The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-06 00:00:00

DOINGS OF THE MIDDLESEX

MAGISTRATES.

(From the Examiner.)
The vagaries of the irresponsible Justices of the
Metropolitan County are quite unparalleled,—they are
artists in their peculiar line worthy of more attention
than they receive. From the whole bench of Middle-
sex, there are some fifteen or sixteen selected by them-
selves to be a Lunatic Committee of Visiting Justices,
and they reign uncontrouled and uncontrollable, during
their period of office, eligible, however, to be re-selected
if they evince any peculiar aptitude for the duties,
non-attendance being the most important.
They occasionally put forth Reports of their pro-
ceedings, which generally possess in common, a few lead-
ing features, viz.—they show how admirably the insti-
tution under their control is managed—what a very
large proportion of cures is effected—and in consequence
of the extreme salubrity of the situation and the very
great care taken of the lunatics, the amazingly small
amount of mortality—but above all the other ingredi-
ents it must most prominently appear " that the ac-
counts of the institution have been audited according to
the Act of Parliament ;" that is, by themselves, and
what an immense economy they are effecting to the
rate-payers at large.
These materials, usque ad nauseam, no matter whe-
ther they are substantial or merely imaginary, in
the hands of a good artist will make a Report ;
and which, with those who do not take the trouble to
think for themselves, will pass as genuine, and in-
crease the number of dupes, by each succeeding
publication.
We have just been reading the 47th, the 48th,
and 49th Reports of the Visiting Justices of the Mid-
dlesex County Lunatic Asylum, at Hanwell, the first
dated in November last, and the latter in April of the
present year. We select a few portions of each of
these Reports in corroboration of our exordium.
The 47th Report:—
" In the last Report, submitted to the Court, on the 12th
of July, it was stated that the sum of Two THOUSAND
POUNDS, for the fittings and furniture, including the
lighting and warming, was insufficient to meet the ne-
cessary outlays, but the deficiency could not then be ascer-
tained with accuracy ; the annexed statement of the
warming, lighting, and furnishing accounts will show, that
the further sum of Two THOUSAND POUNDS, of which no-
tice is given that the same will be moved for this day, will
be required for completing the warming of the two addi-
tional wings, and for providing the additional furniture
necessary for the increased establishment."

The modest approach upon the county purse is ad-
mirable ! Our original estimate of 2,000/. is insuffi-
cient for our purpose, but the deficiency could not then
be ascertained ; we now find the deficiency to be only
the whole amount of our original estimate, viz. 2,000/.
more!

But the next paragraph is rich in the extreme, be-
cause it is to act as a soothing plaster to cover the
blunder, and to induce the whole bench of Magistrates
to grant the money :
" The general account of the last quarterly account [mind
the accuracy]—the general account of the last quarterly
account, from the Ist of July to the 30th September, is
also (?) satisfactory, inasmuch as there is a balance in fa-
vour of the establishment, amounting to Three Hundred
and nineteen pounds, three shillings, and sevenpence."
The 2,0001. was granted as a matter of course, as it
did not come out of their own pockets, and the rate-
payers had no voice in the matter.

- The 2,000/. being the concluding portion of 24,0001.,
having been thus obtained, the 48th Report, in two
months after, announces, notwithstanding the satis-
factory state of " the General Account of the last
Quarterly Account," that—
" The Committee have been under the necessity of in-
creasing the weekly rate of maintenance for patients from
ss. 3d. to 6s. sd. for the last quarter, which has been
occasioned by the great rise which has taken place in
all kinds of provisions, and the outlay of 7221. 14s. I Id.
for clothing."
The Justices then append a list of the " prices of pro-
visions supplied to the Asylum in December, 18:37, and
December, 1838, will show the increased cost of the
principal articles of consumption ; in each case the
lowest tenders were accepted. The increase on the
average exceeds 19 per cent."
We observed that, at a recent meeting of the Justices,
the Hon. Frederick Byng denounced the whole state-
ment as to the prices being untrue.
And the following extraordinary admission is in con-
sequence extorted from the Visiting Justices, who, in
their 49th Report, page 8, wish
" To correct an error, which appeared on their last
Report, as to the amount of the contract price for beef for
the use of the Asylum, in the December quarter of 1838 ;
the amount should have been stated to be 6s. 2d. instead
of 7s. 9d,. the latter being the contract price of the meat
used at the officer's table."

