The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-21 00:00:00

LUNATICS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR then rose to move fer
a-vmain returns relative to lunatdcb, whose property was
placed at the disposal of the Court of Chancery. The
average number of lunatics Under the cure and direction of
the Overt averaged M. From the inforMation which he
bad been enabled to acquire on the subject, he hail to state
that the nunaher of persons Labouring under mental derange.
anent, who hail been placed under the direction of the
Court, amounted, one year WWI another, to 400. Those
were, of course, petitions who bad been possessed of pro-
perry, more or lent; and the 'Court uniformly, in dealing
with their cases, directed that :their persons and properties
should be p'easesi under the care of a Committee, and a fair
and reasonable provision for their maintenance, comfort,
anal, if possible, for their cure, should be allowed ; and, as
a aeeeaaary consequence, that they should he immediately
restored to the enjoyment tif all their rights at the earliest
moment that was at till consistent with a clue preservation
of the property to which, as sane men, they would he en-
titled. The amount of property for these 400 persons
wi h which the Court had to deal was no less than
1813,0001 Ile need scarcely inform their Lordships,
that under each successive Lord Chancellor every imagin-
dlile care was taken that those unhappy persons should
have the benefit of all kind and gentle treatment, and
every possible vigilance was exerted in superintending the
nimioistration of their funds. No pains were spared
in perliwining the difficult, important, and delicate task
which arose from such. care and custody of their pe-
suns us were calculated to proinete their recovery. As to
tinge 'property' the parties 'to-Whose care that was commit-
tett were, generally. speaking, too Much interested in its
preservation to alinveit amuck to Softer. The Court from
time to time :Wait 100;10*bn:es' to' exercise a severe con-
true!, in order to its being assitrell that none were found to
be dun itic 'escalating-those airtio.were really in.: From the
first moment at which. they were . placed under the pro.
satiation of the Great hut, the utmost care was taken that
no unnecessary restraint iraa iMposed, and even that no
Connuitsaion he issued till absolutely nete.sary. Finally,
oven under a Statute of Lunacy, nothing was done until a
lade= inquiry and trial before a competent tribunal
estahli.bed its necessity; thus every possible shield WOO
interposed for the protection of those unhappy persons, so
at that they should nut be easily, or without absolute ne-
cessity, placed in the hands' of a committee; 'and even
after they were so f.tinitnitted, no precaution was beg-
lected that could guard them against any species of ill
treatment, or secure their properties against waste or in-
jury; and they were uniformly watched with the utmost
cure, that the earliest moment of returning reason might be
taken advantage of, for the purpose of restoring to them
The management of their property, and the possession of
freedom. It (wetted to his iiumediate predecessor that
means ought to be adopted for acquiring fuller information
apon the subject of cases of hanat7 than bad theretofore been
laid before the Court; and, with that view, he bad issued
vireo! ore for the pnrpose of ascertaining the number of
caws in which the patients had recovered. He had ota,
mated answers with respect to twenty-five thousand some
o 'd Wadi-eds. Their Lordships would perceive that that
was an exceedingly barge number for the calculation to
operate on-; and that included as well those who had been
shut up only for a few =rajas as those who might have
been in confinement for years, and it was, therefore, ne
matter of surprise that the cures were frequently as one
to two and a sixth, and one to two and a half. That was
the average recovery ; but it was never to be lost sight of,
that the numbers referred to included those who were tem.
pararily shut up upon a sudden breaking out of insanity ;
whereas, the average number of 400 under the care of the
Court of Chancery embraced no cases except those of some
standing ; it was accordingly not to be wondered at that
the number of cures should, in that aggregate, hear a
small proportion to the whole, far months anti months
frequently elapsed before a Statute of Lunacy was issued
from the Court of Chancery. It was, therefore, true that
the cures to such eases did nut amount to more than one
in ten—or, if he said one in twenty, he might be nearer
to the mark. It occurred to him that it would be a great
improvement to their present system if a small medical
hoard were appointed—say, consisting of two physicians
—men accustomed to the care of persons mentally de-
ranged—that is, men who had been accustomed to direct
their attention to symptoms and treatment of those dis.
eases, and the inquiries connected therewith—not persons
of the class usually called " mad doctor,"---then who keep
lunatic asylums—men highly useful to the community,
and thwart!s whom he meant to convey no reproach—but
who, front their previous habits, wauld, he conceived, be
the most useful pereime in the. world to Constitute members
of the Board which was then in his contemplation. The
persons whom he thought best qualified for such a Board
would be men wit° were general Members of the medical ,
proh,Ssion ; they would pat the beet qualified to compose'
a Board, that, from time to time, would inquire into'
the cases of the lunatics under the care of the Court of
Chancery---who would form an efficient check upon the
profes,ional men to whose care those unhappy persons
*eight be committed, and who thereby could advise and
enable the Court to see that they were well cured, or
humanely watched and treated, so that not a moment's delay
'dumld interpose between the return of sanity and the peace-
ful restoration of their rights. This then was an outline of
what he proposed to do; and if any doubt existed as to the
power of the Court in the cases that might arise and which
the interference of such a Board might create, a legislative
enactment would of courts supply all defects. lie should
not just then have incrosehed upon their Lordships, but
that he apprehended another opportunity would not be
afforded to him previous to tiro recess; and before stating
his motion, he wished to express a hope that his Noble
and Learned' Friend would not disdain to afford that assist
once iu improving the administration of the Court which
his great eaperienee enabled him so eminently to franish.
lii concluded by moving for a return of all the Lunatics
at lament under the care of the Court of Chancery, with
the dates of the issues of the Commissions in their cases,
With the cad:mated total rents and profita of their estates.
- The Earl of _ELDON said, that the jurisdiction over
lunatics Neat not its the 'Court of Chancery, but in the
King. Thou Lord Chancellor was Always the person ap.
poirtkii, but the et outminicoa issued from the King. Sc,
king as hl3lll the Seale he Moat assiduously laboured to
do all that could possibly be done to improve the condi-
tion of:4a hinatielt.--to adopt all means for promoting
,Muir reeeveryouset preserving thee property. Ile ex-
, peesied.A. peqeet. willingnees to afford every assistance in
)i ; b. patWer to his riStale-And Leaned Friend in improving
444,ydraiitrAtion, el Sha Conn of Chancery.
y rs!,;',,,The LOBO CHANCWLI.,OR begged to say a ward in
\-'4Flarratio' 00446011 of 014 persons who devOltad

