The Express.
London, England, 1858-08-14 00:00:00

PRIVATE MADHOUSRR.

TO Till 01

No. 11.

GENTLISMEN,—In England " Justice" is the
daughter of "Publicity. In this as in every. other
nation deeds of villany are done every day an kid
gloves ; but they can only. be done on the sly: here
lies our true moral eminence as a nation. Our
judges ars an honour to Europe, not because Nature
has cut them out of • different stuff from Italian
judges this is the dream of babies : it is became
they sit in courts open to the public, and " sit mart
day in the newspapers."' Legislators who have not
the brains to appreciate the public, and pat its sense
of justice to • statesmanlike use, have yet an initial:s-
tir* feeling that it is the great safeguard of thecitixen.
Bring your understandings to bear on the following
sets of propositions in lunacy law :—First grand
division—Msrims laid down by Shelford. "A. The
law requires satisfactory evidence of insanity.
B. Insanity in the eye of the law is nothing lees
than the prolonged departure, without an adequate
external cause. frost the state If feeling, and modes
of Waking, usual to the indirsdual whine is health.
C. The burthen of proof of insanity lies on those
awning its existence. D. Control over persons
represented u insane is not to be assumed without
necessity. a. Of all evidence that of medicalinen
might to be given with the greatest cart, sad C.-
calved with the utmost Caution. F. The medical
man's evidence should not merely pronounce the
party insane, but give sufficient reasons for think-
ing so. For this purpose it behoves him to
have investigated accurately the collateral circum-
stance'. o. The imputations of friends or relations,
&c., are not entitled to any weight or consideration
in inquiries of this nature, but ought to be dismissed
from the minds of the judge and jury, who are
bound to form their conclusions from impartial evi-
dence of facts, and not to be led astray by any such
futile sources of error and injustice."
The second clam of propositions is well known to
your readers. A relative has only to buy two doctor.,
two surgeons, or even two of those " whose poverty
though not their will consents," and he can clap in
a madhouse any rich old fellow that is spending his
money absurdly on himself instead of keeping it,
like a wise man, for his heirs; or he can lock up any
eccentric, bodily-afflicted, troublesome, amount-sift-
ing young fellow.
In other words, the two classes of people who
figure as suspected witnesses in one set of clauses are
made judge, jury, and executioner, in another set of
clauses, one or which, by • refinement of injustice,
shifts the burthen of proof from the accusers to the
accused in all open proceedings subsequent to his
wrongful imprisonment.—Shelford,
Now, what is the clue to this apparent contradic-
tion—to this change in the weathercock of legisla-
torial morality ? It is mighty simple. The maxims,
No. 1, are the practice and principle that govern
what are called " Commissions of Lunacy." At these
the newspaper reporters are present. No. 2, are
the practice and principle legalised, where no news-
paper reporters are present. Light v. darkness.
Since, then, the Law de Lunatioo has herself told
us that she is an idiot and a rascal when she works
in the dark, but that she is wise, cautious, humane,
and honest in the light, my orphan and myself
should indeed be mad to disregard her friendly hint
as to her double character. Theo, gentlemen, is why
we come to you first: you must give us publicity, or
refuse us justice. We will go to the Commissioners
in Lunacy, but not before their turn. We dare not
abjure experience. We know the Commissioners:
we know them lotus et its cute; we know them
better than they know themselves. They are of two
kinds: one kind I shall dialect elsewhere; the rest
are small men afflicted with a common malady, a
commonplace conscience. Thews soldiers of Xerxes
won't do their duty if they can help it; if they can't,
they will. With them justice depends on publicity,
and publicity on you. lip with the huh !
I am now instructed by him who has been called
mad, but whose intelligence may prove a match for
theirs, to propose to his enemies to join him in
proving to the public that their convictions are as
sincere as his. The wording of the challenge being
left to me, I invite them to an issue, thus:—My lads,
you were gains to enter a dwelling-house kept by
women, and proposed to break open • woman's
chamber-door, till a woman standing on the other
aide with a cndgel, threatened " to split your skulls,"
and that chilled your martial ardour.

