The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-05 00:00:00

CO3LIIISION OF LUNACY.

On Saturday, at eleven o'clock, a commission Wa3
opened before Commissioners Phillimore, Winslow, and
West, to inquire into the state of mind of ‘Villiam
Stevens, of Ickenham, Middlesex, gentleman.

J. Austin, of Cowley, the individual at whose house
Mr. Stevens, who is 64 years of age, resided from March,
1835, until February, in the present year, detailed vari-
ous instances of delusion under which that gentleman
had laboured. He had given a dinner to the poor of the
neighbourhood to celebrate the Queen's marriage. His
income was about 4001. a.year. Mr. Stevens, whose
niece he himself had married, had subsequently been re-
i.ioved to Denham House ; and, upon one occasion,
when he had gone to see km, he complained of harsh
treatment. Mr. Stevens had kept his own accounts,
and had collected his rents to Christmas 1839.

Robert Marshall Casey was next sworn—l have at-
tended Mr. Stevens since the 4th of April last ; he has
told me that he is an instrument in the hands of the
Lord, to work out the redemption of mankind ; he has
complained bitterly of the restraint which I have pat
upon him, which is necessary for his safety. About a
fortnight after I had been with Mr. Stevens, he
snatched a knife off the tray, and made a thrust at his
side, saying that he would destroy binvelf. One
evening I went to Mr. Stevens's bedside, and he s;.id
he had the power of changing himself into the form of
a woman—of depriving himself of all hair, except that
upon his head, and of rubbing off his skin with towels
and brushes, as it was not white. He said that he got all
his wealth by singing at oratorios. He told me
that I was Moses, and a footboy was Aaron, and
that he was a prophet, and when he got his liberty, he
intended to go to the wilds of Arabia, and give a grand
jubilee to the ark of testimony who had examined the
bible. He said the ark was a large chest which stood
in the hall of Denham House ; and that the Queen,
Prince Albert, the Archbishops, Bishops, and Clergy of
the seven parishes of the world would be present at the
jubilee. Upon one occasion he said he had intended to
escape in sandals, and to make a linen ladder of the
sheets, but he had had a vision that deterred him. He
said that when his case was made known to the world,
it would make a great noise, and he had been persecuted
worse than our Saviour.
Mr. Stevens cross-examined this witness in an inco-
herent manner as to the means of restraint that had
been employed, and with great warmth he exclaimed
that eight attempts to murder him bad been made at
Denham House.

The last witness was cross-examined at some lenzth
about the restraints under which he had placed Mr.
Stevens ; and Captain Boyne and Mr. France, two of
the Visiting Justices of H•snwell Lunatic Asylum, con-
demned in severe terms coercive treatment of insane
persons.
Mr. Henry Bullock, surgeon, of Uxbridge, gave evi-
dence of similar delusions under which Mr. Stevens
laboured.

Mr. Sylvester, surgeon—Mr. Stevens showed me a
small chimney ornament, which he said was Mr. Retch,
the devil. He persisted that another ornament was a
female pregnant with two silver stags, and a third was a
man with a golden fox in•his side. He said he was in
love with a young lady at Denham House, whose face
was illumined like our Saviour's. Mr. Stevens after-
wards destroyed the ornaments.
At half-past four o'clock Mr. Phillimore summed up
the evidence ; and the jury, without hesitation, returned
a verdict finding that " Mr. William Stevens is of un-
sound mind, and has been so since Ist February, 1840."

Before the jury separated, several of them signed a
representation to the Lord Chancellor upon the treat-
ment of Mr. Stevens, which the Chief Commissioner
promised to forward to the proper quarter.

