it clear to the point." As you all know, I have been supporting Lord Romilli's call for reform of the penal code over the years.

Although Sir Peel has given a significant boost to the repeal of the Bloody Bills during his tenure. The death penalty clause in Britain has been reduced from 222 to 56, but it seems to me that some of the death penalty clauses still need to be carefully considered.

For example, the hanging of 42 forgery crimes is inappropriate. Although in 1830 Parliament passed an Act reaffirming the necessity of the death penalty for these forgeries, in practice, after my discussion with Sir Radeznowitz, it was discovered that not a single convict had been executed for forgery in the last year or so.

Sir Radeznowitz bluntly said: 'The contrast between the letter of the law and the practice of the law is perhaps even more striking. ’

The jury did not agree with the forgery of burying a life, and many in the group of judges thought that the sentence was too harsh. To avoid killing a person, juries often turn not guilty to death. If this continues, then such a law will be a dead letter.

So I've been thinking about substituting lighter, but more certain, punishments for those that are disproportionate to their crimes. Only a law that can be recognized by the public can be truly implemented, and if it can be implemented, it can be called a law. Otherwise, it would be no different from Keats's verses. ”

"Keats's verses?"

"Hmm." Lord Broughham had a drink: "It looks gorgeous, but in fact it is a disease-free moan, and it does nothing." ”

When the Viscount of Melbourne heard this, his heart finally returned to his stomach, and he smiled and raised his glass: "It is indeed the right decision to appoint you as a chancellor. If the Chancellor's Office decides to continue with judicial reform, the Ministry of the Interior will also support it. ”

When Bruham heard this, he suddenly spoke: "But as you said, although His Majesty the King will grant amnesty to some people, or change the punishment to a lighter level, the sentence in court must still be carried out in accordance with the original provisions.

If the sentence is changed to hanging in court, it will be tantamount to encouraging riots, and the majesty and sanctity of the law cannot be talked about. This time, His Majesty the King is extrajudicially gracious, but not an example. ”

"That's what I thought too."

The Viscount of Melbourne smiled and said, "Let His Majesty be this good man, I think he will be very happy." Speaking of which, His Majesty the King now seems to be different from his elder brother, he is naturally compassionate and humanitarian. I have heard that every time the old Bailey's court sent a death sentence to His Majesty for approval, he always read it several times before ordering the judge to present his case to him in person before he was willing to sign his name. In the past year, His Majesty the King personally commuted death sentences in 90 per cent cases. ”

Lord Broughham made a joke: "With Your Majesty's help, your usual work is much easier, isn't it?" If he had been as lazy as the previous king, it would have been customary for the Minister of the Interior to approve the death penalty. ”

The Viscount of Melbourne also smiled lightly: "That's right, Your Majesty may know my lazy personality, and also know that not everyone can be as energetic as Sir Peel. He was always considerate of his subjects, whether it was the Home Secretary or his elder brother in the Royal Navy. ”

Lord Broughham blinked and laughed, "It's a pity that the rest of the House of Lords may not think so. A while ago, when I was in the upper house, I heard the old old-fashioned men complaining that His Majesty was not as tasteful and stylish as his brother, and that he spoke at no time, and that when he was drunk, he liked to give everyone a long speech about the pre-war mobilization of the ship, and even if the elegant French reached his mouth, he could smell the smell of Caribbean tobacco. ”

Out of politeness, the Viscount of Melbourne only turned up the corners of his mouth slightly, and did not laugh out loud.

He spoke: "The guys you mentioned didn't look down on him much before His Majesty ascended the throne, and His Majesty himself probably didn't expect to inherit the throne. For a long time, he was a little transparent to the royal family. Whether it was choosing to follow General Nelson when he was young, or later threatening his father to join the House of Lords, it all shows that His Majesty is a man who craves attention. Although in some places he did not do very well, he did want to be a good king. ”

Bruham picked up his handkerchief and wiped his mouth: "So, you gave him this opportunity to show his mercy in front of the British public and pardon the mobs?" ”

The Viscount of Melbourne chuckled softly, "It's just a coincidence. ”

The Viscount of Melbourne was reluctant to say so, and Lord Broughham did not intend to pursue any further questions.

