BYGONE PHASES OF CANADIAN CRIMINAL LAW.

The article discusses some of the past phases of the Canadian criminal law. The author gives an account of the execution by burning at the stake of Negroes in the Colony of New York in 1741, 1742. The Common Law punishment by this form of execution was abolished in 1730, by the Act, 30 George II, c. 48, and consequently it was no longer inflicted by the English Law, when that law was for the first time introduced into Canada by the Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763, following the formal Cession of Canada by the Treaty of Paris of the previous February. It may be considered worth while to see how Suicide was looked upon in Canada under the old regime: this is carefully sought for and given us by the learned Archivist of the Province of Quebec, M. Pierre-Georges Roy. Both Canada and the English Colonies in America had their share of imported criminals, as well as of those of native growth, but neither had a very large element of that character. In Canada, the thief was sometimes branded with the Fleur-de- lis on the shoulder, the accessory generally received this attention, sometimes imprisoned, sometimes was forced to stand in the public places, with nothing on but a shirt, and with a lighted torch in his hand, compelled to crave the pardon of God and King and Justice for his offence.