LETTER-CARRIERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIA,-Since the introduction of the penny postage
'the labour of the letter-carriers has been vastly in-
creased, without any increase of pay, and I therefore
intercede f r yonr interest in their behalf.
I know of no public service that approaches to the
responsibility of their situations, their visits being looked
for generally with the deepest regard, which, combined
with the extremely onerous and arduous duties that de-
volve in an especial manner upon the hundreds of gene-
ral-post letter-carriers (who have been denominated by
the Commissioners of Post-office Inquiry the faithful
servants of a nation), in making up the bags and
loading the mails for all quarters of the globe, from the
central and most distinguished part of the universe, and
from the great changes which have for some time conti-
nued to take place, has in a great measure swept away
the emoluments of the letter-carriers, which, be it
remembered, formed part of their salary. As for
the junior letter-carriers, their condition also is truly
deplorable. All the letter-carriers, are generally speak-
ing, married men, with families ; and many of them are
literally starving, their pay being only 1/. per week, with
no earthly prospect whatever of improving their condi-
tion. On their first entering the situation, the payment
of 21. is required by the Post-office for the bond, with
two securities of 401. each. This sum, coupled with the
deaths, reduces the salary to little more thon 18s. 6d.
per week. Now, I ask, is it not a shameful and scan-
dalous remuneration for the services of individuals hold-
ing such responsible appointments? Is this enough to
preserve respectability in society, or to fortify the mind
against the temptations that an appointment of this des-
cription at all times presents ? Many, very many of
them have large families, and after paying the rent for
the miserable localities they inhabit, they have not left
wherewithal to purchase the very commonest and
coarsest of the necessaries of life—a difficulty, moreover,
much increased by the late enormous advance in the
price of provisions. If the inroads of impaired health
or other cause of distress prevail, nearly all the letter-
carrier's pay is withdrawn, and he is left in this state with-
out the means of procuring medical aid, with his wife
and helpless family destitute of daily bread.
I forbear to harrow up your feelings with a description
of the cases which have come under my own notice.
Surely, Mr. Editor, such a state of suffering endured by
servants holding such important Government appoint-
ments, should be immediately remedied. The paltry
sum of 18s. 6d. is a poor remuneration for the services
cl a man whose duties call him up at five o'clock in the
morning—for at this early hour they may be met hurry-
ing to the scene of labour—and which keeps him
actively employed till after eight every evening, busily
engaged in dispatching mails to all quarters of the globe.

I trust, therefore, von will use your influence to-draw
the attention of a Liberal Government to the condition
of these men, in order to place them on a scale of sa-
lary whereby respectability can be maintained in society
by the hundreds holding that appointment in this great
city, that the responsible nature of the duties warrant,
and which is enjoyed by those holding situations
in..the Stamp-office of the most menial nature. The 'corn-
pathon of both duties either in the ardous nature or
their responsibilities surely greatly preponderates on the
side of the letter-carriers. Hoping you will be so good
as to notice and favourably entertain their case, which
will under your powerful advocacy be speedily improved,
I have the honour, Mr. Editor, of remaining
Your most obedient bumble servant,
London, Oct. 1, 1840. D. M.

I From Henry Cowper, Esq., of Tewen-waters,
Hefts, to Messrs. S. and B. Soloinons, 39, Albemarle-street,
Piccadilly, and 76, King William-street, Bar.k of England.
—Gentlemen, having been deaf for many years, I was
induced from recommendation to try your Invisible Voice
Conductors, and I have great pleasure in telling you that
they enable me to hear persons in company and at a place of
worship most distinctly ; and its consequence of the great ad..
vantage which I have derived, I have recommended many
persons to you, and I am happy to state that their report is
similar to mine, most favourable. The Spectacles and 1-land-
glass which you have sent me are very excellent, and suit my
sight precisely, and surpass anything 'of the kind I have ever
tried ; the transparency of which is so brilliant, that although
I have passed my Stith year, the 22d of May last, yet they en-
able ire to read, &c., by candle- light with the greatest ease
and comfort to myself.—Gentlemen, I return you my best
thanks, and remain your most obedient servant, HENRY
COWl'Ea.-22d of June, 1839.—The Messrs. Solomons state
that there are numerous persons in London and in the country,
as well as in Ireland, assuming the name of Solomon,, who
have endeavoured to imitate their Invisible Operative Voice
Conductor and newly. invented Spectacle Lenses, but the ma-
terials being a secret to themselves, and the various mode of
their application to the eye and ear not being known to them,
their spurious imitations have therefore been found to be use-
less. The Messrs. S. have no connection with persons of
the same name : their valuable inventions are solely confined
to their. Establishments. 39, Albemarle-street, (opposite the
York Hotel), and 76, King William-street, Bank.
REGISTRATION.—North Warwickshire, Revi-
sion Court, Nuneaton, Friday, Oct. 2, 1840.—Samuel
Avis, and fifteen others were objected to by the overseers,
but the words • objected to," were written in the column
appropriated to the situation of the pfoperty, and not in-
serted as the Act directs in the margin against the name.
Mr. Morris, on behalf of the claimants, insisted that the
objections being made contrary to the express provisions
of the Act, the Court could not entertain them. The
claims were all admitted.