The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-24 00:00:00

THE'. SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 24, 1858.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE

For many years we have been the strenuous ad-
vocates of a complete revision of the Lunacy laws,
so as to afford complete protection, not only to those
who have been unfairly deprived of their liberty,
and subjected, without just cause, to treatment far
worse than that of convicted criminals, but also to
the unfortunate beings who, although subject to delu-
sions dangerous to themselves and to others, and pro-
perly placed under control, have still feelings as keen
and sensitive as their more fortunate fellow-creatures,
and can be as greatly influenced by kindness, as
depressed by harshness and cruelty.
The great unanswerable complaint at present is,
that any man whatsoever, however exalted his
intellect or prudent his dealings, may be kidnapped
from his home, incarcerated in a gloomy dungeon, and
subjected to ill treatment, which no gaoler of a cri-
minal prison would venture to inflict on any one
under his charge. He may be seized, gagged,
pinioned, carried privately away to a place with
which none but the conspirators against his liberty
and, we may add, his life and fortune, are
acquainted, and where his most intimate friends
and relations will be refused admission until the
alleged lunacy has become real insanity, through
the persecutions to which he may be exposed. Should
his fate be ascertained ; should he be se fortunate as
to find persons willing to vindicate his cause, months
—aye, years—may elapse before the decision can be
arived at, which will restore him to liberty, or con-
sign him to worse than penal servitude for life.
That there are many private asylums conducted
with great humanity—in which everything possible,
under the circumstances, for the comfort of the
patient is done, we are quite willing to admit. Nay
more, we believe that a majority of those establish-
ments are admirably conducted, so far as bond fide
lunatics are concerned, and that chances of reco-
very are given even to profitable patients. There
are many good men of unquestionable integrity,
amongst this class, who would not lend themselves
to any unfair or underhand conduct, no matter how
high the pecuniary temptation. But, unfortunately,
there are many others of a totally different character,
men who will totally disregard duty whenever it is
opposed to their private interests. We make laws
against fraud, without supposing that a large pro-
portion of our fellow citizens are swindlers—against
larceny, without conceiving that they are pickpockets.
vote lunatic asylums be deemed to cast a slur on
many estimable individuals who may be brought
within the law, but without any reason to dread its
provisions.
The great evil is the privacy with which the cap-
ture is effected. Two professional men, or who are
pleased to arrogate to themselves the denomination
of" skilful persons," contrive to obtain an interview
with the alleged lunatic. They annoy him with a
series of impertinent questions, and a little pardon-
able irritation on his part is put down as " unsound-
ness of mind." Indeed, the parties who are selected
in doubtful cases, and who know that they will be
handsomely rewarded if they can meet the wishes
of their employers, seldom care to test
the sanity—their views being taken from their
instructions, and the nature of the certificate
being a foregone conclusion. It may be that their
" poverty and not their will consents," but we ven-
ture to say that two " skilful persons" may be found
to report any man, woman, or child in the United
Kingdom insane, if the bribe or fee be sufficiently
high, and that the chances are in favour of impunity.
We complain of the power of continental Govern-
ments of incarcerating any of their subjects, and we
proudly point to our Habeas Corpus Act, which
prevents any man from being detained in
confinement without adequate cause. But, while
pointing out the mote in our brother's eye,
we forget the beam in our own, and are oblivious of
the fact that it requires not the leftr de cachet of
a Minister of State, but the simple certificate of two
"skilful persons" to consign a man of rank, property,
and position in society, to hopeless imprisonment,
possibly for life.
It seems to us that a remedy could easily be
provided. The chief point would be to in-
sure impartial and disinterested inquiry ; to give,
in fact, to the wealthy alleged lunatic the same
protection that is afforded to a pauper supposed
to be afflicted in the same way. The pauper
lunatic must be brought before a magistrate within a
brief period after his arrest, and unless a certificate
be obtained he cannot be received into the public
asylum. Now the pauper really requires less pro-
tection, although he receives far more. Seldom, if
ever, can there be pecuniary interests in operation,
or pecuniary temptations held out to his keepers.
There have been some rare instances, but
they are the exceptions, not the rule. But
a man of independent means and comparative wealth
may be carried off, without having a chance of ob-
taining any disinterested inquiry into his case. There
is no appeal, either to magistrate or public function-
ary of any kind, and the frivolous pretext offered is,
that it might hurt the feelings of the family to have
it stated that one of its members was a lunatic.
Surely it must hurt the feelings of the
victim far more to know that he has been
unfairly carried off, without any of his
friends or acquaintances being permitted to know
anything of kis fate. it would aggravate a slight
attack, and perhaps render a man, who could speedily
And easily be cured, a permanent and hopeless
lunatic.
Any person who could be supported in a private
would,
sulr
ina brief'
e
can also find adequate me
Asylum
inquiry. The expensethe
first first instance, be comparatively trifling, and the party
patting the machinery of the lunacy code into opera-
tion, should be prepared to incur the responsibility
I;hereof. This, of course, would not apply to the
cab of pauper lunatics, who, as at present, would ob-
tain the partial security of being brought before a

