The Express.
London, England, 1849-08-22 00:00:00

Salm ntelligen cr.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.—YENTEIDdIf.
Baca Ma. COODUISIONICII FOINULAMQOI.
IN KS J. B. CIDISIII. 1
The bankrupt, a bookseller, of Newport Pagnell, came up
on an adjournment to pawlda last examinstion: After a
pretreated enquiry the eonimiesioner mid he would pea his
exuainatien, and he night apply for his certate whoa he
had paid to the assignees a sum of 7W.
Ix SIN T. SLOPED.
The bankrupt, an auctioneer, of Idusehouse, earns up ibr
his certificate. Mr. Lawrence supported ; kr. Luca
"ralliteared that, having:compounded with his creditors, in
1840, the bankrupt has subsequently twice obtained the
benefits of the Insolvent Court. Ile now came to this court
with debts to the amount of 4001. odd, and saute 101. The
debts under the four Insolvent:km amount to about 3,0001.
No dividend I. expected under any one of the four in-
celeemeles.
The oolamissioner commented upon these circumstances
as brims mast unfavourable, and ordered a suspension of the
esellieate for eighteen months; protection to be granted
deer three months' imprisonment.
Is in LIVINI AND LETISON.
This was a last examination meeting. The bankrupts
were jewelkrs, carrying on business at Norwich. The debts
are 7001. odd ; the assets 1504
The bankrupt Levine war examined at great length. It
appeared from his statements that his partner was is
the habit of taking joornies with the major part
of the stock in Ws possession. Ultimately he
absconded, with, as he supposed, stock of the value
of about 7001. in his possession. Levison was his (Levine's)
wife's brother, and they had had misunderstandings in con-
sequence of his parner's conduct being different to ',oat be
wished. Re (Levine) bad been a bankrupt when he resided
in America, aid there were debts under that insolvency of
1,0001. unliquidated. He denied that he was at all privy to
his partner's absence, or that he had the slightest knowledge
of hie present place of abode.
The commissioner paid he felt it his duty to adjourn the
bankrupt's examination three months, in order to give time
and opportunity for the fullest inquiry.

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.
Yesterday, at the Sheriff 's Curt, Red Lion-mitre, a
commission de lunatic° inquirendo was opened, before
Mr. Commissioner Barlow, and a special jury, for the pus.-
pees of ascertaining the state of mind of Mr. Edward Vicars,
who has long
.been • partner in the firm of Moore, Vican,
and Co., carrying on an extensive distillery business at
Liverpool.
Mr. Rolt, QC. sad Mr. Wines appeared for the peti-
tioner, a sister of ihe alleged lunatic ; and Mr. Malian 111. C.,
Mr. Edwin James,lend Mr. Joliffe for the lunatic.
Mr. Rolt, after a few introductory observation from the
learned Commissioner, proceeded to state to the jury the
eisenzastanees under which the commission bad sued out.
The petitioner was Kiss Anne Vicars, the alleged lunatic's
sister, and, though an unmarried lady, she carried on boat-
swain Liverpool as a licensed victualler. The learned coun-
sel then gave a brief outline of the life of Mr. Vicars,
oommenran-with his birth in Cumberland in the l3
sad concluding with his joining the firm above mentioned,
is the year 1835. It appears that he was a man given to
habits of intemperance, and the excesses to which he gave
himself up resulted in delirium tremens, that dreadful
malady first developing itself upon him in 1846, in which
year he attempted to put a period to his existence by cow
milting suicide, but ho was prevented. After that ems,
rence the malady grew stronger upon him, and mmori
many strange hallucinations by which his mind became per
seabed was one that he had no stomach, and that cows-
(Ineptly he required no sustenance, refusing at that time to
es; any food. He protested that his craniums was devoid of
brains, and 'seeded that it was in the power of man, by
means of electricity, to deprive human beings of their
rational senses—and he insisted that it was owing to
that agent that he had been deprived of reason.
Me was received as a patient at Wtam Lodge Loma
cis Asylum in Lancashire, under the care of Dr.
Litchfield, and he remained there for about two years.
During his stay there, he became impressed with the belief
that the magistrates of the county had telegraphic wires laid
on to the asylum, by means of which they kept the inmates
in a state of madness. Letters written by Mr. Views to
several friends were then read, and from their contents it
seemed that electricity was the one prevailing and absorbing
idea that possessed him; and in one of them be said that
" magistrates, doctors, end lawyers, and other thieves and
rascale," were in league together continue the inmates of
asylums in madness. In klatch, 1847, he escaped from the
I arylum, and immediately afterwards • paition for a cora-
-1 alvion was laid lit fore the Lord Chancellor, and his lord.
skip, considering it a fit and proper case for investigation,
kid ordered the present commission to issue.
'Wince was then given, first, as to the property of Mr.
VINT% and second, as to his insanity. It appeared from the
elaillament of his brother that he had about 5,0001. invested
tk• distillery concern. Dr. Atkinson, of Broughton,
Laseashire, Dr. Litchfield, and Mr. Churton were of opinion
that Mr. Victim was insane. It transpired that the allegei
lunatic had livid very unhappily with his wife, who also
gave way to intemperance.
Mr. Valentine Knight, one of the jury, asked Dr. Litch-
field whether in his opinion Mr. Vicars was competent to
take care of himself and property.
The witness said that according to the authorities on the
subject if a man was subject to strange rt. extrarrdinory de-
-1 lesions he was insane. He felt some difficulty in answering
the question, hut he certainly should say that Mr. Vicars
was not incapable of managing his own affairs, although he
laboured under the delusions mentioned.
The inquiry, which was commenced at 11 o'clock, was at
6. by the wish of the jury, and by consent of counsel on both
sides, adjourned till this day (Wednesday).