The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-06 00:00:00

LORD T.EFIV.II,IOI ON REFORM.

Mr. R. B. Reed, the secretary of the Northern
Reform Union, has been favoured with the follow.
ing communication from Lord Teynham :
Old Church Cottage, Bexley Kent,
August 27, 1859.
Sir,—The greatest of all difficulties in the way of
happy and assured union is overcome when the
foundations of a proposed course of conduct are laid

in justice.
An unborn child in the United Kingdom is not
only protected by its mother, it is surrounded by
tae shield of the law. Soon after its birth its
existence is vouched for, its identity and its pre-
sumptive inheritance are cared for by the law of
vaccination. And no sooner does it know right from
wrong than it is required to be obedient to the go-
vernment of the country. And, from the first, di-
rectly orindirectly,its sustenance, end many things
which combine to secure the welfare of its being,
are taxed. Thus the beginning of its life and of
its interest in the legislation of the Parliament are
contemporaneous. Throughout its existence on earth
that interest exists likewise without intermission,
and after death the laws of the country protect the
sacredness of its tomb.

He whose whole life on earth is thus acted upon
by parliament is justly entitled to have a voice in
choosing his own representative in that assembly.
On this principle of justice I believe I stand
agreed with the Northern Reform Union. Let it
be the first, and it will bear proof of being a suffi-
cient link to connect together all who shall seek
effectual parliamentary reform.
In this union our first step is the recognition of
the difficulty between a man and a child. The
Scriptures and the laws say the same thing. We,
when we were children, were in bondage. Thus a
child is not qualified or made fit to be a voter. Let
him first become a man. Thus, if we obtain the
reform we seek, the franchise will become the inhe-
ritance of every male child born in the United King-
dom, a subject of her Majesty. But he will not
enter upon his inheritance till he is of legal age.
We thus reach another point of concord. Univer-
sal suffrage reduced to practice is manhood suffrage.
Would a man give his vote for a member of Parlia-
ment wisely he must exercise his mind on political
subjects ; he must collect accurate information
upon them. Independently he should vote ; inde-
pendently think. That he be not dependent on
others for a mere smattering of politics, he must be
able to read, and thus to store up knowledge for him-
self. He who cannot read is not qualified to give a
vote which he can know will be beneficial to him-
self and his country; he who canread, having within
himself the means of all knowledge is qualified to
vote well. If I gain the assent, and I expect it
unanimously, of reformers to this step, universal
suffrage is practically that of every reading man.
It will not be hard to persuadethe man who cannot
read that he should leave the suffrage to him that
can, even as the blind man is willing to be led.
Not in one way, but in many ways; in ordinary
things, and in those of the highest importance, I
expect Parliamentary Reform, such reform as I am
seeking, to be beneficial to our country. That which
other means have failed to produce, a universally
reading public, would be engendered by a vote
being given to every man as soon as he becomes a
man provided he cat read.
But some who desire an additional qualification
to be substituted for one founded upon money wonild
inordinately stretch their demands. They overlook
the difference between being qualified and being
better qualified. In the legislation we seek we
have to do alone with simple qualification, and
must resolutely reject all its gradations. Every
step beyond our limits would issue in the exclusion
of some qualified voters. And were we, besides
reading the means of knowledge, to require any
particular subjects of knowledge, on each the ques-
tion must be raised, is it an essential qualification?
and union would become impossible, and without
union there cannot be success. That the union of
reformers may not easily be dissolved, that it may
possess a vitality that will evince itself in the unity
and persistency of varied action, I have deemed it
my duty thus far, at present, to develop to you my
views, with the hope that I shall gain assent—l re-
main,•sir, yours faithfully, TETNIIAM.
To the Hon.i Secretary of the Northern
Reform Union.

BARNET CATTLE FAIR.

