The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-10 00:00:00

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LONDON' MONDAY: '2
-LAY 102 152.

ler
. b
e .n , , a idinisters--hlwev:.:r much they.
11 a lower branch of the
Dkiring the 00rr,...ti-;:?1!Y !Mt upon sLort commons.
the; eut'elvr:dlY period which has
elapsed since
upon Lord Jon
RUSSELL'S reSigiaatinni the (1 'le'
y havo Leen fzasted re-
peatedly in the good city of Latch
pgrieneaat the ert„...3 sr!. F4ted to ex-
f a factious and petu-
lant Opp9ition, tke'2." began more
usual .with ff•liv Goxerr...ai,-ct tr`-`4Y than is
seli-es with C:7 bospitlilitl,-s fa,l2Ce them'
polis. . May il'cleed, to sme metro-
ave
resoiyod to- treat the poi. .8(.1t-twliat
y.iticat
0,4,14 upon them from their care
-1)13, accordiDg

to the advice of the old anacreentic philosopher, by
drowning it in the bowl, or at any rate, what comes
to the same thing, in the " loving cup" sent round
when the cloth is removed after the dinners of the
Corporation. The magnificent banquet given by the
Goldsmiths' Company was almost immediately suc-
ceeded by that of the Royal Academy, upon both of
which cccasions some of the most distinguished mem-
bers of the new Oabinet were enabled to talk
politics rather pleasantly over the desert, flavouring
the wine with (what to some palates are scarcely less
nauseous than olives) speeches made up for the most
Part ofgenuine after-dinner compliments. Saturday
evening found them again participating in the festi-
vities of the capital, the LORD MAYOR receiving in
the Egyptian Hall at the Mansion-houle the heads of
her MAJESTY'S Government.

Unfortunately we are compelled by circumstances
just now to attach a larger importance than is usual
to the sentiments expressed by Ministers
upon these occasions—seeing that from those
remarks almost exclusively we obtain at the
present moment any inkling of the real feeling or
intended policy of the Administration. The country
has looked in vain to the more seriously prepared
orations of the principal men in the Cabinet for any
revelation of their views as to their projected mode
of carrying on the Government. The inaugurative
address delivered in the House of Lords in February
by the Earl of DERBY left every one dubious as to
the principles upon which he proposed to relieve him-
self of the responsibilities of his position as Prime
Minister of England. The speech addressed to his
constituents at Aylesbury by the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER was not one jot more satisfactory in the
way of disclosures or explanations. Neither, it must
be admitted, was there a possibility of drawing any
clear or appreciable deductions from the eagerly anti-
cipated budget by which he subsequently delayed yet
further the hour when the Cabinet was to unfurl
its colours, and pronounce its definitive determination.
Denied all chance of penetrating through the Parlia-
ment a mystery more bewildering than even the
famous Asian Mystery symbolized in Sidonia,
we have been driven to the after-dinner speeches
of the leaders of the Administration, to
detect, if possible, the nature of the policy which
mu't sooner or later be avowed by the DERBY..
DISRAELI Government. Happily, upon all these
festive occasions, there have been conspicuous among
the speakers, both the First Lord of the Treasury
and the CETANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, and still more
happily, both the Noble Lord and the Right Hen.
Gentleman have been more than usually communica-
tive. Not certainly that they have ventured to enter
upon anything like a detailed statement as
to their intentions, but that they have
thrown out hints by the aid of which the
more observant may conjecture the probable parport
of their ultimate amd forthcoming manifesto. What,
moreover, is most especially remarkable in the course
of the proceedings is, the fact, that nowhere have
the leaders of the Government given utterance to
opinions indicative of an intention to run directly
counter to the fres trade convictions of the multitude.
The PREMIER himself has avowed that he never dreams
of returning to the old system of Protection, other wise
then in the event of his being authorized by the
people of the United Kingdom to revive what was
formally abolished in 1846, and what, in truth, had
been, four years previously undermined by the finan-
cial innovations introduced by Sir ROBERT PEEL in
1849- The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER has
gone even further than the First Lord of the Trea-
sury in repudiating the notion of re-imposing the
corn-laws,per fas et nefas, .without the preliminary
consent of the population ; his financial statement
being virtually nothing less than a panegyric pronounced
upon the happy consequences of the free trade system
founded by one of the most illustrious; as he is also,
assuredly, one of the most sincerely lamented of modern
statesmen. Even Mr. G.F. YOUNG may be said to have
conceded in a great measure the advisability of let-
ting things take their course as they are, without
violently reverting to laws which have long since been
pronounced obsolete. Sir FITZROY KELLY is the soli-
tary exception to this conciliatory behaviour, by
which the members of the new Government
have to a considerable extent disarmed cppo•
sition. No othrr individual connected with the
Conservative Cabinet has had the temerity to follow
in the footstep of the adventurous but blundering
SOLICITOR- GENERAL. Nor is it likely that anyone
will attempt to emulate the fervour by which that
Honourable and Learned Gentleman has brought
himself into discredit with the very petty he intended
to serve.

