The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-25 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

purposes of the pending inquiry, to pay debts
to the amount of £579, to grant leases of
his farms in Wales, and contract t) pay
£4OO per annum to the owner of the private
asylum in which he bas been detained.
Mrs. RUCK, doubtless, believed that she was acting
for the best, but she had no authority whatsoever
for her proceedings, save the certificates of the

"skilful" perions, and we can now see the grounds
on which such certificates may be obtained. We
believe, in like manner, that the property and effects
of the Rev. Mr. LE/xi'', whose sanity was afterwards
clearly established, were sold, and the proceeds ex-

pended, for what was facetiously termed his benefit,
viz., in employing able counsel and skilful witnesses
to establish the alleged lunacy. For such acts no
adequate redress can be obtained, and therefore it is
essential that great care should be taken in the pre-
liminary steps which are erroneously, supposed to

warrant suc,h proceedings.
Mr. BARNET was bound to act on what he saw
and heard from the lunatic himself, not on the state-
ments which he heard—as is" invariably the case on
such consultations"—from friends and relatives.
The reason which induced him to put
down " profligate expenditure " as one of the
" symptoms" or overt acts, was, that the
alleged lunatic " mentioned that his expenses had
been very great, and had exceeded his income." Hear
this, all ye debtors who are unable to make both
ends meet Henceforward it is not merely the
Bench or Whitecross-street that is to be avoided.
There is something far more terrible, from which you
cannot be extricated either in Basinghall-street or
Portugal-street. You may be sent to a snug lunatic
asylum, where the proprietor is by no means parti-
cular, provided hit charges are duly liquidated, and
detained for an indefinite term ; denied access to
friends and professional advisers ; forbidden to write;
—all because your " expenses have exceeded your
income."

Again, as to "indulgence in intemperance," tha
_ _

";skilful" person, Mr. BARNET, admitted that "he

had never seen Mr. Rucx intoxicated I He merely
meant that he was addicted to the undue taking of
stimulants !" The instance adduced by the " skilful"

gentleman was, that he had actually seen " Mr.
RUCK drink a quart bottle of porter at Shrewsbury,
and two glasses of ale at Stafford I! !" Hear this, ye
thirsty souls, who indulge either in malt or cordials.
You may be perfectly sober, and set the magisterial
ss. at defiance. The most active policeman cannot
allege that you have been either " drunk or dis-
orderly," but if you indulge in " a quart bottle of
porter at Shrewsbury, and two glasses of ale at Staf-
ford," you are a lunatic, your goods and chattels
may be sold, your farms leased, and yourself con-
signed to protracted imprisonment in a lunatic
asylum. _ _ _

How greatly will the advocates of the Maine
Liquor Law exult in this authoritative dictum in
their favour. If a man drink a bottle of porter and
two glasses of ale on a long journey, it is a symptom
of insanity sufficient to authorise the breaking up of
his household and the destruction of all his pro-
spects in life. He will thenceforward, if so fortu-
nate as to escape from the dreadful prison-house,
go forth branded with a fearful imputation. Nothing
can restore his reputation. Even the innocent mem-
bers of his family will be implicated, inasmuch as a
relative was detained in a madhouse for a considerable
time!

As we have stated, we do not in the slightest
degree desire to affect the verdict, or influence the
jury in the case now sub judice ; but the eandid ad-
missions made by Mr. RICHARD BARNET, a highly
respectable gentleman, we believe, and one who
would:not be influenced by corrupt motives, so strik-
ingly bears out the arguments which we yesterday
put forward, that we cannot refrain from referring
thereto, and showing that if a man above sinister
influences could be induced to act with such laxity,
what may be anticipated from less reputable prac-
titioners, who would only desire a plausible pretext
to earn a handsome fee, no matter at what cost to
the victim.

The excuse put forward by Mr. BARNET aggra-
vates what we cannot help terming the grave mistake
which he committed ! He declares that "he had
never read the Act before signing the certificate." 1
Ile was not aware that it was a misdemeanour for a
medical man to sign a certificate authorising the
reception of a person into a lunatic asylum,
whom he had not before examined sepa-
rately: His ignorance—avowed and acknowledged
ignorance—is the only excuse offered ; and to such
" skilful" persons are the liberties and properties of
Englishmen and Englishwomen committed. They
boast of their habeas corpus, and the checks on des-
potism established by law ; but where is the check on
an interested relative, who may get a large amount
of property into his or her possession ; or on the
skilful person who has " not read the Act," and who
thinks exceeding a man's income, or drinking a bottle
of porter and two glasses of ale, manifest symptoms
of insanity ?