On Monday the great annual fair at Barnet was
opened for public business, and its world-wide
fame for the extensive supply of every large de-
scription of stock was fully sustained. There was
a large attendance of eminent stock dealers and
agriculturists, cattle dealers and breeders, who
visit this as the most likely mart to sell stock, and
graziers and feeders make their selections at this
autumn fair. The condition of the stock generally
was of fair average, and many droves of beasts were
full of flesh. The number of cattle brought to-
gether was less than in previous years. There was
a good demand, and sales were effected early. The
counties of Hereford and Devon contributed some
of their best grazing beasts. Yorkshire was
fairly represented, with excellent and well-bred
mulch cows. Ireland sent some large herds of
cattle to the fair, and Scotland likewise sent some
choice and well-bred cattle. Prices were as an-
nexed : Herefords, well-bred bullocks for stall
feeding, £l6 to £lB ; good grazing steers, £ll to
£l4; stock heifers, £lO to £ll. Devons, prime
bullocks. £l5 to £lB ; useful steers, £l2 to £l5 ;
coarse bred ditto, £9 to £ll. Durham steers made
£l5 to £l7 ; and mulch cows, £l3 to £l5. Lincolns
and half-breds varied in price from £ll to £l6,
and well-grazed steers made £2O. Sussex beasts,
well-conditioned steers for stall feeding, £l4 to £l5;.
bullocks, aged, broke to the ox yoke, sold at from
£lB to £2O each. Irish cattle, well-grown steers,
£ll to £l3 ; choice selections, £l5 ; heifers, £8 to
£lO ; yearlings, £4 to £5. Scotch cattle—this de-
scription of stock sold readily—best qualities of
polled Scots and in high condition made from £2O
to £22 a head; ditto for feeding up, £l5 to £l7,
and small steers, £l3 to £l4; runts, these High-
land beasts, which comprise a bullock in miniature,
were in active request ; those fresh from grazing
made from £5 to £9 each; well-conditioned ditto,
£l2 ; mulch cows, this class of stock was in high
competition by the eagerness of milkmen in the
metropolis to secure them ; choice bred shorthorn
cows in full milk and calf by their side made from
£l7 to £2O ; large-framed Yorkshire cows in full
profit, £2O to £23, and selections of handsome
beasts were made at £25, ditto cows to calve down
early early £l5 to £l7 ; Ayrshire cows, £l2 to £l4 ;
and half-bred ditto, £lO to £l2. The fair remains
open to-day (Tuesday) and to-morrow for horses
and cattle.

SPOBTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALLS'-YESTERDAY.

LEAMINGTON STAKES.
3to 1 agst Independence (taken)
7to 2 agst Gaspard
sto 1 agst Petra (taken)
Bto 1 agst Theodora (taken)
ST. LEGER.
Even on Promised Land
6to 1 agst Summerside (taken)
Bto 1 agst Marionette (taken)
10 to 1 agst Trumpeter (offered)
20 to 1 agst Comforter (taken)
25 to 1 agst I,lapoleon (taken)
25 to 1 agst Gamester (offered)
33 to 1 agst Aston (taken and offeredJ
33 to 1 agst Gladiolus (taken)
12 to 1 agst Scott's lot.

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1859.

SEPTEMBER.

Cardiff , 8
Rochester and Chatham 8
Doncaster 13
Do'ver l5
Cheiterfield l9
Leicester
. _

Monmouth
Manchester Autumn
Newmarket F.O ...
Brecon
Walsall

OCT,

Richmond 4
Royal Caledonian Hunt
and Perth .... 5
Bedford 8

NoVE:

Worcester Autumn...... 2
Liverpool Autumn ...... 9

BER.
Newmarket S.O
Ipswich
Kelso
Newmarket H

:MEER.
I Shrewsbury Autumn .