themselves to -the die of those who were insane, he desired
to be underitood that he meant to convey n'othint more
than 'that they had a strong prejudice in favou'r of mad-
ness, Prom his knowledge of "their feelings and prepos-
sessions, acquired dining tie p7actice at the bar, he was
prepared to say that they were too ready to see madness
where no ono else could see it. He repeated his earnest
wish for the assistance of his Noble and Lea'riied Priemd on
the Cross-heuch.
The Patents' Contiraition Bill was then read a third
time,

,ItS`I'ICES OF THE PEACE (IRELAND.)
Earl GREY brought in a Bill to extend the Commis-
sions of the Peace in Ireland beyond the Sltith of this
month, when they would necessarily expire. The Lord
Lieutenant left Irelattil withiMt providing for the dontin-
gi•ncy that had °tamed ; and the Lord t hancellor, as one
of the V
Ards Yustieea, donbied tOsether he could issue or
join in issuing an 'oiler to himself for continuing the Com-
ruissione. He hoped that the House would allow hill to
introduce a till for remedying the inconvenience Which
had arisen, and permit it to pass through its stages with
as little delay as possible.
The Bill was then, ready a first time.
.SWAN. RIVER SETTLEMENT.
Leal rfEYNHANI rose to call the attention of the
!house to the subject of the Swan River Settlement, and
to put a question to the Noble Secretary for the Colonies,
relative to the condition of that settlement. An extract
of a letter on the condition of the settlement had appeared
in the Morning Chronicle, which, both on account of the
high character of the paper, and the importance of the
subject, was well worthy of attention. He would read to
their Lordships the notice in the Morning Chronicle,
which was in these terms:---
" DISTRESS IN THE SWAN RIVER. SETTLIIIKIINT.—
The following is an extract Peons a letter just received
from one of the most extensive of the settlers in Van
Dietnan's Land :—‘ The Swan River settlement is with
us, just now, a constant subject of diecouise. Messrs.
Bryan made a good speculation in the William there.
Flour soil for 601, per ton, potatoes for 151., and salt pro-
visions for Bd. per pound ; the whole of which was taken
off their hands by the Governor. The live stock Was Un-
saleable, till the Governor (Stirling) gave them a grant of
350,000 acre* to put it on. The objection Mr. Bryan
made to a second venture of provision was sufficiently
descriptive of the state of the colony. He could not afford
to supply a starving population from charity, and it wan
already out of their power to pay for their food. Their
furniture, agricultural implements, all their preparations
for comfort, are exposed to the weather, themselves are
sheltered in huts formed of blankets. The country, for
a hundred miles round, is an arid sand or hare rock,
no grass, no timber. Dr. Westbrook who came from that
place to this six months ago, told me he saw the grave for
the first person who died there dug. It was nine feet
deep, and the sand from the bottom was, when thrown
up, fit for an hour-glass. The live stock dies in general
a few days after landing, supposed to he poisoned by some
herb or shrub, to avoid which certain lees, most sheep
taken these to be sold, or to breed from, are killed in the
ships, and retailed as fresh provisions. The bush does not
help them, as here ; for there are no kangaroos, nor even
opossums. The place must be abandoned ; and I suppose
the number of people will oblige the Government to re-
move them to a more promising part of the coast. It is,
in fact, a second Poyais. What notice will be taken of
Captain Stirling's misrepresentations remains to be seen.
He might be supposed to have but a slight knowledge of the
quality of the land; but the very roadsted is altogether
unsafe for shipping, though described by him as a fine
harbour. Six vessels were ashore when the Britannia was
these ; three of them were complete wrecks. I have seen
several stout anchors broken on the coral rocks before
Fremantle. Mr. Bryan reports that there are not less
than 200 females there, many of them used to more than
the common comforts of life, and yet they must starve, if
not relieved by the Government, as their own resources
are exhausted.' "

This was certainly a matter of deep and awful im-
portance. Many people had embarked the whole of their
property in this speculation, and great responsibility had
been incurred, and great blame appeared to rest some-
where. Of course be did not mean to say that any blame
attached to the present Ministers, but if this representa-
tion was at all correct, blame must attach to some of their
predecessors; and at all events it was highly desirable that
some satisfactory explanation should be given on the sub-
ject. Much bud been said on the subject of emigration,
which many had encouraged from a notion that thiscoun-