magist.TM•
What tyre cocieve would be right in the case
and
of
parties stout to be consigned to private asylums,
which, e believe, would guard against the vast
majority 01',finproper attempts, are contained in the
following pro,. Nositions :-Ist. That every person
seized as an alieg, ed lunatic shall, in the first instance,
and before being b. *ought into any private establish-
ment, be taken to ' the public hospital, where
,he is not to be detail. 'ed save for a limited period,
and that he shall there bg examined by the public
47A and a magistrate, i'9 ;l'e gauce of the pro-

As a corollary to the Treaty entered into with the
Chinese Government, let us hope that some satisfac-
tory arrangement may now be made with a view to
the retention of that colony of Labuan which we have
already designated the Key to the British Tea Caddy.
The Rajah of Sarawak has now been in England
for one whole quarter of a year, having returned
homewards in the early part of 1858, for the express
purpose of coming at length, after so many delays
and anxieties, to some understanding, one way or the
other, with the supreme home Government. A con-
siderable time has now elapsed since Sir JAMES
13nooicz received (if we recollect rightly it was 1845
or 1846) the formal assurance of the then Prime
Minister, Sir ROBERT PEEL, that, as the Ruler of
the North-west Coast of Borneo, his Excellency
might rely with implicit confidence upon receiving,
upon all occasions—especially in the event of any
great and imminent emergency—the fullest assistance
from the imperial authority in these islands. Well
—for that assistance the Rajah of Sarawak has
hitherto looked—even since then—up to the
present moment—in vain ! He has had to fight that
terrible fight for life and death, alone and unaided.
He who originally called the colony, as such, into
existence, has, again and again, had it falling around
him in ruin, and again and again has built it up anew
from its very foundations. To this great labour of
accomplishing this wonderful achievement, this
bold and heroic man has dedicated the whole of
his remarkable life. Whether the effort fail or suc-
ceed, it signifies nothing as regards his reputation.
His name, in any case, must, henceforth, remain in-
delibly emblazoned upon the histrionic scroll, lumi-
nous with the fair fame of our English worthies.
Conspicuous among that gallant band shines already,
and will shine hereafter, perennially the renown of
Sir Jsiazs BitoolLE some time—happily still—Ruler
of Borneo and Rajah of Sarawak. It rests with her
MAJESTT'S Government whether the first English
Rajah on that part of the coast of Borneo is to be
also the last and only one. It rests with the Minis-
ters of Queen VICTORIA whether the toil of long years,
the devotion of a life, the whole of a private fortune,
set upon the hazard of a die for the good of the em-
pire, will be cruelly and basely scattered to the
1 winds that blow: or, whether the responsibility
resting hitherto entirely and exclusively upon this one
dauntless subject, will be generously assumed by the
Cabinet, for whose interests it was alone, first of all,
so daringly created, and afterwards so chivalrously
and devotedly sustained.
An English ge.vtla-yacnt of his own in search of
adventure, arrives in the midst of a pleasure excursion
among the beautiful spice islands of that vast Eastern
Archipelago. It is the scene of the long past trials
and triumphs, hopes and fears, of Sir STAMFORD
RAFFLES—the region in which the distinguished
labours of that brilliant, but day-dreaming diplo-
matist, had been at the last hour rendered so lament-
ably nugatory. The English gentleman arriving in
those remote seas, with his yacht, visits, now some
score of years gone by, the noble island of Borneo,
