The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-20 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

On Friday a commission of lunacy was opened at the
Swan-inn, Old Brompton, before the Chief Commis-
sioner, Mr. Phillimore, and Commissioners Winslow and
West, to inquire into the state of mind of William Au-
gustus Newton, Esq., a solicitor, formerly, of South-
square, Gray's-inn, and Amersham, Bucks, and now an
inmate of Messrs. Elliot's lunatic asylum, Cowper-house,
Old Brompton.
Mr. Wakefield, Queen's Counsel, of the Chancery bar,
attended in support of the commission ; and. Mr.
Heaton, of the Queen's Bench, on behalf of Mr. Newton.
The Learned CHIEF CommissioNEß having directed
the attention of the Jury to the points for their con-
sideration,
Mr. Wakefield observed that he attended on this me-
lancholy occasion on behalf of the wife of Mr. Newton,
at whose instance the commission had been sued out, and
it would be most satisfactory to that lady's feelings if the
result of this inquiry should be the establishment of her
husband's sanity.
Mr. Cyrus Alexander Elliot examined—l knew Wil-
liam Augustus Newton. I first became acquainted with
him on the 12th of November, 1839. He was then in
a very excited state, and I saw him in his garden, at
Amersham, Bucks, running up and down without his
coat. He had then two attendants with him ; he was
removed to our establishment, Cowper-house, upon the
certificate of Dr. Rumsey, and lie has remained under our
care ever since. I have conversed with him daily, and
he has told me that he formerly belonged to the
nary, and had served under Nelson at the battle
of Trafalgar. He has stated that he was on
board the Euryalus, a flag frigate, employed to
carry signals round the fleet, when the vessels were
at a distance. While so engaged, he boarded a French
vessel, ran up the mast, and taking down the
colours, he wrapped them round his body. He then re-
turned to his own ship, but received three wounds in his
gallant enterprise; one lie described in his forehead,
where he certainly has got a scar ; another on his finger,
where he also has a scar ; and the third he told me was
made by a boarding-pike being thrust through him,
which entered his naval and came an'inch and a half out
of his back. I examined his back, and finding no scar
there, I mentioned it to him, and he said that the wound
had healed ; he added, that lie was promoted to a lieu-
tenancy in consideration of his gallantry. I remarked
that he must have been a very young lieutenant, as he
could not have been above ten or twelve years of age,
upon which he said he had been in other actions. He
had been at Corunna and fought under Sir John Moore,
and the spent ball which killed the general struck an
officer near him, and in falling the latter knocked, him
down. After giving other instances of the patient's state
of mind, witness said in conclusion he was decidedly of
opinion that he was incapable of governing himself and
his affiiirs.

Drs. Monro, Southey, and Sutherland, and a number
of other witnesses were examined, from whose testimony
it appeared that Mr. Newton laboured under the delu-
sion that he . obtained a medal at Oxford, that he went
to the battle of Waterloo to make officers' wills, that he

had been engaged oh board the Asia and Sparrowhawk
in cutting out vessels in the Channel, and he entered
the San Josef at Plymouth, and that he had shot six of
his keepers in 1839. Proof was also adduced that he
had never been in the navy, and his disease was stated
to be of a permanent nature, as it arose from paralysis.
Upon tffe introduction of Mr. Newton, who is of di-
minutive stature, the Chief Commissioner asked him
if he was aware what he came there fur ? To which he
replied, "To be discharged." Upon further interroga-
tion, be said that he was in a very nervous state when
he went to Messrs. Elliot's, in 1839, but that he was
now quite well. He was aware of the nature of the pro-
ceeding, and had no objection to answer any question.
He was born on the 12th of September, 1795, at Taun-
ton, in Somerset, and his father was a coal-merchant.
He was articled to Cardale's, in Bedford-row, and after-
wards became a partner, and was solicitor to the trea-
surer and benchers of Gray's Inn. If he had his liberty
he should continue to reside at Amersham, and come up
to town to chambers as usual.

The Chief Commissioner then questioned him about
the delusions detailed in evidence ; upon which Mr.
Newton exhibited his insanity by his incoherent and in-
consistent answers. Ile insisted that he was a member
of the United Service Club, and said he was introduced
by Sir Hussey Vivian, who was his client. Upon leaving
the room he thanked the Jury for their kindness.
Mr. Heaton said he had been instructed to watch the
case on the part of Mr. Newton, and having satisfied his
own mind of the unfortunate gentleman's insanity, he did
not feel justifie 1 in troubling the Jury with any remarks.
'The Jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict, find-
ing Mr. Newton of unsound mind since the 12th Novem-
ber, 1839.

('iIIPONSIE--F THEIII
peicnitaol
RCECOOUNSRTRTuc
LAW COURTS.
Courtsid was held for the purpose of re.
OCNI:ry. COUNCIL.L,I
On a S
re-
ceiving and Fridaytaking
Lands'Committee relative to e.ration the Report of the City
Law Courts of the City. important improvements in the
Deputy BRIDGE, in bringing up
Com-
mittee, called the attention of the Court
the Report of the
proposed improvements, which he to the model of the
said had met '
cidel approbation of all who had seen it, and with the de-
various advantages likely to result to those which detailed the
partments connected with the administrationenolaged in the de-
th, public, from the adoption of the suggestion justice, and
of
the to
mittee. The Report briefly stated " that the Committee Como
had
viewed the Courts, and heard Dr. Reid on the
subject
adapting them to his plans of ventilation and sound, ;:nd of
reefed the Clerk of the City Works to propose plans for thecredi_
of the three Courts of Justice in the buildingc
the east side of Guildhall-yard—the Court of Queen's Bench,n
the Court of Exchequer, and the Court of Common Pleas—
ant! for providing the necessary accommodation for the Court,
Counsel. Attorneys, Jurymen, and witnesses, and that the es-
timate of the expense of carrying such alterations into effect
bring 8,600/., inclusive of the expense of adopting Dr. Reid's
plans of ventilation, and said the Committee were of opinion
that great convenience would be afforded thereby to the public,
and recommended that they should be empowered to give the
necessary directions for the performance of the works, and af-
terwards to draw upon the Chamberlain for the expenses in-
curred." After some observations as to the expediency of
making the proposed alterations, he moved that the Report he
agreed to, and sent back to the Committee to be carried into
effect.
A short discussion followed, when the motion was adopted by
a majority of 49 to 31.

MINISTERIAL CHANGES.—An old lady is
said to have thus expressed her opinion of Ministerial
changes :—" In my time there was Lord North and the
South Sea bubble, and Billy Pitt the Tory, and Charley
Fox, Mr. Percival, and Bellingham, and Lord Liverpool,
and Castlereagh, and Canning. Oh, dear ! I forget who
they all were, and what they talked about ; they talked
a great deal, and made a great noise, and all the
time the people cried, ' Change me the Ministers,'
and grumbled ; and then, after one change, Change
me them again,' and they grumbled ; and so. change
and grumble, change and grumble ; and the only thing
they did not change was their grumble ; and so it has
been always. Ido not hear as much as I used, but I dare
say they grumble all the same."