FRANCE.
PARIS, TUESDAY, 6 P.M.
The Spanish Government has decided to clear out
the Riff pirates. Communications to that effect have
been sent to the great maritime powers, and an ex-
pedition is preparing to rid the seas of this, almost
the last remaining, nest; of sea brigands.
Some time since I informed you that Sir Colin

Campbell had asked for reinforcements. Her Ma-
jesty's Government have assured the Commander-
in-Chief that more men shall be, and have been,
despatched, making up the number he requires—an
effective force of 30,000 men for the new campaign,
which forces include a considerable increase of

cavalry.
The Czar, following the example of other crowned
heads,-is now on the move. A despatch inform us :
,1 St. Petersburg, 23d.—Their Imperial Majesties
left this morning for their journey through the
empire." .

‘ Queen Victoria," says the New Gazette of Prus-
sia," has delayed her departure from Babelsberg to
the 28th."
According to communications from Brest, the
Russian squadron about to leave Cronstadt will
visit the French coast and put in at Cherbourg ;
after which this naval division will divide, half going
to the Mediterranean, whilst the remaining vessels
will cruise in the Pacific.

We learn from Vienna, of date Aug. 24, that the
baptism of the Prince Imperial took place on Monday
at the Palace of Laxenburg. The Prince received
the names of Rudolph Franclois Charles Joseph. :By
Imperial decree the Prince has been named pro-
prietor and colonel of the 19th regiment of in-
fantry.
The Vienna journals contradict most positively
the accounts that are given by some continental
journals as to the provinces of Turkey, and particu-
larly Herzegovina and Bosnia, being in a deplorable
situation ; they assert, on the contrary, that tran-
quillity has been completely re-established in those
provinces, or very nearly so, in spite of the propa-
ganda made by foreign emissaries for the advantage
of the Greek religion.
Count Walewski leaves Paris to-morrow for Vir-
ley. M. Fould is to arrive at this famed mineral-
water summer retreat to-night.
Kiasim Bey, the bearer of the minutes of the sit-
tings of the Conference of Paris on the question of
the Danubian Principalities, embarked on the 21st

at Marseilles for Constantinople.
There are certain branches of the retail trades in
Paris, the craftsmen of which are complaining just
now sadly for want of employment. Cabinet-makers,
the workers in decorative ornaments, and jewellers,

in fact those trades generally which are dependent
on the wealthy c!asses at home and abroad, are cer-
tainly doing much less business than usual. The
export trade is still suffering from the late European
crisis. Some idea of the general falling off in the
foreign trade may be gathered from a comparative
table of exports published by the Moniteur.
France does an immense business in what
are called modes, a comprehensive term for
every description of articles necessary for the
dressing a lady of fashion, whether of New York or
St. Petersburg. It appears France exported in the
first seven months of 1856 modes to the value of
5,276,524 fr.; in 1857, 4,227,030 fr.; and in the
corresponding months of 1858, only 3,518,077 fr.
The fact is, French houses have not yet renewed
their relations with America, and refuse to do busi-
ness with the United States excepting on cash terms.
It does not, however, appear, according to the reve-
nue returns of July, as given in the Moniteur, that
trade in France has decreased on the whole ; it
is rather certain branches of commerce, trading
in what may be called luxuries, which do not show
the usual activity.
There are certain labouring classes, not only in
Paris but throughout France, who were more fully
employed; "such as stonemasons, carpenters, painters,
and all trades ncccocary for hnilding. Tho want of
employment in Paris and elsewhere is confined to
those who supply the elegancies of life.
PARIS BOURSB.—The market was very buoyant a
the opening, and securities were generally quoted
with an advance, but sales for realisation having
been effected, it produced a general reaction. Threes,
after having been done at 70fr. 20c., receded to 70fr.
5c.; Mobilier varied from 770 fr. to 760 fr.; Austrian,
657 fr. 50c. to 652 fr. 50c.; Orleans, 1,362 fr. 50c. to
1,347 fr. 50c.; Lyons, 837 fr. 50c. to 832 fr. 50c. ;
Northern, 960 fr. to 955 fr.; and Southern, 555 fr. to
552 fr. 50c.

The following were the
Fr. ct.
44 per Cents 97 45
Do. end of month
Three per Cent.
Do. end of month 7O
Bank Shares 3,100
Credit Mobilier 755
Do. account
BAIL

Last quotations :

_
Fr. et.
Credit Fonder 625
Belgian 41 lOO
Piedmontese 5 9O 25
Roman 9l
Austrian —
Spanish Threes —
Home Debt —

.WAYS.

Cash—Fr. Ct. &count—Fr. Ct.
Orleans
Northern
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 893 75 .. 827 50
New ditto
Geneva
Midi
Western 630
Eastern
Grand Central —
Sardinian ... 425
Austrian.

610 -
552 50
627 50
695 -

430 -
648 75