As a professional lawyer, he doesn't like the worldly aspect of human affairs very much, and his self-acting personality also makes him more concerned about specific execution.

He just asked, "Now that the person who shows mercy has been decided, who are you going to give to the task of putting on yourself?" There is only a theoretical possibility of influencing the judge's decision, and this kind of thing that makes people roll into the mud pit on their own initiative can only be done by a guy with a brain problem. ”

Broughham's words hit the other purpose of the Viscount Melbourne's trip.

The Viscount of Melbourne reorganized his language and analyzed it slowly: "We all know the sensitivity of this trial, so we can't find a guy with a bad reputation in his own right, it will only make the reporters of Fleet Street cheer and the citizens of Britain angry......"

"Makes sense."

Lord Broughham seemed to say casually: "It would be great if you could convince the Archbishop of Canterbury to take charge of the prosecution." ”

"Then there is no need, and the prosecutor doesn't have to be like that."

The Viscount of Melbourne hurriedly interrupted the other party's whimsy, and also knew that Lord Broughham probably guessed his thoughts.

In that case, he didn't intend to go around in circles, but asked directly: "I intend to leave this matter to the District Attorney's Office of London, or more accurately, to your protégé Arthur Hastings." ”

"Oh......" Lord Broughham put one hand on the back of the sofa and looked up at the window, "I have to say, your mind is very jumpy. The religious leader from Britain suddenly turned to the atheist stronghold of the University of London. ”

A simple sentence instantly pulled the Viscount of Melbourne back from the relaxed freehand just now to the cold reality.

Broughham's hardness was instantaneous.

The reason why he was so good at talking just now was not because he had a good temper, but because the Viscount of Melbourne's thoughts were on the same line as him.

Once the two ideas contradict each other, it will be a hail in the face and a storm in an instant.

However, it is not that the Viscount of Melbourne cannot understand the other party's thoughts.

As a newly established school, the University of London has just received its teaching charter not long ago, and there are not many well-known alumni of its own.

A few days ago, the Times ran an advertisement for Arthur Hastings.

In the blink of an eye, it was necessary to let Broughham's most proud disciple carry the explosives bag, and there was absolutely no such reason in the world.

What's even more fucking is that Arthur had just eaten a shot in Liverpool. According to Broughham's temper, it is already polite that he did not explode directly.

At this time, he smeared the students, which simply didn't take him seriously.

However, the Viscount of Melbourne also thought of this early in the morning, and he took out the words he had prepared a long time ago to persuade him.

"Actually, if there are other suitable candidates, I don't want to bother him anymore. Even in my personal affection, Mr. Hastings has been very helpful to me. A while ago, I had a bit of a misunderstanding with Mr. Faraday, and he came forward to help solve it. Therefore, when the Liverpool incident happened, I immediately transferred people from Scotland Yard to strengthen the protection of him.

But, in my personal opinion, having Mr. Hastings in charge of this work will definitely be of great benefit to his future growth. Truth be told, the Home Office has recently been considering amending the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829. Arthur's abilities and exploits are all in the eyes of everyone.

Although exceptional promotions are not allowed to a certain extent, I have always been reluctant to promote capable young people. If Arthur can do a good job of prosecution this time, he should be promoted to assistant superintendent after the reorganization of Scotland Yard, and those doubts about his concurrent position as deputy chief prosecutor of the London Magistrates' Prosecutor's Office can be suppressed.

In addition, at the last Privy Council meeting, did we not discuss the list of knights of the lower ranks for the next year? The exact person has not yet been officially decided, and if Arthur can close the case before the list is submitted, I think he definitely deserves this merit. ”

When Lord Broughham heard this, the displeasure on his face was still there.

He was about to speak a few more words with the Viscount of Melbourne, but before he could speak, he heard a knock at the door.

"Your Excellency, Mr. Hastings has returned from Liverpool, are you available to receive him now?"

(End of chapter)