Nevertheless, while it is, of course, satisfactory to
observe the judicious and almost kindly bearing of the
Cabinet towards the communitr, it must not be
forgotten that Ministers are doubtless influenced
very considerably by the circumstance of our cicse
proximity at the present moment to the general
election. Aware that before tinny weeks have
elapsed they must by the necessity of their position
appeal, however reluctantly, to the country, they are
on their good behaviour. Hence they are tairspaken.
Hence they are to all appearance liberal. Hence
they are almost Free-traders f.ir the time
being—certainly Free-traders in the colour of their
financial policy. Like the candidate who said
ditto to Mr. Bona; they say ditto to Sir ROBERT
PEEL, and not only ditto to Sir ROBERT PEEL,
but ditto even to Sir CU I.7,LEi WOOD. But—again
we would briefly call the fact to public remembrance
—they know that before autumn has far advanced
there will be a new Parliament. As COLMAN makes
old• Lord DUBERLY say in the comedy—" Fair words
butter no parsnips," speaking according to the
wisdom of those aphorisms which were pronounced
vulgar by the Earl of CIIESTL'RFIELD. It would be well
therefore, for the electors to watch with scrutinizing
vigilance the words that fall from the lips of her
MAJESTY'S Ministers, whether on tha occasion of a
civic banquet, or of a discussion in -either House of
the Legislature. While we have all along main-
tained that it would be factious to force the Cabinet
of a Necessity, a Cabinet created by an unavoidable
juncture of circumstances,into any precipitate state-
rnent- of its intended policy, we would insist that some
candid avowal of its principles should, in anticipation
of the next General Election, be at length made by the
Leaders of her MAJESTY'S Government. Let the consti-
tuNacies of the United Kingdom learn the views en-
tertained by the Cabinet before its definitive appeal
to the country, let them acquire an accurate cogni-
zance of the iathntions of MinLters as to Free Trade
and Protection, or as to Reform and Ritrogression—
and then, with " a &ear, stage and no favour," we
have every confidence in the triumph of the great
principles of constitutional advancement, the princi-
ples of Change in regard to everything capable of im -
provement, and of Conservatism in regard to every-
thing worthy of conservation.

requisite in
Ever-
in
p.ne one, we conceive, is by this time coincident
v's.esjorit
The t ion that some changes have become absolutely
the na7dical jurisprudence of insanity.
the....
ng,:phmoreover, are equally agreed that
advocated
vboeceEint:dh
ben"siv"eu.a
it h (mid be both immediate and compre-
cwuel va err,
kindof
of
f those
reformw ho
have hitherto
tehfiasteParhtoi
to hear the fore
t remain doomed of their arguments allowed, ando
sNon ii, this
,to disappointment. Their
with that of the
threspect is almost identical
inno-
vators. The latter would-be sanitary haveinno-
made a display of facts
such ®s absolutely defied
contradiction. They col-
lected information : they published the result ' •
cf their
researcbee : they altogeth,r disarmed opposition by
:he mast formidable display of
logic, the logic o;statistics—but with the jui tice of their'
assertions ad-
mitted let and near, they have be
en compelled to see
the evil system gill predernieaet. The drain--
e6e
cc,n4ineee to be wholly inadequate.
Toe supely of
water is as imi..ure as hitherto, in quality, , 4
quaa if net in
fn •
quantity, wholly insufficient, 'Ventilation is ,st•ii
admired but ueadorfd ; and the heathenish ahomli-
reitions.of the London graveyards are still as rife as
ever in same ot• cur most densely-Populated lecaliti?g,
bring:eg disgrace and disease simultaneously upon
the wealtbiezt metropolis in Christendom. Yet the
Earl of DEBBY, as Prime Minister of England, can
allow these statements of the Sanitary R ee 1
-.oraiera to
be nothing short of actual " truisms"--[the
very phrase made use of by the Panama the
other evenicg in the House of Lords, on the
occasion of the debate called forth by the motion
of the Earl of SUAFTESBUBY] —while matters remain ,
in auk quo, without one energetic effort in the right I

