The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-25 00:00:00

or the former, and to improve the relationship with
our numerous dependencies, by permitting a greater
degree of self-governmenf, and extending the princi-
ple of representation.
Although we do not subscribe to the fallacies of the
Peace Congress, we are ready to admit that benefit
will be &rived from full and ample discussion ; and
so long as Mr. COBDEN conducts that discussion in
the unobjectionable tone adopted at Sheffield, we shall
gladly listen to every argument he may please to
advance.

At the January Quarter Sessions for the county
of Gloucester, the magistrates, on the motion of
Earl FITZUARDINGE, the Lord-Lieutenant of the

county, which motion was seconded by the Duke of
BEAUFORT, voted by acclamation, " That the
cordial thanks of the Court be presented to Mr.
PURNELL, the County Chairman, for his conduct on
the subject of the private Lunatic Asylums." Never
was vote of thanks more richly merited, and the

magistrates of the county of Gloucester are deserving
of all honour for the manner in vihich they have

supported their excellent chairman in the performance
of the very onerous duties which have devolved on
him, and by the admirable execution of which he has
conferred -a lasting benefit on his country. The evils
and abuses existing in many of the private lunatic
asylum!, are of such a nature that, as was justly ob-

served by' Earl FITZLIAUDINGE--
- "It required a great deal of courage and persever-
lailee in any man who should attempt to put down
these, evils and seek amendment, and to endure all the
Obloquy which would be cast on him if he endeavoured
tO 'interfere with the persons interested in the continu-
anois Of those evils."
Ntos.t fortunate it is for the cause of suffering
humanity that such a man was found in I. PULL..
*ELL. " The perseverance," we again quote the
w—ordc:4:Earl FITZEARDINGB
'.q4ll,o:pieiseverance, the unwearied labour, and the
inalauntedrraoral courage which ho has shown in his
Cloaduct in the affair of the private lunatic asylums, have
fefledted the highest credit on him both in his public and
trvate character."
,The Duke of BEAUFORT, in seconding the motion,
bore his personal testimony to the exertions of Mr.
PQntiELL. In the course of his speech, his Grace
observed—
. . k‘ I lieive taken considerable interest in all that relates
:to the management of the lunatic asylums, and in con-
bave had frequent communications with our
:excellent'chairman, and 1 have had brought to my notice
y.;Oia-ae-of the benefits which ho has conferred upon man-
!kind generally by detecting the abuses existing in lu-
natic asylums. The Lord Chancellor has had an
opportunity which, probably, would not have been af-
forded him of giving judgment in favour of the release
'fan nut* Itunate patient, which, I believe, but for the
exertions of our worthy chairman, would never have
come be fora his Lordship's notice. That is one of many
:instances in which the chairman has succeeded in re-
-I;dt erningf:om wretchedness and misery several unfortu-
na e patients."
The magistrates of Gloucestershire have done their
duty, but surely the manner in which Mr. PURNELL
has devoted himself to a task which he has well de-
scribed as "most distressing to the feelings, most
harassing in its prosecution, and teeming with the
most painful anxiety as to its results," calls for some
more substantial memorial than a barren vote of
thanks. To the members of the Alleged Lunatics'
Friend Society, we suggest the propriety of at once
commencing a subscription for the purpose of pre-
senting to Mr. PURNELL some substantial token of
national respect. He has, by his exertions, conferred
upon his country a great national benefit, and for
which the nation should show its gratitude.
After perusing the speeches of the Duke of BEAU-
FORT and of Earl FITZHARDINGE, we cannot doubt
but that those noblemen will feel it to be their
duty, early in the course of the ensuing session of
Parliament, to call the attention of the House of Lords
to the necessity of introducing some measure
for the amendment of the laws relating to lunatic
asylums. If any further proof were needed of the
absolute necessity for the immediate introduction of
some such measure, we should find it in the report
presented by Mr.;PunNELL to the Gloucester Quarter
Sessions on the day on which the thanks of the ma-
gistrates were voted to him by acclamation. In
speaking of ono of these asylums in the court of
Gloucester, Mr. PURNELL says in his report :
" Notwithstanding my previous reports as to the de-
tent'on of patients here, it required my intervention to
r, lease one during the past quarter, detained far thirty-
five years—having been quite sane, so far as could be
ascertained, for the chief part of that time, during
which, though the son and brother of farmers of pro-
pony, he had been daily employed as an under scullion
and general labourer; the proprietors being thus paid
for him as a patient by the brother, who had not visited
bias for twenty years, and obtaining, besides, the benefit
of his daily work."
Of what use, we ask, are the visits of the Commis -
sioners of Lunacy ? How comes it, that although
visiting this asylum regularly they never discovered
the existence of this case ? or if they discovered it,
how comes it that it was left to Mr. PURNELL to re-
lease this patient? In the same asylum Mr. PURNELL
states that he found the following state of things to
exist:—

