The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-13 00:00:00

MENTAL DIETETICS.

Habitual tippling, or a systematic recourse to in-
toxicating liquids, gives rise to a chronic form of
mental disease, which is characterised by a marked
perversion of all the moral feelings. Such per-
sons, without betraying any positive symptoms of
drunkenness, are nevertheless under the influence
of an excitement which produces in them an irri-
tability of temper and a waywardness of dispo-
sition, which prompts them to commit acts of
indiscretion which frequently become matters of ju-
dicial investigation. Was he drunk, or was he sober ?
He was apparently perfectly collected, and rational ;
but notwithstanding this, he may have been under
the influence of alcoholic excitement, albeit the facul-
ties of the understanding may not manifestly have
been deranged. This form of insidious excitement
—this state, which is an intermediate condition
between sobriety and insobriety—should be carefully
watched and guarded against in persons holding
responsible situations and positions of trust and
danger on board steam-vessels, and having the ma.
nagement of railway engines, &c. In the recent re-
port of the Committee of the House of Commons on
the supply and use of spirits in the navy, Captain
Drew cites the case of a man who, in a state of ex-
citement, without drunkenness, was continually com-
mitting acts of insubordination, for which he was so
frequently flogged, that despairing of his reformation
the captain determined on invaliding him ; but being
advised by the surgeon that he was a fine healthy
young man, and not a fit subject to be invalided, his
allowance of grog was altogether stopped, and the
result was, that he became completely an altered man,
and not a complaint was made against him while he
remained in the ship. Upon cross-examination the
captain stated that " he never had had any suspicion
of his being drunk ; he never showed any indications
of being in liquor," nevertheless he was " in a state of
constant excitement from his allowance, which induced
him to do nothing, and constantly commit acts of dis-
obedience." Captain Hamilton, in the same report,
says, "that drunkenness is the cause of nearly all the
punishments on board a ship is so well known that I
need not repeat what has so often been said ; but I
would go further, and add, that where people do not
even get drunk, habitual spirit-drinking produces an
irritability of temper in the seamen and the officers
that is the cause of much evil in the daily
routine of duty." This form of mental disease fre-
quently terminates' in homicidal insanity, unless
apoplexy, paralyis, or delirium tremens, supervene,
and lead to a fatal result. The case is still fresh in
the recollection of the public of a captain of a mer-
chant vessel, who, suffering under this form of
disease, wounded and cruelly maimed many of his
crew, and who is now an inmate of Bethlehem Hos.
pital.—Dr. Forbes Winslow's Journal of Psychological
Medicine for January.

DARING ATTACK AND AT-
TEMPTED HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

Mr. T. C. Wigg, grocer, of Lambeth-marsh, left
his shop on Saturday night, accompanied by his son
(twelve years of age) for his residence, 2, Lorimer-
terrace, having about him a considerable sum of
money. On reaching Manor-place, Walworth-road,
he fancied his steps were dogged by two suspicious-
looking men ; and anticipating an attack, kept on his
guard. At the point, however, where West-street is
intersected by Canterbury-place, the men appeared to
leave, but suddenly returned, and struck Mr. Wiggs
violently on the back of his head with some heavy
instrument. Mr. Wigg and his son called out "Mur-
der 1" as loudly as they could, when the foriner again
received two or three violent blows also on the back
of his head, and some blows were also inflicted upon
the bead of the child.

Police-constable James Key, 354 P, who was on
duty near the place, ran to the spot, and found Mr.
Wigg leaning against some palings and the blood
flowing profusely from wounds in his head. He,
however, contrived to tell the constable that the vil-
lains had fled along Canterbury-place, and accordingly
the policeman went in pursuit of one whom he could
perceive, but the latter was met by Henry Coppin,
D7B (who had also been attracted by the cries) at the
corner of Manor-place, who inquired the cause of the
alarm, when the fellow replied "that it was only
some quarrel between a man and his wife." Coppin,
however, thought it better to insist that the latter
should return in his custody to see if he had any-
thing to do with the affair, when Key came up, and
both proceeded with the prisoner to Mr. Wigg's, who
at once identified him as one of his assailants, and he
was then conveyed to the police-station in Locke's-
fields, when he gave his name as Joseph Wood. The
other made his escape. Mr. Wigg and his son were
within twenty yards of their own door at the time.
The thieves had not succeeded in abstracting any of
the property. Mr. Wigg was very seriously injured
by four large, deep wounds at the back of his head.
Near the scene of violence was discovered a short
riding-whip,
which was loaded with four ounces of metal.
formed of gutta percha, the head of

