The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-25 00:00:00

(

NORTHERN LUNATIC ASYLUM.

(From the Inverness Courier.)

A meeting of the subscribers to this Institution was
held in the Castle on Friday last, for the purpose of
organising and adopting the necesory manatires for
carrying out that important scheme. Amongst those
present were—the Mackintosh, lisigmore, Culleden,
Ballindalloch, yr.; Sheriff Tytler, Mr. Grant, of Bught ;
Mr. Gollau, of Gollanfield ; Provost Sutherland, Rev.
Mr. Clark, Rev. Mr. Thorburn, Rev. Mr. Fraser, Kirk-
hill ; Mr. Colquhoun' Mr. Mackenzie, banker ; Mr.
Waterston, ditto ; Dr. Nicol, Dr. Hugh Fraser, Mr.
Forbes, chemist ; Major Macpherson, Drummond ; Mr.
Ross, Berbice Cottage ; Mr. Burnett, Kinchyle ; Bailie
Rose, ; Mr. Mitchell, C.E. ; Mr. A. H. Rennie, mer-
chant ; Mr. D. Fraser, ditto ; Mr. W. Simpson, ditto ;
Mr. Ferguson, wine-merchant ; Mr. C. Stewart, soli-
citor ; Mr. J. Fraser, ditto ; Mr. A. Campbell, ditto.
Sheriff Tytler having been unanimously called to the
chair,
Mr. COLQIIHOUN, convener of the Committee, read the
following report of their proceedings
" The increasing prevalence of lunacy through the
county of Inverness, and the obligation upon the local
authorities to confine, at the expense of the parish of
domicile, all persons thus dangerously afflicted, com-
pelled this project as a matter of ordinary prudence, and
apart from all consideration of general philanthropy.
Accordingly, at the annual county meeting of the 30th
April, 1843. the project was submitted to the public. It
was resolved to endeavour to afford the benefit of the
institution to all the northern counties, standing, as they
did, under circumstances of equal necessity ; and a com-
mittee was appointed to solicit subscriptions on this en-
larged and general footing. They commenced their
duties ; but circumstances for some time were adverse ;
and they had the deep misfortune to lose, almost at the
outset of- their labours, one of their most influential,
zealous, and valued members, by the sudden death of
Mr. Fraser, of Newton. Keenly alive to the true be-
nevolence of the undertaking, he was lending it the
liberal assistance of his example and of his energies up
to the period of his death; and that melancholy event
naturally aff,cted, for a time, the exertions of those as-
sociated with him in the Committee. Thus the project
remained in temporary abeyance. But it seemed soon,
evident that unless active measures were again resorted
to, there could he no reasonable anticipation of a slimes-
ful issue. A public meeting of the heritors, magistrates,
and clergy, was called accordingly, upon the 10th day
of December, 1844, and the necessity of an immediate
canvass was admitted, and pressed upon the Acting
Committee. They undertook the task. The funds at
that date amounted to 1,5001., and to-day they stand on
the list as 4,700/. This sum is almost entirely the re-
sult of private contribution; for only one parish, that of
Dornoch, in Sutherland, has entered a subsription, and
only one public body, the Caledonian Bank of Inverness,
has given a contribution;—the 'parish of Dornoch has
taken one share of 211.; the Caledonian Bank has given a
subscription of one hunred guineas. Apart, indeed, from
these two sums, the contributions have been entirely
from the hand of private benevolence. The town and
neighbourhood of Inverness have given most liberally,
and many of the districts of the county with an equal
hand Under very trifling exceptions, the Committee
have, as yet, been prevented from prosecuting their
solicitations throughout the northern counties. Several,
however, of the most influential proprietors of the north
are amongst the contributors ; and this circumstance
warrants the hope that the canvass which is to be imme-
diately commenced may be successful. The Committee,
through two of their number, have applied for subscrip-
tions in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester,
and London, confining, unless in one or two instances,
their application to those connected by birth, or_pro-
fession, or trade, with the northern counties. They
regret to say that they failed in many quarters where they
had the best reason to anticipate success ; but, again,
there were instances where the claim of enlarged bene-
volence, apart from local feeling, was willingly admitted.
There were individuals who appeared to consider it a
privilege to have an opportunity of contributing to an
object tending so obviously to alleviate the miseries of
the poor.
" Such, then, is the amount of the realised funds, and
such is the source from which they have been, to a very
considerable degree, derived. The committee have no
hesitation in stating to the subscribers their belief, that
the subscription will be soon considerably augmented.
An important addition may be reasonably anticipated
from the northern counties, and the result of an influen-