Voe *teaks forams scimum geritie mallebrem
Ills virago vizi.
And now you are wasting your money (and
you will waist it all), dressing up police-
men, setting spies, and in short, doing the
Venetian business in England ; and all for
what? Yon want our orphan's body. Well, it is to
be had without all this dirty manoeuvring, and silly
small treachery. Go to Jonathan Weymouth, Esq.,
of Clifford's.inn. lie is our orphan's solicitor, duly
appointed and instructed: he will acoept service of
a writ de lunatic* inquirenda, and on the writ being
served, Mr. Weymouth will enter into an under-
taking with you to product the body of E. P. F. in
court, to abide the issue of a daylight investigation.
If you prove him mad, you will take him away with
you ; if you fail to make him out mad before a dis-
interested judge, at all events you will prove your-
selves to be honest, though somewhat hard-hearted
" men and women."

Should this proposal be accepted, the proceedings
of our opponents will then assume a respectability
that is wanting at present, and in that case these
letters will cease. Sub faits lia erit.
I are, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
CHARLES READE.

• We En isderdsi to Lard Massidd for this Orme.

THE ATLANTIC TELRORAPH.

The following interesting menage was received
yesterday at the office of the Atlantic Telegraph
pany, by "British and Irish Magnetic Tele-
graph," beat Valentia
W).
The nail et a mange et tweaty-els wards yesterday
evenlasinstrena Newleendlod, riled to *eels and fasten-
seitalist sae as le As owe et iklay to the full
=es blevalinge et mlrya They new read sill
ear weeds w.wf. We en nein at very
pal Mat thaw, while they ea' se pit only receive
tent as slowly. 1 he,. ts De able to trumealt the wrap
baler Majosty to the Praline tads affirms.

HL Oim DIM AT ELOIL—We fled in the
"OS and Merisphin Ontrifr the import of a ai the
arils si IVA. la the Cies Muir EA ea W
adwassa, whoa they van deemed+ Mr. Great
piasersdee, ea the raided of Hie thy. lie
hi erielhades with re Mien Governasst
as mtally peered, sad ha stained Lord Parm-
a overthrow to neer
areas" scranired hy that
amble lord, sad espeddly le ths misty, Clea-
der& sppoistosat, by whist Lord Zeiessera, he-
, hairs is le did ft tie preipas Lwd Denby was
I ear ail Ist bakag to lits sew ' alba* MI Woes
I apes Wed/ amatest• dr " The
Ira. tradereas, besterse, adramisitorrtrlideseif
:mg Awed Triparghe and their jr tart as Mode
areadtteasT 1...... Nd dud L.,4"464, .....e
lies • fair dorsi flt-ibe laws, isyqrsosi: filo
to spa* my sidewise who mar Mee Obi
seaddres of thi-balk el the Mewl petty. Kr. Dad was
ober* sad received • vote of thanks.
THZ Baartemins.—That respectable portion of
the Bride it pudic which holds oar saciest feeraticese he
warellen WM leers with eerier. earera that It Is tarred
le derive dr moire of the Tarr of do rich belthey air
tars in rah dry have soiled area the days of Ilan
tees
ly. Be kiwi win lie ere are A
Mna la r
Wig le the row of • royal yreserion, miljaparting
111111 reader to s dratried rite yrit They bar
bra reerwed for • Yee tare with earoist Wigs. sad •
=sire dad term VOA a lid strip. TM velvet
merelor unirstrail se =AA
,:nesirste. Is
t2geltsearey thb drape is : tie true
wallirs sir lis rear y usad la other
riper lie dings len stutpr reiseres it
the faraerds. mirk of the sp. Ire should set reader if it
mead to Chelsea sad Oreardele MI rag, sad eared the
aid three-oorreed idled ids to he pat side.—vaned
&Tiff GozetAk

RAILWAYS.

