The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-10 00:00:00

punishment. Insanity is attempted to be proved by the
act itself—by a hereditary taint, and by the prisoner's
own conduct. On the first point, could any body
seriously maintain that on the commission of an atrocious
act, insanity should be argued from the act itself ? When
they came to look at the character of the prisoner's mind,
he was afraid they could not come to any conclusion re-
garding insanity from the aet itself. Where could they
find any delusions exis'ing inducing the prisoner to commit
tie act ? Feldence of insanity in cases of this sort where
the person had not been previously confined should always
be received with caution ; especially where the persons
giving evidence had always treated this person as a sane per.
son. Now as to the hereditary taint. The grandfather wasa
sailor and violent drunken man. He had once a strait
waistcoat put on him. Was once tied with cords. Said
to his daughter he was the Pope and St. Paul. Was lie
treated as a madman when he was bound with cords ?
Mark how the care came out in answer to the questions put
in cross-examination without any knowledge of previous
circumstances. It appeared that he bad behaved with
violence. They treated him as a criminal, and took him
before a Magistrate, who sent him to Bridewell. If he were
mad, he should have been sent to an asylum, not -to a
goal; should have been soothed, not excited; and those
who treated him as a criminal now came here to argue
he was mad. How was he released ?--on his promise to
leave the place.—The promise of a madman. Who, un-
der such circumstances would think it sufficient to dis-
charge a madman upon such a promise ? At another time
he was ill of a fever, and a strait waistcoat was put on Lim.
But that could not be evidence of insanity; to show an
hereditary taint there was scarcely a family in which such
a circumstance did not occur. He recovered, went
to sea, was afterwards admitted into Greenwich
Hospital, and, when kept from liquor, was per.
fectly well. Now if this evidence of insanity
were worth anything as regarded the prisoner, how many
of his descendants ought to be shut up. Was it likely
a man, observing all the regulations of Green-
wich Hospital, would be considered as mad? Would
he have been excused, if accused of forgery or fraud on the
ground of insanity. They very frequently beard remark,
able medical evidence, and if these eccentric acts were to*
be considered as proofs of insanity sufficient to save a puss ta
from criminal responsibility, may say one of the present day,
who were riding over pavements, knocking down watchmen,
and all other freaks of that sort, were laying up a la tie
stick of excuses for the coatnaission of cr:min d actionn
With regard to the father, he certainly regretted that the
mother of the prisoner should hove been called ; but he
was struck with the firmness of nerve with which she
spoke of the misconduct of her husband and hr r son.
But what was the evidence ? He threatened to destroy
himself if she would not marry him. Did she consent
to marry a man she thought mad ? It might have
misled her as to the strength of his fection, but it did
not induce her to consider him mad. fake her judgment
of his sanity from the act of her marriage with him.
The same sort of acts continued after marriage. This
was now produced to show that he was mad ; but what
was her judgment then, and his father's judgment
of his conduct ? He said he would have him
tried for his life. He would bring him to their
bar of criminal justice, not shut him up in a mad-house.
He was a good workman, earning 201. a week, and like
many other persons spending that money foolishly which
he had earned easily. On no occasion was that conduct pu
sued towards him which would have been pursued towards
a lunatic. There was nothing therefore of hereditary
in-
sanity. Had the unfortunate mar, at the bar committed any
acts of insanity—even had it been proved that his grand-
father and his father had been mad—still they must con-
sider what evidences of insanity he had exhibits 1.
It was important in these cases to check the c v:-
deuce given, by the conduct of the persons pursuing
it. At school he was mischievous, but how was he
treated—he was corrected, he was beat for it, his
mother corrected hire. Would she have confined her child
in a cellar because he had the misfortune to be deprived
of his mind. She corrected him for those faults which
were now brought forward as proof that he was not to
be held respons ble for the great fault he had committed as
a man. Was the judgmeut of the master and the mistress
on the acts when they occurred to be taken, or was that
judgment to give way to the op'...nions they now brought for-
ward. He subsequently lived with his aunt; he there put the
gas out ; he read voyages and talked of being a great man.
Was he dismissed, when Le put the gas out ? No. Did
she part with him as a person of unsound mind ? No.
Was insanity pleaded when he Ras brought be-
fore a Magistrate. No ! Ho was brought for-
ward on a charge and fined. Irsanity was not
brought forward thus. No medical man was consultee.
He goes to Mr. Minton. He remains twelve months, and
quits on account of a quarrel with his fellow-servant. Mr.
Minton had no inducement to keep him—he was no relaa
tive. By and bye the head barman quits and the prisoner
is taken again.: Would they be governed by Mr. Min-
ton's estimate of him as taken by his conduct. or by the
representations made of him to-day ? He goes to Mr.
Fare, and Mr. Minton gives him an excellent character.
Mr. Fare says he thought he was of sound mind, although
given to uncontrollable laughter. He was subject to this
ailment, but still was competent to the performance of ail
the duties of life, and was responsible for his conduct.
Did he exhibit symptoms of insanity at Robinsee's ?
No ! Both Robinson and the nursery-maid say;lie was
of sound mind. There was nothing in the direc.
tion of the letter to indicate insanity. The brother of his
friend Sir F. Pollock had received a letter, directed to
him, in doggrel, from a very eminent literary person.
If the contents of the letter had indicated insanity, she
would doubtless have told them sa. On no occasion bad
he been treated as a lunatic, and no evidence suffi-
cie..t to void a civil contract had been given.
The medical evidence was merely speculative, since me-
dical men were of opinion that all men were mad.
(To be continued in our SECOND EDITION.)

