The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-08 00:00:00

ALLEGED LUNATICS FRIENDS

SOCIETY.

The foundation festival of this Institution, which has
been established for the protection of British subjects
from unjust imprisonment on the ground of mental
derangement, and for the protection of all persons con-
fined as lunatics from cruel and improper restraint,
was celebrated yesterday, at the Lonion Tavern,
Biihopsgate•street, Luke James Harsard, fn., in the
chair.
Shortly after six o'clock, about sixty gentlemNl sat
down to an excellent dinner, which was placed on tbe
table in the best style by those excellent caterers Messrs.
Bathe and I3reache. Among the gentlemen present we
observed B. B. Cabbell, Esq. F.R.S.. &c., J. W. Gil-
bert, Esq., Co). Bruen, J. T. Percival, Esq., Henry F.
Richardson (honorary secretary), Henry Percival, Esq.,
Bailey, Esq., and several other gentlemen.
The band of the Coldstream Guards was in attend-
ance, and during the course of the evening played se-
veral popular airs. The musical arrangements were
under the direction of Mr. Turner, who was assisted by
Miss Thornton, and Messrs. Genge, Edeny and Farqu.
harson Smith.
The usual loyal and national toasts having been drunk
with all the usual lionours,
The CHAIRMAN rose and said, that having drunk the
healths of those who fought the battles of war, he now
called upon them to drink to those who fought the bat-
tles of peace—of those who, although They shed not
their blood in the battle-field, yet spent day,‘ of toil and
nights of anxiety to benefit their fellow.creatuifl—who
educated the community, whose labours were not a: yet
sufficiently appreciated, but who would eventually bd.
properly appreciated and properly honoured—to whom
would be awarded that station which they ought bY,
right to occupy. He proposed " The British Press.'
Drunk with three times three.

