The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

On Saturday evening one of the most destructive
fires which has occurred in the city for a considerable
p‘!.riod broke out in the printing establishment, at Gif-
ford Park, of Mr. Thomas Nelson, the well-known
publisher. The premises, which were only erected
three or four years ago, consist of a handsome range
of two-story buildings, the eastern extremity of
which is :occupied, the ground floor as an engine-
house, and the upper story as a store for printed
works, paper, &c. The fire originated in the engine-
house referred to, but what was the immediate cause
cannot at present be ascertained, the men
having all left and the place being shut up some
time previous. It was first discovered about nine
o'clock, when a dense volume of flame was ob-
served by a woman residing in the neighbourhood
issuing with great violence from one of the windows
on the ground floor. The alarm was immediately
conveyed to the Police-office, and Superintendent
Gillespie, with four engines, was as soon as possible
on the spot. By this time, however, the flames had
I.( ached the windows of the second story, in which,
from the highly combustible nature of the contents,
they were making fearful ravages. It was accordingly
at once apparent that the total destruction of this por-
tion of the building was inevitable ; and the firemen,
therefore, directed their efforts to the preservation
of the rest of the premises, and the immediate
contiguous property composing Roy's-court, Gifford-
park, &c. In this they were happily successful, for
though the fire raged with almost unabated intensity
till nearly one A.M., four hours after its first disco-
very, its destructive effects were confined to the
portion of the building in which it originated. The
damage sustained in goods and property is, as nearly
as can be at present estimated, between 2,0001. and
3,0001., there having been probably not less than
2,0001. worth of sheets, &c., ready for publication in
the store ,in question at the time of the occurrence.
We believe, however, that Mr. Nelson is insured in
the Norwich Office to an extent which will fully
cover all the loss which has been occasioned.—Cale-
donian Mercury.

GENERAL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION.—Last night
the annual meeting of the General Benevolent Association
was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate ; Dr. Little
took the chair. The report stated that, during the past year,
thirty-four persons had: been relieved ; of these twenty-two
cases bad been re-investigated, and the results of nineteen had
been satisfactory. The chief drawbacks to greater success
had been the want of funds, as the limited means at the dis-
posal of the committee had not unfrequently prevented them
from assisting persons to the extent which their necessities
demanded. The committee had, therefore, come to the
_con-
clusion that it would be advisable slightly to alter the exl!_t_.
ing law, which forbade the employment of more thano three-
fourths
f relief.
fourths of the annual subscriptions for purposef(sregolution
subscriptionstmetet
They begged, therefore, to submit the foliow.
to the subscribers :—That henceforth the whole
the reserve fund,
subscriptions, and the interest arising frron!rv.ng
reserving sum, sum, not
inot the annual
snay be appropriated to relief purpoesslibessce
al
andthat
7lBi f/re.i PltOi s°.l3;s' the dona-
tions, 15s. 2d. The entire
incidental expenses. The donations
be sat aside to form a reserve the
ptubrepopsaesst
oyferaerl,icafm,
aonudntthtoe
t subscriptions
jous,ine lincluding
i n a during
life tshueb3B-cerai
pr t
ihadfouon
head of expendt i ure the sum of 61/.
151/. Cs. Bd. Under the .
receipts, includingapthperopbrailaatnec:
t of
17/. Ed. had been
45., leaving a balance in
0,1 The report
198. —was then adopted, and a
hand of 851.
resolution in accordance with its recommendationhad agreed to,
and the proceedings terminated.
D,RiNG BURGLARY' AT THE LAMBETH MONEY-
-ORDER OFFlCE.—Yesterday morning some expert burglars
effected an entrance into Meslrs. Buck and Wootton's, the
Lambeth money-order office,: 3, Mount-street, Westminster-
bridge-road. They had packed up considerable property for
removal, when about half-past three the shopmen were
alarmed, and the burglars, who were closely pursued, effected
their escape, carrying &about 40/. worth of property. Within
a few months 700/. worth of property was stolen from these
premises.

MISS CATHERINE HAYES.—This young lady made
her debiit at Rome on the 26th ult., at the Teatro Apollo, in
the Puritani, with brilliant success. The cavatina, " Qui la
voce," and the " polacca," both created a furor. Miss
Haves was recalled thrice after the performance of each. The
Romans had that the voice of the charming Ingles has
wonderfully improved in strength and quality, and with
respect to her singing, in the present state of the art in Italy,
they very rarely hear anything so good.—Musical World.

LUNACY LAWS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—The Commissioners of Lunacy lately issued
their annual report. From their statement it appears
that they have visited many asylums, hospitals, &c.,
and suggested many improvements in the buildings,
warming, clothing, cleanliness, diet, exercise, and
non-restraint, and other matters connected with the
comfort of the inmates. All this is well ; but when
we turn our attention to that branch of the subject
relating to the liberation of those not insane, confined
on various motives of convenience, sometimes for
acts of drunkenness, excentricity, ignorance, or malice,
we have little cause to congratulate them or the pub-
lic upon what they have done. We are not relieved by
one line on the subject, as though it became no part
of their duty to discover on what grounds and for
what acts persons were alleged insane, and thus de-
prived of their liberty, intercourse with friends, ad-
vantages of public worship, &c., and those pursuits
and associations that alone make life desirable. No.
The insanity is taken for granted by the confinement,
notwithstanding the reiterated statements that indi-
viduals are confined without the opportunity of prov-
ing their own sanity or of communicating with friends
or a legal adviser ; thus they must pine away in
misery, unable from their situation to help themselves.
To the Commissioners of Lunacy we are entitled to
look for a reduction of these abuses, and the liberation
of those unjustly confined; but we find them on the
reverse tack, that of building more asylums and sanc-
tioning the confinement of persons " not dangerous to
themselves or others," lest they should " vex the pub-
lic with their follies, or expose themselves to insult."
It must be matter of sincere regret that the Commis-
sioners show so small an inclination to the per-
formance of this duty. To whom, then, shall these
unfortunate persons look for the recovery of their
liberties and privileges ? What is everybody's duty
we are too apt to neglect as nobody's. It devolves
on the public, who should stir themselves to get a
change in the laws regarding the detention of per-
sons under an imputation of insanity.
There are many things which might be done that are
calculated to reduce the evil. Clergymen, Members of
Parliament, magistrates, and such persons should be
permitted to inspect asylums ; and the friends or the.
legal adviser of a patient should have free ingress;
there ought also to be liberty to attend public wor-
ship, to send letters without being subject to be
opened by the proprietor. The more public such
places aro the less likely would it be for deception to
be prattised, and the more likely for those who are
not insane to be liberated.

The slender grounds whereon " insanity" can be
alleged against an individual renders the greatest safe-
guard necessary, and not too much to be used, and
the frequent examination of such houses and asylums
proper.
From the praiseworthy exertions of the phi-
lanthropic and distinguished members of the Alleged
Lunatics' Friend Society, it is to be hoped that the
laws of lunacy will be shortly revised. It is without
doubt the duty of every literary man especially, and
of the community generally, to second their efforts,
and zealously work together, not to build asylums,
but to institute a search, and to liberate all such as
are found in existing asylums whose insanity cannot
be prcved ; and to reform the laws regarding lunacy,
so that the possibility of a like abuse shall be guarded
against for the future.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. I. GODDARD.