The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-19 00:00:00

EVENING,

Naples* • . •• •• NI
Papal States*
Peninsular.. ..
Peru bet
Tuscany* ..
West Indies
West Indies (except
Uavanna & Nassau) M
a. The mails to those c
French packet ♦ia Marsei
C kLIFORNIA.—Ma US to
aro now despatched and

!2d of the month ._
ountrias thus mar:

and from California
Me by every Amerii

IMPERIAL PARLIAME:

HEALTIIOF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.
(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
The following is from the official statement :—The
deaths registered in LDndon in the week ending last
Saturday exhibit a great increase on previous weeks, In
the last week of February they were 1,069, in the first week
of March 1,128 and last week they rose to 1,232. That the
unusual coldness of the weather has principally produced
this result may be inferred from the excess of deaths at
advanced ages, and from the increased number caused
by diseases of the organs of respiration. The mean
temperature in the first week in March fell to 36 deg.,
and in the following week was 40 deg., which is still
below the average. The mean daily temperature was,
with two exceptions, below the average from lath
February to the end of last week.
In the ten weeks corresponding to last week of the
years 1842-51, the average number of deaths was 1,034,
which if raised in proportion to increase of population,
becomes 1,137. The present return therefore shows an
amount greater than the corrected average by 95,
Twenty-four children and 6 adults died from small-
pox; in four cases it is stated that the patients had been
previously vaccinated. The following ease of cholera
occurred:—At 55, Marchmont-street, Bloomsbury, on
6th March, the daughter of a journeyman house-
painter. aged 1 year, died of " English cholera (20
hours)." The medical attendant did not see the child
till within three hours of its death.

The following letter has been addressed to the Regis-
trer-General by Mr. Murray, the registrar:—
Sub-district of Hackney-road, Bethnal-green : " Though
no death has occurred which can be clearly traced to
the pestiferous exhalations arising from Bunker's
Pond, I am induced to call your attention to the pre-
sent state of that neighbourhood. The pond is nearly
surrounded by houses, thickly populated; for some
years it received the contents of a sewer, now diverted,
and has been for a long period the receptacle of
all kinds of filth. This has accumulated in masses,
become putrid, and presents a broad, shallow, and stag-
neat surface to the action of the atmosphere. The
consequenee is that a most oppressive and offensive
smell taints the air, and extends beyond the Hackney-
road, a distance of more than a hundred yards, and
is perceptible to persons passing by. The noisome
smell pervades the houses of all who aro obliged to
reside within its reach, and must be highly in-
jurious to health. I am informed by a medical prac-
titioner of high standing that five persons in one family
have within the last few days been ill with typhoid
fever, attributable to this cause, and some of them are
still in danger; that three cases of fever, in the imme-
diate vicinity of the pond, are borne on the books of the
Adelaide Dispensary, and the approaching warm
weather will sensibly aggravate its morbid influence,
unless some remedial measures are adopted."
The following four deaths were registered in the
Small-pox Hospital:—On the Bth of March, a female
servant, aged 28 years, from Lamb's-passage, Chiswell-
street, " small-pox, confluent, unprotected (fifteen days)."
On 9th March a coppersmith, aged 22 years, " small-pox,
confluent, unmodified." Said to have been vaccinated in
infancy at Lougton, Essex; no cicatrix. On 13th March
a sailor, aged 17 years, from Shetland, " small-pox, con-
fluent, unprotected (14 days)." On 13th March a boy,
aged 2 years, from the workhouse, Whitechapel, " small-
pox, confluent, unprotected (11 days)."
In Islington, at 5, Greenman's-lane, on 9th March, the
son of a dyer, aged 4 years, died of " small-pox (12
days)." Mr. Butterfield states that " this child had
three well-defined cicatrices on one arm, and four
on the other, having been vaccinated when young."
At 13, Eagle-street, Red-lion-square, on 6th March,
the son of a gunmaker, aged 9 years, "confluent
small-pox (10 days), not vaccinated." Mr. Goodhugh
states that " the reason assigned by the mother
for not having vaccinated the child was that her
former child had been vaccinated, but died of small-
pox. She had no faith in vaccination." At Great Or-
mond-street, Queen-square, on 7th March, the widow of
a gentleman, aged 60 years, died of " variola (11 days),
nervous fever (7 days), abscesses (20 days), atrophy, de-
lirium (40 days), vaccinated." This lady took small-
pox from nursing her daughter. In Camberwell, at 3,
George-street, on Bth March, a glass-cutter, aged 35
years, died. of "small-pox (12 days)." He had been
vaccinated in infancy.
In Marylebone, at 20, Great Barlow-street, on 11th
March, a woman died at the great age of 101 years from
" decay of nature." Mr. Joseph mentions that " this
old woman was for forty years the keeper of an apple-
stall in Great Marylebone-street, an occupation which
exposed her to all weathers, and which she quitted
only ten months ago, she lived for nearly the same
period in a small room in one of the unhealthiest parts
of this district." The widow of a confectioner died in
the Portuguese Jews' Hospital, Mile-end, at the age of
85 years, after 16 years' residence as an inmate of that
asylum.
Last week the deaths of 39 men and 66 women were
registered at the age of 70 years and under 80; of 14
man and 28 women at the age of 80 years and under 90;
and those of 2 men and 5 women at 90 and upwards.