Mr. JERDAN, in returning thanks on behalf of the
press, took occasion to allude to the circumstances which
had led to the formation of this Society. That such a
society was needed was abundantly evident. Let them
look to the situation in which any person was placed
against whom an accusation of lunacy was brought;
There was in the very accusation itself enough to aped,'
the strongest-minded man in the world. If an indivy
dual were accused of theft, or robbery, or murder, of
any other atrocious crime, he would be tried at the Old
Bailey, in the open Court, in the face of the public, by
Judge of law and a jury of twelve of his countrymen,
sworn to administer justice ;_but if it was alleged that he
was a lunatic, the certificate of two men, without any publiM
trial or investigation would be sufficient to legalise hi,
incarceration. Now under such circumstances what
could be more natural than that a man should feel in'
dignant at the unfounded accusation of insanity than
brought against him? But if he put himself in a passion
it would he said, " Oh! undoubtedly the man is mad:'
Then suppose the alleged lunatic determined to act with
prudence, to subdue his anger, to show no outwerd sig/
of the indignation which he must naturally feel. "Oh
they would say, "he is sulky— a sure sign that he i 0
mad." But suppose that he spoke calmly and rationally,
and reasoned with them, and that no flaw could be
found in his argument ; what would they say thee r
Why, that he had a lucid interval, but that still he wet '
mad. A man might be as sensible as a secretary a
state, yet still if he once was sent, by a medical gen'
tleman to a private asylum, he could not get released.---
(Hear.) The great evil of the system was the confine'
relent of single patients in single houses. The large
asylums were, in some measure, under the superintend'
ence of the Metropolitan Commissioners of Lunacy, wh°,
occasionally corrected seine abuses, but the grow
evil was the confinement of single patients in single
houses ; and there were upwards of 1,000 such
in the neighbourhood of London. The medical to
who had charge of the patient had a direct interest it/
keeping him in confinement, for he derived an annuity
varying from 501. to 3001. or more a year for so doing.
The owner of the cottage had likewise a similar interest"
for he would naturally desire to keep a good tenant'
All the tradesmen in the neighbourhood had a simil'
interest, for if the patient were set at liberty the este°
blishment would be broken up, and they would lose the
custom of the house. Now how was it possible for 01
unfortunate person thus circumstanced to overcome all
these obstacles without assistance? This institution pro'
mised to afford that assistance, and therefore was tloo
institution v, orthy of the support of every philanthro'
pist.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the toast of " Church
and State," in so doing he said, that the society hoped „
have the assistance of ministers of religion of all denfe
minations ; and that of the great reforms which
society was labouring to introduce into the laws for the
regulation of lunatic asylums, one of the principal 0,5'
to afford ministers of religion at all times free access
persons confined as lunatics, to listen to their complaint,'
and to afford them spiritual consolation.--(Cheers).
Drunk with three times three.
The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the toast of Of
evening, which was " Prosperity to the humane in?",
tions and Christian objects of the alleged Lunatie9o
Friend Society."—(Cheers.) The society had only be
%
in existence one year. The founders of it had felt that
great injustice had been perpetrated by the confinetnefa
of some persons on false allegations of insanity. 0:1,4
that thelaw was insufficient to protect the liberty of Abe
subject. At that time a Bill was before the House 'l_
Commons, which,had been drawn up by the Metrogor,
litan Cemmissi,ners of Lunacy, for the better tee
tion of tunatkAsyltims. It certainly introduced bet"
aer
rules for the regulation of the confinement of the yhe
but it left untouched the evil which it was
the
object of this society to put down, viz., ns
confinement of the sane upon false alkr,pitof
of insanity. Those accused of insanity were dePr":6l of
any trial ; without any investigation, without the trl,a
a jury, upon a mere certificate of two medical me' for
certificate which might be bought for a guinea, or or
half a guinea—(A voice, " Five shillings.")—aYe'4ol
for five shillings a fellow. creature might be incarceraco
in one of those asylums. Already had this society h
the means of freeing several persons from an un.10_19.,
imprisonment. There was one case of a trae.ic
man whose wife, in consequence of doings
differences which had driven Min to seek for oblivionL
the use of intoxicating liquors, had caused him to
confined in a madhouse. He was kept there for years
In order to get possession of some portion of his PO;
perty, she wished him to execute a deed of assigninlio
He refused, and she tempted him with wine, but his
was proof against temptation. So convinced were 0
sons of his sanity, that they told him when t,';',h'e
came of age they would procure his release. .-".„,„
wife died—the sons came of age—he got pons
sion of the property, but still the fault was in
0.1'4
asylum. The society heard of the case, they to
up—they not only procured the release of the fat
but they brought about a reconciliation between !ea
father and the son ; and the property would be restc!,
to the father, who was present among them that even
In an 'tiler case. a person who had offended a povvrtlic,
public body had been by them incarcerated as a lhern,oed
The society had, however, taken up his cause, and "op
him from imprisonment, and he too was Pretich
The Chairman concluded by proposing the toast, yr
was drunk with all honours. s en°
Mr. GOLD, in returning thanks, said that he W. sll
e
tirely indebted to the exertions of the society 'goo
that he enjoyed. Had it not been for them, he 5 ooh
still have been Nor and friendless. He had heard h'ilito
of the humanity of Lord Ashley, and had applied t°
to take up his cause. Lord Ashley, lo've he
had not done so ; fortunately, however,
had been found out by Mr. Hansard—(Loud eheeri3o
and in consequence of the benevolent exertions 01e to
gentleman, he should now return to Bath reconcilev,A
his son, to resume his station as an active and, he tresv
a useful citizen.—(Cheers.)
Mr. WHITE also thanked the society for their e%er.l
tions, by which he had been restored to liberty. P
had been incarcerated by a powerful public body, afl
but for the assistance afforded him by this society "
must have remained a prisoner life.—(Cheers.) rf
Mr. BAILY, who styles himself " the rational patient
then rose to respond to the toast. He had bees 6%
times incarcerated in a lunatic asylum on the certifin
of Dr. Haslam, and each time he bad been as sensif
as he was at that moment. The medical attendalnti.
the asylum, when he was first incarcerated, bad, tu's
he had resided there ten days, told him, that there 01,
nothing the matter with him, and that he could not cony
hof
of
cieve why his friends had placed him there ; he add
that the Metropolitan Commissioners of Lunacy who "ril
not visited the asylum for three months, were expeeee
there daily, and that theywould no doubt set hies at liberfor
The Commissioners came not for three months •
that, and then he was placed in the pauper's yard
punishment for having written letters to his Men
merely stating that he was confined in an asylum, °Po
asking them to come and see him. The Commission
erto
asked if he had any complaint to make? He said he 4
to complain of many grievances. They replied theit
them
wo
awayupl would
without
pii stethreosnui
tnto
mt
the
eki
yn
agt
rhiaei
ntnyo el
fdxu et
him,ttime
tnht he
vaetsywt cghaaemtni eo and,tnh.ethey
ocisaw.weengifi
they just looked at the patients and turned round
wont away, and that they never did good to any °P:0"
and that was true. He never knew of any instance lit
which the commissioners had done good.—(Hear.) tf
might be said that at the end of eigbte
months he had been liberated, but that wth.o
not until all his powers had been exhausted, and ,7-a
iron had entered into his soul. He thought ti—e,
the principle of placing all insane persons under rut
straint was wrong. Suppose a man thought he 001/,
construct a railroad to the moon, the idea was assn
but still it did no harm, and society was not justifiedoo
placing that man under restraint. It was only when 00
insane person was :likely to commit violence, either
himself or on others, that the restraint was justifiable:he
Mr. B. B. CABBELL, in proposing the health of it
Chairman, acknowledged that the law at present, Ow,
as regards the subject of insanity, was very, defectlA
The duty of the medical man was brought into dirreo
conflict with his interest ; and under such circumstance{
he would not trust any man in the world. The objee'te
the society was first to secure to the 1113fOrtaillo
alleged lunatic all the protection that ;IV
law at present afforded to him, and see°Tiore
to procure such an alteration in the law as should 000,
effectually protect the liberty of the subject. 8e C°
eluded by proposing the health of " Luke James
sard, Esq., the chairman." Drunk with three tiDa
three, and one cheer more.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks. Tier
Mr. RICHARDSON proposed the health of the
president.

Mr. B. B. CABBELL returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of throtrile;
tleman who had won the prizes proposed for the sf
best essays on alleged lunacy, which was acknowled"
by Mr. Macnamara. osOf
Several other toasts were drunk, and the NW.
did not finally separate until a very late hour.

The Lynn demonstration to Lord George ~ 13142,
is said to be fixed for the 11th of August, and
tiler stated that the Zell Of 9x4rti has arta t 9 76"-