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
ARGUES' COURT, Jan. 11.
(Before Sir HERBERT JENNER FUST.)
CURDY AND OTHERS V. BENTLEY.

In this case the churchwardens of the parish of St.
Nicholas, Brighton, within the jurisdiction of the Bishop
of Chichester, and also the chapelwardens of St. Peter's,
Brighton, proceed for non-payment of church-rates
against Mr. Bentley, the case being removed by letters
of request from the Archdeaconry Court of Lewes. The
case came on to-day on the admission of the libel, which
was opposed.
The facts at present before the Court were as follow:
The parish church of St. Nicholas, in Brighton, and
the chapel of ease called St. Peter's, which was erected
under the Church Building Act in 1825, both requiring
repair, and the parishioners having refused at more than
one meeting called for such purpose to make a church-
rate, a monition, dated 26th October, 1847. issued from
the Archdeaconry Court of Lewes, requiring the church-
wardens to repair the said church, which monition
being served, the churchwardens summoned a vestry to
meet at the Town-hall, Brighton, on the 91 December,
1847, for the purpose of making a rate. At such meet-
ing, the rev. the vicar being in the chair, upon the rate
of id. in the pound for repairs, &c., being proposed, an
amendment was moved to the effect that the reparation
and clean-keeping of the churches of St. Nicholas
and St. Peter's be done by voluntary contributions,
in accordance with the law of the land The chairman
decided this amendment was illegal, anti refused to put
it. A further amendment was then proposed, that the
meeting adjourn for six months; which amendment the
chairman also decided to be illegal, and refused to re-
ceive. The chairman then asked if any other person
wished to move anything; and not receiving a reply, he
put the original motion, when there was 47 hands held
up in its favour and 90 against it. He then declared
the votes recorded against the motion to be illegal and
thrown away, and that the original motion was marled.
In September, 1849, the defendant and other parishioners
were summoned before the magistrates fur payment of
the respective amounts at which they had been taxed;
when, having given notice of their intention to dispute
the validity of the rate in the ecclesiastical court, the
magistrates decided their jurisdiction was ousted. The
principal ground assigned for the opposition was thatthe
rate in question was made by a minority, under circum-
stances varying from those mentioned in the Braintree
cases (" Gosling and Velcy v. Joslin"), which had been
decided by the Arches Court in the year 1843, and after
wards carried through the Courts of Queen's Bench
and Exchequer, and which was now before the House of
Lords.

Dr. JENNER, in opposition to the libel, contended that
many of the items introduced in the estimates were not
properly the subject of a church-rate, and that no ad-
vantage would accrue to any party if the libel were al-
lowed to go on t) proof. Although perfectly willing to
uphold tae churchwardens in their duty, yet he (Dr.
Jenner) submitted, while they chose to make experi-
ments, it would be exceedingly hard on the parties op-
posing if the Court did, not only refuse admission to the
libel, but also condemn the churchwardens in costs. He
submitted the rate was not made by the majority in any
sense whatever, technical or legal ; that the parishioners
assembled were under no obligation to vote for it ; and
that the Braintree case could not be taken as a pre-
cedent.
Dr. HARDING was heard on the same side.

Dr. Curties and Dr. R. Phillimore, on behalf of the
churchwardens, contended the present case fell under the
principle involved in the Braintree case, and submitted
the libel ought to be admitted.
The Learned JUDGE was satisfied in his own mind the
present case was not distinguished from the Braintree
one. He would take time to consider the case.