in the neighbourhood of the great province of Labuan.
He takes part in its local turmoils, social and political.
Being a man of uncommon energy, he makes for
himself a name in that region of excitement, at that
most propitious period of all others to that end, a
period of transition. He is soon recognised by the
Sovereign of Borneo to have done good service in the
maintenance of law and order, in the vindication of
morality, and the restoration of tranquillity in
Labuan—he is appointed Rajah of Sarawak. Hav-
ing obtained this standing ground, and covered him-
self with this authority, Sir J. Bzooaz (Mr. BROOKE
as he was then) enters at once vigorously upon the
task of developing all the latent resources of the
country, brought thus by his genius and valour
under Anglo-Saxon domination. The vegetation is
of course prolific, and its produce for the
most part valuable as merchandise. But beyond
this, there is for a considerable time a belief cherished'
in the first instance, or we are much mistaken, by
Sir JAMES Banos.z and his companions—a belief
indulged hopefully and not unnaturally at home here
—to the effect that the mineral wealth of Labuan
was also in one important particular extraordinary.
That notion is, to be plain, that coal exists in
great abundance on the north-west coast of Borneo.
That idea is understood to have been recently proved
upon examination to have been altogether illusory.
Labuan proves, alas ! to be without coal. Had it
been otherwise there could hardly have been a mo-
ment's doubt as to the wisdom of its re-
tention. A great natural coal depot, at that
particular point in the eastern seas, south
of the Asiatic continent and north of the Indian
Archipelago, would be obviously a possession little
less than actually priceless in value to this country
with its vast mercantile transactions—here with
China—there with Hindostan. But, as we have said,
" the wish" seems alone to have been " father to
the thought"—there is no coal there, as was so
long and so sanguinely anticipated. It is argued
in consequence by those who are opposed :to
the retention of Labuan by England, that the colony
would be too costly an acquisition, and that, there-
fore, it had better be allowed quietly to pass out of
our possession. It would not, it is maintained, be a
self-supporting colony. We should have to pay
largely, at any rate for some years to come,
towards its maintenance. Now, upon this
head we are not by any means perfectly
well satisfied. We do not believe it to
be yet proven that Labuan could 110 t be rendered
self-supporting. We think it might, on the con-
trary, be shown clearly enough that it might actu-
ally be rendered very speedily not only self-support-
ing, but remunerative. However this may be,
nevertheless of one other thing we are long since abso-
lutely convinced, viz., that, come what may,
Sir JAMES BROOKE'S demand requires from us the
most generous consideration. He has earned the
right to this by every act of his glorious career. We
amre
bound in honour at the very last to do this great
au
justice—and to treat him in every particular as
it befits us that we should treat one of the most loyal
subjects of the Crown, and one of the most distin-
guished representatives of the SOVEREIGN.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Headfort arrived
eipEParlroceeded at once to
and Countess of
tinheKLeolldsgela,stvwiregeinici,a7
ohnena hvitsis
tlotrodtahl,
Bective.
The Marchioness of Ely, with the youthful mar-
quis and thee adies Loftus and Mr. Dope Vera, has arrived
at Ely LodgWexford.
Le Marquis and Marchioness d'Assche have left
Farrance's Hotel, for Brighton.
The Earl of Mornington has arrived at the
Clarcadoa Hotel, from GOluani.

