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 London Tavern,
Bishopsgate•street, Luke James Hansard, Esq., in the
chair.

Shortly after six o'clock, about sixty gentlemen sat
down to an excellent dinner, which was placed on the
table in the best st•le by those excellent caterers Me,srs.
Bathe and Breache. Among the gentlemen present we
observed B. B. Cabbell, Esq. P.N.S.. &e., J. W. Gil-
bert, Esq., Col. Bruen, J. I'. Percival, Esq., Henry F.
Richardson (honorary secretary), Henry Percival, Esq„
Bail,y, 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
Lind, r the direction of Mr. Turner, who was assisted by
Nliss Thornton, and Messrs. Gcnge, Edeny and Farqu-
harson Smith.

The usual loyal and national toasts having been drunk
with all the usual honours,
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 tho,e who fought the bat-
tles of peace—of those who, although they shed not
their blood in the battle-field, yet spent days of toil and
nights of anxiety to benefit their fellow-creatures—who
educated the community, whose labours were not as yet
sufficiently appreciated, but who would eventually be
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 abuadantly 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 appal
the strongest-minded man in the world. If an indivi-
dual were accused of theft, or robbery, or murder, or
any other atrocious crime, he would be tried at the Old
Bailey, in the open Court, in the face of the public, by a
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 public
trial or investigation would be sufficient to legalise his
incarceration. Now under such circumstances what
could be more natural than that a man should feel in-
dignant at the unfounded accusation of insanity thus
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 outward sign
of the indignation which he must naturally feel. " Oh!"
they would say, "he is sulky— a sure sign that he is
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 then ?
Why, that he had a lucid interval, but that still he was
mad. A man might be as sensible as a secretary of
state, yet still if ha 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-
ment of single patients in single houses. The large
asylums were, in some measure, under the superintend-
ence of the Metropolitan Commissioners of Lunacy, who
occasionally corrected some abuses, but the great
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 man
who had charge of the patient had a direct interest in
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 similar
interest, for if the patient were set at liberty the esta-
blishment would be broken up, and they would lase the
custom of the house. Now how was it possible for an
unfortunate person thus circumstanced to overcome all
these obstacles without assistance? This institution pro-
mised to afford that assistance, and therefore was this
institution worthy 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 to
have the assistance of ministers of religion of all deno-
minations ; and that of the great reforms which the
society was labouring to introduce into the lava for the
regulation of lunatic asylums, one of the principal was,
to afford ministers of religion at all times free access to
persons confined as lunatics, to listen to their complaints,
and to afford them spiritual eonsolation.—(Cheers).
Drunk with three times three.

The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the toast of the
evening, which was "Prosperity to the humane inten-
tions and Christian objects of the alleged Lunatics'
Friend Society."—(Cheers.) The society had only been
in existence one year. The founders of it had felt that
great injustice bad been perpetrated by the confinement
of some persons on false allegations of insanity-, and
that the law was insufficient to protect the liberty of the
subject. At that time a Bill was before the House of
Commons, which had been drawn up by the Metropo-
litan Commissioners of Lunacy, for the better regula-
tion of Lunatic Asylums. It certainly introduced better
rules for the regulation of the confinement of the insane,
but it left untouched the evil which it was the
object of this society to put down, viz., the
confinement of the sane upon false allegations
of insanity. Those accused of insanity were deprived of
any trial ; without any investigation, without the trial of
a jury, upon a mere certificate of two medical men—a
certificate which might be bought for a guinea, or for
half a guinea—(A voice, " Five shillings.")—aye, or
for five shillings a fellow-creature might be incarcerated
in one of those asylums. Already had this society been
the means of freeing several persons from an unjust
imprisonment. There was one ease of a trades-
man whose wife, in consequence of domestic
differences which had driven him to seek for oblivion in
the use of ',intoxicating liquors, had caused him to be
confined in a madhouse. He was kept there for years.
In order to get possession of some portion of his pro-
perty, she wished him to execute a deed of assignment
He refused, and she tempted him with wine, but he
was proof against temptation. So convinced were his
sons of his sanity, that they told him when they
came of age they would procure his release. The
wife died—the sons came of age—he got posses-
sion of the property, but still the fault was in the
asylum. The society heard of the ease, they took it
up—they not only procured the release of the father,
but they brought about a reconciliation between the
father and the son ; and the property would be restored
to the father, who was present among them that evening.
In an..ither case, a person who had offended a powerful
nublic body had been by them incarcerated as a lunatic.
The society bad, however, taken up his cause, and freed
him from imprisonment, and he too was present.
The Chairma❑ concluded by proposing the toast, which
was drunk with all honours.

Mr. Gotta, in returning thanks, said that he was en.

tirely indebted to the exertions of the society for all
that he enjoyed. Had it not been for them, he should
still have been pour and friendless. He had heard much
of the humanity of Lord Ashley, and had applied to him
to take up his cause. Lord Ashley, however,
had not done so ; fortunately, however, he
_

had been found out by Mr. Hansard—(Loud cheers)—
and in consequence of the benevolent exertions of that
gentleman, he should now return to Bath reconciled to
his son, to resume his station as an active and, ho trusted,
a useful citizen.—(Cheers.)
Mr. WHITE also thanked the society for their exer-
tions, by which he had been restored to liberty. He
had been incarcerated by a powerful public body, and
but for the assistance afforded him by this society he
must have remained a prisoner life.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BAILY, who styles himself " the rational patient,"
then rose to respond to the toast. He bad been five
times incarcerated in a lunatic asylum on the certificate
of Dr. Haslam, and each time he had been as sensible
as he was at that moment. The medical attendant of
the asylum, when he was first incarcerated, had, after
he had resided there ten days, told him that there was
nothing the matter with him, and that he could not con-
cieve why his friends had placed him there ; he added,
that the Metropolitan Commissioners of Lunacy who had
not visited the asylum for three months, were expected
there daily, and that theywould no doubt set him at liberty.
'rho Commissioners came not far three monthsdafter
that, and then he was placed in the paupoerh'sisy
punishment for having written lettersi t afrienasd:
merely stating that he was confined
Thnean asylum, and
asking them to come and see him.
il, ? CommissionersH.
asked if he had any complaint to ma ,e e said he had
to complain of many grievances. They replied they
would listen to him the next time they came, and went
away without making any further investigation. One of
the paupers in the yard told him, that when they cam
they just looked at the patients and turned rolind and
wont away, and that they never did izQoa to any one,
and that was true. He never knew of any instance in
which the commissioners had done good.—(Hear.) It
might be said that at the end of eighteen
months he had been liberated, but that was
not until all his powers had beon exhausted, and the
iron had entered into his soul. He thought that
the principle of placing all insane persons under re-
straint was wrong. Suppose a man thought he could
construct a railroad to the moon, the idea was absurd,
but still it did no harm, and society was not justified in
placing that man under restraint. It was only when an
insane person was
_likely to commit violence, eithe7 en
himself or on others, that the restraint was
,Instiitable.
Mr. B. B. CADDELL, in proposing the health of the
Chairman, acknowledged tliai the law at present, as far
as regards the subject of insanity, was very defective,
The duty of the medical man was; bought int() direct
conflict with his interest ; er,d under such oiecumstances
he would not trust any wan in the wcArld. The object of
the society: vs first to seeur* to the unfortunate
allavd lunatic all the protection that the
law, at present allorded to hill), and tkeondly
to procure such an alteration in the law as should more
effectually protect the liberty of the subject. He con-
cluded by propo.,ing the health of " Luke James Han-
sard, Esq„ the chairman." Drunk with three times
throe, and one cheer more.
The CIIAIRMAN returned thanks,