The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-22 00:00:00

THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF,

HOTEL AND TAVERN-KEEPERS' PROVIDENT INSTITU-
TION.—The fifteenth annual meeting of subscribers to the
above institution was held yesterday at the Craven Hotel,
Strand, the object being to receive the annual report of
the committee, the auditors report, and to elect officers
for the ensuing year. Mr. S. Lovegrove presided. From
the report which was read at the meeting the income
from all sources for the past year appeared to be 446/. 3s.
2d., and the disbursements to 20 members and 12 widows
of members, 2291. 25.; and after deducting the current
expenses of the year there remained a balance of 1101.
10s. sd. The number of recipients had annually in-
creased from 8 in 1847 to 32 in 1852, and amongst the
whole number relieved during that period the large sum
of 1,2641. 9s. had been distributed. The report further
mentioned two remarkable instances of the usefulness of
the institution. In one instance, where a subscriber had
press in 81. Bs. he had, on subsequently coming to dis-
, ceived up to the present time 1021. is.; and
another, who had paid in 9/. 95., had received from the
funds 951. The report concluded with a grateful enu-
meration of the benefactors of the ipn.s,tithlione,enansedntthede
announcement that Mr. Bass, m.
to preside at the next anniversary festival.—The Chair-
man, in opening the proceedings, briefly called at-
tention to the above facts contained in the report, and
moved its adoption. One or two questions were asked
respecting the mode of distribution, and were satisfac-
torily answered, after which the report was unanimously
adopted. Thanks were voted to Mr. Alderman Salo-
mons for n
to his kindness in becoming a vice patron of the
associatio ; Mr. Masterman, M.p., for his donation
of 51. 55., being the ninth sum of that amount he had
given to the institution ; and also to the honorary con-
tributors, whom the chairman informed the meeting were
principally ladies. Officers for the ensuing year were
then elected, and the proceedings terminated with the
usual vote of thanks to the chairman.
COMMISSION OF LUNACY ON A COMEDlAN.—Yester-
day, Mr. Commissioner Winslow held a court at the
Bridge House Hotel, London-bridge, to inquire into
the state of mind of Benjamin Crowther, formerly a
comedian, engaged at Astley's, and more recently of the
Surrey Theatre. It resulted from the evidence of seve-
ral of the witnesses that Mr. Crowther was married to
Miss Vincent, lessee of the Victoria Theatre, on the
14 of February, 1852, when he was in full health. After
the ceremony he proceeded to Brighton with Mrs.
Crowther, and was attacked with fever, followed by
what now appears to be a settled mental derangement.
He was at first sent to a lunatic asylum in Camberwell,
and subsequently to another, at Bethnal-greenas before;buthaist
the time of this inquiry, which was instituted by his
brother, he was residing with his father,
marriage. Before his removal to an asylum his behaviour
had been marked by great excitement, alternately with
depression, fear being the predominant emotion. In the
course of the inquiry the alleged lunatic was introduced.
Having rushed about the room, threatening to write
challenges and to shoot several people, using at the
same time verydifficulty led out of the room. The jury re-
That Benjamin Crowther is now of
unsound mind, incapable of managing himself and his
affairs, and has been so since the 18th Feb., 1852."
THE LAW or DIVORCE.—The first report of the Com-
missioners appointed by her Majesty to inquire into the
law of divorce, and more particularly into the mode of
obtaining divorces el vinculo makimonii, has just been
laid before Parliament. After an elaborate summary of
the history of the law from the earliest times, and a
statement of the inconveniences occasioned by its present
state, the Commissioners proceed to make various sug-
gestions as to the alterations and improvements which
they think may be made in the law with prudence and
safety. The principal of these suggestions are, that the
distinction between divorce meusel et th,oro and divorce
vinculo matrimonii shall still be maintained, but that
the latter shall be allowed for adultery only, and that a
verdict at law and an ecclesiastical sentence shall not be
considered as preliminary conditions which must be
complied with before it can be obtained. They recom-
mend that the existing mode of obtaining a divorce a
vinculo shall no longer be continued, but that a new
tribunal shall be constituted to try all questions of
divorce, and also all matrimonial questions now deter-
mined in the ecclesiastical courts, and that this tribunal
shall consist of a Vice-Chancellor, a common law Judge,
and a Judge of the Ecclesiastical Courts. Lastly, they
recommend that there shall be only one appeal from the
decree of the court, and that the appeal shall be carried
to the House of Lords.
SUICIDE OP A. LIVERPOOL GENTLEMAN.--A very pain-
ful affair has occurred at West Derby, near Liverpool
Mr. Richard Benson Blundell Hollingshead Blundell,r a
county magistrate, has been for some daysmissing from
tom
his home, Deysbrook, West Derby, and, though diligent
search
ts
ae
inr
ec
dh
Sundayquir y
morning, were madefor
whenhim,reshi dise ihno l
coed. clue ule
twa
was
was
sse
found
dt-
in a ponuadrnidtniliont far from his own
•
first supposed that he had been murtdoereehde,wbutthaat furtherththe in-
examination of the remains tended

luries upon the person were self-inflicted, and not such

as to lead to the supposition that a murder had been
perpetrated. The deceased gentleman, though very
wealthy, was labouring under the singular impression
that he should come to poverty, and this so weighed
upon his mind as to lead to the commission of the me-
lancholy act described.