direction having been made by the Government.
From the pertinacity with which we have for a long
series of years insisted upon the necessity of these
particular changes with a view to increase the general
comfort, and to decrease by the same means the
annual mortality, we are bold to say that we have
qualified ourselves to speak with some degree of
energy upon this subject, and to be numbered also
upon the catalogue of the most prominent among the
Sanitary Reformers. Scarcely less plainly is The
I Sun empowered to speak in reference to the changes
requisite in the medical jurisprudence of insanity,
from the fact of having so long rendered itself the
organ for the advocacy of those very desirable inno-
vations. Whenever an occasion presents itself, there-
fore, which appears to afford anything like a reason-
able opportunity for the revival of this singularly
important subject, we are eager to avail ourselves of
it forthwith, even at the risk of a repetition, some-
times to ourselves, almost amounting to tediousness.
It was our pleasing duty a few months back to
comment upon the remarks relating to the above-
mentioned argument, that of the reforms desirable in
the medical jurisprudence of insanity, put forth by
Dr. Woon, the medical officer of Bethlem Hospital,
a gentleman peculiarly well qualified to pronounce
upon the matter both by reason of his responsible
position, and of his singularly valuable expe-
rience. Already the volutes* to which we
then directed public attention has attained the
dignity of a second edition, the interest of
the reprint being' materially enhanced by the
lengthy and important " Introduction" prefixed
to these " Remarks on the Plea of Insanity and on
the Management of Criminal Lunatics." It will be
remembered by those who examined the observations
of Dr. WOOD on the occasion of their original ap-
pearance that he distinctly stated in one portion of
his argument that he was " not prepared to adopt the
opinion of an able writer upon insanity, that nobody
is of perfectly sound mind," adding, because it seemed
to him that, "as far as anything human can be
perfect, we must consider that mind perfect which
has a due appreciation of all the events of which it has
to take cognizance, and by the order and regularity
which it observes, in responding to the impressions
conveyed to it, exhibits such manifestations, as by
common consent, would be expected to occur under
such circumstances." The distinction, it must be
allowed, was subtle, and yet at the same time
sufficiently clear and comprehensible. Against
any misapprehensions as to his meaning
in this passage, Dr. Wool) guards, by avow-
ing now explicitly, almost in so many words,
that he does not look upon "irrational habits and un-
reasonable conduct as proofs of the existence of in-
sanity." Instead of denying the existence of sanity
in this world, or putting it generally out of court,
Dr. WOOD observes, in the course of the " Introduc-
tion" prefixed to his arguments, " I hold that a great
deal of what has been called insanity_is no such thing,
although, at the same time, a great deal of what I
believe to be a degree of mental imperfection has
never been recognised as such." The distinction
which has thus been extorted from the
medical officer of Bethlem Hospital. by those
who misapprehended his deductions as at first
announced, is one of the most significantly indicative
of the purport of his entire analysis. For many rea-
sons we are rejoiced to witness the re-issue of a
volume which we are fain to regard as marking a
step in advance on the pathway of these long.
desired innovations. In the course of the movement
here referred to, it is something to have elicited the
remarks here published as the fruit of Dr. WOOD'S
investigation. Est quaddom prodire tenus si non
datur ultra. Yet we shall still continue to look forward to
the period when our long-cherished aspirations upon the
subject may at length be realised, and when huma-
nity may be vindicated from the pressure of an evil
which has hitherto been one of the heaviest stigmas
on our entire system of criminal jurisprudence.
* " Remarks on the Plea of Insanity, and on the
Management of Criminal Lunatics. By William Wood,
M.D., Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians,
and Medical Officer of Betblem Hospital." Second Edi-
tion. Bvo. pp. 132. London : Longman and Company,
1832.