The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-18 00:00:00

ANDERDON v. BURROWS.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM MR. WELLS, OF SUDBURY
(IN SUFFOLK), ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT HON.
ROBERT PEEL, M, P., CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF LUNA-

TIC ASYLUMS.

Sudbury, Nov. 11, 1829.

. -
Stn,—After all, is it come to this? After all the
extraordinary " evidences" which have been given
before " the Select Committee of the House of Com-
mons in 1827," is it come to this ? After all the
mass of " minutes" which were taken before " the
Select Committee of the House of Lords in 1828,"
is it come to this ? After all the pleasing expec•
tancy of amendment and amelioration in " law
lunacy," in the enlightened era of 1829, is it come
to this,' that a man styling himself an M.D., a self-
interested mad doctor and physician, is to, and do
sign a " certificate of lunacy," of, concerning, or
relating to a person of high respectability, whom
he (the M.D.) has himself actually not seen, but
upon the bare report of another, or the mere repre-
sentations of others, has done this deed of monstrous
cruelty, of hellish inhumanity !
Question upon question will suggest itself, to the
breast of every feeling man, on this cruel case; but
this interrogation receives a ready solution, from the
most ignorant or illiterate,—" What is, or, wherein
does, lay the difference, between a Lettre de
Cachet,' and a Certificate of Lunacy ?' " None,
verily none, as. they both are, in this case, alike in its
dreadful effect, or in their diabolical consequences.
This case is somewhat similar to the one of poor
Mr. Grindall's, which at that time excited such an
extraordinary sensation.
I call upon you, Sir, in the name of God !—in
the name of humanity—and in the name of the
honour of this country—to search into this case,
and to such like abuses, as in so doing you will serve
those whom, in many hasty and heartless instances,
are unable to serve themselves.

Interim, I am, Sir, &c.
JAMES WELLS.

" Nunquam dorinio, sed semper miserix vivo."

Postscript.—Conimon sense, common reason, and
common understanding, in conjunction with com-
mon feeling, dictates this vital and virtuous truth :
—" Private mad-houses arc a vile stigma upon the
honour and humanity of England, and upon the
English character; and ought at once, by a prompt
act of the Legislature, to be done away with." For
they are altogether, in a greater or less degree, no
other than earthly hells—or English Bastiles!

J. W.

COPY OF A LETTER TRANSMITTED FROM THE SECRE-

TARS' OF STATE'S OFFICE TO MR. WELLS, OF SUD-
BURY, IN REPLY TO ONE FROM THAT GENTLEMAN
ON THE SURJECT 01' DR. BURROWS'S CERTIFICATE OF

LUNACY,

Whitehall, Nov. 12.

SIRS lam directed by Mr. Secretary Peel to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th
inst., on the subject of the Certificate of Lunacy
recently signed by Dr. Burrows in the case of Mr.
Anderdon. And lam to inform yob, that Mr. Peel
has forwarded your letter to the Metropolitan Com-
missions of Lunacy, who, he has no doubt, will
direct their attention to the subject to which it re-
fers. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
THOMAS PIJILLIPS.
To Mr. James Wells, Sudbury.

FORGED NOTES.--A man, calling himself
JAMES STEWA RT, who appears to be a wholesale dealer
in forged country bank notes, is now in the custody of our
police for further examination. He was apprehended un-
der the following circumstances :—A female, named ELI-
ZABETH EA MSDEN, was apprehended in June last, and
detained some time in custody, for passing forged five-
pound notes of the Rochdale Bank. She said that a man,
who had taken a liking to her, got her to procure him
change for two or three notes, and wished her to travel
with him to Birmingham. which she declined ; he then
gave her four 51. notes to keep her until his return to Li-
verpool, which he said would be in about three months.
When he was gone she changed the notes as she had occa-
sion. There appeared to be no reason to doubt her state-
inept, and, when she was discharged, she promised that,
if she saw the man again, she would give notice to the
police. Last Tuesday evening she saw him again, in Daw-
son-street, where she lives, and asked him if he remem-
bered giving her the notes. He said he did, but desired
her not to speak of it before company. She told her
landlady of the circumstance. and they sent for a con,
stable ; but the man, suspecting something of the sort,
pushed her down and ran out of the house. She followed
him, and met Sock Err, who, after some search in and
about Williamson-square, apprehended him in the Theatre
Tavern. He said lie had arrived from Belfast that day,
he did not know by what packet, and had not Wien tidy
lodging. Next morning, howsver, it was discovered that on
Monday he had taken up his lodgings at a house in Red-
cross-street, where a trunk was delivered to SOCIFTT as
belonging to hint, and a key, which opened it, was found
in his pocket. In the trunk were found two parcels con-
taining 93 Rochdale Bank cotes fur 51., and 3;25 Leeds
and Pontefract Bank notes for 5/.,which had been recently
worked off front the plates, and were not signed or filled
up.—Liverpool Albion of Monday.