try war ever-peopled. But from what he knew of some
parishes in the county of Kent, they did not euntain more
than the usual numbers, nor a greater number than might
have been employed to advantage, if the farmer. had the
means of employing them. But the farmers had not the
means of employing them at present, and that was one
great cause of the distress. If he were to judge from these
instances of the state of the whole country, he would be led
to conclude that there was no extraordinary superabund-
ance of population. The capences of 'these emigrations
were enormous, and perhaps it would be much better to
colonize at home. A Noble Lord, who had presented a
petition on the subject had stated that he had observed in
a day's ride to town 12,000 acres of waste land, and all
this might probably be tskeu in with advantage, and
afford employment to the great body of the peasantry.
There were fifteen millions of acres of waste lands in the
whole country, and the taking them in might be formed
into a source of employment which would make every
peasant in the country happy. But no Administration
had taken this matter in hand, and the people of this
country were left to purchase articles front foreigners
which might be very well produced at home. He hoped,
however, that some plan of domestic colonization would be
at last adopted ; but in the mean time he wished to know
front the Noble Lord at the bead of the Colonial Depart.
ment, whether it was the intention of his Majesty's Go-
vernment to abandon the settlement on the Swan River,
and whether the reports and representations as to the
wretched condition of the colony were correct ?
Lard GODERIOII observed, in reply, that the Govern-
ment had every reason to believe that the imputations on
the Swan River were not founded in justice. It was
not his intention at present to enter upon a discussion of
the comparative merits of the systems of foreign and do-
mestic colonization, nor did he mean to pronounce
which was the hatter plan—to promote emigration or
to employ the peasantry in cultivating these fifteen
millions of acres of waste land. But with regard to the
particular question put to him by the Noble Lord, he had
to answer that, as far as he was informed, it was not at
present the intention of his Majesty's Government to aban-
don the Swan River settlemeut. If the Government
could rely on the last authentic accounts which they had
received from the settlement, there was every prospect of
its being a very useful establishment, and one which was
likely to realise all the expectations that had been formed
of it. Every one who knew anything about colonization,
knew that at the outset it was attended.with great diffa•
cultic., anti it was expected that those who attempted the
enterprise should be endowed with those moral qualities of
energy, perseverance and patience, which such en under-
taking required. But some people, no doubt, would
embark in such enterprises upon erroneous views and
speculations, without duly estimating the preliminary
hardships and privations which mast be endured in
such situations, and these persona would no doubt b•
disappointed. The last communication which the Go-
♦ernntunt had received was a letter or despateh from
Governor Stirling to Sir George Murray, dated the 20th of
January last, and that communication gave no account of
the distress of the colony, but on the contrary was on the
whole very favourable. That document was now at the
office, ready to be laid on their Lordship's table if called
for, and it gave very full information on the subject, and
the individual from whom it proceeded was well known to
be a man of cultivated mind, and of talents which fully
qualified him to give Accurate information on such a sub-
ject. There was no objection whatever to the production
of that document; and if the Noble Lord should follow up
his question with the motion which, as he had intimated
to him, it was his intention to make, he would move, by
way of amendment, that a call for this document should
he substituted in its place. This was the last authentic
document nit the subject, and contained all the information
which the Government at present had. The Noble Lord
must be aware that it would be very imprudent in Go-
vernment to act on loose and vague reports.
Lord TEYN HAM expressed surprise that Government
should nut have been able to procure information of so late
a date as that which had been obtained by private indi-
viduals. Some of these had received information of so late
a date as the 4th of May last, and it was singular that the
Government alone should be misinformed. Some of these
accounts stated that there were no lands fit fur cultivation
beyond certain mountains mentioned ; and that the people
were suffering very considerably. He hoped that the Go-
verment would give directions to afford some relief to