In Camden-town, the son of a mercantile clerk died
23e hours after birth; he was born prematurely between
fifth and sixth month; weight, llb. Sioz. It is added
that " the case is singular; the child was of perfect de-
velopment, and performed all the functions of nature
during its short existence."

STATE OF THE WEATHER DURING THE PAST WEEK.

SUNDAY.—The sky was cloudless throughout the day.
Electricity—Nothing was shown during the first three days
of the week.

MoNDAY.—The aky was covered with cloud until noon
clear from this time till 6h. P.M., and generally overcast after-
wards ; cirrostratus.

TUESDAY.—The sky was overcast till near noon, and clear
during the remainder of the day; cirrostratus.
WEDNIESDAY.—The sky was covered with cloud till Oh.
30m. P.M., generally clear till 7h. r.m., and overcast after-
wards; cirrostratus. Fog prevailed during the evening.
Electricity—Positive, and tension moderate in the afternoon.
THURSDAY.—The sky was overcast throughout the day ;
cirrostratus. Fog prevailed during the morning. Electricity
—Positive, and tension moderate throughout the day.
FRIDAY.—The sky for the most part was covered with
cloud till near noon, the amount of cloud was variable during
the afternoon, and in the evening the sky was clear; cumuli,
cumulostrati, and cirrostrati. Electricity—Positive, and
tension moderate in the afternoon.
SATunnAr.—The sky was generally clear during the
afternoon, at other times the amount of cloud was variable ;
cumuli, cumulostrati, and cirrostrati. Electricity—Positive,
and tension moderate during the afternoon.
The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main-
mast, and read each day at 9h. A.m. was 41.0° ; and the mean
reading at 9h. P.M. was 37 ; the mean readings at the
Royal Observatory for the same times were 40-14 and 36.7°
respectively.
The reading of the barometer decreased from 30.62 in.
at the beginning of the week to 30.09 in. by 3h. P.m. on
the 11th, and increased to 30.32 in. by the end of the week.

SEABORNE MAILS.
[N signifies that the mails are sent front the General Post-office
by the night—and M by the morning—dispatch.]

When ma4;l;iTa IFrom
what
PLACES. GeneralPost-offlcel port dis- When
London. patched. due.
America (by Brit. pkt.)N,March 19 .. .. Liverpool .. March 22
America (by U.S. pkt.) Nillarch 23 —lLiverpool March 17
America (by ILS.Pht.) M March 31 .. Southampt.
Africa (West coast)• • N 14th of the month Plymouth Iprili3
ieiandriaii N 19th & 30th of mo. Dover .. March 28
Belgium • ° •• •• N Daily • • . • .. Dover • . Daily
Brazil
,„ s • .. M 9th of the month Southampt. April 16
Buenos Agree9th of the month Southampt. April 16
Callfontia.(viaChagree) 31 2d & 17th of month Southampt. Arrived
Cape of Good Hope N 14th of month Plymouth.. April 3
Constantinople* .. •• N 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. March 20
Central America M2d & 17th of mon. Southampt. Arrived
Channel Isles • • • • N Mon., Wed., & Fri. Soutkampt. Tn. Th. Sat
Chill • • • • • • • 31117th of the month Southampt. March 20
France • • ••31 & N Twice daily .. Dover • . Twicedaily
Greece* • • • • • • N r7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. March 20
Hamburgh .. N, Tuesday & Friday London .. Tues. Sat.
Holland .. .. Wednea. & Satur. London Mee.Thur
Honduras . Nll7th of the mouth Southampt. March 20
Ireland •M & N Twice daily .. Holyhead .• Twicedaily
India (via Southamp.) M2oth of the month Southampt. March 21
india(viaMarseilles) N,Bth& 24th efmonth Dover • • April 2
Mediterranean (via
Southarenfon) •• M 20th of the month Southampt. March 21
Medi ten dnean (via
Marseilles) •• N Bth& 24th ofmonth Dover • . April 2
Mexico •• .. M2d of the month.. Southampt. Arrived
Madeira • • • • .. M 9th of the month Southampt. April 16
Malta* f 7th,17th,19th,27th
/1 & 30th of month Dover March 20
Naples* • • • • • • N sth 15th 25th ofme Dover .- March 22
Papal Statos* N 5 th 15th 25th ef mo Dover .. March 22
Peninsular.. • • .. 317th 17th 27th of mo Southampt. April 16
Pena • • • • • • • • Mll7th of the month Southampt. March 20
Tuscany* N sth 15th 25th of mo Dover • • March 22
West Indies M 17th of the month Southampt. March 20
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nassau) M 2d of the month .. Southampt. Arrived