tial communication with India may be looked for with
confidence. In closing this part of the subject, the com-
mittee have to mention, that, whilst in London, they
had the advantage of communicating with the Lord Ad-
vocate upon the proposed scheme—that his Lordship
became himself a subscriber, and that he obtained for
the institution the benefit of the royal patronage. It is
hoped that such royal countenance may be the means of
assisting the subscription in directions where otherwise
it might not have penetrated. In any event, it invests
the undertaking with an additional interest and import-
ance, and guarantees to the public an efficient constitu-
tion and management—requiring as it does that that
constitution shall receive the approval of the high officers
of the Crown.
" The committee have made it their endeavour to ob-
tain the best advice as to the site of the proposed insti-
tution. They have requested the assistance of Dr. Mal-
colm, of Perth, a gentleman eminent in the treatment of
the insane, arid whose opinions were matured during an
extensive continental tour amongst similar institutions,
preparatory to the erection of Murray's Asylum, in the
neighbourhood of Perth, with which he has been from
its erection, and still is, intimately connected. He
selected four sites as eligible—one on the pro-
perty of Mr. Baillie, the proprietor of Culduthel ;
another on that of Mr. Mackintosh, of Raigmora ;
a third at the Hut of Health, on the estate of
Inshes ; and a fourth on the lands of Charleston, the
property of Mr. Baillie, of Dochfour. With the first
of these proprietors, Mr. Baillie, of Culduthel, the
Committee have been in communication, but the terms
of ten demanded of him are quite impracticable, and
therefore the site upon his property adjoining the
Quarry, and close to the march with the Raigmore lands,
is out of the question. The Committee have also com-
municated with Mr. Mackintosh, but without any result
—that gentleman requiring to know from them the
amount of feu that will be given, and the Committee
naturally enough begging to be informed what is to be
asked, and here the negotiation stands with Mr. Mackin-
tosh. Of course it will be the duty of the subscribers
immediately to open a communication with Mr. Robert-
son of Inshes, and Mr. Baillie of Dochfour, and there-
after to select from those equally eligible sites that which
may be obtained upon the most eligible terms.
" In these circumstances of realised funds and antici-
pated increase, the county committee have considered
themselves required to delay no longer the commence-
ment of the institution. The necessity for its erection
is every day forcing itself upon their attention. The
number of lunatics confined at the expense of the several
parishes' is every day increasing, and the operation of
the New Poor-law Bill must necessarily add to the num-
ber. That Bill directs a course by which reluctant
parishes may be compelled to the humanity of providing
sufficient accommodation for their lunatic poor; but it
affords no assistance towards securing such accommoda-
tion. The more stringent the obligation upon parishes,
the more,lmportant to them should be the erection of a
local and inexpensive institution, such as that proposed.
This is obvious, and will undoubtedly force itself upon
the understanding of all such burdened parishes.
" The Committee, impressed with these important
considen,tions, submit their proceedings to the general
subscribers, and suggest that, without any delay,
.the
necessary steps should be taken for the organization of
the Asylum.
" They eonnot close the accout of their proceedings
without expressing the obligation under which the insti-
tuijon is placed to several gentlemen in the south con-
nected with this ;art of the country. In Glasgow, Mr.
Leith, formerly iL:spector of the Caledonian Banking
Company, most effic,,, ently resisted the canvass ; and in
London the same bet'
eficial office was with equal libe-
rality discharged by Mr. Macgregor of Cheapside. To
per the cause is eminently
Mr. 'Young of The Sun new;cl?B
indebted, for the liberality wi:h which he uniformly ad-
mitted the necessary advertisen: ents in a free and pro-
minent access to the columns of hip important journal.
This report was ordered to be pn. nted and circulated
amongst the subscribers. A letter frOu Dr. Malcolm,
of Perth, containing a report as to a site fpr theinstitu7
tion, and the extent of the buildings, was then read, and
the meeting adopted resolutions, which will be found in
our advertising columns.