FRANCE.

PARIS, MONDAY, 6 r.m.
M. Sabatier, the French Commissioner, has left
Paris for Jeddah, accompanied by M. Emerat, who

will act as an interpreter.
The Emperor, Empress, and Court, now at St.
Cloud, will leave for Biarritz at the end of the

month.
A meeting was held to-day at the Hotel of
Foreign Affairs to take into consideration a com-
pensation to be awarded to Mr. Morse for his tele-

graphic inventions.
It is generally believed in Paris that Russia has
gained considerable advantages by the treaty which
China is reported to have agreed to contract with
England and France and that Power. For some
time past Russia has established a strong maritime
station at the mouth of the River Amour. The
Celestial Empire is now said to have ceded to the
Czar a considerable amount of territory—an impor-
tant acquisition both in a commercial and military
point of view. Russia is supposed to have influenced
the Government of Pekin in offering terms to Eng-
land and France; but,.in doing so, the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg does not, it is reported, recommend
China to admit English and French Ambassadors as
residents at Pekin. We are, however, still without
any details concerning the terms of the treaty of peace
with China which can assist speculation.
Count Walewski and nearly all the Foreign Am-
bassadors accredited to the Court of the Tuileries are
about leaving Paris, to pass a month or six weeks at
watering places or in the country. Politics, both do-
mestic and foreign, are likely to sleep for some time.
A letter from Berlin of the 20th says :—" The
President of the Council this day gave a grand diplo-
matic breakfast in honour of the Earl of Malmesbury ;
it was attended by several members of the diploma-
tic body. The official journal announces that the
King and Queen will arrive here on the 31st ult.
from Tegernsee, so that their Majesties will not meet
the Queen of England here. In the Admiralty-office
there is still a question of raising a loan for the
navy, the resources at present possessed by it not being
sufficient; but the Minister of War opposes the de-
velopment of the navy."
In a few days railways uniting France and Savoy,
and Piedmont with Lombardy, will be completed
and open to the public. The Opinione believes great
political results must eventually follow the establish-
ment of increasing intercommunications between the
Italian States.
M. de Lesseps has bean received by the Russian
authorities of Odessa with great enthusiasm. The
Russian Government favours that gentleman's scheme
for piercing the Isthmus of Suez.
The Moniteur publishes the official returns of the
Customs' revenue during the month of July, which
amounted to 20,258,1881., being an increase of
4,311,611 f. on the corresponding month of last year.
The receipts for the first seven months of 1858
were 113,260,592 f., showing an improvement of
886,034 f. on the corresponding period of 1858.
Among the items of revenue which have improved
during the seven months of the present year
French colonial sugar stands for 11,788,961 f. ;
coal, 594,217 f.; oil, 275,062 f. ; hemp, 148,933 E;
cocoa, 55,509 f. ; cochineal, 43,086 f.; sulphur,
32,086 f. ; pepper, 16,928 f. ; rough salt, 13,3421.
Those articles which during the same period
have shown a decrease are sheep and cattle, 44,4044;
mahogany, 113,003 f.; portable liquors, 4,934,364 f. ;
coffee, 366,149 f.; corn, 777,1721.; raw c0tten,739,0571.;
raw wool, 783,408 f. ; linen thread, 213,605 ; olea-
ginous seeds, 217,535 f. ; indigo, 93,718 f.; hemp and
flax, 27,074 f. ; rough castings, 949,1g4f. ; bar iron
and steel, 340,950 f.; lead, 33,543 f.; zinc, 6,162 f,;
gold and silver, 35,042 f. ; nitrate of potash and soda,
17,0221.; raw and spun silk, 11,247 f.; foreign sugar,
1.086,4661. ; linen and hempen cloth, 150,4821.
The Ocean 611Evittulf10._ 7f; sundries, 1,121,760 f.
decreed, or will shortly decree, some measures of the
highest importance connected with that town and its
port. As far as regards the railway, that journal
says :—" We scarcely need allude to it, as
matter due and irrevocably accorded. The workmen,
which the Western Company were obliged during
last year to employ exclusively on the Cherbourg
line, will be employed on that from Rennes to Brest,
where the works will be carried on with great
activity. Before the expiration of two years this
line may be terminated, and the Emperor will pre-
side at the inauguration of a railway from Paris to