ISouthanipt. !Arrived
ked (*) aro conveyed by

la, via the United States
lean puke*

SUICIDE OF A SOLDER.---011 Saturday afternoon
J. Boyd, private of the 87th depot at Chatham garrison,
threw himself into the Medway, from the steps abutting
Rochester-bridge. The soldier was seen to throw himself in
by a boy, who immediately gave an alarm, but owing to the
rapidity of the tide, and it being high water, the body was
drifted away, and has not been found. It appears that the
deceased was sent home from India on account of his being
insane at the end of the summer.—South-Eastern Gazette.

.UNIVERSAL GAS COMPANY.—Some additional
claimss were yesterday brought before the Blaster in this
matter by Mr. Harding, the official manager, who an-
nounces that a call of 61. per share will be required to dis-
charge the liabilities.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 18.
RIFLE CORPS.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH put a question:to
her Majesty's Government, whether they intended to
adhere to the resolution of the late Governmennt n
give aid to any volunteer corps? For his
ov
hadtheme t o
n theo
t
fullest consi-
deration, pert t hoto
should look upon such a decision with great regret.
The Earl of DERBY said that, upon
o
her Majesty's Government
conclusion that the decision of the late Governmentc
,0 give aid to volunteer rifle corps was just and wise, and
diet. cisiToine, should not
they intended, therefore, to adhetrhoatto
at present give any reason for
the Militia Bill came under discussion their
Lbuortdwshhiepns
would see that it bad not been arrived at without good
foundation.

CRIMINAL LUNATICS.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY after presenting a
petition from the county of Leicester on this subject,
rode to move that a humble address be presented to her
Majesty praying that her Majesty will be graciously
pleased to take into her consideration the expediency of
the establishment of a state asylum for the care and
custody of those who are denominated " criminal luna-
tics." The Noble Earl proceeded to say that the sub-
jsct he was about to introduce could not be novel to
their Lordships. The care and custody of criminal
lunatics had been a matter of great interest, and con-
sithaable care and attention had been bestowed by ma-
gistrates in various parts of the country to the improve-

MARCH 19, 1852.