THE .REGENCY.--A Bill to provide for a Regency,
,tinder-.tbe-- new circumstances in which the Crown
may? -be placed, will, we understand, be almost
---breurgbt :into Parliament. His Royal
HirellhVsi'Pilnee t..spFifi Will be, as is natural and proper
the iale:Rl7gent;" case of the contingency arising for'
which the Bill is expressly meant to provide. We arc
assured before hand that such a measure will meet
with no opposition from the Tories, for the Post, a few
days ago, spoke of that as the most proper mea-
sure, though, at the same time, it endeavoured,
by one of those tricks by which the Tories con-
' tinually seek to degrade other politicians to their
own level, to fasten on some of the Ministers,
by a false and unfounded charge, a plan of appointing
another person co-Regent with the Prince. There never
was any ground for the assertion but the imagination
of the person who made it. However, the fowler seems
caught in his own snare, for he will not now be able
to make any objection to a measure of which he has
by anticipation approved. _

PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.—It is not expected,
we believe, that the business of Parliament will allow
of the prorogation before the first week of August.
It will not, however, be later than that period, and may
take place in the last week of July.

A robbery, of a very extensive nature, was per-
petrated at Greenock on the night between Friday and Satur-
day last, the shop of Mr. Patrick Devlin, watchmaker, Wil-
liam- street, having been broken into, and property carried away
to the amount of 500/. The property consisted of seven gold
watches, and fifty-seven silver ones, three American eagles
(gold), one old guinea, a sovereign and a half, about thirty
ounce of dollars, and some old coins. We have not yet ascer-
tained the means by which the crime was committed ; but as
Greenock fair occurred last week, it is possible that it may have
been perpetrated by some of the thieves of Edinburgh and Glas-
gow, who generally attend in considerable force. Two tobacco
pipes were left in the shop by the thieves.— Glasgow Berald.
TIIE SOLICITOR - GENERAL.--" Sergeant
Wilde is not what your University dons would call a scholar.
His classical acquirements are scanty, and there is nothing of
the delightful lore of the ancient sages of Greece or Rome to
adorn his speeches withal. Neither is he a first-rate master of
our noble idiom and language. His vocabulary is not a very
copious one, like Brougham's—nor a very chase an 1 elegant
one, Lite Lord Lyndhurst's. Follett's or Pembexton's ; but
his style is plain, though it be not pellucid, and it is
always forcible. A mere magnificent piece of argumenta-
tion never was delivered than his oration in the House of
Commons upon the question of privilege, raised by the case of
Stockdale v. Hansard. He came to the subject after it might
appear that it was exhausted. Counsel had argued; judges
had delivered their judgments; there had been a debate in the
House;_ but he showed how slight and superficial was the
knowledge, how small the intellect that had been, up to that
moment, brought to bear upon the question. Then it was
that he proved how great was the difference between a lawyer
and a legal mechanic ; and the people's House recognised in
him a champion worthy of their cause."—Pen and Ink
Sketches of Politicians.

Balmaceda is an object of great curiosity for
the inhabitants of the towns through which he is passing on his
way to Paris. He is a man of a lofty, commanding stature,
with a singularly expressive countenance. When he conde-
scends to notice the crowds that congregate to see him,
it is by expressing by words and gestures the scorn and
contempt in which he holds the French character.
Balmaceda has, it is stated, declared that had it not been
for the treachery of Palachios, he would have succeeded in
seizing upon the persons of the two Queens. " Our plan," he
says, " was well combined • Cabrera, who traced it, is a mas-
ter mind. Once masters of their persons, I intended to have
proposed certain conditions to Espartero, and, had he moved
one step in advance, or hesitated about accepting them, I would
have had his two Queens shot, without leaving them one day's
respite."—Letter front Paris.
On Tuesdaj evening nineteen of the convicts,
including the notorious Gould, under sentence of transporta-
ion, now in the convict ship Eden, at Sheerness, were found
to have loosened their fetters previous to making a desperate
attempt arescape. A plank of the bulk-head separatior, the
convicts from the military guard was also found to have been
started, so that it could be removed with very little difficulty,
and the intention of the convicts was doubtless to get possession
of the arms belonging to the soldiers. Gould is now confined
,in a separate place of security. He is said to have declared
that, let them try what they like, they shall not take him out
of the country. Nice of the crew of the Eden, having re-
fused to obey orders according to their articles, have been sent
to 'Maidstone.

--PROSPECTS OF THE HARVEST-,-+,- STATE OF
T itAnF..—The accounts from the interior are, generally speak-
ing, favourably. But a great quantity of rain has fallen,
quite sufficient at this very critical period of the year.
Nevertheless, no apprehensions are yet felt, or at least
expressed, as to the results. All that can be said is this,
that of rain we have had enough, No injury that may
not be readily mended by a fortnight's sunny weatr.r7 :,as yet
been done to the hay.
13Qtat°" nitlnue scarce, and the new
(.:,.n..1:7,13 7i , n the Dublin market, very dear—say from i Ad.
to 2d. per lb. Old are at the extravagant price of 9d. per stone.
Those are high prices so late inthe summer. And it is deplor-
able to' thinirthat five or six weeks must elapse before the new
ceop comes generally into play. The consequence is, that in
several lecalities the greatest privations are experienced. From
good authority we know that if spread over the face ofthe country
there is a short sufficiency—but in some places it is almost ira-
possible to supply the demand. There must, therefore, w e
aurefiend, be appeals to the public, as well as to the Go-
verniteni, for the extension of partial and temporary relief to
some quarters. With regard to the state of the corn crops ge-
nerally, in Ireland, we learn that appersuices cannot be more
promising than they are at presetit.—Dtthan 4.„„ing Post.
, , .