ETURES FOR 1859.
Jenkinstown Park .
I Cashel

19

REPORT OF THE LUNACY COMMIS-

SIONERS:

A copy of the 13th report of the Commissioners
in Lunacy to the Lord Chancellor, presented pur-
suant to Act of Parliament, was published a few
days ago in the shape of a small pocket blue-book.
The Commissioners, under the presidency of the
Earl of Shaftesbury, their chairman, report, at
length, the steps taken during the past (official)
year to increase and improve the public accommo-
dation for pauper lunatics in the counties and
boroughs of England and Wales, and bring under
the notice of the Lord Chancellor the existing con-
dition of the several asylums when last visited by
the Board. The recent entries in their books have
been, for the most part, of a favourable character,
although certain recommendations had to be made
occasionally for the improvement of the treatment,
comfort, and general condition of the unfortunate
insane. In the aggregate these recommendations
constitute essential parts of the treatment of the
disease. Suggestions for the improvement of diet
and the allowance of other comforts to the patients
are also obviously important, as part of a well-
established system of treating their peculiar and
very distressing malady. There is a great want of
accommodation in public (pauper) lunatic asylums,
and this leads to the abuse of farming out-patients
to strangers, keeping them in workhouses, or to
the supersession of the (legal) public asylums by
" licensed houses" for paupers. The public asylums,
stigmatised for various defects of internal arrange-
ment, irregularity, and inattention to suggestions,
include the Cornwall Asylum, Denbigh, the Kent
County Asylum, and asylums in Lancashire (want
of accommodation), at Prestwich, Han well, Colney-
hatch, in Norfolk, Salop, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey,
Sussex, Wilts, West Riding of York, at Haverford-
west (a very bad case indeed), and at Hull. In most
of the above cases the defects are comparatively
trifling, or the complaint is that the recommenda-
tions of the Board have not been attended to.

But_ the state of Haverfordwest (South Wales)

Asylum, formerly a dungeon for • criminals is a-
scandal to the country, and the Lord Chancellor
will doubtless directly interfere. The " defects
are glaring," and are set forth, as in former reports,
in detail. One specimen of the place is given in the
fact that the asylum does not contain a single
watercloset—the consequences are such as decency
forbids us to describe. 'The (private) licensed
houses in the metropolitan districs exhibit an im-
provement in their condition and management. The
suggestions of the Board have generally been
adopted, and increased attention has been paid to
the physical comforts of the patients. A resident
medical officer—a great desideratum—has been
appointed at Blacklands and at Brooke-house. In
two or three cases, however, the Commissioners
have felt bound to take stringent measures to enforce
the adoption of the necessary alterations an 4 im-
provements ; and the licenses were curtailed, with
a broad hint that their renewal might become a
question for serious deliberation. The names of these
dens are not given in the report. In one case the
proprietor of the madhouse was apparently so
encumbered with debts as not to have sufficient
means for the due maintenance of his establish-

ment and the securing of adequate comfort to his
patients. To this person only a short provisional
license was granted. At Normand and Northum-
berland important structural alterations have been
insisted on and made. The Commissioners propose
to reduce the number of licensed houses as much as

possible, so as to restrict them henceforth to the
reception of patients belonging to parishes in the
immediate vicinity of the metropolis ; their object
is to exclude paupers from them altogether. Four
licensed houses in the provinces have been closed,
and one new license has been granted by the jus-
tices at Bury St. Edmund's. The notorious Acomb
House, near York, is again referred to. The man
Metcalfe who kept this (now closed) house was pro •

secuted by the Board, and, althouili he fled to the
Continent, a Bench warrant is out against him and
still remains in force. Plympton-house still bears
a black mark, and should be looked to. The house
at High Beech has been c,losed by the justices them-
selves, and the Board approve their decision. Port-
land-house, Whitchurch, Herefordshire, is a very
exceptional case, and but for a belief that there was
no intentional hardship or neglect on the part of
the proprietor, his license would have been revoked.

The report says :
" It is evident from the details that no benefit is likely to
result from the often-repeated suggestions for improvement
which have been made by us, and it is therefore with a
hope that some other means may be devised to obtain the
necessary improvements that we bring the matter thus
prominently before your lordship."