ment of their asylums. Their attention had been
drawn to the fact that the presence of cilllllll3l lunatics
was a very great bar to the improvement of asylums.
The grievance had become intolerable; and he had been
requested to bring the subject before their Lordships.
He must, in the first place, exonerate the magis-
trates, because they had protested repeatedly against
this practice. He must also exonerate the Com-
missioners of Lunacy, because they had reported
at great length to the Lord Chancellor on the
subject, and proposed a remedy for the evil. More-
over, they had corresponded with the Secretary of
State, pointing out the great evils that had arisen
from the present system. The term " criminal luna-
tics" perhaps seemed to involve something of a con-
tradiction; but it was the ordinary and received term,
and it embraced every class and description of persons
and crime from the miserable idiot who had perpetrated
some enormous act of violence up to the case of the per-
sons who approached insanity, who simulated insanity,
and were perhaps in possession of their senses at the
time they committed the offence with which they had
been charged. The criminal lunatics might be divided
into four classes: the first consisted of those who had
actually become lunatic, at the time fixed for their trial.
The second class was composed of those who, being sane
at the time of their trial, were, by a special verdict,
found to be insane at the time of committing the offence.
The third class were persons who had become lunatic
after sentence had been passed upon them. Now, there
was a fourth class of persons who were confined under
summary conviction—vagrants, and persons convicted
for want of sureties, and who had become insane. The
laws whereby these parties were dealt with and their
detention fixed, were contained in three statutes, viz.,
the 39th and 40th Geo. 111., the Ist and 2d of Vie.,
and the 3d and 4th of Vic. The Noble Earl ex-
plained the nature of those statutes, and proceeded
to say that there was another class of lunatics,
which consisted of persons who might be in danger
of committing some offence. Formerly any magis-
trate might commit them to a gaol or a place of custody;
bat by a late Act it required that two justices staould
commit such person, and that he should be committed,
not to a gaol, but sent to a lunatic asylum or a place of
safe custody. None of these parties, except those com-
mitted by the magistrates, could be liberated without
the authority of the Secretary of State. Now, he
would state the number of criminal lunatics. The total
number of criminal lunatics in England and Wales was
439,360 males, and 79 females. But their Lordships
must observe, that when they came to look at the num-
bers, and examined the offences with which the lunatics
were charged, they would find that the offences were
against life, and under that head they included, not
only simple assaults, but everything that was directed at
life—shooting, cutting, and maiming—their Lordships
would find that, for those offences, the number was 138;
for offences against property and against the person, some
of the latter being of the grossest description, the num-
ber was 188, 163 males and 25 females. The number of
persons convicted of misdemenour was 48; and of those
committed for want of sureties, and who had otherwise
become insane, 43. Their Lordships must not suppose
that although those persons were committed for
want of sureties, they were not dangerous persons,
as he should show that many of them were most
dangerous. Now, these criminal lunatics were distri-
buted in various asylums, and were maintained by the
Government. In Bethlem Hospital there were main-
tained at the Government expense 103 criminal lunatics.
At an asylum near Salisbury there were 57. The ge-
neral treatment of these patients he would next refer
to. The House might judge, in some measure, the evil
effect produced by the presence of these patients among
the other lunatics. Let their Lordships consider the
former life and habits of these parties, who were desig-
nated criminal lunatics. They had pursued a long course
of evil and profligacy, of theft and murder; and the
House must recollect that the lunacy under which they
laboured was often the effect of their own excesses; and
their Lordships would imagine such patients being in-
troduced among the quiet, orderly, timid, and sensitive
lunatics in an asylum, because many of the lunatics were
well-conducted patients—very timid and sensitive, and
the predominant feeling in all their minds was, that the
place they were confined in was a prison, and that they
were sent there for punishment. Upon being associated
with notorious persons, who bad committed crimes of
that description, such a feeling was strengthened; their
minds were worked upon; and the impression which
was thus produced upon them alone tended to
retard their recovery. But, that their Lordships might
form some estimate of the characters of these persons
who were confined in such places, he would state some
of the offences which they had committed. In the asy
lum at Manchester there was a violent man who had
committed a murder. The next case was for an assault
—an attempt to shoot a clergyman; the next was a case
of stabbing; and another party was described as treache-
rous, malignant, and revengeful; another had stabbed
his brother, and so on. Their Lordships would not,
then, wonder at the strong language of the medical su-
perintendents against the further detention of these cri-
minal lunatics along with other patients in ordinary
asylums. He had an extract of the opinions of the
medical superintendents of every public asylum, and a
great many of those of private asylums, and they were
the opinions of eminent and experienced men. Now,
they said it was unjust to associate persons branded
with offences with other lunatics; that the conduct of
criminal lunatics was frequently very violent; that their
habits, from their farmer course of life, were injurious
and pernicious to the other patients; that it was neces-
sary, in consequence of their presence, to exercise
