The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-09 00:00:00

SOOCHOW.

Lord NAAS asked the Lnder•Secrettary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether any despatches had been received
during the recess from Sir Frederick Bruce relative to the
st Ite of affairs in China ; and whether the Government have
received any official accounts of the proceedings of the
Chinese force under the command of Major Gordon of the
Ray al Engineers ; and, if so, whether he would lay them

„ •
upon the table of the house ; also, whether he
would lay upon the table all the documents
is possession of the Government relative to the dis-
missal of Mr. Lay from the service of the Emperor of China
and the withdrawal from the Chinese waters of the fleet
lately under the command of Captain Sherard Osborne, of
the Royal Navy,

Mr. LAYARD said the papers in question would be laid
on the table, and at present he was unable to gave the in-
formation required respecting Mr. Lay.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN.

In reply to Lord R. CECIL,

Lord PALMERSTON said the Government had re-
monstrated with the Governments of Prussia and Austria with
respect to the proceedings adoptedrelative to Prince Angus-
tenberg, on the ground that those proceedings were totally
inconsistent with the treaty of 1852, to which both these
Powers were parties. The Prussian Government had
stated their intention to abide by that treaty and
maintain the integrity of the Danish Monarchy. It was
announced also that the Prussian and Austrian Govern-
ments were ready to discuss any questions that
might arise with the other powers that were

-paZti,s to the treaty, It was asserted that the resistance
at Schleswig and the hostilities that ensued terminated the
obligations of that treaty. He utterly denied that doctrine.
(Hear, hear.) If it were adopted, a strong power would have
nothing to do but to make an unprovoked assault on a
Power and say that their own act had put an end to any
treaty, 112 repeated what he had already said, that the
Prussian Government avowed their intention to maintain
the integrity of the Danish kingdom. (Hear, hear.)
IHE LORDS COMMISSIONERS' SPEECH.

Oa the motion for the adoption of that portion of the
Speech which relates to the estimates,
Mr. BENTINCK expressed a hope that the military

forces of this country, and more particularly the cavalry,
would be maintained in a state of efficiency. He expressed
a hope also that the Government would give the house an
assurance that this country would not be drawn into war.
Lord PALMERSTON said he thought the subject of
the t fficiency of our troops should have been postponed
until the army estimates were brought forward. He had
too much confidence in the spirit and resources of the
country that it would not be prepared for any emergency
that might arise. With regard to the other portion of the
honourable member's observations, he must decline giving
any information as to what course Government would pursue
uwier some future state of circumstances, and he declined
ft; play the part of prophet. (Laughter.) If it were neces-
sary to make an armed demonstration the country pos-
sessed strength and energy sufficient for the occasion.
(Ilear, hear.).
The motion was then agreed to.
Sift J. LAWRENCE'S ANNUITY.

On the motion of Sir C. WOOD, the resolution of com-
mittee that the pension to Sir J. Lawrence should be con-
tihued, which was seconded by Lord STANLEY, and sup-
p ,rt,;d by Colonel SYKES, was agreed to.
MALT DUTY.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER obtained
have to bring in a bill to allow the making of malt duty
free to be used iu the feeding of cattle, and explained that he
only asked for a permissive measure for two years.
TREATMENT OF CRIMINAL LUNATICS.

Sir G. GREY, in rising to bring in a bill to amend tl-e
ls.w relating to the car and treatment of criminal lunatics,
said—Sir, I think I ought at the outset to state to you what
is the existing form of the law on that subject which I pro-
pose to amend. The present law is contained in the 3d and
4th of her Majesty's present reign, chap. 24, see. 1. That
Act was an amendment to the Act which was previously in
fotee-9th and 10th Geo. IV., chap. 40, sec. 53. That was
a general Act to amend the laws for the regulation of
county lunatic asylums; and the object was more eftectu•
ally to provide for the maintenance of criminal lunatics in
Eugland and Wales. Explaining the condition of the law
before the present Act, was passed, the right hon. gentle-
man said it might be considered as applicable to two classes
of nrisoners only, who on
-being certified to be insane, might
removed to a lunatic asylum. The two classes of priao-
l'ets were those undergoing a sentence of imprisonment in
boreassa or county gaols, and those under sentence of trans-
P!'run'on ; and the Act provided that they might bo certi-
fied to be ineane b-
y two physicians or surgeons, and on the
certificate being received by the Secretary of State, it should
be :await tor him to direct, by a warrant of removal, that
the person SO certified to be insane should be removed to
some lunatic asylum, there to be detained until he was cer-
tified to have become sane by two physicians or surgeons;
in whiyh. case, upon, the receipt of such certificate, the Se-
cretary of State, if the term
imprisonment were expired
should be empowered to discharge him, and it not expired,
to send him back to prison, with
a view to his under-
going the remainder of his punishment. In 1840 that
provision was revived, and the present law was passed
making material altenltions. The first alteration related
to the class of prisoners who were included in the
operation of the law. The object of the Act seems to
have been to remove insane persons
o f all descriptions
charged with any crime from the prisons in which they were
confined, and to subject them to proper medical care
and
treatment in some lunatic asylum. The first alteration in
the law passed in 1840 was that all classes of criminal luna-
tics were included in the provisions of that Act. The right
hon. gentleman quoted the Act, which specified that the
inquiry into the state of mind of the suspected lunatic pri-
soner was to be conducted by two justices of the county,
borough, or place where he was confined, assisted by two
medical men. The Act, therefore, he said, threw the re-
sponsibility upon the justices. is under this Act that
the case of Townley has occurred—a case which has pro-
perly excited a good deal
of public interest, and with regard
to which I feel it my duty to give the fullest explanation of
the whole of the circumstances which occurred. (Hear.)
It is well known that Townley was convicted of murder. 1
need not enter into the circumstances of the crime. It is
sefficicnt to say that he was tried for wilful murder, con-
victed, and sentenced by the judge. I may add that a plea
of insanity was set up on the trial; but that defence failed,
and ho was convicted and found guilty of wilful murder.
The day after the trial the judge, Mr, Baron Martin, ad-
dressed this letter to me :

Nottingham, Deo. 13, 1863.

Sir,—George Victor Townley Was convicted yesterday
before me, at Derby, of wilful murder, and sentenced to be
executed. I have directed a copy of my not es to be made
for you, if you should desire to have them; but there is a
full report of the trial in the newspapers. :Vile conviction
was, in my opinion, right but Dr. Foam Yinalgiv and