No doubt the Justices wished to correct the error,
after it was found out, but an error of inserting 7s. 9d.
per stone for beef for 800 lunatics, when the price paid
was only 6s. 2d., is a strong draught upon credulity,
particularly when the Visiting Justices wished, and did
increase, the weekly charge in consequence.
Bat Mr. Frederick Byng further stated, that having
obtained a list of the contract prices paid for provisions
supplied to the Lunatic Asylum, during each of the
four quarters of 1837 and 1838, he found the average
prices on every article of provisions supplied in the
year 1838 were actually less than in 1837, except flour,
which was 2s. 9d. per sack of 280Ibs. higher in 1838
' than in 1837.

We observe in the 48th Report, when the rise in
the weekly charge of the lunatics was announced—
" The Committee have to express their hope that, as the
increase has been occasioned by temporary causes, over
which they could exercise no control, that they will. at no
distant period, be enabled to make some reduction in the
present charge."

• This is the statement of the Visiting Justices of the
Middlesex County Asylum in January last, justifying
the increase of 23 per cent, in the weekly charge upon
the parishes for each lunatic, and " occasioned by
temporary causes over which they had no control."
The 49th Report directly disproves this statement,
because, in justification of another additional increase on
the parishes of 2s. 04d. per week for each lunatic, mak-
ing the increased charge since November, when the last
grant of 24,000/. was made, 3s. 21d. per week, and
which, upon 800 patients, increases the charge to the rate-
payers of nearly 6,7001. a year, they show in page 5
" That since the appointment of the new Superinten-
dent and Steward, great irregularities have taken place
in the issuing of the various orders for the supplies of the
Asylum."

Now we are not disposed to let the Superintendent
and Steward be the scapegoats for the incompetent
Justices. In January, they stated the rise in the
weekly charge to have arisen from circumstances over
which they had no control ; the whole of their own
statements are proved to be untrue by their own docu-
ments, and now they want to shift the blame from their
own shoulders and place it on Dr. Millengen, and Lieut.
Colonel Hunt, the gentleman the Visiting Justices se-
lected to be the House Steward of the Lunatic Asylum.
We shal return to this subject.

TORY LOYALTY-THE BLACK

BURN BELLS.

It has frequently fallen to our lot to contrast the pro-
fessions of the Tory party with their practices ; and
glaring though the discrepancy has often been, we
remember no instances so glaringly—so grossly
indecent--as those manifested by the party in this
town during the last few weeks. It will not
be denied, that the Tories arrogate to themselves
the possession of exclusive loyalty—that the very
basis of their principles are said to consist of an
ardent attachment to the Throne, and of due obedience
to those who, under the Providence of God, may be
called upon to sway the Sceptre. The hollowness of these
prof 2ssions, however, have now been amply revealed. The
illustrious young lady, who now fills andadorns the throne
of her ancestors, is happily imbued with a just esti-
mate of the duties she is called [upon to discharge.
Her Majesty is not content, like many of her prede-
cessors, to court the smiles and favour of a fraction of
her subjects, at the expense of the great majority—
in a word, the Queen of a faction she will not be,
but the Sovereign of all her people. Hence the
exhibitions of loyalty manifested by the " only
loyal party in the State !" When the news ar-
rived in this borough, that the Queen, contrary
to her desire, had consented to send for Sir Ro-
bert Peel, the bells of the parish church rung
a merry peal, in testimony of the joy of the Tories, at
their triumph over the personal feelings of their Sove-
reign ! Since that period her Majesty has been assailed
in the most brutal manner by the Tory press, and the
Ladies of her Household held up to public scorn, as
little better than a coterie of harlots !! ! Viler calum-
nies were never uttered, yet they have not even stopped
here It is a universal custom throughout the country,
for the bells of the parish churches to mark the
birth-day of the Sovereign by a joyous peal. This ob-
servance, we believe, was never omitted in Blackburn up
to Thursday last—the day appointed for the celebration
of the natal day of our young and amiable Queen—yet
the bells that had been strung to harmony to insult her
Majesty,: were now' mute and: motionless on the cele-
bration of her birth-day ! and this is the loyalty of
the party calling themselves " Conservatives !" What
is the Throne to them ? Let the events of the last few
weeks respond :—A worthless bauble if not occupied
by a Tory—a thing to be worshipped, if, through Tory
instrumentality, it may be rendered an instrument of
oppression to all who do not conform to their views!
Shame upon such Loyalty !—Blackburn Gazette.