greater vigilance and firmness; and that the whole
disclipine and order of the asylum was interfered with
They said the effect was to expose the lunatics them-
selves to taunts, and that they were irritated when they
saw other persons liberated and they themselves de-
tained; that they endeavoured to escape, and to induce
others to assist them; and that these patients monopo-
lised an undue share of care. But they added this ex-
planatory sentence, which completely destroyed the
other parts of the evidence—" We have always taken
care to conceal from the other patients the fact that the
persons they were confined with were criminal lunatics."
Then, in the report of that admirable institution, the Han-
well asylum, it was stated that the prisoner in the gam
knew he could not escape, but the criminal lunatic
thought he might escape from the asylum; and he,
therefore, simulated insanity in order to get into the
asylum. There was this peculiarity about insane per-
sons, that they were wholly unable to combine, but they
would follow others. Now the remedy that he
proposed for this state of things was that there
should be a state asylum for the separate
care and custody of those persons called
criminal lunatics. This remedy, he thought, was uni-
versally recommended by the medical superintendents
There were many questions which it would be necessary
to discuss before such a measure could be brought before
their Lordships. In the first place, they would have to
consider whether it should be maintained by the state
or by local rates, and whether some discretionary power
should not be given to the Secretary of State as to the
liberation of the prisoners. The law said, that no party
confined as a criminal lunatic could be liberated unless
two medical men would certify that such party was of
sound mind. Now, there were many persons whom they
could certify might be liberated with perfect safety, but
whom they could not certify to be of sound mind. They
would have therefore to consider whether such persons
should ho liberated. And, moreover, they would have
to consider, sooner or later, how far the plea of insanity
was to be admitted. There could be no doubt there was
in the present day a great tendency, both with judges
and juries, to admit that plea. There were, he believed,
persons who openly avowed that they could do what
they pleased. They felt that whatever offence
they might commit, they had the plea of previous in-
sanity to save them from the consequences, and that all
they had to fear was confinement for life. The Noble
Lord concluded by moving the resolution, that a
humble address be presented to her Majesty, to cause
inquiries to be made as to the expediency of esta-
blishing a state asylum for the confinement of lunatic
prisoners.
Lord BERNERS said, reluctant as he was to trespass
on their Lordships' time, he felt it his duty, as one of
the chairmen of quarter sessions, in the county (?t.
Leicester, to state that the petition was agreed to unen.ln
mously, by one of the fullest benches he had ever seen
the county.
o necessity fur
introduced this subject could havee n
their
Lordships' a ftten-
The Earl of DERBY said the Noble Earl who ha
making any apology for directing andth deep
importance
,
tion to a matter of considerable
had devoted his unremitting
because for a long period he
of
s we
of ameliorating the condition
repul-
sive character,/with a view Nor did he suppose that any
attention to matters, o them of the most
of his fellow-creatures.
of their Lordships would be disposed for a moment
immense improvements which
undervalue the imnle had
to unintroduced
been in the system of
of late years
He believed there had b
treating lunatics. He
the last few years
been no greater
improvement within
lleviating the In any science
than in that of a condition of insane
the per-
SOBS. He believed that sufferings of seen persons '
had been greatly diminished, and that there had been a
great gain in the proportion recovered, and therefore he
was quite sure that neither on his part nor on that of
their Lordships, could there be any desire to interfere in
the slightest degree with the humane system of treating
lunatics. But he confessed be was at a lose see the
connexion which his Noble Friend appeared toto
find tbe-
tween the existence of
followed that treatment, which was gene-
rally in lunatic asylums in this country, with
the peculiar question that he had brought under the con-
sideration of the House. His Noble Friend adverted to
that which was undoubtedly an anomaly; an expression
which be might almost say was a contradiction in terms.
To say that a man was a criminal, was to say that he
Was responsible for his actions; and to say that he was
a lunatic, was to say that be was irresponsible; and,
therefore, he saw some difficulty in drawing a
line which his Noble Friend seemed inclined to draw
between criminal lunatics and other lunatics. lie
thought it would be necessary to apply the Came prin-
ciple that he applied to criminal lunatics to all those
who were violent and dangerous, for the only difference
was, that one of them had committed that which, if he had
been in a sane state of mind, would have made him liable
to punishment, and another was in the Same condition
of mind, but had not had the opportunity of doing that
which would mae.him liable to punishment. He was
at a loss to understand en what principle the law had
been regulated as to the two classes—those who were
dealt with by the 39th and 40th George 111., namely,
persons who had been found not guilty of the offences
on which they were charged on the ground of insanity,
and those who, under similar circumstances, had been
similarly dealt with under the Act of the 3d and 4th of
the Queen, and persons who before trial had been found
in fact to be lunatic, and thereupon, without being treed
and without the necessity at the verdict of a jury, had
been, by the authority of two magistrates, and with the
sanction of two medical men, transferred "to a lunatic
asylum. He was unable to account for the distinction with
which these two Classes of persons were treated. There
were betwtten 450 and 470 of all descriptions of cri-