" On ono side of a dismal and damp yard, surrounded
by buildings and a lofty wall—are two strong rooms,
with stone floors, having a flue beneath, and lighted each
by a *item light in the ceiling. In the one is a strong
box hechtead; in the other a strong chair, with a pan in
the seat, the only furniture in each.
" During the year and n quarter that I have visited, a
human being has been shut up the whole of every night
in the first—the whole of every day in the lag'. By day,
a shirt reaching no lower than the fustian jacket, a pair of
shoes, and fustian trowsers entirely open behind, com-
plete his dress. His !arms are placed in stiff leathern
pipes, reaching below his hands, having iron staples at •
the end ts connect them; they meet round his neck,
and are there locked. A strong Lather strap fastens
together the two elbows.
"He has never been taken out for exercise; occasion.-
ally the door of the cell is opened, when he is allowed to
roll himself about on the ground."
Again we ask of what use is the inspection of the
Commissioners of Lunacy ? If during their repeated
visits they never discovered these cases, they were
guilty of carelessness so gross as to amount almost to
culpability; if they were aware of the existence of these
abuses, and took no measures to remedy them, then no
terms we could use would be sufficiently strong to
characterise such conduct. At all events, unless those
statements of Mr. PURNELL are absolute fictions, the
necessity for an immediate re-organization of the
lunacy board is abundantly evident. But it is 'sot
alone on account of sins of omission itat the lunacy
board requires immediate re-organization, the sins of
commission are, according to Mr. PURNELL'S report,
of a more dangerous nature still. The Commissions rs
are upholders of the dangerous doctrine of moral in-
sanity, and consider themselves justified in subjecting
to the discipline of a lunatic asylum persons wl to,
to use their own phraseology "have no otter
defect of mind than a want of moral
sense." If this doctrine of moral insanity be true, the en
is every criminal a lunatic, and all our gaols shot, Id
be turned into asylums. A youth, " whose only
defect of mind was want of moral sense," was a d-
mitted into an asylum in Dec. 1847; he was reg a.
larly visited by the Commissioners during the yea rs
1848 and 1849, and no steps were taken by the in
for his discharge, but on the 10th of Nov. 1849, the as, Fs
lam (against the proprietor of which there is " tto
imputation of attempt at imposition or concealment
of the truth,") was visited by Mr. PURBIELL and his
brother magistrates. The following entries in the
Visiting Book show the history of the termination of
the case.
1849, Nov. 10, Entry of the Visitors :
" With respect to the case of (the patient) stated to
us to be one of moral insanity, it is evidently one whin ill
will require very serious and anxious investigation stn
our parts."
Signed by Mr. Purnell and the other Visitort t.
1849, Nov. 29, Entry of the Commissioners :—.
" We have had some conversation with (the• petit int)
who converses rationally, but who is stated to be en-
tirely destitute of the power of self-control, and to t tive
way in consequence, whenever the restraint of the es-
tablishment is withdrawn, to vicious and dangerous p ro-
pensities.
" Wo entertain doubts, however, how fir a house of
this, description is the most suitable place for confirmi og
his Mental and moral improvement, and we are gh
thorerorr, to learn that arrangements are in progress
rerativing him."
1849, Dec. 8, Copy of extract of letter from ti to
• -Secretary of the Commissioners to the Proprietor 'P.
and produced by him to the Visitors, Dec. 1849:.
" With reference to the case of the patient, whicl• is
especially adverted to in the entry made by the saute
Commissioners in the Patient's Book, I am directed t o
express the opinion of the Commissioners that the elf
is one which cannot be properly or beneficially trea.te 3
in a lunatic asylum, and they, thersiore, recommend tlha t
proper arrangements be made (by the petioles rela -
tives) for his removal from Castletou House, withou t
Idelay."
7 hese entries are thus commented on in the report

" In the entry of 29th Nov., 1849, the question whe-•
thrr insanity, the only legal cause for the confinewent, I
did or did not exist, is not adverted to. By that, and