The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-04 00:00:00

ALLEGATION OF LUNACY.

(From Galignani's Messenger.)
The Tribunal de Premiere Instance was occupied last
week with a process similar to that of the English statute
De Lunatico Inquirendo, by which it was sought to estab-
lish the unsoundness of mind of M. Adrian Hope, a son of
the rich Dutch banker. The plaintiffs in the case were
Mon,ieur and Madame Berthieux, the latter being the
mother of the defendant, having been first married to M.
Hope. The plaintiff's counsel stated that the defendant,
M. A. Hope, to whom his father had left an income of
19.5,000 f., had from an early age evinced symptoms of
weakness of mind amounting almost to imbecility, and added
that such was his indolence and incapacity that, at eighteen
years of age, he was ignorant of the most ordinary acquire-
ments of youths of his age. Amongst other instances of
the defendant's want of the reasoning faculty, the counsel
mentioned that, in 1831, being then eighteen years old, he
passed a considerable part of the day in endeavouring to
make two canes of unequal lengths touch each other by their
four extremities at the same instant, not appearing to have
any suspicion that the task he had undertaken was an utter
impossibility. On another occasion the company in a room
into which he entered rising to receive him, he slipped into
the arm chair of a General, one of the guests, who, on re-
suming his seat, plumped down upon the defendant. Some
time after, M. Berthieux, his step-father, sent him to travel
for five years, under a tutor named Landresse ; but the let-
ters of the tutor soon warned the family that there was lit-
tle or rather no prospect of any improvement being pro-
duced by travel on the moral or intellectual faculties of M.
Hope. After coming of age, he returned to Paris to pre-
vail upon his mother to consent to a marriage he had pro-
jected for himself at Capua. In three months after coming
into possession of his fortune, he squandered 58,000 f. in the
purchase of articles which he might have procured for a
much less sum. To the observations made to him on this
subject he returned only harsh and contemptuous language ;
and on one occasion, M. Dalloz, the family notary, having
sent to him a man to value some furniture, he wrote
him back the following laconic note :—" Sir, I have no
liking for domiciliary visits." The family having com-
menced proceedings, with a view to have M. Hope de-
clared incapable of managing his property, he was re-
quired to answer certain interrogatories, the answers to
some of which the plaintiff's counsel stated to be as
follows :—Having some property in the American Funds,
he was asked what a dollar was worth ? Answer--
Five francs ; whereas it is really worth sf. 40c. Being
asked what the capital represented by 'sf. of interest was
—he could not tell. He was also unable to tell how many
bushels were contained in a setier. This, however, was not
to be wondered at, as it afterwards turned out that every
person in Court was equally ignorant on the point, as, after'
guesses being made, a book was produced, when it
appeared that no one had guessed rightly ; on which a voice
exclaimed, they should all be declared lunatics—(Laughter.Y
The Advocate of M. A. Hope contended that no sufficient
grounds had been shown to justify'the Court in depriving
his client of the management of his property ; and added,
that this suit had been instituted by M. Berthieux his cli-
ent's step-father, for the purpose of punishing him for havilig
thrown off his authority, and taken out of his hands Ole
management of so considerable a property. After hear'ing
the King's Advocate, who stated- that he considered t hat
there were not sufficient proofs of unsoundness of mind. to
justify a declaration of lunacy, but that there were proofs 'of
incapacity to manage his affairs sufficient to warrant the
Tribunal in nominating a guardian under the Court, the
judgment of the Court was conformable to the opinions ex-
pressed by the King's Advocate, and the decision of the
question of lunacy was deferred for a twelvemonth.

A messenger has arrived at Madrid, with irrtelli-
gence of the recognition of the Government of the Queen of
Portugal by Don Aloar da Costa, Governor of the island of
Madeira, where already all the authorities of the toulls and
villages had taken an oath of allegiance to Donna Mari a.
LIVERPOOL COTTON-MARKET, WEDNESDAY,
JULY 2.—A much better feeling was shown am on gst pur-
chasers to-day, and about 2,400 bags were disposed of previous
to ncon at prices previously quoted.

THE TRUE COUNTRY GENTLEIVIAN,....ThOSe
who would have their minds improved and their fe dings ani-
mated by a right exhibition of the finest old English qualities,
may turn to a paper in the present number of the New
Monthly Magazine, which, under the design of illustrating an
important class, that of the " Squires of England," present,
us with a strikingly-drawn character of him who, by a long
and zealous devotion to the honourable pursuits of agriculture,
and by a steady practice of the highest patriarchal virtues, has
most emphatically and par excellence deserved the title of
" The Squire." Such a picture as this is not alone individual,
but likewise truly national ; it is at once a faithful portrait and
an interesting study.