One of the most singular and unheard of soetiPs
perhaps ever .witnessed in a Quaker meeting-house, took,
place at Baltimore. Shortly after the hour for meeting to
commence, whilst the brethren and sisters were silently
communing with their own minds, one of the delegates
to the assemblage from Pennsylvaniao. quietly, and
without being observed, stripped himself, .and appear-
ing before them in a perfect state of nudity, insisted
on being allowed to speak. He was immediately seized
ht his friends, and the partition to the female side of
and thought that the spirit of the Lord
te meeting closed, and it required almost main force to
compel him to put on his clothing. He afterwards explained'
fight, and
him, and commanded him to humble
the matter in the following manner :—He had a dream on
beforeithe weeting on the next day, by appearing
,fioehlelnv
conveyed
bnlwt
yehevinterzhthii:osearferevealed
persontioat:inei:didmsetietew:onoeataxnhbeg
ipdi
himself
the
sel
appeared
before previous r
iltiiii
irinhl:aleeettsnwhchii aelaa
siitwnrtsdfiihmititehluitadfhaluasletiri
almost
acted. whilst
certain
appearstsiaaaer
imaginary
amttnhhadeats ttiHent
moo addresslrhsipchi ri t t. h
wouldelmt
command,
hee tor
bu thus
entirely deranged on the subject of religion. These factsanay
be relied on as correct, singularly as they may sound, as they
are well known throughout the city.--iimericara paper.
WARWICK.—SERIOUS AFFRAY WITH POACHERS:.
On Saturday night last, about ten o'clock, as the gamekeepers
and watchers in the preserves of the Earl of Warwick. were
on the watch in the castle grounds, they heard the
report of a gun in that part called " the Lilacs," when they
immediately hastened to the spot. The first that arrived
was an assistant, named John Miles, who was attacked by
the poachers (of whom three were seen), and very severely
beaten, being left on the ground in a state of insensibility,
when his companions came up. Two of the poachers, one,
named John Stanley, and the other Willisun, Judd,'
were within sight, and in the act of making their es 7,
cape. They were instantly pursued by two of the keneegr:i
the former by Harwood arid the latter by
Mumf°
' secured
whom succeeded in taking his man. They wereornin
when
in the lock-up, in this town, untilno j_isday m
the Mafo'r, and
they were brought before E. Dodd, r
g
against.: them it was
P. W. :'''.'3Wsarn, Esq. In the evidence.
,- „rood', (a slim stripling, compared
stated by "young, Ira? „rood"
~
oner he had tken, Stanley),
with the tall and robust pn,•
9,0 t where ho tame
tits Land.
he had found a gun on the i. . .
1 .c as in a broken state, the.
apprehended Stanley, which
stock -
and barrel being separated. A as, h owever, loaded,
as was proved by the fact of the ch.,
'lt
11r.o as,
of powder,
shot, and wadding), being drawn ti;y Harwood from the
barrel, in presence of the MagistrateS'; Miles (who had
been seriously injured about the head and- face, appeared as
a witness. The case was one of unusual interest, and the
Court was crowded at the hearing. Both of ,he prisoners
who had nothing to say in their defence, were counitteil fig
, trial at the next assizes.— Warwick Advertiser,

'Hull WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE TIIIS DAY.
Moining minutes after 10 1 Evening .. 37 minutes after 10.