LONDON AND NORTH WASTERN RAILWAY.
•
After our report Left yesterday, the motion for
the adoption of the report was pet red right*, as were
the resolutions deal the dividedat per art.
Hr. Briars was thee t forward,
via.:—" That this mein approves the messures taken
by the directors for defending against hostile aggression the
Leateekhe traffic., for the stesessaodslion of which so large
as aarstat of ospttal bee on the Ada of acts of parliament,
been expended by this coaspeay, and it hereby recommends
•ftreowseverenos in that policy • at the same time deploring the
oonsequence of rs leer competition, this
sorlielly arms in the principles of the resolution=
on the 10th last. by the representatives of railway companies,
end hereby invites ill other railway proprietors to unite in a
pr
oper adjustment of ratan and farts by companies entitled
, and a referees to arbitration where two or more
sorpanies Interested may fail to agree."
Hr. RYLIST INCalded it. He thought it most important
thet they should pus the resolution as 'lonising the red-
dance of tproprietary is the direction, and their opinionthat an arrangement mach es that suggested in the resolutions
read to them, would becoaduolve to the advantage of railway
. As to the charge that the London and North Western
EP:srpene7y bed broken their eegagemante, he considered that
hilly answered by the &drop of the House of Commons ;
and as for supposing that, in any opposition, they could be
bests, by the Sheffield Company, that was ridiculous,
rare that they had not a single Alpena for User pro-
phases. Thopind let tow isoll Irma realism ossrpod•
Mos Indy led to monopoly, end be trotted that they ovoid
unite to support the Independence of railway property and
the be Interests of the public, which he ered es
identical.

Mr. 11111LIIT doubted whether it would be advisable to
pale the aloha:ion, as it appeared to him to be something
like showing the white feather. (No, no.)
After a short ONIVINULHOU the resolution war passed,
omitting the words, " And hereby invitee " &c., to the end ;
the chairman stating that the meeting et' which the resolu-
tions which had been eat to ell the companies for approval
relative to the filing of fares had been adjourned to the 9th
of September.
Mr. PORDON having withdrawn his first and second HMO-
intim', that relating to the appointment of a committee of
inspection was put and negatived.
A resolution was then put, declaratory of the opinion of
the meeting, that the capital account should be at once
dread • sad, on a show of hands, was negatived by 31 to 22,
not etsive one-third of those present voting. Upon this a
pal was demanded, and some discussion awned as to the
us of smolt a pomading, but the chairman declaring that
the question having been negatived, and the division ob-
jected to, it was the only legal way of ascertaining the real
opinion of the meeting, and the denuad for the poll wee
theeefure not allowed to be withdrawn.
The auditors having been appointed, the meeting was made
special, when the CHAIRMAN proposed the following re-
solution

-"7ftiat, fa acoordshat with the provisions contained in
the London end North Western Railway Act, 1852, No. 2,
and the London and North Western Railway Aot, 1866, any
portico of the borrowed capital of the ootopany, or any
debenture or other security for which, or fur the interest
whereof, the company are lawfully liable, now subsisting on
the security of outstanding mortgages or bonds not exceed-
ing 2,000,0001., may be cascaded into stock of the company
of like amount, (Ohm by agreement with the holders
of such mortgages or bends respectively, before the mums
respectively become dna, or by paying off the same re-
spectively when dna, and issuing stock of a corresponding
amount, lasteetl of re-hemewing the sums to paid f,.
that there he attached to the stock hereby authorised to be
created a fixed and partial irredeemable yearly dividend
or interest, at any rate not ezoesding the rats of 41. for every
1001. thereof, payable in equal half-yearly portions; and that
the directors of the company are hereby authorised to carry
into affect this resolstion, by the creation and issue of so
mush stack as may from time to time be necessary for that
purpose, having such fixed rate of interest or dividend as
aforesaid, and that for each amount so issued an equal
amount of the borrowed capital of the company shall there-
upon be extinralabed."
Some objection was made to this, on the ground that as the
money market became maim the money might perhaps be ob-
turned on lighter terms; and on a division the numbers were
so close that the decision was also left to a poll.
The meeting was adjourned for a shut time for the purpose
of taking the poll.
At the close of half an hour the poll wee declared as
follows
For clewing the capital aeoceint-- Voles.
Present 9 proprietors, holding 16,7661. stook, repre-
senting
Against the motion-
-43 proprietors, holding 1,240,7151. stock, representing 1,857
Majority of 34 present, with 1,224,9601. stock, and 1,778
Against the creation of the 4 per cent. debenture
stock—
Present 3 proprietors, holding 8,3021. stock, repre-
senting
In favour of the motion—
ed proprietors, with 1,240,7161. stock and
Majority In favour of the directors' proposition, 40
persona holding 1,232,4121. stock, and 1,823
A vote of thanks to the chairmen closed the proceedings.