 Capital punishment was a major issue that was debated in the state during Brigg 's tenure , with social reformers calling for its abolition . Briggs personally favored capital punishment , but for political reasons called for moderation in its use , seeking , for example , to limit its application in murder cases to those involving first degree murder . After an acquittal in an 1846 murder case where anti @-@ death penalty sentiment was thought to have a role , Briggs , seeking to undercut the anti @-@ death penalty lobby , proposed eliminating the penalty for all crimes except murder , but expressed concern that more such acquittals by sympathetic juries would undermine the connection between crime and punishment . 
 Capital punishment was a major issue <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a>was debated in the state during Brigg <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>tenure , with social reformers calling for its abolition . Briggs personally favored capital punishment , but for political reasons called for moderation in its use , seeking , for example , to limit its application in murder cases to those involving first degree murder . After an acquittal in an 1846 murder case where anti @-@ death penalty sentiment was thought to have a role , Briggs , seeking to undercut the anti @-@ death penalty lobby , proposed eliminating the penalty for all crimes except murder , but expressed concern that more such acquittals by sympathetic juries would undermine the connection between crime and punishment . 
Capital punishment was a major issue was debated in da state during Brigg  tenure , w social reformers calling fa its abolition . Briggs personally favored capital punishment , but ffirpolitical reasons called ffamoderation in its use , seeking , fofirxample , to limit its application in murder cases to those involving first degree murder . After an acquittal in an 1846 murder case where anti @-@ death penalty sentiment was thought to have a role , Briggs , seeking to undercut tdaanti @-@ death penalty lobby , proposed eliminating the penalty fofirll crimes except murder , but expressed concern dat more such acquittals by sympathetic juries would undermine thdaonnection between crime and punishment .