There is no foundation for the report that has been
circulated of the projected marriage of Lord A. Fitzclarenee
with the Baroness Wenman ; but it is said confidently that
Mr. Canning, son of the Viscountess, is accepted by the
daughter of Lord Stuart de Rothsay, who was presented at
the Drawing-room this year ; also that Mr. Ellice, son of
the Secretary-at-War, is to marry the daughter of General
Balfour, of Carlton-house Gardens.—Brighton Gazette.
A few days ago, as Lord Brudenell, who resides et
No. 8, Carlton-gardens, was taking an airing in Hyde Parks
on horseback, followed by his groom, who was also mounted*
a large white dog, between the bull and mastiff breed, wag
observed to run towards them foaming at the mouth from a
distant part- of the park, and when close to Cumberland-gate'
seized one of the hind legs of the animal (a high-spirited one)
on which the groom was riding, and tore away a large piece
of flesh; after some difficulty the doe- was made to let go itg
hold; but it had no sooner done so than it flew, with thetnost
savage fury, at his lordship, who, we regret to add, was
wounded, but, fortunately, not seriously, by the fangs of the
animal in the lower part of his leg. By this time a great
number of persons had arrived at the spot, in order to afford
all the assistance in their power, and it was not until his Lord-
ship's trowsers were completely torn from his knee downwards
that the dog, which every one imagined to be in a rabid state,
and were therefore very cautious about approaching too closely,
could be made to relinquish its hold, which it had no sootier
done than it turned round and proceeded at a tremendous rate
towards Portman Barracks followed by a large mob of people',
who raised the cry of " Mad dog !" and at length succeeded
in securing it in Portman Mews, when Sergeant Harrison and
police constable Garnett, both of the D division, who were
foremost in the chase, took possession of the animal and con.'
veyed it to Marylebone-lane station-house. The owner of it
is not known, although an immense number of people have
visited the cell in which it was directly locked up for the pur-
pose of identifying it, if possible. The dog has now been in
confinement several days, and we are happy to state that it doe*
not at present evince any symptoms of hydrophobia.
SWITZERLAND.—The Zurich Gazette of the 24t1r
ult., in a second edition, dated 10 o'clock at night, states the
the answer of the Directory to M. de Vignet and M. de Bona-
belles was delivered in the course of the evening to those MO
ministers, and that a well-founded hope was entertained that
it would tend to prevent the execution of coercive mes,aures-
The Gazette of the 25th says :—" The Grand Council of
Zurich has decided that the last demand of the Pr,wers shall
be complied with."—These demands are for
" Ile expulsion
not only of those who took part in the expediti-on against Sa-
voy, but also that of the individuals who notoriously concur, in
a manner direct or indirect, in disturbing t)•ie tranquillity of the
neighbouring States, and an assurance to be given by the
Confederation that measures shall be taken against every at-
tempt similar to that of the month of February last." Letters
from Constance announce that preparations are making to exe-
cute coercive measures against Switzerland. Prussian engi-
'seers are employed in the country in fixing the line that is to
serve as bounds for the Prussian system of customs. The peo-
ple look with an evil eye upon these preparations. At Mris•
kirch they attacked the engineers, and the Prefect of the
district having gone to the succour of the Prussians, was vio-
lently assaulted. The Neuezurcher Zeitung states that •the
town of Constance is about to receive a Wirtembe,rg garrison
sent to support tne coercive measures of the Powers; and
adds, that Austria and Bavaria are about to send regimentS
towards the Swiss frontiers. The Nuremberg Correspondea
has the following of the 21st ult. from Frankfort The
affairs of Switzerland form the principal object of the nego--
ciations of' the Cabinets at this moment.. Positive declarations
have been made upon this subject, and we are assured the%
the Cabinet of the Tuileries has just given to its Ambassador
in Switzerland the instructions necessary for a mediation, by
which the just pretensions of the neighbouring States may W
admitted."

MARRIAGES.
Oe the 3d inst., at All Souls, Marylebone, Captain Howisonr
Madras army, of Holmfoot, Lenark, • to Elizabeth, eldest daughter
of F. C. Lewis, Esq., of Charlotte-street, Portland-place.
On the 2d inst., at Twickenham church, by the Rev. Mr. Snow'
Sir R. Shaw, Bart., of Bushy Park, county of Dublin, to Miss A'
Spencer, of Twickenham, daughter of the late Benjamin Spencer,
Esq., M.D., formerly of Bristol.
On the 3d inst., at St. Mary-le-Bow church, by the Rev.
Trollope, Mr. T. Deverell, of Aylesbury, to Sarah, younge"
daughter of till> late Mr. R. Drake, of Baldwin's-gardens.
On the 3d inst., at St. Margaret's Westminster, J. H. White'
house, Esq., of Ipsley Court, Wirwickshire, to Grace, daughter
of the late W. Smith, Esq., of Brompton Park-house, Kensington '
Gore.

On the 3d inst., at Chester-street, Grosvenor-place, by the Rev
John Jones, according to the rites of the Catholic Church, and►
subsequently, at St. George's, Hanover-square, by the Rev. Francis
Rivers, John 1114 Nab, Esq., Sherrabeg, Invernessshire, to Franco°
Cosens, daughter of .the late John Newman, Esq., of Finmor°
House, Buckinghamshire.

EAHS.
On the 11th ult., to the inexpressible grief of his afflicted famili'
and deep regret of all who knew his worth and many Christi'''.
virtues, Warden, eldest son of John Flood, Esq., of Viewmount, in
the county of Kilkenny.
On the 26th ult., at his residence, Hackney, Mr. John Gamble'
aged 70, of the firm of Gamble and Davis, Fish-street-hill.
On Sunday week, at his house in St. John-street, West Stnitb"
field, Mr. W. Russell, aged 63 years.
On the Ist of July, Rebecca, relict of the late David Edwards'
Harleyford-ploce, Kennington, aged 72 years.
On the 3d inst., at Hackney, Mary, the beloved wife of Mr.
Jones, of 85, Aldgate.

London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG.
at The Sun Office, No. 112; Strand

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