Brest."
A Madrid letter of the 19th alludes to a rismour
which has been current in the Court circles of that
capital for some days past :—" Yesterday it was
known in aristocratic circles that the marriage of the
Duke of Malakhoff, French Ambassador in London,
with the Senorita Sophia Paniega, daughter of the
Marquis of Paniega, has been definitively arranged.
The Senorita is a lovely woman of about 26 years,
surpassingly graceful in her carriage, the very type
of an Andalusian gentlewoman. She is a near rela-
tion of the Empress of the French." Whether the
Duke's approaching departure from London has any
thing to do with this " rumour" I kno w not.
The Patric is of opinion that a visit of the Sultan
to the Christian provinces of his empire would lead
to excellent results. It says : " The events
which have taken place in Bosnia and the
causes to which they are to be attributed
are well known. Troops were despatched from
Constantinople to put an end to the agitation. Up
to the present time the high functionaries who
were invested with the powers of the Sultan have
succeeded but little better than the troops charged
to support them. The revolt has been suppressed
on several points, but tranquillity has not been re-
stored, for that can only be accomplished by inspir-
ing confidence. Would not the result have been
very different if the Sultan had gone himself into the
heart of the provinces ? Would not the prestige of
his immense authority, his calm and noble bearing,
and his moderation and firmness have everywhere
re-established order and confidence by tranquillising
the weak and making the wicked tremble ? It is a
duty incumbent on all princes placed at the head of
a vast empire to visit the people under their sway
and to personally inquire into their wants. For the
Sultan Abdul Medjid, in the perilous position in
which Turkey is now placed, it is more than a duty
—it is a necessity."
PARIS BOURSE.—The market has been steady, and
prices rather buoyant. Threes, after having been
done at 69fr. 60c. and 69fr. 55c., rallied to 691 r. 65c.;
Mobilier varied from 7251 r. to 737 fr. 50c. ; Austrian,
640 fr. to 643 fr. 75c.; Orleans, 1,332fr.50c. to 1,337 fr.
50c. ; Lyons, 822 fr. 50c. to 8251 r. ; Southern, 547 fr.
50c. to 550 fr. ; Northern, 950 fr. to 9521 r. 50c.; and
Eastern, 690 fr. to 695 fr. The market continued im-
proving to the close, when the following were the
quotations :

Fr. Ct.
4i per Cents.. • • 97 45
Do. end of month 97 45
3 per Cent....... 69 75
Do. end of month 69 75
Bank Shares .... 3,169
Credit Mobilier.. 745
Do. account..... 741 50

Credit Fancier .
Belgian 4i
Piedmontese 5,
Roman.—
Austrian
Spanish Threes . 43 50
Home Debt-- 39 25

Fr. Ct
625 -

Orleans .... ............
Northern
New ditto
Lyons & Mediterranean...•

90 25
91 -

—Fr. Ct. Account—Fr. Ct.
'33.5 .. 1,345
952 50 . • 952 50
806 25 . • 800
825 • • 825

610 -
546 50
625 -
690 -

....ya1....
New ditto ..
Geneva
Midi
Western .
Eastern
Grand Central
Sardinian
6_ 45
Austrian .••••

612 50
550 -
6.22 50
692 50

ITALY.

Polities for the moment are enjoying their dolce far
niente. Some of the Ministers of the King are on
furlough. Signor Deforeeta, the Minister of Jus-
tice, is gone to spend a few days at Nice, his native
Um, Gen. Liunarmora, the Minister of War, is