The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-29 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Yesterday an investigation took place under a
writ de lunatico inquireluio, at Canonbury-hou,e
Tavern, Islington, to try the soundness of Mrs. El-
len Hawkins, a lady aged about 50. The principal
Commissioner was Mr. PIIILLIMORE.

Mr. BROWN, solicitor, of Broad-street, on behalf
of the sons and daughters of Mrs. Hawkins (her
husband having very recently died), appeared to
support the plea of incompetency.
Miss Christiana Forbes had known Mrs. Ellen
Hawkins from 1817 to the present time. She fre-
quently threw herself into the most violent fits of
passion, and exhibited extreme excitement, without
any apparent cause. On these occasions she was
very spiteful, particularly to her children. In 1818
in one of her fits, she threw a heavy inkstand at
the head of her eldest son. She generally mani-
fested a great aversion to her children, and
threw anything that came to her hands at them.
She was a native of Scotland, where she resided un-
til the 20th of August, 1818. At that time she
came to London, and resided in Spring-street,
Spring-gardens. She afterwards removed to Maida-
vale, and remained there until August, 1830, when
she was placed in the Fisher-house lunatic esta-
blishment, in the Lower-road, Islington, under the
care of Dr. Sunderland. She was a well-educated
woman, and in her sane intervals most scrupulously
correct in her language; but during her paroxysms
there were no bounds to her obscene expressions
and swearing.

Miss Diana Hicks corroborated the last witness's
testimony, adding, that the unfortunate lady was in
the habit of throwing her money and property aw”y.
On one occasion she broke her pianoforte, and
threw a part of it out at the window.
Dr. Sunderland deposed that ever since Mrs.
Hawkins had been in his establishment she had
been of unsound mind.

Dr. Bright and Dr. Munroe gave smilar evidence.
Mr. Hadden, the foreman, accompanied by several
of the Jury, repaired to Fisher-house, to see and
examine the object of their deliberation. On their
return to the Commissioners' room, the Jury were
unanimous in recording the following verdict :
" That Ellen Hawkins is of unsound mind, and
incapable of managing her own affairs, arid has been
in that state since the 20th of August, 1818."

It is rumoured that the heads of a great mer-
cantile house, whatever objections they may have to what
they call a Dutch war, have evinced no s,,rt of objectiJa
to profit by it. In tact, it is u•s rted that the firm in
question has speculated to a vast amount in the purchas •
01 Irish butter, in the expectation that tie prices will be
tapidly advanced by the stopp ige of Dutch butter. Tue
price of the former, we believe, has slightly ris,n, but hot
to the mark which the speculators in this instance deem
high enough, as we are instructed that the whole is kept
from market with a hope of an ultimate enormous gain.

Much expectation has already been excited by
the announcement of a work of fiction, edited by Lady
DAcRE, and called " Recollections of a Chugiv.'
do nut wonder that the Fiquancy of the titimaltni,,
caused a variety of speculation as to the 1.
of the volumes ; but the public cut i Veit tlle
will soon be gratified, and its surmises

almost immediate typear.w^. of the I,Joki

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