those who were suffering from the effects of a speculation
undertaken without 'consideration, and concluded by
moving for an account of the number of ships cleared out
for the Smut River settlement during a certain period,
and fur an account of the lands in cultivation there.

Lord GODERICII observed, that the information to
which the Noble Lord bad alluded, as having been ob-
tained by private individuals, was not direct from the
Swan River, but from other quarters, which probably
came from the Swan River, if it cents at all, at a much
earlier period than the information received by the Go-

vertimint. As to the Arst part of the Noble Lords motion,
there could be no objection to it, and he would only add
to it, that the communication from Governor Stirling to
Sir George Murray, dated the 20th of January last, be
laid on the table.

The motion, without addition or amendment, was
agreed to. _ _ _

DEBTORS' BILL.

Lord WYNFOHD moved the second reading of his Bill
for preventing frauds on creditors by debtors lying in gaol.
The Loan CHANCELLOR and Lord Er DON intimated
some objection to one Clause in the Bill, but said
that the discussion of the principle might take place on the
motion for going into the Committee.
Lord WYNFORD said, that he would not insist on the
clause in question if he found that other Noble and Learned
Lords thought it objectionable; and, if he yielded to any
Noble Lord, he would yield to his Noble and Learned
Friend (Eldon)► He had no objection to postpone the dis-
cuiision, but he was desirous that the Bill should be for•
warded a stage. _

The Bill was then read a second time.
Adjourned till to-morrow (this day), at Half-past Three
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Dec. 20.

Petitions were presented from a great many places,
praying for the Abolition of S:avery, Reduction of Taxa-
tion, and Parliamentary Reform.
Mr. Alderman WOOD moved for a return of the pay
and salaries of all persons engaged in public offices during
the year* 1828 and 1829.—Ordered.
Sir J. NEWPORT moved for various returns connected
with the Established Church of Ireland.—Ordered.
Sir It. INGLIS obtained leave for the Carrickfergus
Committee to sit during the adjournment of the House.
A number of petitions were presented by Mr. KEN.
NIDE and Sir R. FERGUSSON from Glasgow and other
places, praying for an extension of the elective franchise
iu Scotland.